4evrhtn

Each year I add a little more but here is what the corn plot started as...


After plowing and harrowing ....


Form the lower corner near my stand looking west/north this spring. The clover was planted in 07 at the right of the pic. To the left of the clover I will plant oats as well as broadcast oats over the clover the next time I mow it.

Soilman

Nice pictures of the progress you have made. Your plots look very good, and you have great variety. I hope you and your son get some nice deer.

4evrhtn

Just mowed my clover plot today in between rain storms. I have to get a brush hog, the modified push mower is wearing me out! I also broadcast forage oats in my soybean field and lower edge along the clover under my stand.
I tried to walk through my corn field.... the grass is up to my chest between the rows. The corn is producing cobs though and everything looks good as far as that goes. I am hoping the deer move into the corn when the pressure starts around me. Plenty of cover for the deer and for stocking birds this winter for shooting after the deer season. I do want to spray the crap out of the corn field next spring before planting again. I have a company near me that makes compost and the locals are allowed to receive 10 tons of compost for free. Thinking about getting the max I can and spread it through my fields next spring, the dirt gets like concrete when we don't get rain. Figured by spreading the compost and then disking the ground up to mix it the ground should be nicer to work with.
I'll post pics of the oats as they grow.

rem700man

4evrhtn:
When i was a kid growin up on the farm in clinton co. i can remember the pheasants flyin out in front of the corn picker,,,grouse under every hemlock tree on rainy days and my two dogs going completely nuts when i would come out of the house with the shotgun (they knew it was time to have fun) Do you ever see native birds in your area anymore?? and do you think it will ever come back to what it was in "the good ole days"?

4evrhtn

We have some grouse but you'd be real lucky to limit out twice in a season with alot of hunting. We have some wood<o<k but they are even less common than grouse. As far as pheasants and quail.... Zero wild populations in my area. However the Game Commission is doing a restoration program about 20 mins from my house. I am very happy to see they are giving it a shot but do I think there will be a sustainable population capable of being hunted and survive.... No. We have too many predators-coyote, fox, bobcat and more red tail hawks. The pheasants don't stand a chance, especially since farming practices have changed. Every year I see pheasants left over right after the hunting season and now at this time of year... none. I think quail would have a higher likelihood of propagating and multiplying in numbers than pheasants. I wish there was a more effective way of increasing the grouse populations, they are the only game bird that we have that stands a chance being that we currently have a wild population that is maintaining it's numbers. I think the good ol days of hunting wild pheasants are over for us in Pa. It's sad. I stock birds but mainly for my gsp's to do what they love most in life.. find them and retreive them after shot.