Rick James

So I'm in the process of starting my annual work on the property to improve my place and the hunting on it. Did an entire day of work on Saturday and also ran to the local feed mill and bought all the stuff I need for the plots this year as well.

I now havestockpiled 3/4 ton of lime, 750lbs of fertilizer (urea and 0-20-20),2.5 gallons of glyphosate, 1/2 an acre of Full Draw seed, 1 acre of Maximum seed, 1 acre of Tecomate Chicory seed, and 1 acre of Tecomate Monster Mix seed(clover/chicory). It's all stored andjust waiting for the weather to cooperate, I'll likely really start that work the weekend before the 4th.

I also got the feeders and cameras up, andmowed all of the plots on Saturday. The clover/chicory plots from last year are starting to look pretty good now (been mowed 2x now this year, finally choking out the weeds). Pretty soon I will start the process of mowing, liming, spraying, fertilizing, discing, and then targeting a seed date oflate July/early August for everything that was an annual plot last year or new for this year. I willbebreaking new ground and expanding2x of the plots this year adding about half an acre of plot split between 2x of the existing ones.

In addition to the plot work,I will be hanging 3+ more stands this year,and addinga small timber frame bridge crossing the main creekto make it easier to hunt the other side of the property.

So what projects do you guys have going this year? What are you going to do to make things better where you hunt? I love this time of year and actually enjoy the work and breaking a good sweat while getting my hands dirty. I love the time spent with good buddies, and the evenings spent enjoying a few cold ones around the camp fire at camp the evening after a good days work.

Let's hear and see some pics of what you guys are doing now to make your places better!

BowHuntingFool

I took it kinda easy this compared to the last few years! I'm still putting in my plots for summer and fall. In the last 2 years I planted 2500 trees ranging from Pines, Apple, Oak, Maple, Crabapple Trees, Drabapple Bushes and Dogwood! I'm not worried about the pines, oaks and maples, the will grow! I giving the apple, Crabapple trees and bushes a year to grow and see how they do before I plant more. I fertilized all the trees I planted in the last few years. Oh yeah and we are in the middle of purchasing 70 more acres!

Rick James

That's awesome, I don't have experience adding trees to the property, or improving ones that are there. Only selective cutting of the timber that was already there. I'm sure your efforts and $$$ will pay off in the long run.

One of these years I'd like to try fertilizing the apples that are on and surround our property. The hill was originally a 500+ acre apple orchard, there are still several hundred old trees on and around the property. Their production is really spotty at best though. One of these years I'd like totrypruning and fertilizing these to see if I can get them producing again. I plan to add some more perennials to the plots this year to reduce the amount of work next summer, maybe the time saved can be spent on helping the apples out.

mobow

Well, I don't own any of the ground I hunt on, so my options are pretty limited. But a buddy of mine owns 1 farm I hunt, and we replanted all of our clover plots this spring. As well as put in a couple more. We're going to head back down and clean up a few stand sites as well.

The biggest thing I do is COMPLETELY cover each farm via ariel map and topo, regardless of how long I've hunted it. I always find something I haven't seen before....And second to that is finding new places to hunt. I've done both, and will continue staring at more maps. Also, I will head to a few of them to see what crops are planted this year.

BowHuntingFool

Matt, Pruning will do wonders for those trees, especially if they are growing wild like they have been. We did that to a couple of old trees and could not believe how many apples these trees produced, we were amazed! Fertilize and prune them in the early spring when they are dormant and you will be a happy man come fall!

130woodman

I planted about 4 acres of food plots

jmbuckhunter

Matt, my list is almost as long as yours.

I didn't get to put any food plots in this spring. With all of the rain around here, I couldn't get anyone with a tractor to help me out. When it was dry enough they had to work their own fields.

I did get a road cut thru my woods. So I can now get from my bottom field to my upper field. I planted a clover mix on the level area.I still need to getthe hillrocked, but I can make it up the hill if it's not too muddy.

I am in the process of selling my boat, so I can buy a tractor. That way I won't have to rely on someone else. I WILL plant some turnips and a clover chickory mix for this fall. Later this fall I will spray my CRP field with roundup. Then in the spring disc it up and plant Native Warm Season Grasses in it. They will be much more of a benifit to the wildlife than the Fescue there now.

I am still undecided if I want to tear up all of my upper field. Some of itwill be food plots. But right now it is an overgrown old hayfield. It is getting a lot of Sumac and blackberrymixed in with the grasses. It is about chest high right with deer beds everywhere. It is a great bedding area, but I think it will just be too nasty in a couple of years, and I won't be able to do anything with it.I may plant it in Warm Season Grasses too. That way I can let it grow up but burn off a section every year and manage how thick it gets.

I have 3 stands hung in textbook funnels and have shooting lanes cleared in a few more good looking spots.

I still need to clear a 4 wheeler path to a few areas in case a deer dies in the bottom of one of the hollows (they usually don't die on top).

That should just about cover it. Except for glassing some of the neighbors bean fields this summer.