Habitat Photos of Projects

[UGUIDE]

I was thinking it would be very helpful to all is we started posting pictures of the things we are talking about. This would add another level of detail that would help others in thier projects. Pictures are worth 1000 words so much easier to see something than describe it in text.

Stuff varies so much by region also that it would be good to have photo to go along with the description and how someone got there.

I'll start by posting some pics of my farm projects later this week.

Don't wait for me though go ahead and post if you got them.

 

[1GB]

I saw this thread when you first made it and thought "cool!"

Then I thought I could add to it since my food plots this year are doing well enough to share. So I go to take some pictures and my camera doesn't work anymore! I took it in on warranty, but it will be 2-4 weeks before I get it back.

So, here are a couple shots of my egyptian wheat / WGF sorghum / browntop millet as of about a month ago.

This part of my planting isn't as nice as it could be due to crabgrass really coming on strong and me having no idea how to kill it without killing all the other "grasses" also. I actually sprayed Arrow down the middle since it was so bare to kill the grass and let the annual weeds take over since they'll be a better seed source anyway come winter.

This part is doing great. So well in fact that I am worried what I'll do about the thatch next year since I don't have a farm tractor or implements. I may just have to let it going wild until I get some better equipment.

Now the wheat is over 8' tall in spots and the other two are thigh to waist high. The millet seed heads came out last week and the WFG is just starting to exit the sheath now. Nothing on the e. wheat though. I'm starting to have problems with wind from thunderstorms knocking areas flat, but so far they are bouncing back up a few days later. If I could take a picture now you wouldn't see any the things in the background (field edge, bushes, etc), just all sorghum and millet!

 

[UGUIDE]

Nice Job!!

This is exactly what I had in mind 1GB. Looks like you did a nice job. I took a bunch of pictures this week of most of my projects and will post tomorrow.

The early picutres aren;t as interesting as late ones but you almost need both to get the before and after.

Those Swisher ATV brush mowers work pretty good if you don;t have a tractor. Still will be hard to get it worked up to plant again without a disk/tractor. Maybe you could hire it out?

:thumbsup:

 

[1GB]

The early picutres aren;t as interesting as late ones but you almost need both to get the before and after.

Indeed. I'll post updates, but it'll be a month or so.

Maybe you could hire it out?

:thumbsup:

I've considered it. Everything I've done was with a 4 gallon sprayer, section of a spring-toothed harrow, a homemade chainlink drag, and a roller (and ATV of course).

 

[mnmthunting]

1GB, Good looking plots you got there.:thumbsup:

 

[kansasbrittany]

Nice looking place you've created for yourself. Congratulations, I envy you a great deal!

 

[Prairie Drifter]

That ought to do a good job of hiding some roosters for you. You'll want to start getting your hips in shape to step over it come fall.

 

[UGUIDE]

Here we go.....

MNMT, here's your corn/soybean broadcast plot. Just sprayed it once more so should be it for season.

Here is the WSG planting that went in around memorial weekend. Plateau applied at planting.

Here is the big view of the 30 acre CRP WSG planting of above closeup.

Here is the mac daddy tall and short milo plot. Planted into disked corn stalks. You can just make out the tall stuff and short stuff.

Here's some new switch coming up that was broadcast near the building.

This was a deer plot we planted past year but was loaded with grasshoppers and pheasant chicks. Call the seed company and we believe that is a mix of teton and travois alfalfa. Amazing stuff. More blossoms on stem that typical alfalfa.

 

[moellermd]

Here is some WSG I planted last spring. I was really worried it was not going to be a good stand last year. What a difference a year makes.

 

[mnmthunting]

UGUIDE, Stuff is looking very good! Do you leave the corn/soy through the Winter? Bet the birds will spend a quite a bit of time in a patch like that.
I can see where the Milo is great pheasant stuff. Don't see Milo up here, I suspect our growing season is a bit short.

Moellermd, GREAT patch of Switch!:thumbsup:

 

[mnmthunting]

Yesterday at the Ranch

This 6 acres WSG planted with oats Spring of 07.
Oats cut off mid July baled as hay. 07 was a drought year. I had no hope.
Switch, Side Oats and Blue Grama. All are doing very well.
Volunteer timothy and June grasses, I suspect came with cow manure.
I grazed heavy until June 7, The cool season stuff 10 inches tall. Warm season grass just getting going.
First green of the Season, cows grazed green and last years growth, coarse stems tromped down. The brown stuff in the pic is Cinquefoil, sprayed about 2 weeks ago.

I see turkeys almost daily one place or another on the ranch.
This is a group of Toms. I came to this small field from a woods trail. They were gone fast.

Cover crop of oats ready to cut. Alfalfa and Orchard grass look very good. The chocolate thing would be Regular Dog.

This is a 10 acre patch that is left till Spring. North Central MN.
78 day Round Up, non irrigated. 2nd pic The deer stand is 11 feet to the floor.

You guys are lucky my photo session was cut short, time to head for shelter.

 

[mnmthunting]

This is a 5 acre patch of black oil sunflowers and millet planted June 22. Works very well for a late planting. Sunflowers will be full bloom by mid August ripe mid Sept. Drilled thick will have smallish baseball size heads, still lots of seed. Sunflowers stand up to heavy snow and will help hold the millet.Birds love it, so do deer.

 

[1GB]

Moellermd, GREAT patch of Switch!:thumbsup:

x2! That looks great. I planted some 2 winters ago and only found 1/2-1 dozen plants at the end of the year. This year I've been able to find 2-4 dozen ... still not impressive for 2-3 acres of seed at 5-6 lbs per acre. Next year should be my banner year - going to lay down some Oust either later on this fall or early spring with another RU application.

You guys are lucky my photo session was cut short, time to head for shelter.

Quite the opposite - great photos and thanks for sharing! In the sunflower/millet photo, it looks like there is way more millet than sunflowers? Did it just come up in irregular patches or is that deer damage? I know I tried putting in sunflowers last year and once they were knee high deer were in the plot every night and decimated my 1/2 acre attempt.

 

[mnmthunting]

1GB, Yep the millet is a bit thick, I was using up seed.
Deer do gobble up the sunflowers and will keep on thinning. Also there are a few calves clipping off plants.
Still I think there will be plenty of blooms.

 

[1GB]

This part of my planting isn't as nice as it could be due to crabgrass really coming on strong and me having no idea how to kill it without killing all the other "grasses" also. I actually sprayed Arrow down the middle since it was so bare to kill the grass and let the annual weeds take over since they'll be a better seed source anyway come winter.

This part is doing great. So well in fact that I am worried what I'll do about the thatch next year since I don't have a farm tractor or implements. I may just have to let it going wild until I get some better equipment.

So I finally got my camera back and thought I would update the two angles shown above. Luckily I have a flusher.

The egyptian wheat is still heading out. The WGF sorghum is approaching the doughy stage. The millet is turn hard and succumbing to the wind.

 

[1GB]

Here's a few more ...

A test plot of only WGF sorghum. I was curious to see how high it gets and how much cover remains come winter if I planted it straight. I took a little more care planting it in rows by hand though and weeding a little until it got started. I am also curious to see if the deer eat it (I'd rather plant things for pheasant that the deer will leave alone due to limited space and equipment - hence no corn or soybeans for me!)

I also planted a spot with straight brown top millet and it also filled in with crabgrass mad and while both matured and provide seed, they are both also about 6" tall now (aka "flat").

The brown top mixed with sorghum is still standing though since it's better protected from winds/heavy rain:

Here's a shot of maturing buckwheat and egyptian wheat in the background. The buckwheat is 4'-4.5' tall and the EW is upwards of 8'-9'+. Luckily the EW is only 20 yards wide at the most, so it will simply be a 50/50 chance of being on the correct side if any birds are flushed out later this fall.

 

[UGUIDE]

Nice work 1GB. I can tell you have got the habitat bug! I hope you get to reap a harvest this fall.

I am told the deer leave milo alone until it sweetens which is later in fall. I know they like to bed in it.

I will take some pics of when I am out at the farm mid august to show difference from July pics.

 

[UGUIDE]

Well here are some pics from the last trip out to farm. Pics of a few milo food plots that turned out real well. The stalk base looks real strong and my hope is that they stand the harsh winter elements.

The seed is juuuuust starting to turn red.

 

[SDJIM]

My Food Plot

planted in South Central SD

 

[1GB]

planted in South Central SD

Looks great! :thumbsup: