A year in the life of a farm

[Dushon]

I'm thinking of going into my big fields with a combination of cowpeas, sunn hemp, and sunflowers. This still allows me to spray for grass should it become an issue.

I'm also replanting a couple of fields with a combo of vetch and Alyce clover. I like the vetch a lot and lost it all in last years floods.

I'm edgy to buy a roller crimper and experiment with it. I like the concept a lot and would be fantastic if it reduced herbicide needs with more effective thatch coverage.

I see a lot of people planting sunflower. Is this for the deer or for the birds?

[elgato]

Yes....I have planted a 13 acre field of sunflowers for doves and the deer ate them all. Planted in a mix as mentioned there is a better chance of some survival . The sunflowers and sunn hemp give the peas something to climb, deer eat them both and also as mentioned does not compromise ability to spray for grass.

I have been experimenting with seed blends that not only feed the deer but also feed and improve the soil. Adding sunflowers gives another plant profile to help accomplish this. Plus the sunflowers can take advantage of the nitrogen from the crimson that the summer plots are being planted into as well as any nitrogen provided by the peas and hemp.

[More Liberty]

I've got some cover crops out, although they are for soil improvement for my farm. Last fall I planted rye and crimson clover. I planted more clover and some buckwheat for my bee hives.

[elgato]

Last years floods inundated numerous plots especially on my neighbors property. Late last summer he decided to expand several of his plots that are on high ground to assure adequate nutrition year round. Yesterday afternoon we started burning the piles in the newly cleared fields. Fire...big fun.

He will spend this growing season cleaning up the fields, liming, chicken litter, then buckwheat until he can plant clover in the fall.

[GarGuy]

Oughtta be an arrowhead in that washed spot!

[elgato]

Yet another use for duct tape...

In the ongoing battle to thwart coons from our feeders this is the latest design. Last yr. we used 1X4's and that worked most of the feeding season. By the end though some coons had figured out how to weave themselves amongst the boards and snatch a meal.Now we have wrapped duct tape around the boards to eliminate any place for them to hold on. Cameras are out . We will see.

For the coons that are big enough to 'chin up ' to the spout we are going to put all the feeders on 2x4's to lift them up a bit. Results to follow

[Dushon]

Yet another use for duct tape...



In the ongoing battle to thwart coons from our feeders this is the latest design. Last yr. we used 1X4's and that worked most of the feeding season. By the end though some coons had figured out how to weave themselves amongst the boards and snatch a meal.Now we have wrapped duct tape around the boards to eliminate any place for them to hold on. Cameras are out . We will see.



For the coons that are big enough to 'chin up ' to the spout we are going to put all the feeders on 2x4's to lift them up a bit. Results to follow

Dont take long for these to pay for theirselves. Ive taken +300 off the 1500 acres I work on in the last 3years.

[Encinal]

Why don't you buy 50 duke dog proof traps for ~$900 and smoke them...

We killed 40 coons in 4 days with 40 traps... and we are in S Tex... which isn't prime coon habitat...

They averaged 20lbs each... which equates to taking 2 400lb black bears off of your feeders... which I guarantee you eat more than $900 worth of feed...

[elgato]

We have killed countless coons using cola and ' the secret sauce'.With bayou's swamps, creeks, and thousands of acres of hardwoods our area seems to have an inexhaustible supply of coons.

Reminds me of the rat plague long ago. New York or Paris? I forget where. They tried everything to kill out the rats but nothing worked. Finally they cleaned up the city getting rid of all the trash and mess lying around. Curiously with no habitat the rat problem was solved.

Regardless of how many coons I've killed there has always been a big problem with waste. Yes there is no doubt coon predation on the feeders has been as much as 30% -40%. Whatever, a big problem.

So my strategy now is to coon proof the feeders, eliminate the waste and let the coons live in their natural ecology. Actually don't mind them cleaning up underneath the feeders as that probably helps some. Plus this is a no maintenance approach.

[JeffK]

What if you moved your protein feeders to the middle of your food plot fields and away from the brush edge? That's what I did with mine and raccoons are rarely at the feeders now and I am along a river bottom. I did not notice any change in bucks visiting feeders also.

[RRagan83]

Yet another use for duct tape...

In the ongoing battle to thwart coons from our feeders this is the latest design. Last yr. we used 1X4's and that worked most of the feeding season. By the end though some coons had figured out how to weave themselves amongst the boards and snatch a meal.Now we have wrapped duct tape around the boards to eliminate any place for them to hold on. Cameras are out . We will see.

For the coons that are big enough to 'chin up ' to the spout we are going to put all the feeders on 2x4's to lift them up a bit. Results to follow

Cut the bottom out of a 5gl bucket and put it where you have the duct tape I have done this in the past and it works well

[elgato]

Cut the bottom out of a 5gl bucket and put it where you have the duct tape I have done this in the past and it works well

I've been shown that before and am sure it works. Same concept as this. I just happened to driving by a feeder with duct tape when this idea hit me. The " do it now " principle.

[Sticks&Strings]

I've been shown that before and am sure it works. Same concept as this. I just happened to driving by a feeder with duct tape when this idea hit me. The " do it now " principle.

Is all this rain hitting you? Flooding again?

[elgato]

Thanks for asking. We are flooding already from the rain here and with 17" and continuing north of us on the Red River I predict we will get significant flooding again.

[bloodtrailer28]

I was wondering how you were fairing with all the rain. Good luck and stay safe!