The Engineer

I think this year I am going out on opening day with my M1. My reasons being I don't think I will have very mature bucks this year. Last year my neighbor got a 10 I was looking for and someone jacked the 9 and 8 that were walking around in my hunting area. Never heard the night shot but found the body 3 days into the season 10 feet off the road. The 8 was gut shot under tree. So far I have seen 10 does and 4 point yearling following his mother around still. I am going up this weekend to check the cameras which will help me decide as I don't want to wound an animal using iron sites. I am not getting my hopes up but I do have a doe tag. We do have a ton of them walking around. Maybe with my food plots the bigger guys will come out of the mountains for a bite. I am going to site it anyway. Love that gun

Not yet in my clover or anything else yet but they are new. Just some prints going through the plots. The longer they wait the better closer to opening day

Here are my 3 plots. I planted about 3 weeks ago. The first one is clover. I did that there because the grade of the hill and I didn't want block the view of the pond. I will frost seed in the spring. That stuff is a pain on that hill by hand. I am just going to buy 50 lbs and throw it everywhere. The next 2 pics are plot 2. That has turnips, kale and radishes. My wife wants to take it over because of the view of the pond. I am going to miss her. The last 2 is plot 3. That is the wildlife mix. The may not be great but for someone who never grown anything more then a tomato I'm happy. The worst part is I am hooked. This is going to get expensive but it's something to do while waiting for opening day. Next year I will be putting stuff for turkeys too. It's cool just to bring stuff in to see. So far I am only seeing foot prints through the plots no browsing yet but I'm sure they will find it soon enough.

Is this Ginseng? I have it all over the place

Has anyone ever used them? How are the trees, shrubs etc. Also how are the prices compared to local or others. Are they good products Thanks

Nice pictures. The 2 best things about cameras are it starts getting you into the hunting cycle and for me, my wife is not into hunting at all but humors me. But it gets her interested in seeing the pictures sitting in the woods in a stand with her own camera during the off season. Plus she gives me money for food plots and 3 point attachments

I'm lucky I rent a JD 550 with a 6 way blade for 250 a day. Just rented it last week for 3 days and drive myself. Got pretty good with it. Made 3 food plots, clear my trails throughout my woods wide enough for my pickup. And cleared off my hill overlooking my pond from the house. Rent a machine yourself you save money and have some fun tearing it up.

I forgot I have forks that attach to the bucket too. I was thinking also a sickle mower for around the pond I put in and on the sides of my road and driveway. I have a back blade and rake for the quad but they are little more then a toy. But a start. A disk sounds good. I will use that atleast twice a year or more. I am getting my tires loaded next week.

So you bought a 60hp tractor with a front loader and a York rake. I am starting my Christmas wish list. What would be you next 3 attachments? My property is mostly woods and I am slowly clearing areas for some food plots. I have less then a 1/2 acre of lawn that I use a lawn tractor for so no need for a bush hog or finish mower yet. Send over your ideas please. If my wife can have 100 pair of shoes and pocket books I can have a few attachments

I just got off the phone with them. They a lot there free soil tests and for $30 test your property in multiple area and set up fertilizer and soil amendments. Much easier for me being I am a weekend warrior thank you all for your help. Now just st waiting for the rain to stop so I can fertilize and seed

Well I just came back from Agway in Stamford. I picked up white clover for the hill. I got kale, radish and turnips for one plot that's over 1/2 acre. The back plot just under a 1/2 acre is what they call wild life mixture which is ww, clover and some other stuff. Right now late in the season I am just looking for some green growth and maybe a a few deer hit it. It's my first try so something is better then nothing. I am hoping to keep the weeds down too. Next year I'll disk it in and start earlier in the year. Just forward progression

As for the leaf drop mayb a back pack blower this year. As the years go by I will be taking trees down for fire wood around the plot. The big one the smaller ones maybe hinge cut them around the plot

As for the leaf drop mayb a back pack blower this year. As the years go by I will be taking trees down for fire wood around the plot. The big one the smaller ones maybe hinge cut them

I wasn't going to use fertilizer. Should I? Also will it get used by the deer this year. As for the right now 6 to 8 hours of full sun then partly sunny through the trees

I finally had the time to clear 3 areas on my land. I tested the soil and I am at 5.8 on ph. I have one that is on a slope over looking the pond that will get clover as its easy to maintain and I can cut it with my sickle mower. My 2 other spots are in the woods. One is a 1/2 acre field surrounded by woods and thick brush with one trail going in the other is horseshoe shaped. What should I plant ASAP that will grow? Yes I want have a plot for fall but it's late I also want something that will keep the weeds down. Even if it's temporary until next year is fine. I will disk it in and plant something next spring/ summer. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks CHC, you and my wife corrected me this morning as she reads this site too. She reminded me as she was helping doing the test holes. Sand landed on the bottom first and fast then the clay followed by topsoil / organics (leaves, sticks etc) if you have more then 40% sand it will leak or seep. Best conditions for the pond lining is 60% or better of clay. Less sand is better. And driving back and forth with a bulldozer to pack it down.

Finding clay is tough in the mountains. Get educated, ask neighbors who they used and get estimates. If you have a tool rental place rent a small excavatorfor a day or a 2 person auger and take soil samples. Grab a shovel full put it in a mason jar about 1/2 to 3/4 full and add water. Shake well. Clay sits on the bottom next up is sand then top soil. Spend a day doing it and you will get a good feel of the material to use on hand

I put in a 1/2 acre pond and made every mistake you could.I rented an excavator and bulldozerfor a week $3000 for both. Then had someone come in and fix it for $7000. It Started to leak the last 5 feet from the top. Also it's 22 feet deep. Also a waterfall from spring run off was added. I am at $10,000 but checking around for a pond 180 x 80 x 22 deep that's what the prices are in the Catskills because of the soil issues slopes etc. PM me if you have questions. I did everything wrong but I got a lot of well paid for education now it's time for fish.

OK getting a little clearer. Were you there when the snaked the pipe? It sounds like they may have hit roots which is possible with that pipe. How far in did they find the obstruction. How far down is your waste pipe in the ground when it leaves the house. How long of a run is it? You can rent a small machine and dig next to the existing pipe and run a 4" pipe and connect both ends with a fitting called a furco fitting. It's a rubber sleeve with a hose clamp on both sides that slips over both pipes. Very easy but you have to be able to run a mini excavator. Also get your property marked out for the utilities. That could be another major issue. Keep feeding me info, you can get through this

Hold up, I am a plumber and an engineer. Some questions What makes you think you need a new line?Do you have a back up (clog)?Do you just need a section of pipe installed. Give me a run down of the situation. Can't do it for you but I may be able to help you by asking the right questions.

I just bought a 60 hp Massey. I looked at Kubota, NH, Deere too. I am a research guy. I over analysis everything. Dollar for dollar Kubota and Massey are your best bet of the big 4. The only reason I went Massey was I have great dealer 7 miles away. I also bought mine out of state no tax free delivery for under 25 and the dealer will honor the warranty. What I liked about Kubota is a lot of aftermarket attachments fit with ease. Massey is not as freindly but still good. I don't know your budget but another tractor to look at is Kioti. It sounds like you are going to use a lot of attachments. What I liked about them was they also had lever at the back of the tractor by the 3 point hitch that you can raise and lower while the arms when working alone. Makes it easier to make connections. If the tractor is at a camp the number 1 thing to look for is a dealer. See who all your neighbors are using. That will tell you who is close and good. Again I am a researcher so I break down everything to the nuts and bolts. Why not it's my money and more importantly my time

I have had them all. the best boot dollar for dollar are the MicKY Pac boots. I sit out in the cold all day in my tree stand and with feet warmers that is the last thing to get cold. Any surplus store has them so does Sportsman Guide. For under $50 bucks what do you have to loose.

Mickie boots, the surplus kind. I first pair I got were white. I wear a 10 so I bought 11. Sure you look like a clown with them on but for warm feet I would kiss Hillary on the mouth. A pair of wool blend and an insulated sock like a Hodgeman sock and your good for 15 degrees. Under 15 and throw in toe warmers. I walk, stalk and tree stand huntand never had an issue. When I sit my feet are warm. Just this week in that blizzard in the Catskills i was out there giggling about how warm my feet were and it was 17 and wind blowing at 40. When I stalk I can feel my feet sweat but they never get cold. I got a new pair this time and they are black. In my tree stand I face east and the sun on the coldest days warm up the black bots a little too. they are under $50 and watch any of those Alaskan shows they are all wearing them. They are cheap and great. and remember back in the day your government probably did a million dollar Study on them.

In Stamford area any where from 8" to 2' on average 26". I am on vacation this week so I went out every day. saw 1 buck but I couldn't tell the size of him I jumped him and he went over the hill into brush. then a few does bedding down under trees. I could see from the stand. Crazy wind and no tracks any where. It beats going shopping or driving around with the wife Winds are dying down tonight so I will be out tomorrow for sure. We did drive around on the snowmobile for a while.

My wife and I tried to do the same thing. we went everywhere in the Catskills to find that piece of God's country. Our range for land was 125 with 30% down. Our credit is 850. we found a bank (Trustco) and they had no PMI and closing cost $2500. With that being said my wife said find a house so we can use it now and all year long. Instead of putting down 30% we put 10% instead. why not no penalty. I love my wife she is a economic machine. For the same price of what we thought land would be we also got a 2 bed room house and a 20 x 40 garage. We also had extra down payment money left over for matching quads. Where are you looking? Keep in mind even if you dont put 20% on a house the pmi may only be $60 per month. That way you and the wife can use it all year long. A tent can get cold in the fall and winter. See if Trustco bank is in that area or does loans in that area. They are very 2nd home and upstate freindly.