So far so...

[growalot]

good on little ones surviving their first few months of life...both sets of the twins are still with us and this is just one group of poults...with the crazy amount of raccoon and fox...I am pleased...Just had to shave that plot, grasses have taken over...it goes in buckwheat next spring. then a bean with a over seed of WR late summer...spring the following year may see Alfalfa...we will see..hoping these cool temps has the clover popping before that grass again...The new plot at the end of this upper right...is growing like mad so they will still have lots of great food.

Edited August 27, 2017 by growalot

[wolc123]

The coon population seems to be very high around our place.  Last year I did not note any damage on my field corn plots until Labor day weekend, but Friday night, they hit a couple young developing ears on my back plot.   I hit them back last night with (4) box traps and two dog-proofs.   The two box traps that I set on the West side of each plot contained adult coons this morning (a male and a female).   I thought it was odd, because last year I caught most of them on the East side of the plots.  I had (4) traps on the East side and only those (2) on the West.   They should make for some good fresh fertilizer for some ailing apple trees up front where I burried the carcasses (per NY state DEC advice).  

I will probably keep hitting them with all I got every day until Labor day.  After that, it will be just on weekends, until I get thru one with nothing in the traps.  It is good to take them out early because every coon removed now saves several bushels of corn for the deer (or my folks egg-chickens if there is any leftover after late ML season).   I used to think that the turkeys were the culprits, but they don't bother the corn unless the coons knock it down first.    There also seems to be an abundance of  turkeys around here this year.   Local trappers on each side of us hit the coyotes real hard last season.  That is probably why there are a lot more coons and turkeys around.        

[LET EM GROW]

A ton of coons at my place as well. Has been for years. Some Boone and Crocket coon critters too!!