Robs huntandfish journal

[Robhuntandfish]

me and Corey made a list for this coming season.  I kept it on my phone cause as we were hunting and these things would occur to us and the saying all year was "add it to the list"  so heres they list 

Ideas for hunting improvements  

Trimming/cutting

-          Widen trail at Scrapetree – area right in front of stand

-          Widen trail at Wayback –area right in front of stand

-          Cut open view from scrapetree to see down trail both ways

-          Widen Pine tree area on left of trail to Swamp

-          Trim to left of Opener – dead branches

-          Trim view from Point towards Scrapetree –be careful not to cut licking branch

-          Cut Corner of CSS so can see down towards ditch

-          Cut corner of Littlefield to see all of it from stand

-          Get a brush hog/cutter for 4 wheeler

Adding food/food plots

-          Till and plant Littlefield with Fall mix – plant in late July

-          Frost seed clover at Scrapetree and Wayback and Swamp

-          Apple Trees?  - Corey planting two at Wayback area.  Plant two by Pine cleared spot

-          Till Wayback area by Xmas tree and plant food plot?  (big job dunno yet)

-          Till and plant area across from Browns old stand spot where David cut before (longterm possibility)

-          Frost seed clover and grasses - stota trail areas

-          Get a ATV tow behind plow.

 

Stands/Blinds

 

-          New stand on Stota side in cut field.  100% put this in.  9ft in corner, tucked in brush?

-          Possible stand backside of pond on way to road kill (scout out and see if worth it)

-          Replace bottom rung on Scrapetree (?)

-          Stand at blowdown on beach side ?  9 ft

-          Stand at little tree behind pond ? 9ft

-          Blind by pond area ? 

New Dirt

-          Corey - get a stand up down the road farther!!!!

-          Rob – ask about Madison neighbor access?  Find out if early Sept season first.  If it passes don’t ask, if it doesn’t ask.

 

Trailcams

 

-          Late July - Corner of field area behind pond, corner of field stota side, CSS, Littlefield, Scrapetree, Point (by licking branch), Roadkill, Swamp,

[Otto]

You’re gonna be too busy to fish!  

Nice list, good idea to write it down as you go. 

[Robhuntandfish]

9 hours ago, Otto said:

You’re gonna be too busy to fish!  

Nice list, good idea to write it down as you go. 

Blashemy!  We have some of the cutting done already.  Im looking forward to it and hope it works out the way we are thinking.  But fishing will happen!  Ive already put in for every fri off from last week in May thru June! Fishing days will come again.   

[Robhuntandfish]

Got my tow behind plow delivered today. Will put it together when I get a good weather day.  Also picked up my venison hotdogs from marsh mill .  

[Fletch]

Let us know how the dogs are. I have not had them from there. I got some coming from Coztanzas

[Robhuntandfish]

11 minutes ago, Fletch said:

Let us know how the dogs are. I have not had them from there. I got some coming from Coztanzas

i got some last year and they were good.   They certainly dont have options like Constanzas - its basically Italian or polish sausage, 2 breakfast sausages, Slim sticks, Pepperoni, bologna and Hotdogs.  So i got just the hotdogs and was happy with them.  Last year i got three pounds , this year I did 8.  I make all my own sausages so got some dogs for something different. 

[Robhuntandfish]

Beautiful for a winter day.  Got out for a good hike thru Verona beach state park.  Lots of folks out on the ice fishing.  Hard to see in pics but Lewis point looks packed. Charlie was sleeping 10 minutes after we got back.  Nice to be outside. 

[Robhuntandfish]

new map for hunting spot and stands for 2021.  Getting cabin fever!  Looking forward to cutting some brush as soon as the snow melts down a bit.   Have to put up one of these stands and the groundblind but all our spots are picked out. 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[Whitetailhobo]

  I was taking a minute to skim through some of the page postings you have here .   I was looking over some of the seed that you had pictured and I am wondering if you have ever tried sunflowers As a food plot or as a friendly snack for your passing through deer traffic..  we grow a couple acres of sunflowers, does and yearlings spend time eating the stalk leaves the mature bucks will stand in the tall plants and almost disappear. 

[Robhuntandfish]

8 minutes ago, Whitetailhobo said:

  I was taking a minute to skim through some of the page postings you have here .   I was looking over some of the seed that you had pictured and I am wondering if you have ever tried sunflowers As a food plot or as a friendly snack for your passing through deer traffic..  we grow a couple acres of sunflowers, does and yearlings spend time eating the stalk leaves the mature bucks will stand in the tall plants and almost disappear. 

I havent but those would be cool to plant, really just starting to do some food plots in this spot this year.  My other spot I always hunted had a lot of farmer Ag already but this spot def needs some food to keep the deer there.  I cant really do a lot of plots or clear too much just can use what is already cleared, so thinking of some mixes.  Gonna give it a go and see if it works. A lot of the areas are also used some as horse riding trails in the summer so cant really fill them in too much.   

[Whitetailhobo]

 They are a rather inexpensive food food plot item you can pick up a 50 pound bag sunflower seed At TC or your local seed store under $20.00.  Scarify the ground a few times with that tow behind plow you’ve got , hand broadcast seeds and you can actually use the wheels of your ATV to compact the seed  into the soft ground .  They are high  in proteins and create their own nitrogen requiring   no fertilization .  Another great asset is that they attract large quantity of pollinators which will increase your berries your apples and your flowering grasses or vegetables through good pollination practice .  When the daylight starts to change And hyperphagia takes over . We often see the deer  Break the sunflower heads right off and eat any of the dried seed or greens that are left on them .  

[Robhuntandfish]

Put the plow together today.  Seems pretty sturdy, def heavy.  Those plastic wheels might not last but can get some better ones at TSC if need be.  I think it should work for all we need.  Looking forward to it. 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[Robhuntandfish]

Cut some brush and did some frost seeding today with buddy Corey. Got one area about 1/2 done we wanted to open up.   

One puddle in the trail had a bunch of big bullfrogs in it under water.  Dont know if they were dead or just winter that way.  Didn't want to touch them if they were in hibernation mode but there was a half dozen in this puddle area.  

Saw a deer tail on the way in just off the trail.  

Also we figured out a spot we want to put in a ground blind.

Felt good to be working outside. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[Whitetailhobo]

 Looks like your snow has disappeared nicely .  Nothing better than a good day out in the field .

[knehrke]

I spent the last three days in the woods with the chainsaw, dropping dead ash that might fall over our trails all covered with poison ivy (not yet, but they will be...). Also frost seeded clover on the main trails and pruned many dozen of 3-5 year old fruit tree plantings.

You will love the Honey Hole - we rough plowed, smoothed with a drag behind harrow, hand broadcast the seed, and dragged over it again once. This was in early August, and the traffic in October was unreal. Unfortunately, almost nothing made it to mature bulbs because of pressure, but it was a great attractant during bow. We also love Big and Beasty from Frigid Forage.

[Robhuntandfish]

12 hours ago, knehrke said:

I spent the last three days in the woods with the chainsaw, dropping dead ash that might fall over our trails all covered with poison ivy (not yet, but they will be...). Also frost seeded clover on the main trails and pruned many dozen of 3-5 year old fruit tree plantings.

You will love the Honey Hole - we rough plowed, smoothed with a drag behind harrow, hand broadcast the seed, and dragged over it again once. This was in early August, and the traffic in October was unreal. Unfortunately, almost nothing made it to mature bulbs because of pressure, but it was a great attractant during bow. We also love Big and Beasty from Frigid Forage.

We are looking at planting a few apple trees this year. 4-5.  How did yours take?  Any particular kind work the best? 

[Robhuntandfish]

Decided we are putting a ground blind in this spot-red marker.  Lots of action in this area last year and not a lot of trees to choose from and play a wind.  So found a spot to tuck in a small blind and there is a little hollow in the brush that sits down in.  Should be great.  Little blind is tough to draw bow in but will make it work. Would be even better for an xbow spot. 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[knehrke]

Here's my specific recommendations for fruit trees - likely overkill, but what the heck.

1. Pick an appropriate root stock for your soil and growing conditions. I like B118 because it's semi-standard, so the tree will be here long after I'm gone. M111 is my second choice. The larger the tree, the longer it will live. And it won't usually need support. But it could take longer to produce fruit.

2. Cummins Nursery in Ithaca has been great to me. St. Lawrence Nursery and Waflers are in NYS, and both have excellent reputations. Turkey Creek gets a lot of play on the Habitat Talk forum (which is a great source of information, too). Friends don't let friends plant big box store trees lol. 

3. Figure out when you want to see the apples drop when considering varieties. If they're done by September, they won't be much of a draw for deer. Plant crabtrees as pollinators - they're no-brainers and need less care than apples - and some of the larger ones are deer magnets :). If you were to go straight crabs and skip the apples, you wouldn't be wrong. 

4. Protect, protect, protect!! 18" of metal screen around the trunk, stapled together and with the last inch buried in the ground. Ground cloth covered with pea gravel. And 10' of 5' high welded wire fencing with three stakes. Every critter out there wants to sabotage your plantings.

As for my own personal preferences when it comes to variety, I like Enterprise, Galarina, Franklin, Liberty, and Golden Russet. That gives you a range of drop times. For crabs, I like Kerr, Dolgo, Wickson, and Virginia. That gives you a range of pollinators. 

[First-light]

On 2/28/2021 at 12:43 PM, Robhuntandfish said:

Put the plow together today.  Seems pretty sturdy, def heavy.  Those plastic wheels might not last but can get some better ones at TSC if need be.  I think it should work for all we need.  Looking forward to it. 

Rob I've had something like that for years. Does a good job. Weight it down and watch those roots! That thing snags a root watch out! lol Mine is still in good shape after many years of use. GL

[Robhuntandfish]

Outdoor day. 

Cut some brush at hunting spot with Corey.  One more trip and we should have this area set for season.  Trying to knock out our to do list there early this year.  Lots to do. 

Got boat out of storage and into my new storage.  Put together a boat shelter last weekend at the house and plan on using this now and will be great all summer to keep it under cover.  Best sign of spring even more than seeing a robin is seeing the boat in the yard!

Got the shed cleaned out and got the fish cleaning station ready. 

A few other chores as well. 

Nice to be outside!  

[Robhuntandfish]

More brush cutting today.  Getting there at the hunting spot widening trails.   Then came home and cut a tree down that has grown up against the fence.  Break time .  But got a lot done and covered in sawdust so it's was productive.   Look close at second pic can see the treestand to the left tucked in there.  Also used the last of the clover I had for frost seeding.  

[Robhuntandfish]

Put in some apple trees Corey bought at our hunting spot.   

Did a little turkey scouting while I was there and put up a couple cams. Some good sign, tracks and a dust spot by the looks of it with feathers.   Heard a hen while I was out there.  Lost my best turkey spot so gonna give a go here.  See some on occasion so hoping one comes thru. 

Gotta get this stuff done before fishing season.

Edited April 10, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[Robhuntandfish]

Hit the stream for a bit, Never seen it this low in the spring. Saw hardly nothing. Saw one small trout follow and had one hit below this falls .  But usually can see trout in the pools in this stream and didn't even see any.  I should've went to my other choice this morn for brookies but gonna be another time 

[Robhuntandfish]

Did some brush cutting with Corey.  Last time for widening trails this year, will work on it again next spring. Figure 3 springs we ought to have it about right.  But we got a lot done this year.  

Looks like clover from frost seeding took some and is starting. Was great to see that.  

Pulled two cams and have 3 pics of turkeys in the last week in one spot, so will be hunting over near there.  

Then went home and tore apart back deck and got footers in and level.  

Beat.....time for some dinner and a rest and back at it tomorrow. 

[First-light]

7 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Did some brush cutting with Corey.  Last time for widening trails this year, will work on it again next spring. Figure 3 springs we ought to have it about right.  But we got a lot done this year.  

Looks like clover from frost seeding took some and is starting. Was great to see that.  

Pulled two cams and have 3 pics of turkeys in the last week in one spot, so will be hunting over near there.  

Then went home and tore apart back deck and got footers in and level.  

Beat.....time for some dinner and a rest and back at it tomorrow. 

Love a day like that! Rest up!