A year in the life of a farm

[Shinesintx]

[ATTACH]634115[/ATTACH]I suppose pics of disced dirt roads aren't very exciting. Just the boring detail of farm maintenance. So here is a couple of pics of a buck we call lopsided. Believe to be 6 yr old. Can be found regularly in vetch field.

Actually, you would be wrong...

I'm enjoying the farm pics just fine without the deer. I really like seeing all that you have going on.

[BillyloMexico]

Actually, you would be wrong...



I'm enjoying the farm pics just fine without the deer. I really like seeing all that you have going on.

Hush! Lol more deer!

[Mex. Bowhunter]

[ATTACH]634115[/ATTACH]I suppose pics of disced dirt roads aren't very exciting. Just the boring detail of farm maintenance. So here is a couple of pics of a buck we call lopsided. Believe to be 6 yr old. Can be found regularly in vetch field.

Man he is big this yr. Ne don't even need the Trash

[deer farmer]

I thought I might ask you about some of your food plots, if you please?
Crop Rotation
Fall planting of Winter Rye, Winter oats, Winter peas and Scarlet clover. Fertilize with 13-13-13 and again fert in late Nov and Late January using something like 60-0-0.
Disk in June and plant Soybeans fertilize with 13-13-13 and when needed add 0-46-0 and or 0-0-60, if needed. Plant Soy Beans behind E fence till Mid July, open fence and replant fall planting in Aug where irrigation allows.
Is this crop rotation sufficient ??
And what about Clover? if you can keep a clover plot for lets say 4 yrs, is it then necessary to do a crop rotation on that food plot? Changing it to lets say fall mix?
I am not a commercial farmer as u can tell but I do want to furnish the best with the most for the deer.
I just thought u might be a good guy to ask.
Thanks

[elgato]

Greetings from Jackson Hole. Up here for couple weeks ostensibly to escape La. summer heat. Of course weather has been unseasonably mild at home and we got a 5" rain last week.

To your question, lots of options and my approach has always been extensive experimentation. Broadly speaking I have 2 kind of fields. Summer annuals/winter small grains which are 2 crop fields. Then I have clover fields which I try to manage for perennial longevity.

For the fields where I plant summer annual/fall small grains the rotation follows this general pattern. First of Sept I mow the field very low give it a week or two then spray with gly. When moisture is adequate I then drill small grains ( elbon rye, and wheat mostly)with whatever mix I'm playing with. Could include radishes, lupines, crimson clover, brassicas etc. This sprouts quickly with moisture, very attractive and good for developing soil.

Then around late April to first of May I plant these fields in summer annuals which include some combination of peas beans sunflowers millet sorghum etc. I try to create a jungle. These fields are a minimum of 5 acres with most larger. Our deer have learned that good things grow here and wipe out smaller fields before value realized. I drill directly into the fall crop which is now dying. Other options are to mow, plow etc. That is an equipment question.

Our clover fields are smaller including road right of ways ,smaller openings, borders to larger fields etc. clover can handle heavy grazing and is the backbone of our program. The goal is to manage it to last as many years as possible. To start a clover field we plant mid sept- mid October moisture considered. I generally add 35-50 lbs small grains per acre to mix. Also I like to add chicory to all clover fields as they compliment very nicely. Radishes are another good addition. Again I drill this mixture but broadcasting on a disced and cultipacked field works well. Then cultipack a second time after planting.

Come spring the wheat or rye will ultimately seed and the deer will devour all seed heads. Mow as growth indicates and moisture supports. In a hot dry summer the clover may go dormant for a while but will bounce back with cooler temps and water. Come fall I will drill small grains and radishes or such back into the clover. Repeat this pattern for years and add a little new clover occasionally as required.

There are many clover combinations all of which have unique growth characteristics and soil preferences. Some can last most of the year and others like arrow leaf or berseem have vigorous growth thruearly summer then die. Again managed correctly though they will come back for many years. In our country we have found Durana to be outstanding though I have lots of other clovers growing here and there. In the long run clover fields with fall small grains are are probably the easiest most effective combo going. Summer annuals are more challenging requiring more experience equipment and luck with weather and grazing pressure.

I strongly encourage soil tests before fertilizer. Ph is important and lime can do more good than anything in certain circumstances. Easy to waste a lot of money on inappropriate and untimely fertilizer application. I use very little fertilizer utilizing cultivars for nutrient management.

Hope this helps

[unclefish]

Great write up!

Its nice to escape the heat! This week will be the hottest so far this year.

[deer farmer]

Jackson hole is a cool place to be in late July. But we have missed the extreme heat this past week here. it's been nice. I'm headed to Alaska in Aug to do the same.(get out of Dodge) so to speak.
So I am doing along the same lines for crop rotation as you, but I was not sure I could continue along those lines. And since I do not have the larger food plots but what I do have seems to last through first of July through late Aug. I am able to put Beans behind E fence and let them grow thick, thick and about 3 to 4' tall before I open it up for the lactating does and the Bucks that are developing Antlers at this time. Smaller plots total to about 6 acres now and will be 13 acres by this fall. U are way ahead of me on experience and knowledge and it a good deal to have someone with your knowledge to bounce things off of. After all, your pictures say it all. Oh! enjoy the Cool

[BosqueTech]

Ttt

[elgato]

Just back from a mountain holiday Here is what happened on the farm while I was gone.

We got 2 rains. One was 5" followed a few days later by another 1". The grass has exploded on the farm!. Unfortunately our bush hog is in the shop so things are a bit rangy. Once returned we will mow the clover fields and wait a couple weeks then spray with Select to kill the grass. It is also time to start mowing a few of the openings which are in native grasses while it is dry.

The durana is still going strong. With the heat it is showing stress in some places but for this time of year looks great. Even the red clover is hanging around though it has mostly played out. The vetch and Alyce is doing fantastic with all the moisture.

The deer are still hammering the feeders. Does are really hungry with rapidly growing fawns and we always see a lot of buck activity at the feeders this time of year. I will do a total feed count in Sept and report how much protein we have fed. Starting to see a lot of the fawns venturing out with the moms exploring their new world.

The sorghum has started to head out. Deer will eat the seed heads both in the dough stage as well as hard seed. Poor mans corn....easier to grow requiring less fertility but still a great plant. Also the pearl millet has started heading out. Seed heads are great for doves and the plants make wonderful ladders for cow peas.

Bucks are putting on the last few inches of growth. Seems like they sprout out last minute kickers and 'trash' now. I can see the difference in size from when I left for Wy.

We brought a bull dozer in and enlarged a food plot for my neighbor. Added a couple of acres to a clover field. If you figure 1 acre of clover can support 3 or 4 deer then every acre adds value. We then used the dozer to work some of my roads crowning them and filling in ruts and such.

Starting tomorrow we will spray down the sunflower field with gly. Time to start getting it ready for the dove opener. After the chemical burn we will burn with fire leaving a clean field of sunflowers and brown top millet. Then let the games begin!

Planned my fall planting schedule on trip home. I will report that as time draws nearer. Good to be home!

[elgato]

Here is the pearl millet. I planted quite a bit of it this year in the pea and bean fields. Great for birds, great for the soil and easy to grow.

[elgato]

Here is the sorghum going to seed. Once again an easy plant to grow, has many values and creates a jungle in pea and bean fields.

[elgato]

And just for chuckles I got this picture last night. Watched him at a feeder this evening at dark. Something nice to come home to!!!

[JAGR]

That deer is a toad!

Any guesses on score? Easily 195"+ IMO.

[elgato]

I hate scoring in velvet. I can tell you we found one of his sheds last yr and knowing he was very symmetrical he scored ~ 195 as a 10 pt with 8 kickers. He has the kickers again this year plus an extra 10"isn tine and I'm calling the fork on his rt side ~ 5" . I also think his overall frame is bigger. All that said best guess...205-215.

[BillyloMexico]

225-230 my guess! Can't wait to find out!