Food plot cleanups

[deadeye]

Spent yesterday cleaning up downed trees in a food plot.  The late heavy snow bent, broke, and uprooted a number of trees that fell onto the food plot.  Also we had cut a couple dead elms last winter which landed in the plot.  At this rate I will have things ready to plant soon but will have to wait until mid July to actually plant them. 

[Outdoors Junkie]

We're planning a trip to our property over Memorial Day weekend again. We have blazing new trails, cleaning up existing trails, planting more apple trees, crab apple trees, and some Red Oak trees, along with prepping existing food plots and making a new food plot on the agenda.

It's a month away but I am already thinking about it as I drift off to sleep each night. 

[glenn57]

We're planning a trip to our property over Memorial Day weekend again. We have blazing new trails, cleaning up existing trails, planting more apple trees, crab apple trees, and some Red Oak trees, along with prepping existing food plots and making a new food plot on the agenda.

It's a month away but I am already thinking about it as I drift off to sleep each night. 

where do you get the red oaks from?? I've tried a 100 times to transplant small little  oaks that come up in spring with 0 success. I can get black walnuts to survive no issues.

[Outdoors Junkie]

glenn57

Our hunting land is located in Beltami County. The County Soil and Water Conservation District offers a tree program each spring and we ordered some bare root trees back in December to be picked up this coming weekend. The prices are very reasonable.

Here is a link to their website describing the tree program: http://www.co.beltrami.mn.us/Departments/SWCD/Tree%20Program.html

Here is a link to their tree order form: http://www.co.beltrami.mn.us/Departments/SWCD/Resources/trees/Order%20Form%201-28-20.pdf

I think many other counties in the state of MN offer similar opportunities to purchase trees. Also I know Deadeye has shared that the different chapters of the MN Deer Hunters Association (MNDHA) offers tree sales in the spring.

[glenn57]

OJ, thanks for the info, not really looking to get any trees. have you planted any red oak before?? I was way more curious if you did and if they made it??? like I said I have tried transplanting them with no luck. I know they have a heck of a root system and even tried to take the nut with along with a bunch of the surrounding ground trying as best as possible not to disrupt anything.     

[Outdoors Junkie]

OJ, thanks for the info, not really looking to get any trees. have you planted any red oak before?? I was way more curious if you did and if they made it??? like I said I have tried transplanting them with no luck. I know they have a heck of a root system and even tried to take the nut with along with a bunch of the surrounding ground trying as best as possible not to disrupt anything.     

We planted a few Red Oak trees for the first time last spring (2019) and they looked pretty good all summer into the fall. The road that provides access to our property has a gate across it until road restrictions are lifted to prevent it from getting tore up while its drying out from the spring thaw. My parents were up at the cabin two weeks ago and the gate was still locked, so they didn't make it out to check on things at the hunting land yet. They are headed back up again this weekend and plan to bring the 4-wheeler along to drive out there if the gate is still preventing regular vehicles traffic. I'll let you know if the oak trees survived the winter once I can.

[glenn57]

 

[deadeye]

Outdoors Junkie, I feel your enthusiasm and feel the excitement building.  So far this spring I've spent 9 days at my property.  No signs of virus there. I only ordered 5 apple trees this year and will plant them when I get them in a couple weeks.  No big plans for new trails this year as we blew the budget on a big opening last year.  I usually plant food plots in mid July.  Don't forget to protect the apple trees or be prepared to stand guard 24/7.   
 

[Steve-o]

Don't forget to protect the apple trees or be prepared to stand guard 24/7.   

What is the penalty for eating apples out of season 

[deadeye]

They can eat all the APPLES they want any time they want but I will not let them destroy the trees.  Make no mistake about it, without protection the deer will destroy the trees. 

[glenn57]

looking at the size of your trees, how many apples do they produce? just curious. are these an apple tree that produces a good eating apple???

[Steve-o]

They can eat all the APPLES they want any time they want but I will not let them destroy the trees.  Make no mistake about it, without protection the deer will destroy the trees.

Yes, critters chewing bark, rubbing antlers, etc.

We planted a Honeycrisp in the back yard when they first came out.  I was proud of myself for thinking to put some chicken wire around the base so the bunnies wouldn't get at it.

However, I didn't account for the snowfall, and when the snow got high enough, the wee devils hopped right over and gnawed the slender trunk off clean.  I didn't notice until the following spring and it took my slow brain a full half day to figure out what happened.   

[Dotch]

I'm gonna hafta do something like deadeye's done around our hazelnuts. The tree wrap helps keep the bunnies from girdling them but the little bastages chew the tops above the tree wrap off level with the snow. The bushes are tough but it'd be nice if the bunnies left them alone for a few winters just to see how much faster they'd grow, maybe get them past the bunny chewing stage.   

[glenn57]

we've had to put chicken wire around a bunch of trees in the cabin yard because the beaver decided to start working on them. there favorites seem to be birch and poplar!!!

[Outdoors Junkie]

We found a use for a couple of old dog kennels at our property. Knock on wood, so far it has kept the big (deer, bear, and moose) and little (bunnies & such) critters from doing damage to the apple trees.