During Schützenfest weekend the guys did trail and deer stand maintenance and worked on the wildlife food plots.
Several clover plots were over-seeded and fertilized and three other plots were disced, fertilized and seeded with rape, turnip and clover.
The rape and turnip will germinate quickly. Because they are frost-tolerant they will provide forage for the fall and winter. The clover will persist for several years as it's a perennial plant. It's also real easy to maintain - mow it once a year and broadcast fertilizer over it.
Clover is terrific forage for browsing animals and attracts insects for the birds.
Not the day job but the chores on the tree farm. Work, work, work.
Last weekend I finally found the time - and the opportunity - to prep some wildlife food plots. I've either been preoccupied with the vast garden and other chores. Or waiting out the rain.
click on image to enlarge
Fifteen gallons of Glyphosate (generic version of RoundUp) on three locations that will be planted into a combination of rape, turnip and red clover. The rape and turnips are brassicas that will provide forage into the fall and winter. They grow fast and are cold-tolerant. The clover is a perennial and will persist into the years to come.
A low maintenance planting all you have to do is mow it and fertilize it once a year. The flowers attract insects for the birds and all the critters like munching on fresh, sweet clover.
The weekend of Schützenfest is an opportunity to plant the plots...
A quarter mile west of the house on a trail that is much like a tunnel with tall trees and cool woods on either side.
It's a nice place for the critters to sneak thru and already I've gotten pics of does, fawns and velvet bucks. And raccoons moving thru on three consecutive nights. (We'll see about that before too long). I really, really hate to dip into the well of anthropomorphisms.
But check this out.
A girl fawn being coy and shy while checking-out the camera...
By now you should know what identifying feature proves that this is a girl whitetails...
I went to town the other day to fetch some sugar and vinegar from the grocery. (I was pickling-up a storm).
And I chanced upon this odd sight. A regular horse and rider preceded by this...
click on the tiny horse to enlarge
I had driven around this caravan and pull over to stop and take some pictures. I asked the two ladies being pulled by the tiny horse what breed it was.
To Which they replied - No special breed. Just a miniature horse.
They elaborated to tell me thay had two of them. A match team. Probably to pull a miniature plow or miniature circus wagon...
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot. AKA Horsemint or Bee Balm.
click on image to enlarge
A member of the mint family it is used in folk medicine as a tea. A small citrus tree called Bergamot also has a similar odor and is used as a flavoring in Earl Grey tea.
Remember what I told you about the single moms? And their fawns? With no dad in the picture?
The dads are still around and hanging out together in their bachelor groups. There's not contributing at all to the raising of the family and it's about to start all over again in about three months.
A deer family consists of a mama deer (a doe) and one of more children (fawns). There is no dad in the picture so these are all single moms. This is because deer are naturally promiscuous. It's part of their genetic make-up so forget all of that nonsense about Bambi that Disney productions used to pollute your brain.
A couple of trail camera pics take at two different locations...