Spring progress report

WOW-check this out- Extreme from Whitetail Institute is a combo of chicory and small burnett. After good rains and fertilizing with 100# of 19-19-19, check out the serious deer chow.



Here's a location that gets afternoon shade. It seems to relish the cooler spot.




Last fall, in the acre at the rear of my property, I put in rye. The deer came to it during hunting season. Check it out now; we're talking harvest here. That's about 4' tall.



Here's a good shot of the chicory. My soil isn't that great, but it really takes off. As a hearty perennial, it keeps coming back year after year.



So here's the plan for my middle acre. I have 5 piles of horse manure going to compost. Mid summer, I'll turn that manure under and plant rape and turnips. They are heavy nitrogen users and need that boost. That'll be my fall hunting plot. I'm putting it in earlier than normal, probably mid July. Here in MI, I have put it in mid-aug, and it was ok, but I'd like to see it produce more and the extra 30 days should take care of that. They aren't tasty till frost, I'm told, but I've seen the deer hit it hard prior.

Fall season preparation. Rye/rape/turnips/scrapes

The excitement builds as all 3 acres are ramping up their production. Check out the healthy sign here in the Extreme plot. Big sign = big deer. Here's a closeup of the small burnett and chicory. It's the Extreme mix from the WhiteTail Institute; a good perennial crop for bad soil and dry conditions. After a solid 2 days of rain, it's back strong after being beaten down by the heat and dry conditions here in Michigan lately. This hardy perennial mix will keep producing year after year.
I'm thinking this may be the first scrape of the season, complete with the overhanging branch they love to use to rub on their pre-orbital gland. We'll watch it and put the cam here if it shows more use.Here's a look at the plot where I put in rape and turnips on August 11. The rape is coming up around 3" or so, and will be prime for hunting season. It goes sweet after a frost as the sugars come into the leaves. The deer really hit it when that happens.
This appears to be almost all 'volunteer' seeding from the buckwheat I had in prior. After mowing it and disking it under, I get a free round of crop from the seed. NICE!
Here's a look at the rye I put in on the 6th(150 #/acre). 9 days later it's already 4-6". Rye is a good cover crop, to be turned under in the spring as a green manure to help build my soil.Another spike checking out the minerals. Watch out!

Buckwheat success and minerals...

Can't tell you how happy I am at what is happening. The buckwheat is huge, and attracting does and bucks. Adding to that attraction, I put out 10# of 30-06 Minerals from the Whitetail Institute, and within 2 days, these pics occurred.

The combination of high protein in the buckwheat, and the added minerals should help grow larger deer and bigger racks.




Even the does are checking out the minerals...