Food Plot Lesson

Food Plot IssuesThe CPCH got a lesson in food plot preparation and planting this year. In this photo you can see that we have not established a really good food plot and we wondered why.

So we called on the experts at Tecomate and sent them photos and the history of what we had done on this land. The bottom line is “lack of topsoil.” It didn’t occur to us that between the land being clear cut and pines planted and then having our plots bulldozed and groomed, we had basically removed what topsoil there was. So we were treating and planting into pure clay soil which just doesn’t have what the seeds need to establish a good root system or even to properly germinate.

However, all is not lost. We do have seed coming up and we are going to over-seed with some rye grass and red clover and cover that with a good batch of straw. Deer will still have something to attract them and to feed on and all of that will contribute to new topsoil. It may take a couple years to grow ideal plots but we have the base properly started.

Filling the Feeders

Corn FeederThe excitement is building as we get close to deer season. We have learned a lot about preparing food plots this summer. More on that later.

One of the last preparations involved setting up and filling the corn feeders. We have two that are strategically placed to help draw deer into the property. Since this property was clear cut for hard woods there is less cover than the surrounding pine forests. Here’s Luke up on a ladder adding corn to our newest feeder. We have them set to distribute corn a few times a day.

During this same trip Luke and Paul got several more stands set up and locked down. Hunt time is getting close and we’re getting excited!

Battle of the Fish Grills

Chuck GrillThis is a follow-up to my last post on fall Gulf fishing. In this photo you’ll see my grill last night.

On it are filets from my mingo snapper along with some broccoli (grilled broccoli is the best way to eat it IMO). This light and flaky fish is about as good as it gets. We also had boiled corn and brown rice to go with it.

Gary FishNow let’s contract that with Gary’s grill from last night. Gary had left Pensacola to go fish with his cousin down the Gulf coast from Tallahassee a ways.

On their trip on the flats they had a good afternoon. So on the grill you’ll see some of their sea trout, spanish mackerel, a whole flounder and one of my favorites, redfish on the half shell.

Along with that he added roasted peppers and squash.

Sometimes you have a good day on the water and some days not so good. But as long as there’s fish on the grill it turns out just right!

Fall Gulf Fishing

Gulf FishingHello from Pensacola Beach, FL, where it has been windy and unsettled weather all week. This week Gary and I put together an overnight fishing trip out to the oil rigs to fish for tuna. That did not happen. It would have been our first such trip and is still on our bucket list.

We learned a number of things from the trip. First of which is how difficult getting a dozen guys to fill a trip on a pre-reserved date it. Secondly, how hard it is to get good weather on the date you want. Another opportunity will present itself though.

Yesterday the boat decided to do a half day trip because the weather forecast was showing declining wind and seas. So I tried it and wish I hadn’t. We wound up with strong wind and 4-5 ft. seas. That is just too rough in my opinion to comfortably bottom fish in. In the picture the boat mate is giving a lesson in how to use the reels.

Vermillion SnapperIt was not a fun day of fishing but we did catch a mess of mingos. Vermillion snapper don’t get very big but the taste just like a red snapper which is out of season. We did catch some other out of season fish like triggerfish and hard tails. So, it was not a loss but I’ll keep a closer eye on the forecast before I go out again.

Fall Food Plots are Planted

Plowing DirtThe final part of the whole food plot management plan for the CPHC this year was to disk our dirt before sowing the seed. Paul got his tractor out on the property a couple weeks ago and got it done. It was a hot one in central Georgia.

So after we had the plots bulldozed, cleaned and leveled and limed this dirt should be just right for putting down some fertilizer and seed.

Tecomate SeedWe’re working with Tecomote and purchased some seed from our local dealer in Dublin, GA. Our choice was their pro line GREENFIELD seed, “Fall “Hunting Plot” Formulated for Fast Action.”

This mix has one purpose – attract and concentrate fall deer for great hunting! Yet, also provides vital fall and winter nutrition needed to keep rutting bucks in good shape. Premium cereal grains and high-protein winter peas combine with forage turnips and sensational forage and bulb-producing rape/turnip hybrid to guarantee greatest attraction during hunting season after “frost-curing” causes the brassica’s sugar content and palatability to increase and after the sugar-loaded bulbs mature. Suitable nationwide.

Annual

Fast growing, high production
The real deal “Hunting Plot”
Great early season forage
Brassicas yield high-sugar forage & bulbs after frost

We’re only weeks away from opening day and I can’t wait to see how things are growing!

Tecomate Knows Value of Well Managed Food Plots

ZimmCast 447It’s time to order some seed for our food plots on the CPHC. While we have been doing some research on seed I got a news release from a company you might be familiar with, Tecomate. So, I got connected with them to do a phone interview about their announcement of a strategic partnership. The interview is part of a weekly podcast I do on my AgWired.com website.

So, I thought I’d share that podcast with you here about the just announced alliance between Tecomate Wildlife Systems and Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings. Tecomate excels at modern food plot management with Tecomate Seed products and Pinnacle is an agricultural distribution business you might know best under the Sanders brand.

TecomateI’m going to share a conversation with Gaines Slade, VP of Operations for Tecomate. The alliance is opening up new distribution channels for the company via all the Pinnacle retail outlets. Here’s what Tecomate President David Morris has to say about the deal

“This is a game changer for Tecomate and the wildlife food plot industry,” said Tecomate President, David Morris. “Pinnacle, best known for its flagship southern brand, Sanders, brings vast production, logistics and distribution resources to the table. No other company can match their vertical integration, in seed, fertilizer and chemicals. Our continued longstanding partnership with Barenbrug, USA for premium and proprietary forage seed, together with the unsurpassed strength of Pinnacle in the cereal and commodity seed market, will allow Tecomate to offer targeted, competitively priced wildlife seed products of every type to meet every need – from that of the casual food plotter to the most serious game manager planting hundreds of acres of year-round plots. Our relationship with Pinnacle also facilitates the possibility for Tecomate-branded fertilizer and herbicides aimed at meeting the specific requirements of the wildlife food plot market.”

And here’s what Tommy Jumper, Pinnacle’s VP had to say.

Pinnacle Ag Holdings“We are extremely excited to join forces with Tecomate and combine our individual strengths for mutual success in the agricultural input and wildlife markets,” said Tommy Jumper, Pinnacle’s Vice President of Seed Strategy and Procurement. “By name and reputation in our respective industries, Pinnacle and Tecomate have long known a great deal about one another and recently determined that the time was right to work as a team to further enhance the product and service offerings we bring to our valued customers. Together, we hope to build a business that is exponentially more significant than either of us has previously enjoyed, and one that further benefits our loyal customer base.”

Listen in to this week’s program to learn more about what this alliance means and the value and importance of well-managed foot plots here: Tecomate and Pinnacle

Moye Cemetery on the CPHC

CPHC Cemetery PlotI have found all kinds of things while walking through the woods. That includes both public and private land. A cemetery is a new one on me though.

While scouting around the CPHC we found a small cemetery in a small section of trees that were not clear cut during the logging operation before we leased the property. During a fairly recent storm an oak tree fell across the plots smashing the fences and toppling over a couple of the grave stones. On our last work days we cut up the tree and did some clean up work on the area. More needs to be done. There were tall weeds that I treated with some weed killer right before I left. We view it as a community service project since their are undoubtedly relatives of these people buried here that might come to pay their respects sometime.

In fact, using Google I looked up Annabella Tucker Graybill, one of the names on a head stone. Find a Grave came up with information from an entry made just last year. It looks like this is the Moye Cemetery. The family names on the second of two fenced grave areas are all Moyes. One example is Emma Hobbs Moye.

Annabella’s spouse is Dr. Tully Graybill. Here’s some information from his Sandersville Newspaper clipping in 1883: “Capt. Co.A (The Irish Guards) 28th Georgia Infantry. Promoted to Major Sept 10, 1861, Taken POW on May 3,1862 at Seven Pines, exchanged. Wounded in Action Sept 1, 1862 at Antietam.Promoted to Colonel Nov. 3,1862.”

I shot a video clip of the cemetery before heading home that shows the condition of the cemetery. I wonder how many of these exist out in the woods where they may not even be remembered or cared for any more. Have you found any on your property?

You can find more photos from the cemetery here: CPHC Cemetery Photos

Cleaning Gear

Fishing ReelsWhen you can’t get out in the woods or on the water it’s time to clean your gear. I don’t know about you but it’s not a chore to me. It’s a chance to get to know your guns and your rods/reels better and make sure they’re in top shape.

Today I dealt with fishing reels and poles. Here are some of the ones I worked on first. A couple of these were left in the house my wife and I purchased, like the big old Mitchell spinning reel. It was nasty and covered with mold. But it works just fine.

If you click on the image you’ll see a video about cleaning reels. I wash mine with a scrub brush and dish detergent, rinse, let them dry and then apply a little oil if needed. All of the ones pictured are getting new line too. I have a couple others that I cleaned today too that I’ve been using lately.

Tomorrow I think I’ll clean all my guns even though I put them away clean and haven’t used any but my Glock 27 recently. It just lets me know I have them in good shape. I know I need to do it because I took out a long barreled single action .22 pistol that I have not used in a long time. It had a few dots of rust on the barrel. That just makes me angry so it’s time to check them out.

How about you? Do you have a gear cleaning plan? How about your tackle or hunt box. How clean and sharp are those knives . . .

American Navy Pride

Navy Blue AngelsThis has nothing to do with hunting unless you think of what a naval fighter pilot might have to do in a live action fight. But I’m doing a post with one of my pictures from the recent Navy Blue Angels airshow at Pensacola Beach because the Crystal Pig Hunt Club and its members love our country. Seeing these Americans in action is awe inspiring and great for patriotic morale.

Last year the Blue Angels were grounded because of the idiotic Congressional sequester BS. This year they are back and performed to a record crowd in Pensacola. It is a very expensive show to conduct but I would much rather see that money spent than so much more of my tax dollars that are being wasted every day on meaningless and misguided programs. How about you? Have you had the chance to see the Blue Angels in action. You can see their schedule here.

Here’s a link to more photos I took from the show.

Summer Food Plot Work

Justin New Holland C238In the heat of the summer it’s time to get food plots ready for the fall. With a little help from a couple of folks we got the job done.

So here’s what we did. We had already had food plots picked out and planted with some rye seed late last year. Then earlier this spring we flagged them so our property owner could double check and give us his stamp of approval. Problems crept up in that after he got the property planted in pine trees he changed his mind on us and reduced the size of our plots. In fact, the large one we had his prior approval on for dove was at least cut in half. So, no dove plot!

But we have moved on and will have very nice deer and turkey plots for our hunting needs. This become critical once these pine trees get up in a couple year.

In this photo we have Justin with his New Holland Compact Track Steer/Loader smoothing out our plots and removing extraneous branches. He also used the tractor to move two of our towers stands to their new locations.

Smith Farm SupplyOnce Justin was done with his part of the deal we called in John at Smith Farm Supply to put down lime for us.

We had the soil tested so we knew what amount of lime to put down. John was able to get most of our plots done but we will still have to apply some lime by 4-wheeler on a couple of plots he couldn’t get his truck into.

I shot some video while all this was going on. If you’re interested to see what it looked like check out the clip below.

Here’s where you can find photos of our latest work days: CPHC Food Plot Work