dogdoc Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 I purchased 160 acres in Lincoln county, Oklahoma right at 10 years ago. Made my last payment on the land in December so it is finally mine with no debt.Of course, I wish I would have started all this habitat improvement 10 years but better late than never. I just planted food plots and randomly put of deer stands. I've had some good hunting success but now it's time to start making my place a place where I can get more deer to actually live on and hopefully hold more bucks. I have 3 doe families that frequent my 160 but never really have any bucks that actually call my place home. Hopefully this will change in the next couple years.Anyway---here is my main plot. Just under 2 acres. For the last 4 years I have planted Eagle beans in the spring and wheat/brasssica in the fall. This year I have converted it a perennial plot. Jumbo Ladino Clover with wheat as a nurse crop. One the east end of the plot I currently have 5 apple trees and 1 dolgo crab apple planted.I have a tree stand on the corner of this plant. Today I planted 3 sawtooth oaks for early bow season. The tree stand is in tall Pecan tree on the left Close up of the plot. Hopefully the clover will really start taking off as the weather continues to warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 On the west side of the big plot I planted 5 Pears trees. Two Keiffer, 2 orient, and a moonglow. There is a nice little persimmon grove right on the North edge of the plot. The trees that have orange flaggings are ones that did not fruit this year and are going to get grafted this spring with some scions off a female tree that holds onto the fruit thru december. Another little persimmon orchid in the same field just a little further west: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 On the east side of the field I started another persimmon orchid. Planted about 20 seedlings and tubed several of them. Hoping next year they will be big enough that I can graft on all of them and make sure they all will produce fruit: Enlarging the plot so that I can have both an annual plot and perennial plot on the same location. I mowed the new area last week. Once it starts to green up I will spray then drill in some eagle beans.The bare dirt on the edge of the clover and wheat was completely destroyed last fall by the grasshoppers. I overseeded it last weekend with some ladino clover. Got a rain the next day and already germinated. And....My tower stand that I BP and Rifle hunt out of. Nothing fancy but keeps me dry and on real cold days I can bring in a "little buddy" heater to keep warm (I know--i'm a wimp) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 So I've decided to quit hunting the plot so much and have been working on some stand sites inside the wood line. There is a major trail that leads to the food plot that is always loaded with rubs and scrapes So i found a good spot about 60 yards from the food plot that I can get easy access to without entering the plot and spooking deer. This tree is going to be a challenge to get a stand in but I think I can get it done. I planted and tubed two sawtooth oaks within bow range of this tree today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 I've done a lot of cutting and hinging the last month. I've created several bedding areas and also cutting a lot of real tall but really skinny oak trees. One to open up the canopy a bit and to also release some larger nicer oak trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 The Green areas are my food plots. The larger one is the wheat/clover plot.The blue is water. Two ponds and a running creek. The creek will go dry in a bad drought but usually always has water.The pink are tree stands for bow and the purple are my tower stands for rifle.The yellow circled area will be my new project this spring. It is a mix of fescue and blue stem. The fescue is getting very thick taking over the blue stem. Also some ragweed and other broadleafs mixed in. My plan is in the next two weeks my dad is going to cut it and bale the fescue and then wait a week to let the fescue get growing good and nuke it all with glyphosate. My hope is the blue stem will still be dormant and killing the fescue will give the blue stem a chance to take over the field. On the north edge of this field though I will be planting 3 acres of Eagle Beans. This is on the edge of the property but the neighbor to the west doesn't hunt and is a friend of my mom's so no problem hunting the border and he doesn't mind if I have to trail a deer on his property. Here is a pic I got 2 weeks ago on that current fescue field. and my daughter killed her first deer off this field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 My 160 acre getaway... You have a great looking property Todd. Know you have put a lot of work into it too. Know the feeling of having your land owned, we have had ours paid off, had to take a loan against it again to build this new house though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 That is awesome buddy. Your efforts and pride are very commendable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 Todd, it's coming along nicely, work is paying off by the looks of it. Bale in two weeks? Wow..it will be mid June before we could even expect to do that ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 little more work today. I planted a total of 12 trees today. Two apples and 10 crabapple seedlings ordered from Willis Orchard. One of the apples--bare root. I planted 6 of the crabapples in my clover plot and tubed them. They are only 2 feet tall. Planted the other 4 on the edge of my fescue field all within bow range of my tree stand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I also pruned two of my apple trees Gala Apple Before After pruning. Pulling down lateral branches to get better crotch angles for future fruit holding: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 and my golden delicious before: after: Using clothes pins to train the young laterals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Nice piece of property. Looks like lots of work but I bet it is very rewarding. Hope all the hard work pays off. Good luck with everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 My 160 acre getaway... Have you bought from Willis before Todd? If so have you been happy with their trees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKstate Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Looks like a lot of hard work that will pay off in the near future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 looks good.... I enjoyed hunting in Oklahoma. it was a different experience than the mountains and woods of the northeast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 That was my 2nd order from Willis Orchard. Yes, I have been happy with their trees. I was disappointed with one of the bare roots apple trees i ordered last year--a honey crisp tree---The root ball was much smaller than all the other ones I have received from them but the was planted last fall and still alive. It hasn't leafed out yet this year so time will tell. Out of 18 trees i have ordered from them that was the only one that didn't have a really good root system. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted March 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Wow--what a beautiful day yesterday. No wind and sunny. Just had to finish planting some persimmon and ST Oak seedlings today. We got a nice rain last night so I didn't have to water any of the new trees. Spring is here. Plum trees are blooming. This tree is off by itself next to my barn and it was loaded with honey bees enjoying the flowers. food plot is coming up nicely with the recent rain and warm temps I did a little mowing for a new food plot today next to the creek. Forgot to take pictures though I ended up planting and tubing around 20 trees today: A row of persimmons on the south edge of my fescue field Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 It sure is coming along there Todd..green grass...wow.. I was on snowshoes Sunday..stopped to check snow depth in the woods...30" and that's not a drifted spot either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Looks great !! A lot of hard work has taken place. The Google Earth pic looks awesome !! Lots of natural funnel looking areas. Should be a great piece to hunt !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKstate Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Hope the short blast of winter doesn't have any effect on all your hard work! I definitely wasn't expecting to get snow in mid April here in OK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Hope the short blast of winter doesn't have any effect on all your hard work! I definitely wasn't expecting to get snow in mid April here in OK! I hear ya. I'm sure my food plots will be fine but a have one apple tree and one pear tree that is in bloom right now. I think those blooms are history. All my wild plums flowered out real nice this early spring and all for not after it gets down to 27 degrees tonight. Oh well---always next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 took the day off today to go do some spraying. got out to my land and realized i brought a full bottle of diluted glyphosate (only 2 1/2 gallons) that I had mixed up for my back pack sprayer. I thought it was a full 2 1/2 gallons of concentrate--stupid me. No biggie--going back out again tomorrow. Still had a few things to do. Hauled a bunch of water out and watered all my trees. Already getting a little dry but good chance of rain sunday. Stopped by wal-mart 2 days ago and saw a nice Winesap Apple tree for 10 bucks on a semi-dwarf rootstock. Couldn't help myself. Got it planted today. I also planted two apple seedlings that I started from seed in 18 cell rootmakers. Added a little cow manure compost to see if it would hold a little more moisture and tubed them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 starting to get a few seed heads on the wheat and the clover is coming along nicely. Just needs a nice long drink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Back at it again today. Other than the wind it was a beautiful day to be at the 160. Got out a little early to see if I could get a turkey--never saw or heard one. So off with the camo and on with the work clothes. I mowed this field 2 weeks ago so today I sprayed some glyphosate on it to try to get a clean seed bed. I'm planting a local wildlife mix from Ross Seed in El Reno. This plot follows the contour of the creek on the south side of the property. Redbuds are sure pretty this time of year. I tilled my plot that will be right next to my Jumbo Ladino Clover plot. I mowed it also a couple of weeks ago. Mainly fescue with some Johnson grass. I hate Johnson grass. I didn't spray this first since I using Eagle Beans. I wanted to incorporate all the green grass back into the soil. Soiled tilled up real nice. Once the beans are up and going I will spray then. Figure the less herbicide I use the better. Broadcasted the beans with an over the shoulder spreader. Since it is just shy of an acre I didn't hook up the 3-pt broadcaster. After broadcasting I went back over the plot with the tiller only down about an inch to cover the seeds. Planted this apple tree last fall---a Home Depot Tree--Golden Delicious. Producing flowers on first spring. No other apples to pollinate it so probably won't get any apples but glad that it is doing good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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