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Wildlife Food Crops

Started by Magicman, October 27, 2013, 07:17:07 PM

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Sonofman

South Carolina, at least in the upstate, started allowing deer hunting over baited fields this season. Our acorn production seems to be fairly good, there were almost no pecans due to May rains washing the pollen out of the air.
Located due west of Due West.

WDH

No pecans here this year, either. 
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POSTON WIDEHEAD

The Bee keepers this year were complaining about the rains washing out all the pollen. Not a good year for Honey.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

chain

We had a near bumper crop of pecans and many are still on the trees! No crows to knock 'em out. We didn't have near as much rain as you folks down south and SE.

justallan1

Quote from: Claybraker on December 14, 2013, 04:42:22 PM

Also, it's a common practice for the DNR to donate illegally harvested game to a local food bank. I would suspect Cali does the same.

I was born and raised pretty close to where the OP is in California and in the late '60's and '70's the confiscated game was given out to the needy. Then someone decided that everything had to be USDA approved or something like that.
In the foster home I lived for a few years we couldn't even eat the eggs from our own chickens nor any game we shot and I'm sure it's the same for anyone on assistance. Believe me, that little rule got ignored! ;D
Where I now live in Montana the game warden and police are pretty good guys and know everyone and may miss a truck with a doe in the back. 8)

Allan

Corley5

We're limited to two gallons of bait here in Michigan.  The apple tree baiting scenario is near and dear to me  ;) ;D :)  Unless I'm actually seen scattering apples under the tree about the only way to prove baiting is a comparison of DNA on the apples and the tree  ;) ;D
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chain

We had an old fellow that peddled apples by the bushel. I had mentioned baiting with apples, he pointed out the variety[washington I think] I should buy as the apple fragrance was extra strong. The deer ate them all up before the hunt!

During and after this last ice-storm the deer seem to have herded-up  and moved out, possibly to corn feeding fields planted by conservation folks. Not one track did I see in the pecan grove yet, pecans were on the ice.. Don't think deer like that hard ice very much.

SwampDonkey

Corn fields and corn feed piles, when it's winter time, makes the ducks and black birds go crazy. Crazy because they should be well south of here by now. I drove by an unharvested corn field, probably 50 acres separated by a country road, and 100 ducks circling like vultures, -5 F. Then I drive out along a side road (we call cross roads) and see grackles. Hmmm
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Magicman

Is there a reason that a 50 acre corn field would be unharvested?  Poor crop, uneconomical ??
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beenthere

MM
Around here, we have some farmers that just don't get around to picking, and some will just leave for wildlife. Then some are running behind and then get an early snow which slows or stops the picking.

So any that you mention could be it.

Right now, we have snow and there are also bean fields that were not picked. They for sure are lost. Corn will stand for awhile and a poorer yield as the wildlife enjoys a smorgasbord treat.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Woodcarver

Farmers in this area have been waiting for the corn to dry.  It's a balancing act.  Pick it wet and spend more money on propane to dry it or wait and expect a reduced yield.  The decision is made with an eye on the price.
Just an old dog learning new tricks.......Woodcarver

thecfarm

In my area that is silage or fodder corn. It gets put in piles about 10-12 feet deep and packed down and covered with a tarp. Than fed to the cattle.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Woodcarver

Most of the corn in this area is harvested as silage and stored in one type of silo or another.  That corn has long since been harvested and the silos are full--or were.  The corn that is standing was planted with the intention of combining it, either for ground feed or for the production of ethanol.
Just an old dog learning new tricks.......Woodcarver

SwampDonkey

Ahhh, the joys of farming. A local (new) farmer here grew some corn one time, probably a couple hundred acres all on rented ground. Was on dad's old farm he sold actually. They never started cutting until about Christmas and piled it on the floor of a shed. It heated (from respiration) and must have been on the wet side, so it all went moldy. Hauled it all out to dump in January. $100,000 of corn they said. They gave up on the hog farm business a couple years ago and are long gone. All the bigger farmers are getting dryers now. Years ago when dad still farmed, there was no money left after propane drying, and that was before he retired, probably a good 20 years back. So with propane going up and up all the time I can't see those outfits getting enough value added to even break even with them dryers. Propane is way higher in NB than in Iowa.

Like Cfarm said, it's mostly fodder corn. Ethonal ain't even happening on farms here, no subsidies. I think the dryer guys have a market out of province for the corn they dry, it's not for feed if you got to dry it.  I know with regular grain, if it was feed than that meant it wasn't good enough for much else. I can tell ya though, that around here no one is growing crops for wildlife. They sure help themselves, but you'd have to post guard 24 hrs. No one is getting money to let their crops rot or be destroyed by wildlife.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

beenthere

My understanding is:
In the shorter growing seasons to the North corn doesn't have time to mature, so often it is grown for silage where the crop is cut and chopped green for winter use. Usually needs to be stored where air cannot get to it, such as a silo, a pit, or in bags.
When it cannot be cut at the right green stage and gets too dry to ferment properly, then it is left standing in hopes it can mature and dry for dry storage. Some shelled corn is stored green like in the airtight Harvestor type silos. If this window of harvesting is missed, then the crop stands over the winter in hopes of very little snow for winter picking or later.

And SD, the farmers pay much less for propane to dry crops than those of us that buy it to heat our homes. And I understand that moldy corn can kill hogs if fed to them. Farming isn't for the weak at heart.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Mooseherder

I've seen pictures of Broccoli fields with multiple Moose having a green field day.
They was using it as their own.  Wash yer Broccoli Boyz. :D

SwampDonkey

Homely things are more trouble than their worth. :D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

chain

Just got back from a little TSI, snow is still on, beautiful as always. Apparently, adjoining neighbors feeders and food plots are unavailable. I've never in thirty years of forest management have seen so many deer trails and tracks cris-crossing, meandering, and searching each oak tree for acorns.

I had reserved several large white oak wolf trees along the ridge trails, that's where the acorns were...deer..and turkeys..and a possibly feral hog had a feast!

chain

A little follow up from previous post. I've searched some 'animal track' web sites and wound up on 'Bear-tracker.com' searched for cougar tracks in snow. Have used this site previously, very in-depth and multiple photos of many, many, critters' tracks.

The tracks I saw were about a week old, snow still about 4", melted down form about 12". The curious part was I thought they appeared like  a pony sized track, fairly large.  I probably would have passed but one of my neighbors told me they saw a cougar last summer. A cougar was trapped last year about 30 miles west. If it was indeed a cat, he was probably a very lonesome cat but should be well fed, what with all the deer and turkey sign. :o

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