A Fire Circle Adds Warmth and Fellowship

There is nothing quite like watching a fire while sitting under the pines and a sky filled with stars.  A fire circle is a great, and safe, way to enjoy just such a fire.  And if a grill is at the ready to be rotated over the fire with a steak or deer sausages on it, this only enhances the ambiance.

Fire Circle with Rotating Grill

"Annex" Adds Unique Value to Property

When we initially bought our property there were no facilities on it.  At first we used a tent, then set up a small trailer.  But we didn't have a septic system.  Fortunately we learned about a porta-potty graveyard in North Georgia, and we decided to visit it.  What a surprise to see rows upon rows of retired porta-potties, all still usable and for sale.  We picked out one that looked ready to be put back into service and brought it over to our property.  With a hole cut in the bottom and placed over a deep hole in the ground, plus a bucket of lime for environmental purposes, this porta-potty was ready for business!

Bill was able to find paint that would adhere to the fiberglass and transformed the porta-potty into a camouflage "annex" that definitely adds value to the property. 

Transformation of porta-potty

Now that we have a septic system in place near our camping area, we have moved the "annex" to a convenient location at the other end of our property.  There it can continue to provide service for years to come.

"Annex" in new location

Oaks Have Brilliant Colors

Scarlet Oak

Many oaks still have brilliant fall colors late into November.  We are always observing the oaks on our property in the fall, because we want to know what the acorn crop will be for the year.  The red oaks, such as this Scarlet Oak, produce acorns that are more bitter due to the greater amount of tannic acid in the acorns.  White oaks are more popular with the deer, because the acorns that they produce have less tannic acid and are thus sweeter.  Acorns are a preferred food for the deer due to the protein that the nuts provide.

What Just 1/2 Inch of Rain Will Do

Finally we had a good rain.  Although it lasted for hours the rain gauge only measured 1/2 inch of rain.  But that made a difference as these "before" and "after" photos show:  Fertilizer and lime are important elements for improving the soil, but water is the magic ingredient that is necessary in order for the seed to develop into an edible crop.


After the Rain



Before the Rain























Food Plots Planted - Now Need Rain

We planted a mixture of rye, wheat, oats, rape, and crimson clover in our fields in September.  We were encouraged by some rain that fell almost immediately after the planting; however, after that little bit of moisture it has been 6 weeks with no rain.  Between the drought and various birds eating the seed, our plots look quite anemic, as this photo shows:

Enclosures Reveal Success or Failure of Crops

It is imperative to use an enclosure such as a small circular fence in a planted field to understand the effectiveness of the planting.  We were so disappointed when we first planted some plots, using lime, fertilizer, and seed and working diligently to plant the seed properly.  It appeared that the crop was a failure.  Then we decided to use an enclosure.  The result was surprising:



Enclosure that revealed a successful crop and much browsing activity

As this picture shows, the vegetation in the field outside of the enclosure is very sparse.  If it weren't for this enclosure we would have determined that this crop was a failure.  Instead, by using an enclosure we were able to determine not only that the crop was successful but also that there was tremendous browsing activity in the field.  We now use enclosures in every field that we plant.

Rancher with Plotmaster

Getting to some of our fields is difficult due to the terrain and vegetation.  An ideal solution is to use an ATV with a Plotmaster, a very effective combination that works well in small fields in the woods to break up the soil for planting and then smoothing the soil over the seed bed.  Various attachments can be added that will spread the fertilizer and seed automatically.  For our small plots we find it easier to use a manual spreader. 

The Plotmaster has various adjustments that allow for various depths for plowing and angles for discing, depending on the type of soil and depth needed for planting.

Planting During the Drought

It is a difficult decision to spend money on fertilizer, lime, and seed during a prolonged drought.  The cost of fertilizer has increased 400% since we began planting for the wildlife less than 10 years ago.  But, as the weather cools and the woods don their fall colors, human nature dictates that the crops must be planted.  This fall, surely, the rains will come.  So the decision is not whether to plant but what to plant.  The most reliable combination of seeds seems to be one that is mixed for the local area and sold at a local nursery and is appropriately called Wildlife Mix.  That mix plus the minimum amount of fertilizer calculated to produce a decent crop, and a schedule that would have the seed and fertilizer in the ground in time for cooler and, hopefully, wetter weather became our game plan.

Bringing Back the Long Leaf Pine

Long Leaf Pine Seedling

We planted 50 long leaf pine seedlings last winter as an experiment.  This entire southeastern area of the country had originally been covered in long leaf pines which are lovely tall trees.  They grow in sandy poor soil and are fire resistant.  They can live for up to 300 years.  With our poor soil we would like to increase our acreage in long leaf pines; however, with this continuing drought the seedlings might not survive. 

Drought Has Serious Consequences



Dead ferns throughout the woods



This year we have experienced a severe drought all over the state of Georgia.  Several of the fruit trees that we planted this past winter have already died, and we are very concerned about many of the other trees that have survived so far but might not survive the heat of August.  When we can we carry water to the more vulnerable trees, and we have put a heavy covering of mulch on all of the trees to preserve moisture.

Another casualty has been many of the lovely ferns that usually grace our woods.  As this photo shows, all of the ferns on both sides of this trail have died. 

I have even tried a rain dance, but so far it has not been effective.

Native Azaleas Are Harbingers of Spring

We discovered several groups of fragrant pink native azaleas blooming in our woods several years ago.  Now during late March and early April I eagerly await this very special event.  One must venture into the woods to view this lovely sight as they prefer partial shade to full sunlight.  Our soil, though poor, does drain well, and the azaleas have flourished, growing to heights of 6' - 8'.

Pruning is Necessary to Control Growth

There is much material on how and when to prune fruit trees.  We have been experimenting with various techniques and have found this long handled pruner to be very effective.  Although we haven't grasped the fine art of the ideal method for each type of tree, we understand that it is important to prune limbs that are crossing each other and to cut out limbs that are at too extreme an angle to the main stem.  And the best time to prune is in early Spring.

It was a difficult decision to prune fruit from trees early in the season; however, several of our pear trees were so loaded down with pears that we had to pull some off so that the branches wouldn't split.  Unfortunately, with the drought this year, most of the fruit fell to the ground prematurely.  But it disappeared quickly, so we assume that the goal, to feed the wildlife, was accomplished.

This photo was taken on March 25, almost 3 weeks after the burn.  The field is already producing browse for the wildlife.  After the burn we also disked the field to further break up the soil.

Finally we had a good day to burn.  Although it rained several days earlier the wind had dried out the field.  And the wind had slowed down enough for a burn to be safe.  Some wind is needed in order to facilitate the burn, because we use the back burn method, where a small fire is started into the wind, burning back toward the main fire.

If the wind is coming from the SE, the fire is started on the NW edge of the field.  Then a fire is started on the SE edge.  The wind pushes that fire along until it meets the fire from the NW edge, and then, since all of the material has burned at that point, the fire dissipates.

We were fortunate to have 2 Georgia Forestry Commissioner (GFC) rangers help us.  Once Bill lit the match to start the fire one of the rangers used a drip torch

Drip Torch

,

walking around the field and literally dripping flaming fuel from the torch to burn the field.  It only took about 30 minutes for the entire 3 acre field to burn.

Around the perimeter of each field and line of trees we have disked a fire trail.  And between the food plot and the field we have disked another fire trail.  This helps to keep vegetation under control and make it easier to access various parts of the acreage.  Right before we plan a burn we disk these trails again so as to provide a break between fields that will help us to control the fire.  We plan to only burn several fields each year and to burn them all on a rotational basis.

The Department of Agriculture offers many programs to help landowners manage their property in a way that will help and support the environment.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for overseeing some of these initiatives.  We applied for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) through the NRCS several years ago and were accepted.  As part of this program we planted several small fields with native warm season grasses to improve the habitat for wildlife.  Along one edge of each field we planted a small food plot.  On the outside edge of each field we have planted various fruit and mast trees, many of which we have purchased from the GFC’s Flint Nursery.