Sunday Pic of the Day

[BenP]

Why do you think that is? Are they really gaining anything production wise? I grew up in North Central Indiana farm country. Wonder if it’s looking the same.

Tree lines do make the adjacent field lose yield for maybe 25' along the trees from shade and roots but probably the biggest thing is maintenance from trees falling and limbs that takes time to clean up.

But it has destroyed the quail population here, every ditch is mowed now and sprayed so no cover for anything anymore. Farmers used to leave a buffer next to ditches to help prevent erosion and runoff. Not anymore and now they complain about the bridges washing out.

My dad said before they logged out the dismal swamp for that farmland in those picks that the rainfall was more predictive, and also cooler around here. Now there are more droughts here but the areas that still have swamps north and south get more consistent rain.

 

[Wild Bill]

Why do you think that is? Are they really gaining anything production wise? I grew up in North Central Indiana farm country. Wonder if it’s looking the same.

I've shot piles of pheasants and plenty of deer out of tree belts anywhere from 50' to 50 yards wide. 50' don't seem like much until you step back and look at the big picture and see 30+ of them in a township (36 sq miles) with them running 1/4, 1/2 or even a full mile long. That's a good bit of habitat in prime farm country. They serve as arteries of connectivity between sloughs and the few woodlots we have, especially after crops are out.

As valuable as it is as habitat, it's more valuable to the landowners for production, sadly.

It's a sad deal. Seems like a couple or three generations pass and you lose perspective on things.

Sometimes things need to get worse before they get better, I hope.

 

[Nick87]

I've shot piles of pheasants and plenty of deer out of tree belts anywhere from 50' to 50 yards wide. 50' don't seem like much until you step back and look at the big picture and see 30+ of them in a township (36 sq miles) with them running 1/4, 1/2 or even a full mile long. That's a good bit of habitat in prime farm country. They serve as arteries of connectivity between sloughs and the few woodlots we have, especially after crops are out

Same type of country here. Same experiences as well.

 

[Outlaw99]

We never touch a fence line unless a tree falls down. My dad always said; “deer gotta eat too”. If there’s a big overhanging limb, I might take the payloader and pull down the limb out of the way, but that’s about the extent of tree removal I ever go to. I grew up killing a lot of good bucks out of fence lines during the peak of the rut. They love taking hot does to them to get away from all the action. Those old tree lines mean a lot to me

 

[rookieforever33]

More than one family farm in my area got sold to ag corporations after being in the family for generations. Nice tree lines at fences, grass waterways, slopes stepped with grass lines to slow water flow. The corps wipe out everything, farm it for 5 or 10 years, then sell it to the next up and coming farm family. Then the new buyer has to deal with the runoff and erosion. But the corp gets to list it as more tillable acres which bumps the price. History will repeat itself eventually.

 

[Caseknife]

hatis the purpose of the notches

What is the purpose of the notches on the top of the hammers?

 

[Nick87]

We never touch a fence line unless a tree falls down. My dad always said; “deer gotta eat too”. If there’s a big overhanging limb, I might take the payloader and pull down the limb out of the way, but that’s about the extent of tree removal I ever go to. I grew up killing a lot of good bucks out of fence lines during the peak of the rut. They love taking hot does to them to get away from all the action. Those old tree lines mean a lot to me

Best spot I ever hunted was an old tree line between an abandoned pasture and a thick block of timber. At my grandma's old farm. Tree line was probably 40' wide in itself. 169" 8 point was killed out of that tree. Of course, I picked a different stand that night. Its all houses now.

 

[Nick87]

Backyard view today. Absolutely perfect weather for gardening and a little relaxing.

 

[Wildabeest]

Got a little late season snow dusting.

 

[Dave N]

Got a little late season snow dusting.

View attachment 406982

Extra pooches!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

7 weeks since foot surgery, went for a
Few short hikes today trying out the new foot , 2.6 miles then a 2.8 mile trek , didn’t hike once last year with my foot pain. So far so good




A backyard souvenir from today’s walkabouts

 

[el unit]

 

[Mule Kick]

Pic is from a few days ago of my brother in law. The gun was his dad’s first one, an Ithaca .410.. it’s much older than either one of us, probably @ 50 yrs.
He’s killed a handful of turkeys with it now

 

[ccc23454]

 

[It’s Bucky]

 

[BigHornRam]

Finishing up planting 50 pine, and sumac this morning.

 

[WildWill]

Now we just need a old boot.

 

[Hem]

Finishing up planting 50 pine, and sumac this morning.

View attachment 407020

Haven't heard the word sumac for damn near 50 years. Back East that stuff would take over a field in one summer if allowed.
What's the story on it out West?

 

[Wildabeest]

Now we just need an old boot.View attachment 407021

Interesting bait. I’ll have to try that.

 

[It’s Bucky]

Haven't heard the word sumac for damn near 50 years. Back East that stuff would take over a field in one summer if allowed.
What's the story on it out West?

Very common where I grew up in SE MT. Good winter browse for mule deer. I like to check in and around it for sheds.