2014 Habitat Plans

[missed mallards]

Just curious as to what the plans are for the upcoming year.

When, how, what, and so on.


For us, we're undecided. We had fantastic luck with Brown top millet last year and am leaning toward it.

Being our 'hole' is non ag land, we'll hold the water until mid march. Pull the boards for a slow draw down, and leave the ground undisturbed through April, May. If time allows, and access is there, we may try and get a bulldozer or some sort of machine in to clean up the place. Got some willows popping up, and need to clean up access points. No biggie, it'd just be nice.


Plans:
Hit it late June with some tillage, spread seed/fertilizer and come back in 2 weeks with a shot of 24d (simple enough). Keeping the coffee beans down this year will be a priority. Seeing the difference in seed production from them sealed the deal.

Thinking of planting the deeper area's (12-16") with Jap, and our shallower places (3-12") with the brown top. Thinking of lining our outer banks with the millet to give cover for hunters, plus, adding food. Would line the outers w/ corn but the cost/benefit just doesn't seem to be feasible.

Would like to plant our dry areas in sunflowers, but, to stay legal for ducks, I'm not sure how that's going to work out. We'll see though.


What's on ya'lls plate for this fall?

Soybeans?
Milo?
Millet?

What ya'll got planned?

[drake09]

Planning on pulling boards probably this upcoming weekend and starting the draw down gota do some dirt work going to try make some islands in some holes for layout blinds put we've been talking about planting corn around edges and where we can get planters to then what ever else we going to broadcast milo/ jap millet with four wheeler then let it go see if we do better than with just milo this year

[Anatidae]

I waited until high water to pull 2 new logs (about 30' long) that blew-down during a storm late in the season - out of the main pathway and tie them off so they don't drift back in there and make it harder for me to get through the cuban bulrush and hyacinth next Fall. It'll also give the nutrias a place to 'sun'.

Natural food sources look good so far. May try to knock-back the beggar ticks a bit.......it's a real pain to pick a golden retriever and waders after a hunt in those infested areas.

Other than that - I'm going to let Ma Nature take her course.

Went on another scouting run today and spotted a log jamb that I will attempt to break-up or at least re-arrange the logs where they become part of the 'cover' for our boat in this particular location. I'll have to watch the gauge and see when the water comes-up enough. I may try to transplant some cane chutes and re-arrnage some clumps of sawgrass in some strategic locations - also to help hide us better.