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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,110 Likes: 76
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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,110 Likes: 76 |
Yesterday I got my best look at one of the YP I stocked back in May. I thought I was seeing some coming up to feed but it was hard to tell for sure because they was up and down so fast. I haven't had much rain lately so my water is a little clearer and I got one to take his time about getting a pellet. It was nice to see and know at least 1 is still in there. Lol! The other day I got to see one of the LMB that I stocked in May, hit a minnow for the first time. He hit so fast that I'm not sure if he got it or not but it was fun to see. I know that at least some of them are hitting them good. Most of the ones I see have grown a lot.
Last edited by Bobbss; 07/08/20 02:52 PM.
Bob
I Subscribe To Pond Boss
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298 |
Refilled feeders and noticed that, though water levels are up a good foot, they never did get high enough to go over emergency spillway. Grass gets pushed down and little fish get trapped trying to escape when that happens, but there was no sign of either.
Water is murky but not muddy. Considering my issues with bushy pondweed, the murk is welcome. Standpipe in back of dam flowing vigorously, but without any hydrogen sulfide smell whatsoever. My best guess is that all the rain has helped push out loads of the anoxic water on bottom already. Anyway, no sign of a fish kill, for which I am glad. Sometimes it's an advantage to be only moderately successful raising fish!
Last edited by anthropic; 07/10/20 01:41 AM.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
As hot as it is I didn’t do anything today at the pond. Right now I’m sitting in a deer stand waiting for the hogs to come in. It’s 10:30 and still hot . The only thing showing so far is a family of coons, mom and six babies. Put out 1200#of protein for the deer yesterday and 1000# today. The pigs are getting fat off the protein pushing the deer away. Counted 30 deer at one drop feeder, they will empty 500#s in three days. We had a bumper crop of fawns this year probably doubling the herd size, sooo got to remove some mouths from the feed trough....
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
Pat, we really enjoy feeding the deer but we moved away from feeding pellets. Cost was just to high when we looked at 500 lbs per every 3 or 4 days. I went into wildlife food plots year round. Rotating plants each spring and fall. I found that cost is way lower than feeders. After 7 yrs of food plots (trial and error) I now do a combination of Sun Hemp/Iron Clay peas and that is after watching what they like to eat and what the cost is. My deer's favorite is Forage soybeans but they are expensive on the other hand, soybeans pump nitrogen into the soil and that helps the fall plants. Standard soybeans grow and mature to fast for wildlife plots when looking for something that feeds deer for a longer period of time. Wheat, Elbon Rye and clovers are my fall plants. We try to keep 10% of the property in food plots. And that varies yr to yr because if too much rainfall at the wrong time keeps me out of some of the place because to I don't want to plant the tractor.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
Rainfall is the problem... none in the spring. One spring we planted 5 acres of iron clay peas, they came up and every last one was eaten to the ground in two days. Fall is almost as bad, winter wheat I’ll do ok if we get rain at the right time but they hardly let it grow before eating it down
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
On growing deer TV they show how to put up elec fencing to keep the deer out till the plants get going. If eaten down below the bottom two leaves the plant will die when it's young. The E fencing will stop the deer for a period to where the plant can get established and that's when there is alot of native food for the deer anyway. I usually leave my fence up till mid June and then disconnect the hot fence. But even then some of the deer will get in but not enough of them get in to kill the field. It's July, Aug and Sept here when the deer are stressed due to the lack of Natural food and that is why I try to keep food around during that time. It does take labor and money when farming for the deer. But I do enjoy doing it. No fencing is necessary at my place for fall plants. And like you said they can keep the wheat mowed down and it also stops growing in colder weather and that is why I use Elbon Rye along with the wheat. I also know how rain or lack of it at the right or wrong time can make it tougher. Some years I have seed left over because I could not get to all the food plots for seeding. I have some great pictures of some big ass deer in the food plots. We don't hunt the plots but will hunt travel routes to the fields. All of it made me realize how tough it can be to farm for a living. I grew up with farm kids but I did not realize what all it takes to get it farmed even though they did alot of the work at night.
Last edited by TGW1; 07/12/20 01:20 PM.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
We have a group that stays around the house and beg for food. Every day I carry corn and protein and they let me get within 10’ of them to put out feed . My tomcat follows me everywhere even to put out feed.... deer are used to him now also. he rides in the boat when I let him......
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
I had a tom cat like that but lost him due to old age a couple yrs ago. He would travel with me like a dog would do. And I have to admit it we still slip in a little feed at the house. Like you said and I enjoy seeing the fawns when we do. It's about the only way I see any fawns and thats when the deer are hanging around the farm house checking for feed or feeding.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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1 member likes this:
Hope2020 |
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
Lol I stayed out in that sweat box until 4:30 this morning! Nothing but coons! Oh well
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,898 Likes: 146
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OP
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,898 Likes: 146 |
Noticed my bloom seemed to disappear after a rain and the cool front came through. Today I have the surface swirling with a brown floating bloom of some type. Just under the stuff floating on top water seems clear. Doesn't seem to bother the fish or their appetites. Seems like it goes through this cycle in the summer about this time after a bloom clears. More hot muggies coming!
Last edited by canyoncreek; 07/13/20 09:15 PM.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,596 Likes: 36
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,596 Likes: 36 |
I relocated an 8-10 lb. snapper tonight.
Yesterday I picked up 50+ 8 to 10" wipers, most went to a neighbor's pond, a few went into my pond. Surface temps are in the mid to upper eighties.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
Installed a 2' riser on the drain for my new pond because of the washed in sludge. Building a pond with small equipment has its challenges. The stress of cleaning out the sump was just too high. This gives me a lot more buffer.
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
relocated a 4 foot gator from the pond. I always ck for gators when I make my rounds at the pond. It's not the 4 footer's that show up at the pond that bother me so much, it's the larger ones that might show up.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
No gators in Indiana. Most dangerous wild animal on my place is a skunk!
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
Lol Rah You just don’t know what you are missing! Not really, skunks can be bad..... They can and do intimidate....
Last edited by Pat Williamson; 07/15/20 05:43 PM.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
Gators are cool critters but I am not complaining about not having any. No poisonous snakes here either, but with the warming trend, copperheads could move north into my area since they are not far south of here. No bears or mountain lions either, just coyotes and bobcats.
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
Yes they are and they bite hard, I know cause a 2’ rt bit me on th thumb and boy did it hurt!
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
Nothing cool about gators in your pond. A couple of years ago one of my closest neighbors called me and told me that I needed to keep an eye out for gators because he had several show up at his 3 acre pond. I told him I had already found one that week and removed it. It must be a time of year when they look for new homes. He then told me that another neighbor had found a water hole due to alot or rain on his place that was holding around seven gators some of them quite large. He called the game warden, who showed up and told him he could not remove them. I looked into the laws and as a land owner I can remove the gators as a nescience animal. Or at least that is what I understood. But to be honest I would remove them even if there was a law that said I could not. Too many hunting dogs and kids around my pond. For those that don't know, the gator is quite inquisitive and will show up to investigate movement around the pond. But it's a little unnerving when setting in the boat, fishing and one pops it's head up a few yards from the boat.
Pat a two footer bit your thumb lol What the heck were you doing with it?
Last edited by TGW1; 07/16/20 01:51 PM.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,952 Likes: 184 |
Lol it was during a New Years party and it was a dare..... dang them things are fast!....won’t do that again
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Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 895 Likes: 201
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Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 895 Likes: 201 |
Lol it was during a New Years party and it was a dare..... dang them things are fast!....won’t do that again there had to been a little alcohol involved in that dare. Im with you TGW1, what the law don't know don't hurt them, Id have to get rid of that many gators, now a little two footer might be kinda neat in a pond, especially this far north, I worked in Louisiana for a while and they were kinda neat to see around but definitely dangerous.
All the really good ideas I've ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,470 Likes: 107
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,470 Likes: 107 |
Just a quick update. I stored some water hyacinth in my shop over the winter. Was hoping some would make it. I changed the water bout once a month with pond water. I put them in sometime around Easter. Sad to report I'm not seeing any of them around that have made it.
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 349 Likes: 36
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 349 Likes: 36 |
Just set up my Yamaha aeration setup. Put a 90degree fitting on the jet of my jet ski pointed down. At full throttle the ski wants to go in a tight left hand circle.you go for a while and then you have to lean a little to make it go straight. Stirs up the muck and then creates a nice bloom.
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,137 Likes: 276
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,137 Likes: 276 |
Like some others that have been discussed here recently, my pond has quite a bit of bushy pond weed this summer.
I was leaving it alone because it wasn't taking over, it provides fantastic habitat for lots of low on the food chain critters, and shades the shallow areas from the blistering summer sun.
Since the muskrats showed up it has become a major nuisance. Those varmints have torn a mountain of it loose and it was floating all over the pond. Not really a big deal, but the pond is our swimming hole and the girls aren't real hip on swimming in seaweed, so I spent some time yesterday cleaning it up.
I used the 12' v-bottom boat and borrowed one of the plastic rake/shovel gizmos the girls use to pick up horse poop in the barn. That thing worked really well to collect the BPW. I pulled out four loads of the stuff, which was pretty much all of it that was free-floating. Had to put the boat back on the trailer, pull it out and drain the water between each load.
Found one ~4" western painted turtle that was recently dead, and two smaller ones that were alive and extremely upset with me for dumping them into the boat. Couldn't begin to count the numbers of PK shrimp, fry fish, tadpoles, and other wiggly things that were hiding in the stuff.
Pond looked a lot better this morning. Current from overnight aeration caused almost all of the loose stuff that I missed to pile up against the dock, and I was able to stand on the dock and get that with the poop collector gizmo.
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,898 Likes: 146
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OP
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,898 Likes: 146 |
Having loads of PK shrimp makes you a lucky man... Our dog keeps the muskrat at bay, time to get a dog or borrow a neighbors?
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