Vernal Ponds

The vernal pond in the Back40 has come to life.

The Wood Frogs who have lived hidden in the surrounding brush and leaf litter have returned to the pond seeking mates.

Success 

A walk Along Piney Creek

Took Bliss for a walk along Piney Creek looking for woodcock.  Bliss hunted hard but none were found.

3 old apple trees growing by an old foundation. I took scion from the tree on the right and have a nice grafted tree growing in the Back 40 orchard.

Working in the Orchards

I've been busy cutting scion wood to ship to other grafting "addicts" and pruning the trees to make them grow into the shape I want them to.  Any branches growing toward the center of the tree or rubbing other branches must be removed. You need light and air to reach the center of the tree for good health and good fruit.

Before

After

Black Oxford scionwood.  An old Maine variety that ripens late in the season. Beside being a fine eating and cooking apple it makes a good wildlife apple, hanging on the tree into the winter months.  The scionwood must be cut from one year old branches to ensure a successful graft. 

Red Tail

When you live on a farm, animals die.  With my Cochin chicken hobby and my great nephew Caleb breeding show hogs we occasionally have a dead animal to dispose of. We have a designated area in the Back 40 where we place carcass. Caleb had a sow somehow break a leg so she ended up there. This Red Tail Hawk has been visiting the site for a free meal for several days. The trail cam I got for Christmas has given me some nice pictures.

A Discovery

Bliss and I went looking for left over pheasants yesterday.  No pheasants were found but I did discover some old apple trees.

I'll return in the spring to determine their bloom time and then again in the fall to see if they bear any apples.  These trees are in the same area as the Weeping Vampire apple, a tree I discovered several years ago. Named for it's weeping form and the road which runs by this covert I was pleasantly surprised to find it still holding some apples this late in the season.  I have a nice one year old tree grafted from scion from this tree growing in the Back40 orchard.

After the Storm

A coating of snow was followed by a coating of ice and windy conditions proved to be too much for this old volunteer apple tree located above the house. A seedling of the old orchard that I can remember as a kid this tree produced "deer apples" small russeted apples that dropped in early fall. I suspect it will live on for a few years as it still has roots in the ground and these old apple trees are survivors. I'll probably take a piece of scion and graft a new tree and plant it nearby for the deer to continue to enjoy.

End of the Woodcock Season

The last two weeks of woodcock season were disappointing quiet for me.  Although the dogs searched hard the birds were not to be found.  It has been the worst season I've ever experienced. My journal shows we hunted 3 times a week for 6 weeks in 10 different coverts in 4 different counties and only managed to find a handful of birds. I must have definitely offended Diana the Hunting Goddess and this was her punishment. ☹️☹️  The only bright spot of the last week of the season was Bliss managed to point a hen pheasant that I dropped with my left barrel. The following are some pictures of the coverts I hunted that should have held a few birds but didn't.

An 8 day late grouse season may give me a chance to get out into the woods if the weather does not turn too nasty.