Cnc, you seeing them in the morning or evening?

I like the fox and buck pic.

Mostly afternoon......



Thanks! I got lucky on that one.

No doubt. Love foxes.

There was two of 'em. that passed through......but the first one got by the deer too quick. Barely got him in the pic.

have you noticed any difference in activity in your field since you left the screen this year?

It’s really not tall enough to make a difference yet….it should grow taller next year. I may hit that little strip with some N just to help it out later in the summer. I’ve got trees and other things planted as well that will one day have the back end of the field much more isolated feeling. I think that will help with more daylight activity. Something I may do different next year is to leave the whole front end of the field standing in dog fennel and other summer vegetation. I planted more than I really needed this fall so I could probably cut back on an acre or two next year. The deer naturally want to feed in the back end of the field anyways.

Made my first trip down to your area this weekend. How the heck do y'all get anything to grow in that sand? And why do y'all have sand??? I wasn't sure if I was in Russell county or Orange Beach. Craziest soil I've ever seen.

Sand is tough stuff to try and grow plots in. That's the same kind of soil I'm dealing with in the field in this thread. It helps tremendously to increase the organic matter content.

After seeing what you have to work with down there I completely understand the need and desire to find a better way. Kudos to you for what you've been able to accomplish. I don't know how that sand grows anything. And I'm still trying to figure out why there is sand there.

We've got some super sandy fields clear up to west Alabama, nowhere near the coast. And tillage certainly makes it worse.

Becaue 70 million years ago the Gulf came all the way north to Aliceville. I have several fields in my north Sumter county properties that have thousands of 6" shells that look like an oyster.

^^^This, but here is a map (based on observations) of approximately how things would have looked 100 million years ago as opposed to the image above of what the shoreline would be if the glacial ice were to melt.

Time to discuss spring/summer plots........what have you guys had success with using the Throw and Mow method? I haven't fooled with spring/summer plots in the past as my neighbors have farmed peanuts and soybeans, but they will be converting land this year and no more crops.

Peas, sorghum, milo and soybeans do ok.

Yea, cowpea's work pretty good but buckwheat works the best and after it seeds out you can cut it and it will reseed itself. I have triple cropped it before. Adds phosphorous to your soil. Bee's love it. Deer browse it but don't decimate it.

Anyone tried sunn hemp or sunflowers? I'm thinking about making a mix similar to WI Powerplant, but worried about the size of some of the seeds. I do have a cultipacker which may help.

I wouldn't worry about trying to be too elaborate with summer plantings until you get a good layer of organic matter built up on the surface of the soil. At that point, you'll have a lot more success getting these different seeds to germinate. Stick with small seeded stuff in the beginning.....Stuff like millet and buckwheat. The easiest way to produce the first couple crops of summer biomass is by feeding the native vegetation. If I were gonna throw out any seed then it would probably be millet.