Day 124 Corn patch food plot
Had another 1.5 inches of rain last Saturday evening, the woods are still wet enough to get bogged down if your not on an established 2 trail woods road. Saw a 4-wheel drive tractor bogged down Monday morning trying to bush hog a field.
The deer still have not really begun to work on the corn as there are way too many goodies out there to eat. Set a camera on a pear tree in the front yard yesterday and captured 3 big old nannies eating pears about 10:45 pm last night. I unintentionally deleted the pictures before saving them. Still only an occasional track leading into the corn.
Have some pictures of the plot from this morning. How it looks from the shooting house, what we hope they will eat and how it looks at ground level, I believe a deer could hide in this mess!
Only 71 days till rifle season in our zone! Treefarmer
Being that the corn is for all practical purposes dead, do you think it may rot on the stalks before the game gets a chance to eat it?
Iluv2hunt, There are a lot of things that can happen to standing corn. Weevils are some little bugs that bore into each kernel and destroy the heart of the seed after it is mature. They are very common where corn is stored in a crib or even a grain bin. Unless it is treated with an insecticide they will make dust out of a pile of corn over an extended period.
There is also mold and mildew present in the corn. Once it gets dry those issues seem to disappear. The corn that was picked this morning is still pretty damp, tried to shell it out by hand and the cobs actually twisted in two. As it dries all the cobs seem to become more sturdy. If you notice in some of the pictures the ears are turned down, this happens as the stalk dies protecting the ear from being damaged by rain water. Some of the lighter ears will not break over and this allows water to enter through the top of the shuck sometimes causing it to rot and some times the kernels will germinate while still on the cob.
Last year even after the corn field where the seed for this patch was grown, was disked after harvest, the deer pawed up and ate stuff that I would call rotten. Treefarmer
you know what??!! tgis is like the old time serial at the movies. can't wait for the next chapter. what a great series. Actually learned some things. keep it up.
Day 131 Corn patch food plot
Over 3 inches of rain on Monday and Tuesday. The woods are plenty wet and the crop fields can't be worked for a few more days. Was able to ease around the corn this afternoon and just like the last few weeks, there are deer tracks coming and going but not on any specific trail.
Earlier in some of my posts about the corn patch, I mentioned the old Mennonite farmer who had planted corn on our place last year. (This is where our seed for the corn patch originated.) His name was Raymond L. Smoker, he was 87 years young when he was called from this life last Friday.
We had known him for many years but only last year did we really get to know him. He loved big horses and big mules. He trained, sold and worked them on his farm just southeast of our place. We took a lot of pictures of Mr. Smoker and his horses as he planted, cultivated and eventually began the harvest of what would be his last corn crop. He also cut and baled one of our food plots for hay last year.
Mr. Smoker was a very unique individual who seldom wore shoes. Everyone always used the old saying, "barefooted as yard dog", when they described Raymond. I could ramble on with stories and incidents that I recall about this fine old Christian gentleman. He had been an overseas missionary with his church for a time over 50 years ago. He was a life long bachelor. He broke his back 7 or 8 years ago on a horse drawn mowing machine. Just last summer, after he planted and "laid the corn by" at our place, he fell from a barn roof and broke his pelvis. He "healed up and haired over" in time to pick some of his corn in early September last year.
Last Thursday he was doing what he loved, working with a horse when he was kicked and suffered a broken neck. Mr. Smoker died doing what he enjoyed. I would like to post a few pictures as a tribute to a very special friend, Mr. Raymond Smoker.
Treefarmer
