My lands

Discussion in 'Members' Systems' started by Rick Larson, Oct 11, 2013.

  1. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    No. Not a plan to move there. But who knows, it might become a better situation in the future.

    I bought it as a deer hunting property back in the 90's when land was cheap. $500 an acre! My Dad was born near there so I had an emotional link to the area. Over the years I was working the trees like a forester would, with an idea to attract and hold all kinds of wildlife (all but deer not for hunting). Now it has become a Permaculture experiment. I want to learn how, then I want to learn how to do it.

    Here are the last two orders, as I have swale mounds to plant!


    PECA12 Northern Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)-1-2' 5 $6.24 $31.20

    90%+ of this order to Michigan:

    HACK612 Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)-6-12" 25 $1.39 $34.75

    GUBL612 Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)-6-12" 4 $2.79 $11.16

    FILB612 American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)-6-12" 25 $1.39 $34.75

    LOBL612 Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)-6-12" 100 $0.61 $61.00

    MURE612 Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)-6-12" 100 $1.06 $106.00

    PLAM12 American Plum (Prunus americana)-1-2' 25 $1.39 $34.75

    CRSW12 Sweet Crabapple (Malus coronaria)-1-2' 25 $1.50 $37.50

    SEAL612 Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)-6-12" 25 $1.39 $34.75

    PECO612 Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)-6-12" 100 $0.83 $83.00

    TRTU26 Tree Tubes / Tree Shelters-26 inch 400 $1.34 $536.00



    NSSPSHR SIBERIAN PEA SHRUB (Caragana a 50.00 0.00 0.00
    MED rborescens)
    2 year, 18-24 inch seedling


    For my home in Manitowoc:


    NSALALE ALENIA (PRIMA) ALMOND (Prunus 1.00 0.00 0.00
    SEMI dulcis)
    semi-dwarf
    NSALDES DESSERTNIY (BOUNTY) ALMOND (Pr 1.00 0.00 0.00
    SEMI unus dulcis)
    semi-dwarf
    NSCHNEV NEVADA CHESTNUT (Castanea sati 1.00 0.00 0.00
    XLRG va)
    extra large seedling
    NSHATRA TRAZEL (Corylus avellana x Cor 3.00 0.00 0.00
    1YR ylus colurna)
    1 yr. seedling
    NSNPPEC NORTHERN PECAN SEEDLINGS (Cary 1.00 0.00 0.00
    SDLG a illinoensis)
    1 year seedling
     
  2. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Here is my latest hunting adventure story:

    Ok. So it was a warm mid November afternoon, the sun's warmth wonderful. I wondered if the temperatures fought fall-winter gravity because of global warming or not, or maybe it was just an abnormal bend in the gulf stream, but I welcomed the weather to plant nineteen nitrogen-fixing, armed to the teeth with pickers, producing edible peapods, Siberian Peashrubs on my wild Michigan land. I was pushing it having had them delivered in the mail the day before, but I was willing to take the chance to get this pioneer tree established in my new swale mounds.

    The first five were planted along the hybrid swale mound - hugelkultur, and the loosened at one time subsoil easily accepted the plants. Three were planted less than eighteen inches from Canada Bounty Plums, the peashrbs meant to nourish the fast growth of these very winter hardy variety of plum tree. Both species would have little trouble with the soil or Upper Pennisula of Michigan weather.

    That was my plan, five trees in this spot, then five trees in the next spot a hundred yards up the slight incline, to be planted amongst chestnut, persimmon, plum, and cherry already established on the north of the circle swale mound. Longer than a stone's throw away from where I shot at and missed a spike buck two days prior.

    I suspect some sinister black magic had a hand in this curcumstance, as I never miss my target when aiming at a northern forest whitetail deer.

    This is the point I have to go back and ponder, as having my arms full carrying a shovel, an old raincoat to kneel on, and the trees, why did I swing that gun on my shoulder to go and plant trees? Having little deer sign on the property, and the emotional white stripe down my back from that missed shot, there was little incentive to do so.

    But the gun came along. I can only shrug my shoulders in retrospect, as it was a day the gun deer season being open.

    And that should be the end of this story, planting trees, one after the other, making their chicken wire guards, anchoring the guards with sticks and stones.

    I had barely begun digging the first hole on that swale when I noticed that classis white tail of a doe leaping into the wood. I rubbed my eyes, shook my head, and took up my seven milli meter magnum rifle, then snuck my way over to the edge of the wood, peering in, hoping to get a glimpse. You never know which way a deer might leap.

    It was just then my hunting hairs rose on the back of my neck, and I slowly turned my head towards the other side of the clearing.

    There he was! That same spike buck I missed! But he was looking at me square, those black eyes staring me through.

    I couldn't take a shot, he would surely bolt on my making a move toward him, so I instinctually inched my way behind a large cedar tree, careful not to bob. Immediately I raised the rifle to my shoulder and hoped he would run after the doe.

    No doubt an old buck would never had come into the field in the first place, but this young buck not only came into the field after that doe, but my hunch was he would quarter away right across the field. He did, I put the crosshairs of the Leupold scope on his shoulder, and whistled. The buck stopped just short of the wood edge and I killed him with speeding bullet.
     
  3. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Beautifully written Rick. Venison on the menu at your place for the next few weeks?
     
  4. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    We will stretch it out for the winter. I expect to get one more yet, but my hunting ambition is very low this year because all I can think about is the manual right now...

    Thanks for the compliment, I worked many ideas into a very short story. :)
     
  5. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    What type of deer is it Rick?
     
  6. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    A tasty dead one?
     
  7. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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  8. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Great shot.
    Lovely fat deer. What did he weigh? What did he taste like?
     
  9. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    I'll guess that deer weighed 130 pounds dressed. Wild deer venison has virtually no fat, some of the larger parts are dry & stringy and needs tender slow love in the cooking process. I can't think of a farm animal that it tastes like, but it is a wild acquired taste if you are used to eating fat juicy cuts. Other parts are hotly seared and have a wonderful macho kind of flavor. I alway hope to hang the deer in the tree for days, 50 degreesF is too hot, so one hopes for cooler weather, sometimes I will even wait to shoot a deer until this cool weather arrives, but 30's at night and 40s during the short daylight time period tenderizes and flavors the deer nicely. I also harvest the heart and liver, and this year I am going to try something different.

    You can find out here!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dYicknhAO4
     
  10. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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  11. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    View attachment 1918

    I get deer from a neighbour who is a very keen hunter. We have chittel & samba deer here - he gets both. I do eat it, but I'm not mad keen on it. I like it curried best, although I did get some sausages done last year that were good. I've only been able to hang it once when a neighbour let me use his cool room in return for a quarter of a body ... but otherwise it just gets cut up the day its shot. I was kind of curious about you not bleeding that deer - we bleed everything we eat right away. Anything I don't eat goes for dog tucker & they love it :)
    I have only had one fat deer ever - it was a buck - & he had a really good layer all over & an amazing amount around his kidneys etc. Only time I have ever seen it.
    Attached is a photo of a deer hanging in my oak tree.
     

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  12. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Most of the time the bullet wound does the bleeding. I think there is iron in blood and am not into bleeding it out. But I am not entirely sure about this, just that I don't empty the meat out. Perhaps if I was in the tropical zone I would as a matter of preservation. But I'm not sure about that either! :)

    Nice picture. What spices do you like to use? Have you ever made a pork and venson roast together? Venison and pork sausage? That might get you excited.
     
  13. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Oh, nice picture. You are my kind of girl!
     
  14. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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  15. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    I created a playlist on Youtube, the first video is the latest one I just completed. All the others I had already linked to this, or the Permaculture Global site, methinks. I have more video in reserve. All this work was learned from and motivated by Geoff Lawton's Online PDC. More video coming, me is hoping.

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDCRYtmkDsX-XF0F4vPZrYv3m6TbmBZ3_
     
  16. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    :)

    What I'd really like to do is learn how to hunt deer, & what I'd really really like, is to learn how to hunt them with a bow. That, to me, would be awesome. This is not about enjoying killing things. I still have a hard time getting my head around eating meat - well - more specifically, around having to kill animals in order to eat meat. That's a big part of the reason I raise & kill (I have a local bloke do the actual killing bit & in the case of beef also the skinning & gutting & cutting up - I just help :)) my own meat - so I can ensure the animal had a very happy, healthy life in as close to it's natural way of living as I can provide, & as painless & peaceful end moments as is possible. But hunting ones meat would be even better. Eating an animal who has lived its entire life in the wild would have to be as close to ethically optimal, & have as little impact on the environment as possible wouldn't it? And to be able to hunt with a bow would be just unimaginably awesome for me :) I've had a couple of goes with my sons bow & I can't use it. Don't even come close. I'm not strong enough :(
     
  17. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Hmmm ... I don't know about the bleeding thing either. I do know it's important with beef & sheep to kill the animal by rendering it senseless (massive tissue trauma in the appropriate area of the brain) while still having the heart beating. I make sure everything is in place to cut the throat really fast, & then to quickly hoist the beast up so that gravity assists the pumping heart in draining out the blood. But I also know some people eat road kill with no ill effects, & an animal that was struck by a car is not going to have been bled, except in unusual circumstances. I think you are right that climate may be a factor also.

    I've only really done Indian Curries with the deer ... I just use the same recipes & spices I use for beef & lamb curries - cumin, corriander, turmeric, paprika, chilli, cardamon ... onions & garlic & ginger obviously ...
    Never done venison & pork. I also raise my own pigs & have absolutely fabulous pork in the freezer, so I guess I could try it. The butcher who did the sausages suggested we put some beef fat in them to counteract the dryness. I can't remember what flavours he did ... plain, Tandoori, & honey & something ...
    Early on when I first started eating deer I got a buck that had a strong gamey smell & flavour & I didn't know enough at that point to just quit & give it to the dogs. I persisted in trying to eat it :( There was nothing wrong with it - it just had that extra taste that I've discovered I don't like. That kind of put me off a bit. After that I'd only eat does for a while, but now I've gone back to eating either, so long as they don't smell weird :) I've been told to soak it in milk before I cook it but I haven't worried about that as I'm only doing curries for now & don't have any gamey meat in the freezer.
     
  18. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Most of the meat from old bucks I shoot goes into highly spiced sausage or jerky. Then they are tasty.
     
  19. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    On the search for straw for next year's mulch and I have a question, maybe this should be posted elsewhere, but my search reminded me of last year's batch which was delivered by the farmer himself. Last spring. So the post is landing on my thread.

    Younger fellow, he owned 80 acres. Anyway, he wanted to know why I was buying 35 bales of wheat straw in the city, so I showed him my back yard lot. It wasn't even half of what is it now, maybe not even a quarter, having implemented a wildly changing permaculture design this last summer. Anyway, there was still a lot going on. I showed him the multyple gardens, the fruit trees, the new pawpaw and persimmons saplings. Explained hugelkultur and back to eden gardening. The old lasagna bed. He was impressed with quiet, as we went along. Finally becoming exxasperated, he asked, "What are you going to do with all that food"?

    My answer; "eat it".

    My question is, is there a residue of glysophate on GMO straw I should have to worry about?
     
  20. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Yes but there is less of it than in anything you'll buy from the shops.
     

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