The War on Invasives

Since meeting with Jason Jones, I've been acutely aware of an invasive weed called sericea lespedeza. Prior, I had been living in blissful ignorance. Now that I am aware, I'm seeing it all over the place.  This is a pretty good short video about it.  Sericea Lespedeza

It sounds like it's very invasive and difficult to control.  And I have become aware of it right as it is about to flower and go to seed. So I've been getting educated about it and trying to decide what to do about it.

This is the stand of it that caught Jason's eye as we were touring.

It's also mixed in in this area of the field that I routinely brush-hog to try to control the black locust encroachment.

I went ahead and mowed the mixed area.

And I found some other stands that I also mowed.

I've been reading about chemical control.  At this time of year (flowering), it is recommended to use MSM.  That's a new herbicide to me and it sounds a little scary (potential ground water contamination and non-target kill).  I bought some - it comes as a dry power.  I followed the label and it took 1/4 teaspoon in a gallon of water.  I decided to do a trial with one gallon on this thick stand of it.

The other herbicide mentioned is triclopyr. It is used earlier in the season while actively growing.  Since I had some of that on hand for my tree work, I went ahead and sprayed a few distinct stands of it.

Most articles I read on it recommend using a product called PastureGard.  It is a mix of  triclopyr and fluroxypyr.  I may try that in next year growing season.  I'm not loving all these chemicals.

I did mow several areas which should reduce the flowering.  I'm not sure if there is enough time for it to come back and go to seed or not.  I'll watch it and decide whether a treatment again this year is necessary.  This is a little bit of an unusual invasive because burning doesn't do much to control it.  It's seeds like the fire.  Anyway, I currently have 3 trials to evaluate - MSM, triclopyr, and mowing.

In addition to that work, I sprayed a couple food plots for broadleaf weeds.  More chemicals.

My worm ranch has been living in my beer fridge and it seems to be doing ok.

I decide to use a worm or two and guess what?  They work.

My helpers have been avoiding mowing around the A/C unit due to wasp activity.  I finally went out to look and found this.

I decided to check it at sunrise and see if I dared attack it (more chemicals).

When I went to look at it, it was very active already and I chickened out.  Wait for frost?

Uncrating the Buffalo, New Toys, More TSI

Eric came down this week to help with uncrating the 2024 safari and to collect his portion of it. I had considered leaving my portion crated until the elk room expansion was done but I made the decision to just make space and hang them somewhere.

Can you believe that I have another damaged shipment?  We took the lid off the crate and looked down on the lechwe to see this.  It looks like someone shaved it.  There was nothing touching this spot in the crate and no hair loose in the crate.  Could Splitting Image Taxidermy Splitting Image have loaded it like this?  Would US Customs damage a shipment like this?  I have started the conversation with Splitting Image. In any event, it's not shipping back for repair - it took 2 years to get here.

Anyway, we proceeded to unload with the smaller stuff out the top first.  This included some tanned skins, some Euro skulls, and a director's chair that Eric had made out of his blesbuck skin.  Some animals ship with the horns removed.

Next we worked on the sable.

Then we had to rotate the crate because the buffalo and the waterbuck were attached from the bottom.

Joan trying out the director's chair.

It was shipped with the new nicely tanned leather pinched in the chair pivot.  Seems unnecessary - could have just been folded with leather up.

If you followed the hunt, Buffalo and Sable 2024, you would know that the buffalo sustained a second shot that caught him in the horn.  He shook his head like a fly was bothering him but that 375H&H went in and didn't come out of that horn. So it wasn't really a surprise that there was some artifact of that event showing.

The person responsible.

This is the entry wound.  The crack is visible for 270 degrees.

This is the crate emptied down to the 3 largest heads.

The sable is out and the crate rotated.

And finally, all three out.

The mass on this buffalo is hard to comprehend.  

And it was especially noticeable when trying to lift him to his temporary home on the wall. Couch clearance may be compromised.

Splitting image put some great hangars on these mounts but then they covered it with back felt that made it impossible to get a screw head up the slot. With some digging and cutting it was ok.

Here's the lechwe with his horns on.

I made room by relocating two of my whitetails.

Four new African heads in their temporary home while the expansion project happens on the elk room (behind).

Van saw this picture and said the sable was reading Eric's phone.

The dogs are coming to terms with the new residents.

Eric's trophies - shoulder mount of impala, springbuck, and duiker.  Euro skulls of black wildebeest and blesbuck.

We also did some touring.

My roundup burndown and re-seed is in process in two plots.  This one should have oats (fingers crossed).

And the old pumpkin patch should have brassica.

Eric also helped (tremendously) with my two new network gadgets.  First is the Birdbuddy hummingbird feeder. Sample video here.  Hummingbird (Ruby Throated)

We also mounted and set up a WiFi rain gauge.  I forgot to get a shot of the sensor but this is what the phone app gives me.  The 12mm was our testing with sink water.

Eric and I also had a morning walk once the fog cleared.

Last Friday I got another visit from Gavin Nupp. He's the State Forrester for this area.

We reviewed the 3+ acres of TSI that he marked up previously (looks great) and he marked up another 2+ acres for me to work on.  I learn a lot on each visit and tour with him.

Some photos of recent chore work.

Plenty of turkey activity this week.

Gavin kept noticing mushrooms everywhere.  It's a great year for them.  This was a jack-o-lantern one.