Plot Planting, Hawks Hunting

Some rain was forecast for the weekend but we lucked out.  Only 1/4" fell while we were there and we were able to get a lot of chores done.  There was 2" in the rain gauge on arrival.  Joan did a bunch of the bush-hogging and there was a ton of it to do.

Meanwhile, I worked on getting four food plots ready for summer annual planting.

The old John Deere is acting up again but it ran well enough to get the disk thru a couple of fields.

After we got done bush-hogging, I put the rototiller on the Kubota and got the rest of the prep done.

I planted the big long main field in sunflowers.

Another plot in powerplant mix, one in buckwheat, and the driveway plot in roundup ready soybeans (to work on the weeds).  I also tried out this new "packermax" implement that I bought.  It's a water filled culti-packer of sorts.

Several of the clover plots have weed problems.  I chose to mow them and will try to get them sprayed next week.

While I was checking out that field and the nearby camera, I heard a gobbler very nearby.  These links are to hear the gobbles over the ranger engine noise.  Gobbles over engine noise  Gobble on the Tommy Trail

Van got the Starlink antenna permanently mounted on the roof of the barn.  We've moved out of the dark ages of near dial-up speeds from Frontier DSL.

It's prime antler growing time from now until the 4th of July so I'm giving them some minerals.  The pregnant does also benefit from the supplemental minerals.

I had a bunch of photos of hawks hunting this week.  In one series, there was a scarlet tanager (I think) perched on a tree right in front of my camera.  In the next frame, there was a diving hawk and no tanager to be seen.  I somehow lost those two photos but some of the other ones still showed up.

I don't know what kind of hawks these are - I tend to call everything a redtail.

This one has quite a bit of white - immature?

I'm not sure this is even a hawk but sure looks like a pursuit.

I get tons of photos of bunnies and squirrels.  It has to be part of the attraction for hawks (and bobcats, and foxes, and coyotes).

Speaking of which...

Pouncing on the hunt.

Feral cats too.

The turkeys seem to be succeeding but I think the eggs and poults are pretty vulnerable.  I'm guessing hens are on the nest by now.

I had no time for hunting.

The does are starting to look quite plump.  Fawning season is upon us.  In this photo, the one on the right looks ready to pop.  I'm guessing the one on the left was too young to breed last fall.

Another mama in waiting.

Startles by something.

Coat looking a little rough.

Antler growth is in process.