Feeders filled, cameras up and everything shredded for 2024 season. It took 2 partial days, but I gotter done. 100% turnaround from last year. All stock tanks are full and seasonal creek has several deeper holes full of water. No cattle for 26 months and very overgrown. Had over 2" of rain almost 2 weeks ago and the place almost looks like spring conditions. Have high expectations for a good fawn crop this year with so much cover and wet year. Hope it`s a good year for the horns as well. I was able to locate 3 protein feeders ( CAD website) on 3 neighboring properties that are 1/2-3/4 mile from us a while back. I had thought for a few years that some of the bucks I saw that had good mass might have been eating protein somewhere. Now I`ll have to wait and see how long it takes for the hogs to show up. May have to educate them. Last year we killed no hogs for the first time since most activity was at night and just not as many as years past. I think the 2-year drought caused them to relocate where the most water was. This year they will probably return.

Good feeling getting everything knocked out. We still have a couple hard weekends ahead of us

What county are you hunting. No Spring like conditions anywhere around here. No rain since the last week of June.

Erath county. I said almost. Other parts of the county aren’t as fortunate.

Jealous of the work being done and the conditions. We are modern day dust bowl

This top picture is from 2022 on 9-02. Cattle was removed in early June, and everything was grazed down. Got lucky with a good soaker and ran the creek enough to fill deep holes and 2 small tanks.

Bottom picture was from 2 days ago. The creek in the 1st picture is at the bottom and fully overgrown. It amazes me how much different a place will change after removing livestock for even a year less known 2. Thank God for tractors and shredders.

Trying to get down with a machine next weekend. So glad I waited until late August.

We had a good fawn crop this year, and last year

Going back either the first or second weekend in Sept to dove hunt, put up another blind and then make sure the feeders are full and running for bow season. I will also increase the throw time on each one as well. We are in Haskell County and the range conditions even with cattle on the lease are so much better than last year.

Looks great!

Looks really nice

Old smuggler pm sent

Was told to meet some belly dumps at the ranch entrance off 97 at 8 AM Friday morning. Got there at 7:50 and who woulda thunk it - they were already there. Shout out to RWC Materials in Los Angeles. Machine was supposed to follow me in that day, but repair not complete in time and that gave me opportunity to off load 60 bags, do some weed eating and some other things along the way. Got phone call indicating machine was leaving Geronimo at about 3:00 PM. Then there was a blow out at 4:00 and couldn't get tires that late in the day so machine would be transported in the AM. Got there at 11:00 AM Saturday.

Spread two truck of rock around the trailer so the dang, insidious mud woudn't continue to be a problem. That came out great and gave me a driveway (not pictured) from the ranch road to my trailer and then on to the rest of camp. Also put a truck load under my buddy's awning attached to the conex (also not shown). Sure made each place nice. Will get get good use out of it.



The next day, we went in to my pasture doing some bucket work on interior roads (had to give up some spots to drainage) and primarily some brush mulching.

Before looking towards the blind -



After looking from the blind -



Here's a new spot were we had to add a culvert we had laying around - came out great -



Helo survey, blading of roads and adding a blind next - almost there.

Just top off 8 proteins, fill corn feeders and bombed bow blinds season be here before we know it

Spending the long holiday weekend at the lease hoping to get all of the work needed completely knocked out.. We've already done quite a bit of sight improvements this year, built a couple of new blinds, etc.. but still have a good bit of work to do..

my #1 priority is running a brush hog down all of the shooting lanes at each blind and also clearing out a good bit of brush on the periphery areas at each blind thats grown up over the last few years.. and since the brush hog will already be working overtime, I plan on using it to open up our camp site area a bit more are well..

All of the feeders still need to be topped off..

I need to bring in about 1/2 ton of rock to fill in an erosion/problem area thats not been managed in a while...

and if time permits.. I'll try to get some winter seed down at 2 different blinds.. Im going to try radishes at one location and oats at another (in addition to the feeders we have running at both locations)... Supposedly we're going to have some good rain come in early next week.. Im hopeful that happens and the food plots take off..

Assuming I get everything done that needs to be done.. I wont go back out there until bow season opens.. Its coming up a whole lot faster than I thought this year.. its been so hot this summer that I feel like Im a bit behind..

If not, the food plots will wait 2 more weeks.. that will be the next time I have an opportunity to get out there..