I was heading out to plant trees today and thought id take the 270 and clobber some cagey hares.
This guy walked out instead which was very unfortunate for him.

hes a bit of a beast, with incredible width through his chest. Very deceptive. Most here guessed he'd go 130lb gutted. He was quite a step bigger at 170lb

I planted trees also today and yesterday and didnt see one.

Solid bugger Shanks

It's a beauty, Craig!

He is indeed solid. Boars like this are typically quite cagey so unlucky for him running into you.
Any good for converting into meals ??

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:
I planted trees also today and yesterday and didnt see one.

Bugger. What were you planting? I will finish planting 500 E. Regnans today and then onto Jap cedar, walnuts and chestnuts.

Those eucalypts have impressive growth over here.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
He is indeed solid. Boars like this are typically quite cagey so unlucky for him running into you.
Any good for converting into meals ??

I dont think so, he stinks to high heaven. Id usually turn him into mince or sausages but they laid 1080 here last week so for once ill probably not use him. There were better eating pigs in the group so ill wait for the all clear and take one of those.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
He is indeed solid. Boars like this are typically quite cagey so unlucky for him running into you.
Any good for converting into meals ??

I dont think so, he stinks to high heaven. Id usually turn him into mince or sausages but they laid 1080 here last week so for once ill probably not use him. There were better eating pigs in the group so ill wait for the all clear and take one of those.

Understood Shanks. I would do the same.
Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:
I planted trees also today and yesterday and didnt see one.

Bugger. What were you planting? I will finish planting 500 E. Regnans today and then onto Jap cedar, walnuts and chestnuts.
Those eucalypts have impressive growth over here.

The Aussie Mountain Ash you have planted are certainly one of "the" trees. Over 100 metres tall if allowed to grow.

I am still planting a selection of the below.

Red Gums Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Grey Box`s Eucalyptus microcarpa now there`s a timber for you

Manna Gums Eucalyptus viminalis

Plus an Aussie Bunya Pine and Qld Kauri Pine that are speculative. They will grow here but need looking after when young due to frosts.
I have a couple of Jap Maples to go in as well

Here`s a tip mate if you are planting specimen trees in your garden yard. As a dairyman you will always have a dead `un or two every year. I had to shoot a steer with an injury with a bad infection. I then dug a hole (loader) in the paddock out from the bbq area, planted him and a red gum on top with a cattle proof tree guard around it. The tree did nothing at all for two years then fuckn voila it grew 3 metres in a year. Not far from it I shot and buried a cracker ewe for the same result. Lots of people bury a big old carp (invasive) under a seedling tree also. That pig would do the job too...I wouldnt eat it myself erk!

That would be fertiliser rocket fuel for sure!

I thought the Mountain ash would be good with our climate here and there are some specimens planted by the govt near here in doc land I hunt. very impressive!
With farming in NZ now its all about long term carbon storage as mitigation for cow burps.

How do you guys deal with the hoppers and your new plantings? the hares are bad enough.

Six foot length of rabbit netting (recycled) rolled into a circle. Join two circles of netting to make six foot high and two star pickets to hold. Once they get up a bit the guards will be reused.

Yeah, lot of work in planting trees. I will hardly have finished and Ill have to go spray off the grass around them to prevent it killing them.

deal is spray first lol

Yeah Ill have to spray probably 2 or three times in first year. I had a stuff up this year and sprayed, but then due to heavy frosts the nursery recommended i pick up and plant the E-Rrgnan's later. So 6 weeks of grass recovery.

What`s the end goal? Agro forestry/long term saw timber or just beautifying the farm? Are you using the 2' plastic tree guards mate?

.

Not to derail the tree planting dialogue but well done on a solid pig! I guess you will keep that jaw even if getting rid of the rest ?

Cheers

.

Yep, though its mot great with one side broken.

To be honest it sucks a bit as usually Id give it to someone who'd appreciate the meat even if I didnt want it. I just didnt think about the recent drop of poison at the time until my brother reminded me after I got the pig home.

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:
What`s the end goal? Agro forestry/long term saw timber or just beautifying the farm? Are you using the 2' plastic tree guards mate?

The farm is all flat except some steep terrace edges, and they are prone to growing gorse.

At some point farming will get dragged into an emissions scheme and we all will need to plant trees, so Im planting a mix of trees that grow big and fast and also trees that provide other benefits like timber for someone- won't be me- and also improve the property for hunting and looks with maybe some value for us, like the walnuts etc. So those edges are perfect spot for trees.

I shot a boar like that at the old place (where you last stayed) it surprised me as there wasn't a pig within cooee.
Short story was that I went home jumped onto the quad bike and got back to the pig, ran a 12' rope around its neck back to the bike and started to tow down the very steep grassy spur. All was fine until I slowed and the pig slid past me in an overtake, then the rope went under the right rear wheel and did a few wraps around it and braked me severely, pig kept pulling and the bike wanted to roll over right side so I jumped with my two feet into the left footwell as a balance means and also a means of abandoning ship. It took a cool head and under panic mode I was somehow and astonishingly cool enough lol.If the bike which btw was a brand new Honda 4wd quad had of gone over the spur edge it would have been a total write off. Pig donated a back leg to my European Wasp kill,thats another tale.

The farm is all flat except some steep terrace edges, and they are prone to growing gorse.

Whats your gorse eradication method? Cut/paint?

Spray. Big areas get the helicopter in. Spot spray the rest with a towed spray unit.
This place is easy. Last place was more like you old place. Watche3d a couple of bikes bounce thier way to oblivion there.

I'm glad to hear you shot it with a rifle - and didn't go home for the dogs and a long knife.

Be careful with those eucalypts, shanks. Many Californians wish they'd never heard of them.

for what reason?

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
I'm glad to hear you shot it with a rifle - and didn't go home for the dogs and a long knife.

Be careful with those eucalypts, shanks. Many Californians wish they'd never heard of them.

Absolutely, when I lived in California I hated the Euc's. Dirty trees, always shedding bark and branches. There is always a huge dead area around Eucs where the branches, leaves and seed pods fall that feeds all the wild fires.