The deer around here are extremely curious, especially around rutting season. Biggest I've seen in my back yard was a 4 pointer. It was last year I think. My poor pup doesn't know what to make of them half the time. I'll definitely need to lay hands on some Bear pee. Saw some at Cabela's for like $10. Worth it for sure. May even snag some of those motion detecting screamers I mentioned.
Sometimes, I'll see a skinny one cruise by (which is rare) and lay out some of the cracked corn that I use to distill my 180 proof popskull. I'm a total sucker for animals, and can remember adopting dogs, cats, anything that needed a home when I was a kid. It drove my parents nuts.
So, I've been thinking a lot about next year's outdoor plans a lot after talking with you guys about this stuff. Thanks for all the great info so far, by the way. As I said, It's given me a lot to think about. I'm on the fence about using Garbage cans/Big big buckets or just plugging them directly into the ground. If I do choose to go with the ground, I'll be taking a few steps to ensure I get the best results for my work.
Most likely will dig 2-3ft holes and lay boards at the base, cover with river rock, fill with some cooked organic soil, then cover with mulch. On my hike the other day, I dug about 4ft down, and couldn't find any hardpan. Good news. This is making me lean towards that method for a couple reasons. 1 - I'll be able to sleep soundly knowing it's much less conspicuous than 8-10 garbage cans sitting there, and 2 - I won't worry that the roots are getting baked. I'll have to spend money on a irrigation pump no matter what, but still deciding if I want to pull water directly from the river, or dig a reservoir and install some pond liner. The latter would be less conspicuous IMO.
Cooked organic soil, with some dolomite lime to keep the pH balanced would be ideal for me. It'll take some work to cook a big enough batch of soil to get the amount I'll need but, I have plenty of time. Still a few things to work out, but I'm a lot more prepared than I was two days ago! Thanks for your insights, my dudes. I appreciate the feedback.
1-2 pounds (0.5 - 0.003 cm3) of Dolomite Lime to each cubic foot (0.003cm3) of soil.
*1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet (1m3 = 106cm3) (1 cubic yard = 105cm3)
I want to see if my buddy will lend me his night vision goggles for the growing season. I think making night trips will cut down on attention substantialy. It would be totally badass to get to play ninja, too. One thing that I already have is my guard dog. I don't go anywhere without her. Come near my crop, and she'll attack you with puppy lovem's. Sit boo-boo! Dassuhgoodgirl.