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Chufa Damage #2512429
06/22/18 04:09 PM
06/22/18 04:09 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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poorcountrypreacher  Offline OP
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I decided to go all out with this little chufa patch:

[Linked Image]

It is only 1/4 acre - I took time to actually measure it and figure it down to the square foot. I put 150 lbs of 17-17-17 on it and 16 bags of pelletized lime, then used a whole 50 lb bag of seed. Anyone would tell you that was too much of everything except the lime, but I don't think they are too thick. I have seen regenerated chufa fields that were too thick, but I don't think I have ever seen one grown from seed.

There are just too many critters in the woods that love to eat chufas. The turkeys dug up a lot of the seed before they came up, and there were coons in it too. Both will dig up small chufa plants to get the tuber, and they got a lot out of this field. But the varmints still aren't finished with them. I checked today and I am still getting damage. There are a lot of places that look like this:
[Linked Image]pic upload

I've always thought this type damage was done by crows. There are no visible tracks, but I can't think of anything else that could do this. I thought I'd ask the aldeer experts.


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2512699
06/22/18 08:32 PM
06/22/18 08:32 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,135
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ronfromramer Offline
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ronfromramer  Offline
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Ramer

You're the go to guy on chufa on here and I have no business giving you advice but
600 lbs per acre trip 17 and 200 lbs chufa per acre is a whole lot. I've always thought you want 1 chufa plant per sq foot.
I plant 40-50 lbs chufa per acre and soil test calls for 60 lbs nitrogen per acre. 150 lbs trip 17 would be 102lbs n per acre. That might not be your problem but you can get too much of a good thing

Last edited by ronfromramer; 06/22/18 08:38 PM.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: ronfromramer] #2512713
06/22/18 08:48 PM
06/22/18 08:48 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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Originally Posted by ronfromramer

You're the go to guy on chufa on here and I have no business giving you advice but
600 lbs per acre trip 17 and 200 lbs chufa per acre is a whole lot. I've always thought you want 1 chufa plant per sq foot.
I plant 40-50 lbs chufa per acre and soil test calls for 60 lbs nitrogen per acre. 150 lbs trip 17 would be 102lbs n per acre. That might not be your problem but you can get too much of a good thing



I know you are right, but this soil is really poor. And the thing is, I don't think I will have any more than that one plant per square foot by the time the varmints are finished. You can zoom in on the picture and tell that I don't have that many in a lot of places even now.

50 lbs per acre is what I have always planted, but I have never had a planted field to have a solid stand. And I have found that I lose a lot higher % of the plants to varmints in small patches like this one. This patch is an experiment to see if I can get better production with higher rates of seed and fertilizer. I wouldn't try this on good soil, and it would be too expensive on a larger scale. The pH is real low and even with all the lime I don't think a very high % of nutrients will be available.

Do you agree that crows are causing the damage in the pic?


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2512785
06/22/18 10:31 PM
06/22/18 10:31 PM
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ronfromramer Offline
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I've had a bigger problem with coons than crows but every place is different. Crows are evil creatures though and most problems I've had with crows was right after planting

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2513150
06/23/18 02:39 PM
06/23/18 02:39 PM
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Posts: 3,239
IN
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ParrotHead89 Offline
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put out a little golden malrin mixed with your favorite soda.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514341
06/25/18 09:39 AM
06/25/18 09:39 AM
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,011
AL
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therealhojo Offline
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Have you ever laying chicken wire down? It's a lot of trouble but it will help with critters digging it up. Then once it gets established roll it back up--again a lot of work.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: therealhojo] #2514465
06/25/18 11:52 AM
06/25/18 11:52 AM
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Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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Originally Posted by therealhojo
Have you ever laying chicken wire down? It's a lot of trouble but it will help with critters digging it up. Then once it gets established roll it back up--again a lot of work.



If crows are doing this current damage, then chicken wire won't help, of course. It would certainly keep out other critters, but like you said, a lot of work. That's the reason I planted way more seed than normal. I can afford to lose a lot of the plants and still be ok.

So does anyone have an opinion on whether it's crows doing this damage? I have always blamed crows for this type damage, but I've never actually watched one do it.


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514548
06/25/18 01:40 PM
06/25/18 01:40 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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Made this picture today:

[Linked Image]

Whatever is doing this isn't slacking up any. They have wiped out every plant in some areas. The worst damage is around the edges of the field, and that makes me wonder if it is really crows. If they would go through the field and take out plants here and there, it wouldn't hurt anything. But they are just focusing on one area at a time and leaving the whole area bare. Could it be squirrels? It is something small enough that it doesn't leave any tracks that I can see.


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514552
06/25/18 01:44 PM
06/25/18 01:44 PM
Joined: Aug 2014
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Mobile, AL
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SouthBamaSlayer Offline
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A shotgun and a case of beer could figure out what it is.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514614
06/25/18 02:55 PM
06/25/18 02:55 PM
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Posts: 2,011
AL
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therealhojo Offline
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Any change it's turkey?

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514671
06/25/18 04:16 PM
06/25/18 04:16 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 174
Northwest Alabama
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Spit N Drum Offline
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Spit N Drum  Offline
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I had similar damage before and accounted it to squirrels. It never got over 10 yards from the tree line. Completely wiped it out in that zone.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514689
06/25/18 04:50 PM
06/25/18 04:50 PM
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 93
Frog Level
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timberwolfe Offline
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Got a trailcam?

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514695
06/25/18 04:55 PM
06/25/18 04:55 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,978
South of 20/North of 10
North40R Offline
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It's squirrels! I see that same damage around the edges of mine PCP and always see squirrels in them digging in those areas. They'll pick up the easy ones like that then you'll see narrow holes at a 45° about the size of a golf ball as they start digging deeper.


Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience. Emerson
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: Spit N Drum] #2514696
06/25/18 04:56 PM
06/25/18 04:56 PM
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Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Spit N Drum
I had similar damage before and accounted it to squirrels. It never got over 10 yards from the tree line. Completely wiped it out in that zone.



Thanks, I am starting to think I have falsely accused the crows.

Hojo, it isn't turkeys. They scratched up some of the seed before it came up and got some after it came up. But turkeys scratch in a very distinctive manner that is easy to spot, and this isn't done that way. Whatever it is, the critter is small enough that it doesn't leave tracks and it digs the tubers out and leaves a cone shaped depression behind. I would take a shotgun and guard the patch, but squirrels are under state protection.


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: North40R] #2514699
06/25/18 04:59 PM
06/25/18 04:59 PM
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Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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Originally Posted by North40R
It's squirrels! I see that same damage around the edges of mine PCP and always see squirrels in them digging in those areas. They'll pick up the easy ones like that then you'll see narrow holes at a 45° about the size of a golf ball as they start digging deeper.



Well, that solves the mystery. I don't have a trail camera here at the house, but we will convict the squirrels without a trial anyway. If only there were something I could do about them. smile


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2514756
06/25/18 06:42 PM
06/25/18 06:42 PM
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therealhojo Offline
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Preacher-
We planted a patch a few years ago and the turkey got it just like crows in corn. When the sprout came up, they pulled it up and ate the tuber. Just walked down the row, didn't scratch anything but you could see the tracks and got them on camera. I was a good and bad feeling- it was good to know I had enough turkey to eat a 2 acre plot to dirt, but bad feeling not knowing how to make them grow.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: therealhojo] #2514977
06/25/18 10:52 PM
06/25/18 10:52 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,047
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline OP
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poorcountrypreacher  Offline OP
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Originally Posted by therealhojo
Preacher-
We planted a patch a few years ago and the turkey got it just like crows in corn. When the sprout came up, they pulled it up and ate the tuber. Just walked down the row, didn't scratch anything but you could see the tracks and got them on camera. I was a good and bad feeling- it was good to know I had enough turkey to eat a 2 acre plot to dirt, but bad feeling not knowing how to make them grow.



That was one of the reasons I quit planting them in rows; turkeys would just walk the row and get every tuber. Of course, the other reason was that my planter was junk and I got tired of fooling with it.

So the crows may have been innocent after all, but 3 of them took a dirt nap anyway this afternoon. If only those squirrels weren't under government protection.

smile

Last edited by poorcountrypreacher; 06/26/18 08:01 AM.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2515049
06/26/18 07:25 AM
06/26/18 07:25 AM
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Posts: 3,016
Pike Road, Al
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Mully Offline
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I noticed 5-7 crows in one of my chufa fields on Sunday. The last couple of years they have worn my chufas out when they are 1-4' tall. The only thing that has done more damage to the chufas at times is the 250lb lone boar I wandering around. In 3 yr we have only gotten 3 pics of him but there is always sign in random places of him but he is very smart.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2515098
06/26/18 08:27 AM
06/26/18 08:27 AM
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Posts: 2,011
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therealhojo Offline
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Originally Posted by poorcountrypreacher
Originally Posted by therealhojo
Preacher-
We planted a patch a few years ago and the turkey got it just like crows in corn. When the sprout came up, they pulled it up and ate the tuber. Just walked down the row, didn't scratch anything but you could see the tracks and got them on camera. I was a good and bad feeling- it was good to know I had enough turkey to eat a 2 acre plot to dirt, but bad feeling not knowing how to make them grow.



That was one of the reasons I quit planting them in rows; turkeys would just walk the row and get every tuber. Of course, the other reason was that my planter was junk and I got tired of fooling with it.

So the crows may have been innocent after all, but 3 of them took a dirt nap anyway this afternoon. If only those squirrels weren't under government protection.

smile

My ol Pappy told me that if you hang the dead crows up by their feet in at the edge of the field, it would stop other crows from coming in.

Re: Chufa Damage [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2515148
06/26/18 09:33 AM
06/26/18 09:33 AM
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Posts: 13,838
Mobile, AL
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SouthBamaSlayer Offline
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What about one of those squirrel traps that Wilborn outdoors advertised? Just "relocate" them.

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