Category Archives: Outdoor Life

Do you want your horse barn to be a home for your animals and have a positive effect on the surrounding environment? We can help with our guide on making your horse barn more sustainable with simple and effective strategies!

Prevent Water Runoff

Unfortunately, one of the main ways that many farms and horse barns contribute to pollution and water contamination is through nonpoint source pollution. Livestock manure and other waste, such as fertilizer, can contaminate nearby waterways and groundwater. So ensure your barn has preventative measures for reducing runoff.

One strategy for preventing water runoff from barns is to plant vegetation by the stable’s wash stall to absorb and filter out chemicals and soaps that would otherwise contaminate groundwater. Some farmers and stable owners also plant rain gardens consisting of native plant clusters in shallow areas like downspouts where water frequently flows. Doing so helps capture and filter contaminants.

Pro-Tip: Green roofs are also becoming more popular for farmers and barn owners. They’re natural ways to absorb water and provide insulation on the roof through grass and vegetation.

Plastic Fencing Materials

Barn owners can also make the barn more environmentally friendly by utilizing sustainable resources like plastic fencing. A plastic fence for your horse instead of regular wood is a much more sustainable, safe, and reliable material option.

Plastic fencing can improve your horse’s quality of life since it’s easier to maintain and sturdier than wood. It creates a safer and cleaner environment for your horse. Plus, since plastic materials like HDPE make it up, it can come from recycled plastic items like milk jugs. As a result, you also help reduce plastic waste in landfills by using it.

Compost

If you’re not composting in your horse barn already, you should know it’s one of the simplest ways to make it more sustainable and is an excellent manure-management alternative. Dealing with manure isn’t anyone’s favorite part about horse barns, but it can serve a purpose. While some barn owners like to spread it as fertilizer over pastures without doing anything to it, that can be hazardous because parasites and pathogens can proliferate in the manure.

Composting is the better manure-management strategy, as it creates nutrient-rich fertilizer while also killing most parasite eggs and pathogens for a cleaner and safer stable. Composting also helps reduce the fly population that can infest barns when raw manure is around. Not to mention, composted fertilizer is better for pasture soil.

Plant Native Vegetation

If you help the environment, the environment can also help you! Another way to make your horse barn more sustainable is by surrounding it with more natural plant vegetation. Native shrubs, trees, and flowers frequently get lost due to land development, but you can help natural vegetation survive by surrounding your horse barn with them.

Natural vegetation isn’t just for show—it also offers advantages to horse barns because it attracts more birds that eat insects and other pests and provides windbreaks and privacy buffers for your horses and barn. Planting natural shrubbery and foliage around your horse barn makes it more sustainable and beautiful!

With shorter, cooler days on the horizon, getting out in nature and enjoying hunting season sounds like a great way to unwind and relax. However, there are some vital safety tips to remember this hunting season to ensure that you and other hunters remain in positive shape.

Check the Weather

It’s always a good idea to check the weather before hunting. What seems like a slightly brisk morning that requires a heavier jacket may turn into a severe snowstorm if you aren’t paying attention. Knowing what type of weather to expect and planning accordingly may help prevent you from getting stuck in an uncomfortable situation.

Keep Your Cell Phone on You

One of the biggest safety tips to remember this hunting season is that your cell phone should always be on your person. Leaving it in your vehicle or backpack may seem easier, but this is ill-advised. The most common hunting injury comes from falling out of tree stands; if this happens, you want to know you have access to your phone.

Checking Your Hunting Vehicle

Depending on where you go, it may be a good idea to use a utility vehicle when hunting. Before heading out, inspecting your vehicle thoroughly is a good idea. Make sure to fully charge the battery, fill up the gas tank, and check the air in the tires. If you bring a utility vehicle deep into your hunting area, you want to ensure you can get back out.

Alert Other Hunters

To avoid any potential mishaps, you always want to alert other hunters to your presence. Bright, reflective clothing is beneficial when you’re on the move, and you’ll want to use audible calls and whistles when moving. These tips will help everyone remain aware of one another’s existence and reduce the chances of an unfortunate accident.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and taking adequate precautions in the woods keeps everyone in good shape. Remember to follow local hunting rules and regulations and always practice proper firearm safety and control.

Whitetail deer are one of the most popularly hunted animals in North America. You can find these majestic creatures in southern Canada and most of the United States, except for the Southwestern region. If you want to have a successful hunt, many expert tips can help you. Here are some helpful tactics when hunting whitetail deer.

Control & Mask Your Scent

Learning how to control and mask your scent is one of the most important tactics when hunting whitetail deer because their noses are one of their most powerful defenses. Deer have a very keen sense of smell, so even if you can’t detect your own odor, the whitetails can—and from half a mile away. Therefore, it’s essential to mask your human scent as much as possible. You can do this by utilizing non-smelling soap when you bathe and covering yourself and your clothing in scent-masking sprays geared toward deer hunting. It’s also beneficial to stay downwind of the whitetails you are hunting, so the wind doesn’t carry any lingering scents or odors in their direction.

Utilize Proper Baiting Techniques

Utilizing proper baiting techniques is another helpful tactic for hunting whitetail deer. There are many effective methods for baiting whitetails, but it’s crucial to know how to execute them and at what time of year to use them. Understanding the habits of these creatures will help you to know how and when to bait them. For example, you can use baiting techniques like estrous-doe drag rags to attract bucks during the mating season, from September to November. However, you don’t want to employ the drag rag tactic too early in the season, as it can confuse the whitetails. Understanding when and how to use your baiting techniques will pay off in the long run.

Develop a Calling Strategy

You can also develop a calling strategy as an effective whitetail hunting tactic. Some hunters prefer to stay completely silent while hunting, but others prefer to make the right noises to attract their prey. Utilizing the appropriate deer calls in the right situations can help you to have a successful hunt when done correctly. There are several different types of calls you can use, such as the bleat, grunt, rattle, and snort wheeze. However, it’s imperative to know the proper timing and scenarios for each one of these calls so you can mimic natural deer behavior and lure them to you rather than away from you.

On your next hunting trip, be sure to utilize these effective whitetail deer hunting tactics for greater chances of success. Knowing the essential hunting rules to follow to stay safe is also beneficial in helping you avoid accidents and injuries.

Stocking your barn with necessary equipment is a time-consuming and costly process. When it comes to tractors and the different attachments you can use, there are a variety of available options that will enhance your ability to work your land. This blog discusses some of the most common attachments you should consider for your tractor, regardless of duties or demands.

Front Loader

For many users, the front loader is the most popular attachment; almost everyone should have one of these. You can attach the front loader to the tractor, then connect various other implements to the front loader.

A front loader is multifunctional and has many applications on land, including transporting large loads. Many people use a front loader to relocate dirt or shovel snow. However, it’s essential to ensure your tractor’s fluid system is up to date and well-oiled to aid your front loader in performing its duties safely, specifically when hauling heavy loads or other implements.

Rotary Cutter

A rotary cutter attachment is the most ideal implement to help efficiently maintain land. Rotary cutters can attach at various points on a tractor, including between the axles or at the front or rear of the tractor. Typically, the rotary cutter aids in maintaining the land’s growth by cutting down weeds, tall grass, or unnecessary shrubs. Many rotary cutters will trim the land to as short as an inch.

Rear Blade

Another one of the most common attachments used for specific duties is a rear blade. This attachment requires a tractor hitch and is beneficial in leveling the grounds. You can use a rear blade while driving the tractor forward or backward, so long as the three-point hitch is correctly set up. This attachment works well on materials such as gravel, bedrock, and soil.

Pallet Fork

A pallet fork is an attachment that accompanies a front loader. This is an incredibly versatile piece of equipment, and many find their best use in hauling hay bales or other oversized farming products. Generally, if you see a front loader, a pallet fork is somewhere nearby because it can serve multiple purposes.

Spreader

A spreader is an essential piece of equipment for those with land to harvest. This attachment requires a ground-driven or power take-off setup with the tractor, as it is a highly mechanical attachment. Most spreaders currently in use and on the market aid in scattering fertilizer, wood chips, salt, compost, or other spreadable organic matter. Farmers particularly enjoy the spreader for its ability to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

While each tractor attachment serves a specific purpose, many will find that investing in each one may be advantageous to their land. Consider the different duties you perform and make the investment that will add value to your work. It’s also essential to follow all manufacturer’s attachment instructions to ensure your safety.

Somehow, it’s already the fall season again. Autumn is also a prime time for fly fishing, but it requires a different approach and tools than other seasons.

If you’re about to set out on your first fly fishing expedition of the fall season, check out our tips to ensure your autumn fishing strategy is sound!

Watch Your Shadow

In the fall season, water levels are typically lower, and the water is clearer than in the spring or summer. This means you’ll have to be more cautious in your approach. Autumn also means a lower sun in the sky throughout the day, which casts bigger and longer shadows.

Any angler worth their salt knows how a shadow can instantly spook a fish, so watch out for your shadows during your approach. Or, you can skip the shadows altogether by fly fishing in the dark.

Utilize Streamers

Fall typically also means more aggressive fish, especially trout, due to the upcoming mating season and spawning. Anglers can take advantage of this hostile behavior by using more moving baits that attract attention like streamers.

A streamer rod can be your most effective tool on a fall fishing day, as it more easily grabs a trout’s attention and provokes it.

Keep Your Fly Moving

It’s also wise to use your motion for your flies when fishing in autumn. Fall typically brings twigs, dead leaves, and other natural debris onto bodies of water. This biological waste can be an obstacle for anglers, as it can camouflage flies and make it challenging for fish to see.

So, to ensure that the fish get a good look at your fly, utilize more movement.

Gauge the Water Temperature

The water temperature determines how active the fish will be while you’re fishing. In the summer, the hot days mean the fish will typically sink to the lower depths before coming up in the cooler early morning or night.

However, on a chilly fall day, the water is cooler, and the fish are more likely to be active and eat in the middle of the day when the sun is out. Study the recent weather in the area and gauge the water temperature to learn the best time to fish.

Bring Some Terrestrials

Fall is also the season when insects like ants hatch and spread over rivers, making a tasty buffet for fish. Anglers can capitalize on this by bringing along terrestrial flies that mimic beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and any other insects fish may be interested in.

Pro-Tip: Do some research to learn the native insects at your fishing hole and their hatching seasons so that you can bring along flies the fish will recognize.

What tips have worked for you during the fall fly fishing season? Let us know!