Making the New Farm Awesome - Updates | Dream Farm w/ Bill Winke

[@Habitatacres]

Love how your daughter is out there with you, my daughter also helps me with all of the habitat work and hunts with me it's just awesome.

[@bill-winke]

The time with our kids is more precious than all the deer on the planet. Have a great day.

[@PBAdventures146]

I love how Jordan asks the questions.. It really helps to understand the process from a distance. Love the Pontoon boat idea in the "Mighty Mississippi! That was hilarious and great ending to the video!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks. We appreciate the comment. Yes I like it when she is involved in the conversation too. Takes some of the pressure off me and I can relax more.

[@Susky62]

Thanks for the update! I have been awaiting eagerly to see the results. It's so cool how involved your kids are in your work. We need more father out there like you!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the comment. I really appreciate it and hope you have a great day. More inputs to come soon.

[@patrickwolf4373]

Great job, Bill and Jordan! Always educational, always fun! Keep up the outstanding work!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Patrick. I appreciate the support and the comment. Have a great day.

[@mitchellgenz1373]

Thanks for the update Bill, great video. Tell Jordan that boat is an acronym for Break Out Another Thousand.

[@bill-winke]

Very good point. You are the second one to say that! Jordan needs to make a T-shirt with that on it!

[@WilliamAM43]

Wow you right across the smaller river from where some of my family lived, they just moved last year. I like Jordan's idea, will be nice when heat hits!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the comment. We are still getting her boat in order.

[@teddyoliverjr4463]

Love seeing it I remember watching when months ago when you put in the acrons looking good was hoping you kept us updated great job Bill and jordan

[@bill-winke]

Next episode will be all about the acorn project and the results.

[@teddyoliverjr4463]

Awesome I'll be on the lookout for that!! Awesome job

[@midwesternoutdoorsandnatur8272]

Bill I always like your format, humility, and working class way of explaining high end habitat management. So many others out there stuck on ego and antlers and I never get that from you. Keep up the great content.

[@bill-winke]

Thanks. I appreciate it. The antlers are just icing on the top of the cake. The journey to get there and the permanent legacy of really nice property are the cake. On the hunting side, I really believe that the hunt itself is the real fun. Once the deer is dead, the hunt ends (at least for that one).

[@native_landscapes]

Looks like great progress. Biggest weed issue I see when we plant trees, shrubs or pollinators is grasses. Both annuals and non-native cool season perennial grasses. They just choke out everything else and take water. Deer dont eat them either. We use cleth (grass specific herbicide) right over the planted trees, shrubs etc early summer the first season of the planting. One spraying knocks out the grass (its slow to kill but does), it also releases all the forbs which are great deer food among the planted species which takes a little browse pressure off the trees and shrubs. Some of those spots your planting I see pretty heavy grass (5:52). Will be watching for more updates. Thanks for sharing.

[@bill-winke]

That is really good advice. I have used clethodim in my clover plots over the years but never thought of it for the tree plantings. I ordered another jug so I should be good to go with that in a few weeks. Thanks for the good input. Have a great day.

[@JoshT814]

Thank you for bringing us along on your dream farm journey.

[@bill-winke]

Happy for you to join us. Thanks for the support and the comment.

[@chrisjohnson3887]

Boat stands for Break Out Another Thousand so beware! Great videos. Keep up the great work.

[@bill-winke]

Chris, thanks for the support. You are the third one with that acronym! Jordan will have to save up her Bowhunting Whitetails merchandise earnings to pay for the upgrades!

[@richstafford1245]

Great content, sincere thanks. I did not have good luck with the dogwood. After it started to leaf out deer literally pulled them up. 75 cuttings and not a single survivor. I started using liquid lime and fertilizer on my clover. Much easier to do and very affective. Yes it needs done every year but filling a atv sprayer is pretty light work…

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Rich. I will keep everyone in the loop on how the deer react to the red osier here, but so far so good. Regarding the liquid lime, I agree. It is a lot easier than hauling hundreds of pounds of dry around the farm, but as you say, you do have to hit the liquid each year. Have a great day.

[@scottclark1168]

The pontoon idea is a good one,long as it gets videoed lol,that could make for some good TV,the ot gunna look good with all that clover 🍀

[@bill-winke]

Yes, it is a good idea. I think Jordan's "pontoon" will be a bit of a disappointment as I have an old flatbottom boat I am going to let her play with. It would be a lot better for a novice and would be way easier to launch into the river than a pontoon. She will have some fun learning the backwaters with something easy for her to manage. We will film it.

[@scottclark1168]

@@bill-winke agreed pontoons are a beast to load and unload,and to haul around

[@alexpinnow6509]

Very cool to see this update. I mentioned to Jordan how cool it would have been to see the southern farm change over the years and figure this one will be even better since you've mastered the process already!

[@bill-winke]

This is an easier property to transform because the deer numbers are pretty low. That makes it easier to grow stuff without the deer eating it before it matures or grows enough to be useful (habitat especially).

[@takurghar1621]

Laffin...it would be a great learning experience. Famous last words!! As a kid, our neighbours got a lot of grey hair over my projects aka learning experiences. Seriously, this is a great series. Love the content and the vision.

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Takur - I had plenty of "learning experiences" as a boy too! Have a great day.

[@nicktatum3008]

This is the new Midwest Whitetail. That show has passed now it’s all about this one. Bill is great.

[@bill-winke]

I appreciate that Nick, but I still watch Midwest Whitetail and it is still good stuff. Thanks for your support and your nice comment!

[@devildogyauck7802]

Don't have quite what you have but definitely a dream property for me my wife n 3 boys. I've been slowly doing the same, land management. Wood wildlife and prosperity of OTTAWA, WI. My best to you and your family!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks. Much appreciated. Enjoy every minute you spend with your family in the outdoors. Great memories. Have an awesome day.

[@grinder881]

Great video. I don't remember seeing Jordan jumping into the pond on previous vids.

[@bill-winke]

No, that's a new one. She had the idea it would be a nice way to cool down after a run. However, she didn't bargain for 2 feet of silt! Then she got a floaty from the little variety store in the nearby New Albin and floated around the pond on that. Now she has advanced to the river boat dream.

[@grinder881]

@@bill-winke When real hot I try to run through sprinklers during run. After run I keep cold water in fridge and feels great pouring over head.

[@gouchmcdougal7831]

You guys have been working yaws butts off. The farm is coming together nicely. Im not rushing anything because I , too. , love the water like Jordan. But I can’t wait to see the farm when the leaves start to turn in October. And dad , go buy a couple of kayaks for you and Jordan. I like your idea Jordan on the boat. But since you are a runner , you will love the kayaking!! It can be an intense workout , or just a relaxing fishing trip? Can’t wait to see more of the growth. Luke 9:62

[@bill-winke]

Gouch, you are right about that. Planting trees is a bunch of work! Yes, we are going to find some kind of watercraft to launch down there at the Mighty Miss! We will show everyone our final solution in a future video. Have a great day.

[@josephsutherland6144]

I was going to say what ever one else said about Jordon. Great to keep up that dad and daughter relationship . The time I spend with my daughters anymore and as if they’re older always have something to do with the outdoors whether it be fishing or hunting more so on the fishing side, never wanted to do pressure my children.

[@bill-winke]

That's right. They have to want to do it or when they get older they will find reasons not to go rather than making that time outdoors a priority. So, it is not about success in the field, it is about the experience. Focus on making it fun and don't worry about results and the kids will enjoy it a lot more. Have a great day.

[@jimmyalamo839]

there needs to be more woman like Bills daughter, you raised her right

[@bill-winke]

I agree, but I won't take credit for Jordan. She makes her own choices and has a good level head. Thanks for the comment. Have a great day.

[@Jay-hu1pc]

Man every buck in that whole area will be coming to those apple trees early season. Some of the best hunting I’ve had was over small pasture of apple trees. Definitely spot to run cameras because if there’s a buck around he will be at those apple trees

[@bill-winke]

This will be the first year without cattle there in maybe a couple generations. Will be interesting to see how the deer react to that. I expect them to come to those apple trees for a solid month. Have a great day.

[@danweaver5787]

Jay I was thinking the exact same thing. That buffer will be a great spot Dan

[@briditt2812]

From a previous pontoon owner they are a money pit. Lol but good luck and as you would say always dream big!! Lol got my shirt n hat other day got lots of compliments on them. Thanks again.

[@bill-winke]

I have an old jon boat here. Maybe we will start with that. Thanks. we appreciate the order. For anyone looking for the merchandise, please check out: shopbowhuntingwhitetails.com/

[@duggiestone]

The down side to pelletized lime is that it has to be done annually and doesn’t have the longer term benefits of ag lime. Definitely need to to get a 3 pt cone spreader for your Massey if you’re going to go the pelletized route, you’ll be glad you did.

[@bill-winke]

MO- actually I learned that it is just limestone in another form. If you put enough pellet lime on you don't have to do it every year. You only have to do it every year if you apply a light coating.

[@ericbowhunter]

Very informative video guys! Everything is looking great! I use to work for a fertilizer plant. We made DAP 18-46-0 lol.

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Eric. I knew the formula was something like that.

[@allentodd5436]

Even if it involves a river boat we should dream big! lol Great video farm is looking promising.

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Allen. We appreciate the support and comment. Dreaming Big about pontoons.

[@kokadjooutdoors620]

Wish my kids where into the management part more. They love to hunt but farming not so much 🤣 glad you get that time with your daughter. Soak it up all that you can

[@bill-winke]

We are really enjoying it. Thanks

[@stevedenoyer5956]

I am really looking forward to seeing how the red osier does in the upland area!

[@bill-winke]

If we had regular (normal) rains I think it would be OK. Right now it is really struggling. Still alive but just hanging on. If we don't get this next round of rain I will have to start watering.

[@jacksontrumper5012]

Bill, have a quick question. We are in the process of purchasing 30 acres and we are wanting to build its value. It neighbors large ag, large timber, and a piece of public land. Wanting to give deer a sanctuary in the back of our property and setup two food plots with easy road access. What’s the best way to build bedding area? Specifically, what would you be looking to plant? The ideal sanctuary spot is currently just tall grass with volunteer cedar and multi fora rose. I’m currently planning on planting browse around it and adding white oak on about 5 acres outside of that before the food plots.

[@bill-winke]

Jackson, nature will run its course on that grassy area, but it just takes too long for that to happen. Personally, when creating permanent habitat, I like to plant acorns (you can throw in some other seeds too, such as wild plum, crabapple, chokecherry, for example) because you can get a lot of trees coming in for a limited amount of expense and time compared to planting seedlings. I plan to put out an episode on this in the next day or two showing how I have done it in the past. That will give you a good foundation for that cover area versus planting switchgrass (which I don't view as permanent habitat). Then all your browse plantings will still work either in pockets in the grass area or around the edge. Leaving a few cedars is OK, but I would try to wipe out the multifloral rose, if possible. Good luck.

[@jacksontrumper5012]

@@bill-winke thank you for the response Bill, looking forward to more videos this year. Trust me, we are ALWAYS DREAMING BIG

[@lonniechartrand]

Loved this video AND the outro!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the support Lonnie. Much appreciated.

[@gregbunn4642]

Great show. Enjoy it alot

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Greg. We appreciate it.

[@duanezuverink6129]

Bill, when my 23 year old daughter says, "I'm going to learn.....", this is code for me "Dad, I want you to do this for me".

[@bill-winke]

Absolutely. We all learn that the hard way.

[@shaneallison3370]

I’m with Jordan 🤔🤪 I have to be looking at it written down and then a cheat sheet in my pocket 😆. Youth have great outlook on things. Pontoon is gonna happen. She’s driven

[@bill-winke]

Yes, we are looking to upgrade one of my old boats into a "poor man's pontoon". Have a great day.

[@RS-ms1bz]

Bill, my problem is not the amount of deer, which is low population, but the improvements I make. I'm surrounded by thousands of acres of wooded mountain ground, all pretty much a monoculture of hardwoods and laurel. Even though the deer numbers are lower than average, once they find the improvements on my property, they are drawn in like a magnet and trying to keep ahead of them is tough. It's definitely a double edged sword. Drawing the deer in is great, but the feeding pressure on the improvements is hard to keep ahead of. I venture to say it will take me years to get my parcel to where it can sustain the population throughout the year.

[@bill-winke]

Yes, that is a tough one. Here I can just shoot more of them to hopefully stay ahead but you can't do that because of the already low overall population. Maybe add a few more preferred food sources (clover, etc) to take some of the pressure off your habitat improvement work.

[@garrett1188]

You mentioned previously that this was a cattle pasture in the past. Did you have to rip out a lot of fence in order to increase the amount of agricultural acres? Love the Oak Tree update!

[@bill-winke]

We left most of it in place. We took only about 250 yards across the open ridge top. You never know when the fence will come in handy and you can always tear it out later if you decide. I hate tearing out fence unless there is a really good reason.

[@stevedenoyer5956]

1000 trees is a lot, I try for 2-250 year that’s a pretty good number and you can do them in 1 day with two people. You might try using a drill and a 3 “ planting tool. Get it as long as you can so the less bending over. Drill a hole , trim the roots up and plant into the hole. You do have to get one person on their knees packing the roots etc making sure no j root. You can switch off too. Just an idea for you

[@bill-winke]

I do like that suggestion. We definitely spent too much time making the holes. I will try the drill next time. Have a great day and thanks for the suggestion.

[@brianrobinson7972]

Another informative video, I've been hearing a lot about chestnut have you ever thought about giving it a try ? I guess you'll get to that after the boat lol

[@bill-winke]

Boat first! I had some chestnuts on order but the order got canceled by the seller. I will try again this fall. I would like to get a couple hundred and tube them for full protection. I think it would be really good to see how well they do here. Have a great day.

[@ryanfarmer5155]

Bill, maybe I missed it in previous episodes, how big is the farm you and your family acquired? Looking good so far, great content as always.

[@bill-winke]

625 acres total. We bought part with my sister and her husband.

[@kurtpearson2793]

Fantastic info this episode! I’ve got so much to learn. Thanks for the work- ! Pontoon? Dream Big😂

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Kurt. Much appreciated.

[@travissmith-wz5nc]

2oz to 4 oz to a gallon of fish hydrosylate in a tank 15 to 25 gallon sprayer. Now through memorial day. And again mid july Spray the trees and the ground around it. It will increase survival. Clethidoum at 1 oz a gallon mid June. I planted a 100 crab apple worked well.

[@bill-winke]

I didn't get to the fish hydrosylate, but I am hitting those trees with clethodim to kill the grasses. Good advice.

[@waynegalyen6176]

How much lime can the soil absorb at one time. Thank you

[@bill-winke]

I don't know. Probably someone else could answer that better. I think the lime just mixes with the soil and little by little breaks down and becomes part of the soil. So I don't think the soil is absorbing it as much as the lime is leaching into the soil. I am not not a soil expert, but I think you can add a lot of lime without worry that you are overloading the soil in some way.

[@tomvichlach8038]

We used to have family reunions by that little pond and summer house. Good times. I've heard lots of horror stories about people buying cheap pontoons and houseboats so be careful. Those big barges don't stop for anybody.

[@bill-winke]

Tom, yes I have heard stories about that cabin. It is in pretty rough shape, unfortunately. Not sure what I am going to do with it. The pond is silted in pretty bad too. Regarding the river boat, I am dreaming small with a little jon boat on pool slough! Though I would enjoy a little house boat for hunting the river for ducks and deer in November.

[@usernamehere6061]

I would say don't be surprised in 3-4 years when those shrubs really start popping. The competition will look like it has overtaken them but best thing you can do is leave it alone for a few years. The old saying is "first they sleep, then they creep, then they leap" - You could spray glyphosate early spring to control cool season fescue etc but dont try mowing or anything for warm season competition. Let them go they will be there long term even when you think it was a failure short term.

[@bill-winke]

They are still doing OK, but could definitely use a shot of rain. If we don't get this next round of forecast rains we will have to start watering. I will use the 200 gallon sprayer and spray wand and probably a few buckets.

[@stevedenoyer5956]

Bill do you prefer food plots high or low? Does the location make a difference or do you just put them in the openings you have?

[@bill-winke]

Steve, they are both fine in my book. I am mostly trying to spread the deer out and provide something in each part of the farm. On the ridges you can sometimes get away with hunting them from a stand, but on the bottoms, you are almost always using a blind because of the swirling winds. That is the main difference in huntability of the two locations. Have a great day.

[@paulbernitt4280]

Im on the WI side of the Mississippi river about 2 mikes away Start with kyaks with electric motors. Boats are simply just well unsimple. I want to do whitetail deer hunting on the islands. Its all federal public land. Just need to stay on the WI bordered side. Just as many islands on the iowa side. Get on the water!

[@bill-winke]

Yes for sure. I grew up duck hunting the islands just a very short ways (a couple miles) from the farm and we always saw deer and lots of sign out there and that was back in the late 70s through the late 80s. We will be out there.

[@bustinbass78]

It always amazes me how anywhere in iowa could have acidic soil given all the gravel dust. Our secondary roads are graveled with limestone.

[@bill-winke]

Agree. NE Iowa is the limestone capital of the state. We considered naming our farm "Limestone" in contrast to the Dutton Ranch "Yellowstone".

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

Bill I would love to see you and the Kiddo do some Bow Fishing in the river. I bet you could get some support from companies to showcase their bow fishing lights, and equipment. Does Hoyt even make bow fishing gear?

[@bill-winke]

That would be fun. We should have Jordan's "pontoon boat" ready soon and we will get out with that next spring and see if we can plunk any carp. Have a great day.

[@samp3087]

Buy the boat Jordan!!!!

[@bill-winke]

We are still scheming. We will have some kind of plan soon! Thanks for the support.

[@danmartin9850]

All fertilizer with a nitrogen component brings the pH down. Nitrogen drops calcium out of the soil, which is the mineral in limestone that actually raises pH.

[@bill-winke]

Good input. Thanks Dan. Have a great day.

[@g-man2228]

So Bill is the acres of Corn a lease option, as letting another Farmer come in and plant?

[@bill-winke]

Yes. He is cash renting those 45 acres.

[@travislape9157]

How many years before those oaks produce?

[@bill-winke]

It will 20 to 30 years, unfortunately. I planted them as much for cover and because the Iowa is losing oak trees at a fast rate as I did for future acorn production. In the coming year I will also plant chestnuts and fruit trees that will produce forage much sooner.

[@stevedenoyer5956]

That’s funny Jordan, I’m with ya on the pontoon, cmon dad!

[@bill-winke]

We are working on it!

[@tomfitzgerald6666]

That's a lot of apple trees. Curious do apple trees repopulate by them selves?

[@bill-winke]

They must. Maybe the cows were moving them around by eating them and crapping them out. The guy I bought that part of the farm from went in with a bulldozer and pushed out about 5 or 6 acres that was solid apples along that fringe just to reclaim pasture! It will be interesting to see how the small trees do without cows eating on them.

[@waynegalyen6176]

Have you every tried cal turf lime 1 bag covers 10.000 ft

[@bill-winke]

Wayne, no matter what lime you use, it will always come down to the pH on the ground you are trying to fix. If the pH is really low, it takes a lot of lime, regardless of the style or brand to bring it up closer to 7.0. That is where the soil test comes in. It tells you the actual pH of the soil and how much lime you need to add per acre. Lime is also graded by its effectiveness. That number becomes a factor too. Most ag limes have an Effectiveness Neutralizing Value of .9 (90%). So when the soil test tells you that you need 1,000 pounds per acre of lime it assumes 100% levels. If the lime you are using is less than 100% effectiveness value, you need to add that much more - 10% more for 90% effective lime, for example. So, it is not so simple as just going off the bag recommendation for coverage. The real key is the soil test so you know your starting point. Have a great day.

[@Mo75149-j]

As a boat owner Always remember, BOAT stands for "Break out another thousand"

[@bill-winke]

Very good point. I will ask Jordan to memorize that!

[@lisaannaallen6283]

jordan get yourself a little 14' or 16' jon boat with a little 15 or 20 hp motor and learn that river, should be able to find one for 1500 to 2 grand . go have fun

[@bill-winke]

That's where we ended up. Should be ready for the big unveil soon.

[@n.s.8803]

Deer love dogwood. They grow fast😎

[@bill-winke]

I am looking forward to seeing how this works on this farm. My hope is that they don't love them so much that we can never again establish new plantings without tubing or fencing. Have a great day.

[@midmocreekmaster7179]

Hey bill could I take your daughter Jordan out on a date!? Jk jk love your guy's videos, really love all the information and help you give to all of us! Keep it up I've learned so much from you!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the comment. I am going to ignore the first part and focus on keeping the content coming! Have a great day. We appreciate the support.

[@luketegels7768]

You could get the pontoon and rent it out some of the time for some side income…thanks for all the food plot info!

[@bill-winke]

I think we are going to dream small on this one! I am going to start her with a jon boat and see where that leads.

[@QCutube]

Hunt from the pontoon

[@bill-winke]

Yes, the entire river bottom is public land. Would be a blast.

[@dennismiller1602]

Nice ending ya’ll😂

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Dennis. Much appreciated.

[@lisaannaallen6283]

just spray those rose bushes with "cross bow" herbicide when they bloom

[@bill-winke]

I sprayed around them with clethodim to slow grass growth. That looks to have helped

[@royguidry1311]

Your fertilizer math is off, unless I misunderstood you. If you bought a 50 lb bag of say 20-20-20, you spread that on an acre and you get 10-10-10 lbs of N,P,K per acre. The analysis is based on 100 lbs per acre and is misleading because the bags are 50 lbs. I think I heard you say that by putting 100 lbs you would be doubling it which would be incorrect, you would be getting the stated analysis.

[@bill-winke]

I am doubling because I put 100 pounds of fertilizer on a 1/2 acre plot. Your math is right I just didn't get the message across clearly enough.

[@jackjohnson3379]

She looking to recreate Tom sawer and huckleberry Finn adventure

[@bill-winke]

I hope so. I am looking to become Tom Sawyer to her Huck Finn. Would be quite the adventure!

[@specag31]

Y’all going to call me crazy, but I clean up dog poop and throw it where I don’t want deer. I spread blood meal on the gardens.

[@bill-winke]

I am surprised that the deer would shy from dog poop. That is a new one on me.

[@josephtreadlightly5686]

The universe sure has a way with balance. Many people want more deer. I would want healthier deer that are that due to pristine habitat. Not an expensive feeder on a tree. Anyone that has ever had livestock knows that u have a carrying capacity. Much easier to achieve that target carrying capacity when u have the ability to rotate pasture. So by not having 30 to 40 deer per mile is a Godsend, not a detriment. No better time to invent a Dream Farm than now 😅.

[@bill-winke]

Exactly. This is a rare opportunity. I just have to start shooting lots of does or the great habitat will attract and hold a high number very quickly.

[@josephtreadlightly5686]

@@bill-winke If u build it, they will come. Some from longer distances than others.

[@jarrodlambert3914]

Awsome

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the comment Jarrod. Have a great day.

[@stevenschmidt5712]

He’s LITERALLY not on board...😢Sorry Jordan. Keep working on him. He’ll cave eventually 😅

[@bill-winke]

Maybe. We already have two boats - one a cool 14' fiberglass sneak boat from my duck hunting days and one an old, crusty 14' jon boat - also from my Mississippi River days as a boy. I think either of them would be a great starting point for Jordan. She wants something she can put a hammock on - I bet we could rig one on the old jon boat!

[@johnlindsay8630]

Let her do a bill by one take your family out go fishing have some fun

[@bill-winke]

Yes, we definitely need to be on that river more. It is right around the corner from our farm.

[@whitetailsup760]

Ah hell Dad get her a pontoon boat to fix up most kids don’t won’t to learn nothing like that

[@bill-winke]

We have a plan now to upgrade one of my old flatbottom boats for Jordan. Should be a lot of fun.