# Patience and progress



## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

I bought 32 acres 3 years ago. It was a grown over jungle that you couldn't even walk down the road when I got it. It has been a lot of time, work and money but it is coming together. We are building a little cabin up there, a weekend getaway and it's been a lot of fun doing it all myself and having something to be proud of. 

The first year, the plots were new, the deer were leary, corn would often spoil before they ate it. Over the course of the year, I had 10 different bucks coming through regularly, mostly spikes, 4 pts, a old messed up 6 pt and a young 7. Very little daylight movement. I shot one old cowhorn and that was it, I didn't hunt it much, trying to give them time to feel safe. I didn't see my first horn on camera until mid December.

I have been planting both spring and fall, dumping out the cow trace minerals and keeping a little corn around to keep them interested. Year 2, 12 different bucks, 4 8's, 2 6's and the rest were 4 pts or spikes. I didn't hunt but 1 time last year and the daylight movement continued to increase. I'd get a few pics during the summer, no regulars until December.

Now we are into year 3 and my hard work and patience is looking like it is working and paying off. Pretty much daily daylight movement, 3 8's and 2 6's regularly. I've attached a few pictures of the boys. I have gotten pics of them twice in 1 plot and not once in the other. Both places have timed feeders. These tree and pipe feeders are in the hardwoods less than a 100 yards away and they are there daily. It seems with these bucks the proof is in the pudding with the feeder or the pour difference in activity.


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Congrats, looks like it's starting to pay off. Good luck on the cabin build, sounds like fun.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Cool!


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Very nice.

By the way, don't plant Sun Hemp in the summer. That stuff is causing me a problem, raps around everything. I have plowed, disc multiple times. Maybe burning would have helped.

Just my experience. 

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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Here is some of the cabin project. I cut some logs on the property and pull them out with my old trusted SUV and had my buddy come up with is portable saw mill and paid him to mill them into lumber. I cut some pine for 2x4's, cedar for the bedroom and cypress for the outside and bathroom. I just bought the tongue and grooved pine, cheaper and easier. I started with a pole barn and have done everything myself other than I paid to have the spray foam done and I paid a licensed electrician to terminate the box after I ran all the wiring. It's been a project, hopefully get the well drilled soon and get the concrete work done. Pick away at finishing the inside as I have the time.


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

logs, cedar and cypress


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

dock I rebuilt and extended down at the river while it was low this summer, the outside of the cabin before I stained the cypress, after it's stained with the mini split ac installed and the pole barn


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

cypress bathroom, cedar bedroom, t and G pine in the main room


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## lees way2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Now that is something to be proud of. Lots of work but when you are done ya can sit back and say yea I did that. Where is your place at.


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## fla_scout (Sep 28, 2007)

Beautiful looking project!


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## bcbz71 (Dec 22, 2008)

Damn nice!

I'm working my enclosed pole barn plans now for a build next year. Gonna enclose one 16x40 lean and make it habitable for weekends. It won't be as nice as that cabin though!


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Nice!! 


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

lees way2 said:


> Now that is something to be proud of. Lots of work but when you are done ya can sit back and say yea I did that. Where is your place at.


Elba Alabama on the Pea River


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

bcbz71 said:


> Damn nice!
> 
> I'm working my enclosed pole barn plans now for a build next year. Gonna enclose one 16x40 lean and make it habitable for weekends. It won't be as nice as that cabin though!


I built a 24x40 with a 12x40 lean, upgraded to a 40 year colored tin, had it installed by Backwoods out of Chipley FL. I eclosed a 24x30 section and going to concrete the lean and the 10x24. Going to screen in a 20 ft section of the lean and set up the outdoor kitchen and eating area, keep the heat and the bugs outside


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

That is dang fine!!! Keep posting pics, and some are gonna wanna put you to work!!!! hahaha Its always cooler when you do it yourself!


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## jstblsd (Jul 6, 2010)

Wow that is awesome congrats!


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Jason said:


> That is dang fine!!! Keep posting pics, and some are gonna wanna put you to work!!!! hahaha Its always cooler when you do it yourself!


Trust me, nobody could afford me LOL. It has been a lot of learning and fun but I'm a lot fatter and older than I used to be!


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## reel_crazy (Oct 1, 2007)

need to hook up some time.. got a place in ino coffee county .. been up to the dump in elba several times.. 



rich


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

reel_crazy said:


> need to hook up some time.. got a place in ino coffee county .. been up to the dump in elba several times..
> 
> 
> 
> rich


Sounds good, I haven't explored the area much, go to eat, the grocery, feed store, hardware store or the gas station. As the cabin gets done more I am sure we will be up there more often.


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Made some progress this time home, bedroom floor sanded, stained, trimmed out and finished. Bathroom floor tiles laid.


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

got the interior doors installed, sanded and stained, got the kitchen cabinets bought, get them hung once the walls are stained


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

got the slab poured


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Made some more progress on the cabin build over the summer


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## bcbz71 (Dec 22, 2008)

Incredible work. Very tasteful in material and color choices. Love that hardwood floor. How are the bucks coming along?

How deep did you have to go for your well? I imagine you will build a pump house over that?

I ended up going with Carolina Carports for my shed, but I'm talking to Backwoods for my pole barn. The more I wait, the more lumber prices come down....their quote has reduce $500 in a month!


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Damn fine work!! Looks great!


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

bcbz71 said:


> Incredible work. Very tasteful in material and color choices. Love that hardwood floor. How are the bucks coming along?
> 
> How deep did you have to go for your well? I imagine you will build a pump house over that?
> 
> I ended up going with Carolina Carports for my shed, but I'm talking to Backwoods for my pole barn. The more I wait, the more lumber prices come down....their quote has reduce $500 in a month!


Yeah I may have told you, that is who did my pole barn, I was happy with them. The main floors are actually pine and I stained them with 2 coats of Red Oak Stain and 4 coats of Minwax floor clear coat. The wife and I picked out the tiles, we tackled the shower together. Was a pain in the butt and I understand why skilled tile layers charge so much for the showers. We built the barn doors, couldn't find a vanity we liked what wasn't complete trash. We went to a cabinet maker, they wanted $1975 so I built that one for about $750, I just haven't gotten the doors on it yet. I just ordered a set of premade doors. I still need to get 4 or 5 coats of spar varnish on that table. It is all cedar and cypress, that wasn't cheap in material or labor but it's coming along nicely.

The bucks are MIA this year, 5 does, 5 yearlings and 2 spikes. Ah well, kinda like our pets, we don't mess with them much. I got a bunch of mulching work done as well, I'll try and add those on here.

I went 320 ft to get good clean water. $6750 for that, kinda pricey but the wife and kids sure do like that toilet and shower. I am going to build a house around it eventually, hoping and praying I make it through this winter without it busting. Just ran out of time as usual. A few friends have wells and don't have houses but they also are there running water daily. Knowing my luck the bugger will freeze up on me.

Yeah lumber is crazy high right now. FYI my buddy has a custom sawmill in Geneva AL and cuts to order. He also has a planner and such. I know he just cut everything for a guy's hunting cabin recently. He is much cheaper than the box stores.


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Boat-Dude said:


> Damn fine work!! Looks great!


Thanks man, been a ongoing project that past couple of years. Lots of learning and work along the way


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

A couple before and after mulching pictures. Sure is nice to be able to drive the ranger around the whole property lines.


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

a few more


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## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

Very purty work.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Looks like a pretty piece of property.

Do you do control burns?


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Outside9 said:


> Looks like a pretty piece of property.
> 
> Do you do control burns?
> 
> ...


It needs it but I am still working on a proper fire lane and then I need to see about getting someone to do it. I'm not about to attempt it myself that's for sure. House's on both sides


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

captsef said:


> It needs it but I am still working on a proper fire lane and then I need to see about getting someone to do it. I'm not about to attempt it myself that's for sure. House's on both sides


I live in Baker, Florida and the Forestry will come out and cut you a line for next to nothing. What state and county are you in?


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Outside9 said:


> I live in Baker, Florida and the Forestry will come out and cut you a line for next to nothing. What state and county are you in?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Coffee County Alabama


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

I’ve got a buddy who lives in Baldwin County, Alabama. He told me Alabama’s forestry does the same thing.


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

First decent one I killed at the property yesterday


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Good deal and all that work is paying off!!!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Havent seen any of the updates, only the original. Reminds me of when the wife and I built our place. Your more of a do it yourselfer than we were! It was fun and like my wife said “it got us off the couch”. I was hoping that the last pics would be of a nice buck. Congrats on a job well done and for “getting off the couch!”


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

Thanks been a lot of time and work but been a great challenge. I never had a daylight pic of that one and I thought he was a different one that had been showing up occasionally. I saw about a 4 inch sq of his neck a 100 yards away between 2 trees. His neck was in between tge pine with the sunshine on it and the big oak


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## captsef (Feb 2, 2016)

One I was after and thought he was




























ok


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