Summer Fence Project

mtntopper · Jul 22, 2007

We have been working to build fence on our mountain property using the L39 for most of the major work. The grapple, bucket, backhoe and hydraulic post hole auger have been used on this project. Our neighbors on the national forest for about 30 days each summer are 400 head of cattle. They are only there for about 30 days each summer. Another neighbor with a forest boundary fence decided to tear it out expecting me to help pay for a new fence on his property and to build it even though it does not even border my property. :wtf:

His fence was not in that bad of shape, he just thought we would build him a new fence since we have always repaired his fence free of charge for many years.

The forest boundary fences to block the cattle from private land have been built and in use for many years. Wyoming is a fence cattle out state if you do not want them on your property.

The wife and I have completed about 1500 feet of new fence line in about 10 days by using the Kubota to do much of the major work between us and our :wtf:

neighbor who expects free fences and labor. We have moved stumps, built access trails, cleared brush, rock and trees from the fence line and used the hydraulic auger to dig post holes. He is now on his own and will find out he had a great deal in the past with us repairing his forest boundary fence each year. The fence we constructed is a wild game friendly fence that allows the deer and elk calves to easily pass through and over the 2 wire barbed fence. The fence will prevent the cattle from being in and around my home and property. Fencing in mountain terrrain is tough labor and hard on equipment. The L39TLB Kubota has made the job much easier. We did not have time while building the fence to get action pics of the L39 but here are some pics of the montain terrain and fence we have completed.

PBinWA · Jul 22, 2007

Looks like tough work Mtntopper. I fenced in my five acres (~1200 Ft)a year ago and that was not much fun. You have a lot more work. The Kubota must be a big help.

Mark777 · Jul 22, 2007

That's some beautiful country up there.

Ditto what PBinWA said...it would be awful doing that by hand.

Do you have a house or cabin on the property...power available?

Mark

mtntopper · Jul 22, 2007

Mark777 said:
That's some beautiful country up there.

Ditto what PBinWA said...it would be awful doing that by hand.

Do you have a house or cabin on the property...power available?

Mark

We do have regular electrical grid power. The power line ends going west at our home property. We sold our in-town home a couple years ago, semi retired, and now live year round at our smaller mountain home at about 8450 foot elevation in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. It is not accessible by regular vehicle in the winter. We use snowmobile or snow cat for winter access. You could not keep up with the snow and wind by plowing and to try would be foolish and very costly. We do travel a week or two every six to eight weeks during winter to get away. But after about a week of travel, we are ready for isolation and the quite of remote mountain life again. Our nearest neighbor during the winter is 12 miles further down the unplowed mountain road. We get our mail 28 miles away in the nearest town which is Buffalo. We do not mind the inconvenience as we are happy with the lifestyle. Many people would feel too isolated and alone to live here as we do. We have wonderful summer neighbors within a few miles and awesome peace and quite in the winter. The best of worlds for us.... :mrgreen:

The Kubota is used to help improve and maintain our three different mountain properties that we own along with some outside contract work we do for others.

Summer

Winter

ghautz · Jul 22, 2007

Looks like a lot of work.

I'm surprised that two wires are enough to keep the cattle out. I have seen calves go through a 5 wire fence around here. All the fences in this area are 4 or 5 wire.

mtntopper · Jul 22, 2007

The calves will not normally separate far from their mothers this time of the year. The larger cows/cattle do not push the fence. The fence ends up being a guide to just turn them away. The cows are more interested in water supplies/lush grassy meadows which are plentiful and mine are away from their view which saves me a lot of work. They head for the open areas that have water sources and stay out of the timber except to rest on the edge on a warm day. They will generally stay in the large open areas away from fences if at all possible. This makes it easy to control them. They will walk beside a one wire fence for miles if given the chance instead of trying to get through it unless they are spooked or thirsty. The pasture I am fencing out is 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. This gives the cattle all of the room to roam they need and they are only in there for about 30 days a year. Forest Service grazing permits are much more stringent today than in the past for the cattle owner. The permitee for grazing beside my property does an excellent job on caring for the land and his cattle. He is very responsive to pasture conditions and is a great steward of the land.

The 2 wire fence still allows the elk, moose and deer to frequent our home with their young which we enjoy watching. We prefer our grass goes to support the wildlife.