We began the long process of clearing around our pond after years of neglect. We cleared about a third of the pond damn area using our Exmark Mower, string trimmer and a chainsaw.
Bo, this mower you got is a tank! Brush cleanup, land clearing, and now fire control?! The folks that make this mower need to start sponsoring you. If I tune in to see you lifting roof trusses with it, I don't think I'd be shocked!
I could’ve cleared that for you with my Cat 299 D2 with my 60inch disk muncher in about 2 hours. For a 12 pack, steaks and some fishing time on the bank.
Paying a neighbor or renting a unit is always more convenient. Just depends what you have more of, time to do it with your own tools or money to pay for faster equipment and spend that time elsewhere. Like fishing lol or working to pay for said upgrade
I spent a long time clearing one of my ponds this way. I said never again and bought a ventrac. I now make pretty good money on the weekends doing other people's ponds and steep areas. I would also recommend a brush cutter head for your new gas weedeater. Get the ones that look like circular saw blades. They are dangerous but will cut through 3 inch saplings like butter and keeps you from kneeling all the time.
I live in the town where Ventrac mowers are made and built. I also have a couple relatives that work there. They are really a beast on the brush and overgrowth like in this video. I kept saying to myself that he could have gotten twice as much done with one of those and thought nothing of it especially if he had the 60 inch blades for it.
I have been doing what you are doing for the past 5 years. The early stages of restoration are the most fun as the changes come fast. I just subbed you looking forward to more happenings😊
small excavator w/ mulching head would do wonders for that bank. Would be able to reach over the edge w/o getting to close to worry about tipping. The fence was to keep the cattle from breaking down the bank as they went to water, making them use the sloped entrance. Don't forget to check with your local Ag. Commissioner to see if they can provide any advice or help with tools, equipment, or materials as start-up homesteaders.
You ain’t kidding a mulched head would be sweet! Nobody around here rents mulcher heads for any equipment though, I’m guessing for liability. I’ll have to check with the Ag commission and see if they rent stuff. I always forget about them. Thanks for the info!
That's a lot of hard work. It's probably not in your budget but I would have gotten an excavator and a dozer and really turned that place into a paradise.
That would have made quick work for sure and probably would have been in the budget but most of the time I get to spend clearing around the pond is last minute type stuff so no time to plan for equipment. I plan to use a mini ex this spring though to remove some stumps and things.
Not sure about renting here, haven't really looked. We plan to do sheep. Goats are harder to keep contained and I would much rather eat lamb than goat. Hopefully we can get some this spring.
I would seriously recommend you renting a skid steer with a bushwacker attachment and one of the rotary ones as well for a week. It will save you so much time, fuel and wear on your machines. And after that you can mow/maintain it with your zero turn. Just to get it back into shape you need something more powerful imo.
Get snake boots. Most rattler bites are at the calf, and their fangs will certainly penetrate the leather on regular boots at the shaft areas. 150 psi of bite force from a straight on strike from one of those full grown bad boys will serve up a very bad day. Copperheads can fit in that category too, and I'm unsure whether a cottonmouth could, but I wouldn't want to take the chance and find out differently. Small snakes, not so much, but they can still get at the calf above most work boots.
Oh yeah they definitely are. The ones I was able to pick and eat by the pond were actually the sweetest but the rest around the property were not so sweet. And the bummer part is they are super small.
In the future bring a ratchet straps. Tie one end off on the cedar tree and the other on the lawnmower. Then drag them where you want using engine power.
I had to do it with my mower before I got a brush hog and it was definitely better to cut back in the fall after everything lost it’s leaves and I could see what I was mowing. It worked out a lot better and was nice next spring. I’ll have to do a little more this year!
@@TriStarHomestead it’s crazy that once you mow down the weeds and keep it mowed the grass kind of takes over. We never seeded and it’s nice green grass like a lawn. Definitely makes it nice. That pond will be so much better to fish to
Good you cleared under the power lines. Yeah man, I would have rented a skid steer with a brush cutter. Anyway, good on you with a piece of land, making it happen. ✊🏻🖤
Yes and yes. Those solar pumps are NOT cheap! Hopefully we will get one eventually. Mosquito fish and others are being planned for this spring as soon as the weather stays above freezing. Should help a lot.
I’m not really too sure. It’s up two to three feet since we got here with all the rain. I need to get a little boat and get out to the middle and toss a line in to see. Right by the bank it was almost to the top of my high boot so I’m guessing it drops off good.
Those dead cedar treeswould make great fish habitat on the pond bottom. Strap a bundle to a cinder block and toss it in. The baby bluegill and shiners would thrive there giving the bass more food. Side note, remove too many trees and you lose shade and the pond will evaporate faster in the summers.
That is a good idea, but I don't want to catch my line on stuff in the bottom. There are large stumps in the bottom and the sides already so they will have a place. Plan to add some other things that won't impede the fishing but enhance the environment for the fish this spring.
Baby steps! Ours looks totally different now but we have been working toward cleaning it up for the last nine months. Takes time but little bits here and there will have it looking great in no time!
All the trees on the pond dam will be removed. They are not good for the dam itself as the roots cause damage and leaks. There is stumps and branches in the pond itself for the fish to go under. They will be fine.
You've mowed a pretty good fire-break around the pond. Were there any thoughts of just burning it up to the pond edge? That's alot of work without big equipment.
I didn't think about that. I would probably need a burn permit in my area for that. Also it got super dry end of last summer and we went three months with no rain. Probably not a great idea for that although it would have been a lot faster.
Those tree skeletons are from power company clearing their right-of-way. The drone view, it looks like they went to pond and skipped some trees between the pond and that field. Kinda odd.
Funny you say that, the power company was literally here yesterday clearing around the lines. Not sure if those trees are from them or not since they use a forestry mulcher for most of it but it is possible.
Possibly. I would want to clean it and make sure there are no snapping turtles before. My brother has trekked into it up to his waist though and no issues. Not sure how deep it actually is. We are located in Northeast Tennessee.
A saw blade on your weed wicker is killer u should try it. I was to afraid of it until an old man was using 1 in crap like that. U could have knocked down that part u mowed in a couple hours
My son and I had to do extensive refurbishment on our property as well. Everything we did was by hand. What my poor push mower couldn’t handle like privet hedge and small trees we used clippers or a bow saw. Took us a really long time but we did it and are very proud. It’s nice to look out to see the streams running through the property and the forest surrounding us. Great job! Can’t wait for you to be able to look out and feel that same great feeling of accomplishment and enjoy your pond!
There is stumps in the pond under the water. The fish have plenty. The problem with the trees on the pond dam is the roots wreck havoc on the dam and cause leaks. They aren't good for it.
Plan to stock it with a bunch this spring. Not sure a guppy would make it since the pond is not very warm and freezes in the winter. Plan to do some different fish though.
I typically try to avoid going to gun fights but if you’re referring to using a mower where a bush hog or other would be better, sometimes you have to use what you have.
Why wouldn’t you rent or perhaps borrow a tractor with a brush cutter on it? I’m sure it would make quick work of that clearing and then use the zero turn to maintain the pond.
Yea I can relate to that I do stuff at random too, that’s how my fire pit got built. I had a few liquid motivations and next thing I know I was roasting hotdogs on a stick lol 😂
