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Forest Fence Fixing

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WyomingRancher

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This week I met the other permittee, and we fixed fence on the forest. We are allowed to check fence on 4-wheelers, but there are a few miles which aren't accesible, even with a horse. I volunteer to do the hike each year since I like to walk :) . As you can see, some of the fence isn't in very good shape, but cows aren't likely to bother it, and I'm not willing to carry in a bunch of extra weight :D . The dead trees are from a fire. Apparently bottle rockets and drought don't mix well :roll: .

ForestFencing2008015.jpg


This flat rock was slick with the water running off of it. My dog Ed made the trip with me. Ed is 10 years old this year, and has made this trip with me many times. He remembers which hills have cactus... he waits at the bottom for me :D . He has hip dysplasia, but ever since he's been on Cetyl-M, he's been able to keep going :D .
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Reservoir looking much better than in years past!
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Water running out of the draws, and down cattle trails. What a great sight!
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What does this rock look like??? Maybe a sumo wrestler? :lol:
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Vandalism is a HUGE issue on the forest, especially in areas where people are able to drive to. This stand of Aspen was mowed down with some sort of automatic weapon a few years ago. You can't see the fence in this photo, but the public also like to shoot the steel posts and wire into pieces each spring. The other permittee had it fixed by the time I caught up to her.
ForestFencing2008038.jpg


The public has tried to cut down/shoot apart this really neat tree. People are NUTS!!! If I could, I would send my cattle up there wearing bullet proof vests, and protective eye goggles :roll: .
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I was fixing fence in thick brush about 100 yards from this moose and her twins. Thankfully we didn't cross paths :shock: . They are new to the area, and I really don't know much about them.
ForestFencing2008054.jpg

moose1.jpg


I plan to sort pairs tomorrow, and haul to the forest monday :D .
 
Great pictures! One could also see a big ole bullfrog in the shape of that rock. But then again, I guess that is sorta what sumo wrestlers could look like too!

That certainly is a lil rougher than what I am used to fencing in. Hats off to one tough fence-fixer!
 
We have moose on our place. It seems really strange as we are in a rough badland type prairie but i have been told that Moose were second only to buffalo on the plains for numbers. After the buffalo were shot out the natives started on the moose.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
We have moose on our place. It seems really strange as we are in a rough badland type prairie but i have been told that Moose were second only to buffalo on the plains for numbers. After the buffalo were shot out the natives started on the moose.
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That is interesting, I wouldn't think of them as "plains" animals either. I started seeing moose around here two years ago. Now I see them about 1/4 of the time I'm on the forest, and have seen sign at home. Maybe the drought pushed some of them down out of the Snowy Range, and they have made a new home further east :) ... or maybe Game and Fish transplanted them here :shock: .

burnt, you say I'm one tough fence-fixer, but I'm nothing compared to those who built it :D . Actually several posts are rotting out, and/or can't hold staples anymore. Ideally it would be nice to replace them all, but that's out of the question. We've been rebuilding fence at home, and that takes priority over government-owned lands :wink: .
 
We ride our allotment fences every spring to fix snow slides and new hunters gates (CUT & DRIVEN THROUGH). It is work doing the high fences but it keeps us and the neighbors seperate and happy. We usually load the pack horse with a roll of smooth wire, staples, clips, stretcher, and 4 bundles of 6 foot steel posts and take off. If we run out of posts we cut cedar posts or go get more steel. Pretty country and great pictures. Isn't it wonderful to see the rain and full creeks running through green grass meadows!!!!! :D The rock looks like most politicians..... hard headed and big lazy rear ends and it's hard to tell one end from the other!
 
A few years ago a bull moose came through our country. Spent a couple of days, and then moved on. He really was misplaced on our flat prairies. Elk once in a while, an occaisional bear or lion. None the norm though.
 
We get a couple of moose a year that are reported out here in this shortgrass semiarid prairie--lots of elk, out of the Missouri Breaks, seeing quite a few mountain lions, and an occasional wolf every few years....The one thing I've never seen or heard about over here (since Charlie Russel and Lewis and Clark days) is a grizzly bear - or any bear for that matter...I guess when Lewis and Clark came thru they were running into Grizzlies all over this area.....
 
Great pictures, thanks for taking time out of fencing to take them! Of course if you're like me any excuse is good for getting out of fencing for a minute :p Great moose picture too. Good luck on monday
 
Plenty of Moose at our Ranch and a few on the farm. They are a good trade for the lack of spiders and snakes.
 
WyomingRancher said:
This stand of Aspen was mowed down with some sort of automatic weapon a few years ago.
Click to expand...
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: - only in America!! Maybe you could send a few of the guys that do this up here for a few days as we have problems with aspen encroachment along some of our fields backing onto trees. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Interesting country you are working in down there - must be tough to find an animal that's hiding out on you though.
 
Grassfarmer said:
WyomingRancher said:
This stand of Aspen was mowed down with some sort of automatic weapon a few years ago.
Click to expand...
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: - only in America!! Maybe you could send a few of the guys that do this up here for a few days as we have problems with aspen encroachment along some of our fields backing onto trees. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Interesting country you are working in down there - must be tough to find an animal that's hiding out on you though.
Click to expand...

GF, we have had some success spraying those aspens with a salt brine. Cows, moose and what ever kind of livestock that eat salt will remove the bark and stomp the trees thus thinning them out to a reasonable level. Even just salting in the aspen is useful for this. Of course in a drought, the best grass is in the aspen grove.
 
I'd probably steer clear of a moose with new calves-it's a toss up what is worse to run into a sow bear or a cow moose-if you see that hair on their back stand up it's best to vacate the premises as they are pretty aggressive at defending their calves. Last fall Ty called out a bull that was with a cow and calf-he dropped the bull but had a Mexican standoff with the cow till she moved off. When the kids were little I dropped them off along a little creek on the outskirts of town to fish while I went and A'I'ed a cow-a calf moose showed up while they were there. I had a pretty irate spouse when I went back to pick them up. Those little mooswa are sure cute though.
 
nice pics, WR. beautiful county, looks like fencing could be difficult at times. neat pic of the moose and her twins..just yesterday i saw my first set of antelope twins....i can't speak for the moose, but we would get by just fine in this country if these antlope could have only one baby or better yet just take a year off and not have any.
 
Great pics WR, thanks for posting. That's some beautiful country you live in.

As far as moose go, I find it hard to believe they were ever plentiful on the bald prairie. For one, moose aren't grazers by nature, they are browsers. Grazing is unnatural for a moose, if they spend much time at it they tend to do it on their knees because they really aren't built for eating off the ground.

I'm guessing you look forward to having the cows out on the range as much as I do. Good luck!
 

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