Howdy!

[TXDirt]

I'm 100% new here, and new to ranching for the most part! Skip to the third paragraph for the short version, or read the entire post for why I joined y'alls forum.

My family just bought an old 186 acre property that used to be a prosperous piece of land with lots of cattle, maze fields, and just before the previous owner past on he was playing around with a small corn field. Since he past (5 years ago) the place has laid dormant and un used, and the fields have not been maintained, the fields have grown up with trash. I know this property all to well because I grew up with it just behind my parents house (they owned until now a 15 acre place no animals just a pretty piece of land with a lot of trees) and I used to help the old guy out on his property from time to time.

Anyways, now my dad and I are excited to get this place back up and going. The barns (2) are still in good shape w/ good cattle chutes. All the fences are good, and there is a water source ( 2 ponds), limited water source but a water source none the less (there is a creek with lots of water in the back, but not fenced in and would be near impossible to fence in given the terrain in the back). We are working with some of our ranching friends along with the previous owners family to get the fields re-planted and get the property ready to have animals on it again.

The reason I am here, is I am seriously limited on knowledge of ranching. The only experience I have with livestock is once in a blue moon I would get asked to help go feed cattle or when I was real young I would help move square hay bails into the barns when they were ready. Other than that I have no experience, don't know much of the terminology nor how to pick animals to put out there. My dad has a little bit more knowledge than me, but I don't think he has a lot. I am 27 and he is 56, and we basically are complete beginners to this and I am hoping to get some help from a forum. I use forums for most of my hobbies in life so why not use them for this?

Anyways, I look forward to posting on here and reading through the threads!

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Welcome to ranchers

You made a good first impression with me as you said up front you didn't have much experience and you look forward to reading the threads. There is lots of good information on ranch talk. Of course we have fun and kid around as well as argue but you have access to years of ranching experience reading here. We are also good about helping and answering questions.
What does bug me is when someone comes on and wants to know "all about ranching" and can't seem to read some old posts to glean some knowledge.

Again welcome and good reading.

we'll be around to answer some questions.

 

[Faster horses]

BMR said it all. Welcome to ranchers!

 

[TXDirt]

Welcome to ranchers

You made a good first impression with me as you said up front you didn't have much experience and you look forward to reading the threads. There is lots of good information on ranch talk. Of course we have fun and kid around as well as argue but you have access to years of ranching experience reading here. We are also good about helping and answering questions.
What does bug me is when someone comes on and wants to know "all about ranching" and can't seem to read some old posts to glean some knowledge.

Again welcome and good reading.

we'll be around to answer some questions.

Thanks for the welcoming! I understand the repetitive newbie questions. I am new to ranching, but not forums. I am big into rock crawling and the forums I'm a regular on are not very nice to new people with stupid questions...lol...

Anyways, yes I will definitely be using the search button and reading through as much as possible as to not ask the same questions that y'all have probably had 1000 times before.

 

[gcreekrch]

Welcome to the zoo!

Be careful of the Ol' Big Muddy, he's kinda tough on the odd Texan. :wink: :lol:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Welcome to the zoo!

Be careful of the Ol' Big Muddy, he's kinda tough on the odd Texan. :wink: :lol:

Key word is ODD. :wink: :lol: :lol:

 

[TXDirt]

Check out this gate hanger that I made for the main gate going into the property. It's already cut and I have it sitting at my house in my garage for now. It's pretty big, 9' 10" x 5' 9". Me and some buddies are going to mount it one day when my parents aren't around.

The atv represents our love for offroading and the fun that my family has riding atv's! Just about everyone in my family has some sort of atv. Hell, my 6 yr old daughter has a 110CC four wheeler.

The cow represents the livestock that will be on the property.

The deer represents the wildlife that we will be trying to keep on the property. None of us really hunt anymore, but we still love to watch deer, go spot raccoons in the trees, watch road runners, etc... etc.... How ever there is a bit of a wild hog problem in the back, that will eventually have to be dealt with, but I will probably build my own hog traps and try to make a couple extra $$. There are also tons of coyotes, but hopefully they will leave us (our livestock) alone and we will leave them alone.

The jeep is kind of a thing for my dad and I. Jeeps are what have kept us close after all these years. That is one common interest that we have both had since I was a young kid!

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Nice work.

Those hogs will cause lots of trouble and I'm thinking you will be trapping for many years. it doesn't hurt to shoot some coyotes. keeps them healthy and the mange down. Beside too many coyotes and they could take some fawns.

Everything in balance.

 

[kolanuraven]

Be careful....these people bite!!!


Sit back and read the posts in ALL the forums, BEFORE you go telling all about your world.

 

[Soapweed]

Very nice sign.

As long as you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth you will get along well here. :wink:

And it helps if you are a Republican. Sometimes we don't let Democrat kids play on the merry-go-round.

 

[Clarencen]

Soapweed made a good point about the merri-go-round. But if they put at least one foot on the ground and help push we tolerate them.

 

[TXDirt]

Be careful....these people bite!!!


Sit back and read the posts in ALL the forums, BEFORE you go telling all about your world.

I've been reading threads all through out this website. I've been having to keep a second tab open to google search a lot of the terminology used in the threads. However I now know what F1 means, along with a bunch of other terms!

I don't feel that I have gotten too personal on here just yet! This is my intro thread and of course I am going to post a little info on myself, that is what an intro thread is for. Don't like it, click the back button! 8)


I'm definitely an honest abe on the web, I have nothing to hide, and I've met a lot of contacts through the forums over the years so there is no reason to lie or fabricate stories to impress people on forums!

I'm republican. My entire family is republican. But you wont get any political conversation out of me. It's 99% useless banter and never gets anywhere! If you want to have a tin foil hat thread you wont see me posting in it unless it's a humorous thread with jokes or funny pics!

I understand the biting. However I can handle myself on a forum. I've learned just don't be a jackwagon when your new on a forum.

 

[kolanuraven]

Be careful....these people bite!!!


Sit back and read the posts in ALL the forums, BEFORE you go telling all about your world.

I've been reading threads all through out this website. I've been having to keep a second tab open to google search a lot of the terminology used in the threads. However I now know what F1 means, along with a bunch of other terms!

I don't feel that I have gotten too personal on here just yet! This is my intro thread and of course I am going to post a little info on myself, that is what an intro thread is for. Don't like it, click the back button! 8)


I'm definitely an honest abe on the web, I have nothing to hide, and I've met a lot of contacts through the forums over the years so there is no reason to lie or fabricate stories to impress people on forums!

I'm republican. My entire family is republican. But you wont get any political conversation out of me. It's 99% useless banter and never gets anywhere! If you want to have a tin foil hat thread you wont see me posting in it unless it's a humorous thread with jokes or funny pics!

I understand the biting. However I can handle myself on a forum. I've learned just don't be a jackwagon when your new on a forum.

All I gave was just a warning was all. And Soapweed was right, they LOVE Republicans here...

I'm not a Rep., and they HATE little ol'me

 

[LazyWP]

Be careful....these people bite!!!


Sit back and read the posts in ALL the forums, BEFORE you go telling all about your world.

I've been reading threads all through out this website. I've been having to keep a second tab open to google search a lot of the terminology used in the threads. However I now know what F1 means, along with a bunch of other terms!

I don't feel that I have gotten too personal on here just yet! This is my intro thread and of course I am going to post a little info on myself, that is what an intro thread is for. Don't like it, click the back button! 8)


I'm definitely an honest abe on the web, I have nothing to hide, and I've met a lot of contacts through the forums over the years so there is no reason to lie or fabricate stories to impress people on forums!

I'm republican. My entire family is republican. But you wont get any political conversation out of me. It's 99% useless banter and never gets anywhere! If you want to have a tin foil hat thread you wont see me posting in it unless it's a humorous thread with jokes or funny pics!

I understand the biting. However I can handle myself on a forum. I've learned just don't be a jackwagon when your new on a forum.

All I gave was just a warning was all. And Soapweed was right, they LOVE Republicans here...

I'm not a Rep., and they HATE little ol'me

We hate you kolo, because you are a snake, not because of your political alliance.

 

[Soapweed]

I don't hate anyone. I might strongly disagree with some folks, but it isn't hate. That is too strong of a word, and is usually reserved for bad food like spinach or liver or anything with minestrone seasoning. :wink:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I don't hate anyone. I might strongly disagree with some folks, but it isn't hate. That is too strong of a word, and is usually reserved for bad food like spinach or liver or anything with minestrone seasoning. :wink:

Your right soap.

I don't hate kola i just find her amusing. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[mrj]

Welcome to ranchersnet, TXDirt. Hope we live up to your expectations, or at least provide some information you can use.

It might help if you could tell us more about your area. Such as the climate. What are your low and high temperatures in a year, rainfall, too. You probably have a long growing season, and it is more likely shortened by lack of ran than by frost as it is here in SD. Do you have problems with high winds at certain times of year, or most of the year. Hmmmmn, that is true of SD many years. In fact, I'm not sure we have a 'normal' so far as climate is concerned.

How about some photo's of your terrain, especially that "back" part you say is impossible to fence. Unless it is very rough and rock filled, it may be more difficult than impossible. Which means I believe fencing ones property is very important! Both to protect from intruders and to protect others, and their property, especially if it is raising food crops or is nicely (and expensively!) landscaped, from whatever type of livestock you get. We who raise animals for food have to face the reality of sabotage. Not high where I live, but the threat is real and growing, from those who want all uses of animals ended, especially, and 'adventurous, and mean spirited folks' may join in. Granted, in most areas of the country, the danger of sabotage isn't terribly high, but we need to be aware of it.

Have fun learning what you want to do with the land, and also success once you know.

 

[Soapweed]

I don't hate anyone. I might strongly disagree with some folks, but it isn't hate. That is too strong of a word, and is usually reserved for bad food like spinach or liver or anything with minestrone seasoning. :wink:

Your right soap.

I don't hate kola I just find her amusing. :lol: :lol: :lol:

She is "amusing," and Oldtimer is "comical." :wink:

 

[TXDirt]

Welcome to ranchersnet, TXDirt. Hope we live up to your expectations, or at least provide some information you can use.

It might help if you could tell us more about your area. Such as the climate. What are your low and high temperatures in a year, rainfall, too. You probably have a long growing season, and it is more likely shortened by lack of ran than by frost as it is here in SD. Do you have problems with high winds at certain times of year, or most of the year. Hmmmmn, that is true of SD many years. In fact, I'm not sure we have a 'normal' so far as climate is concerned.

How about some photo's of your terrain, especially that "back" part you say is impossible to fence. Unless it is very rough and rock filled, it may be more difficult than impossible. Which means I believe fencing ones property is very important! Both to protect from intruders and to protect others, and their property, especially if it is raising food crops or is nicely (and expensively!) landscaped, from whatever type of livestock you get. We who raise animals for food have to face the reality of sabotage. Not high where I live, but the threat is real and growing, from those who want all uses of animals ended, especially, and 'adventurous, and mean spirited folks' may join in. Granted, in most areas of the country, the danger of sabotage isn't terribly high, but we need to be aware of it.

Have fun learning what you want to do with the land, and also success once you know.

Thanks for the welcome.

We live in the North Central part of Texas. Which means we have the bipolar weather. There is no way to really tell what our seasons are going to do. It's typically not too windy, just breezy w/ 5-15 mph winds on a typical day. The winters typically last about 2-3 months, the springs and falls can be wet, the summers are actually not too bad except for July, August, and early September.

The main reason for not fencing in the back property is just due to owning the entire creek. The creek is half ours and half the next land owners. So fencing it in could become very political (for a lack of a better term). So we just leave well enough alone, and it's only 20 acres of what is technically flood plain and dense woods.

I'll get on google earth and get a screen shot of the overall land and post it.

Here are some pictures.
This is actually a very historic piece of land for our town, because the main road going through it used to be the old pacific santa fe rail road, and at the creek is an old iron bridge. My dad owns half and the next land owner owns half. There is also an old cotton gin and a really old horse stable at the front, but we don't count them for ranching because they are fenced in on their own along the highway.


Gotta get one in there of my cj5


My dad and I went cruising around the property last night looking at some of the barn gates and chutes that might need a little attention.


I believe this is taken from the same spot just looking a little more north.


I remember when I was younger these chutes were always painted and almost no rust

 

[TXDirt]

Here is a google earth shot of the land. I went around the perimeter with red:


This is the front of the property where the gin and old stable is highlighted in red, the blue is my parent's place where I grew up:


I don't have any pics yet of the gin on my phone so I used google street view.