How did you get into cattle business?

[Mark Reynolds]

Just curious, why would you want to to tear it down and reduce the water levels? I would think that with al the drought in recent years in Texas, you would want al the water you can get? Several years ago, Scott and I decided to damn up our creek to create a pond. We had run the dozer one day, and some Karen called the EPA, or some agency, and they came out with a cease and desist order. They gave us all kinds of specs and plans and requirements for all kind of things we had to have put in it. Even threatened to fine us or prosecute us. It was a mess. Doing what all they wanted would have cost us a fortune. But thank God, beavers moved in last year, and built a damn almost exactly where we had wanted one, and it didn't cost a dime. And the EPA couldn't do a thing about it! And as a bonus, we have some pretty good duck and geese shoots there. now.

@Warren is correct in his thinking here. The beaver may seem like they are bringing destruction, but if you take another view, they are Nature's Engineers. The flooding they bring about in the immediate area does multiple beneficial things, if you think about it. Their dams slow water flow which leads to capture of precious top soil. They create wet meadows that are a godsend during times of drought. Their dams, which can cause localized flooding, prevent catastrophic, destructive floods or at the very least lessen the impact, of the aftermath of 'gully washer' rainfall events where these beaver dam 'safety nets' do not exist which mitigate the destructive forces unleashed by such storms.

Beaver dams help immensely with water management by enhancing the 3 principles of water management that are so important to everyone who relies in land management......which IS everyone. 1) CAPTURE of the water. 2) STORAGE of the water. 3) BENEFICIAL RELEASE of the water.

 

[Silver]

The problem with beavers is they won't sign a treaty or any other agreement that commits them to keeping their work and impact at a level that suits both themselves and us. They are another great example of how nature is in fact never balanced but rather a perpetually swinging pendulum. Huge swings in populations, eating themselves out of food supply, etc mean that they can either be flooding you out or abandoning you in your time of need.We have had a love hate relationship with them here for 75 years.

 

[gman4691]

Just curious, why would you want to to tear it down and reduce the water levels? I would think that with al the drought in recent years in Texas, you would want al the water you can get? Several years ago, Scott and I decided to damn up our creek to create a pond. We had run the dozer one day, and some Karen called the EPA, or some agency, and they came out with a cease and desist order. They gave us all kinds of specs and plans and requirements for all kind of things we had to have put in it. Even threatened to fine us or prosecute us. It was a mess. Doing what all they wanted would have cost us a fortune. But thank God, beavers moved in last year, and built a damn almost exactly where we had wanted one, and it didn't cost a dime. And the EPA couldn't do a thing about it! And as a bonus, we have some pretty good duck and geese shoots there. now.

They are building it up to where it was almost over the top of the dam. It's just an earthen dam that was pushed up with a bulldozer many years ago and provides an alternate access to the back pasture. We have water troughs so the cows have plenty of water 24-7. That dam was originally built mainly for access to the back. Don't want to see what may happen if the spillway is blocked to the point of having water go over the top. And this one is in the woods...not much in the way of grazing there.

 

[gman4691]

@gman4691,

Thanks for sharing your 'worklist'. To give you a head's up, some of this replacement that you are doing, you should be able to get assistance through the NRCS with a creation of a Grazing Management Plan. It's not necessarily all about grasses. It includes water lines and pond work. Check with them.

About your pond. You might not want to do the whole thing at once, but, the pond dam will be MUCH stronger if you do do the entire thing at once. Patches are just that, patches. They are never as strong (and considerably weaker in this case) than original complete construction or re-construction.

To Clarify: The dam for the pond is OK. The beavers are damming up the spillway causing the water in the pond to rise to the point of almost going over the top of the dam for the pond. The pond isn't a primary drinking water source for the cattle. Originally, the dam was built to provide access to the back 40. The pond will be fine as long as the beavers don't block the spillway to the point of causing water to go over the top of the dam...that would cause huge problems...possibly compromising the whole dam.

The "not doing the whole thing at once" was in regards to clearing the beaver structure being built on the spillway. A couple of years ago, I had some culverts put in downstream to create a better crossing for equipment/vehicles. Didn't want to release such a large volume of water all at once for fear it could wash out the culverts...just controlling the volume of water being released at one time by clearing the spillway - which is there to prevent overflowing the dam and keep the water at a reasonable level.

 

[Warren Allison]

@Warren is correct in his thinking here. The beaver may seem like they are bringing destruction, but if you take another view, they are Nature's Engineers. The flooding they bring about in the immediate area does multiple beneficial things, if you think about it. Their dams slow water flow which leads to capture of precious top soil. They create wet meadows that are a godsend during times of drought. Their dams, which can cause localized flooding, prevent catastrophic, destructive floods or at the very least lessen the impact, of the aftermath of 'gully washer' rainfall events where these beaver dam 'safety nets' do not exist which mitigate the destructive forces unleashed by such storms.

Beaver dams help immensely with water management by enhancing the 3 principles of water management that are so important to everyone who relies in land management......which IS everyone. 1) CAPTURE of the water. 2) STORAGE of the water. 3) BENEFICIAL RELEASE of the water.

Yep. Here in the southeast, there are no natural lakes, Nothing but creeks and rivers til the Corp started damning them to generate power. Lakes, ponds and wetlands for water fowl and other creatures, were courtesy of the beavers for centuries, until the 1930's or so.

I got a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Management from UGA's School of Forestry Science my self. Growing up, I always wanted to a Marlon Perkins. But, about the time I finished, I changed my mind. Wanted nothing to do with any kind of government job or union job. When I first started in the insurance business, someone from a credit life company in Ga, came by our office, and talked to me and my partner about the new line of payroll deduction products his company. Invited us down to the headquarters in south GA for a meeting to learn about them and the products. The family who owned the company had 3 quail plantations, that they would invite customers down for a weekend to hunt birds. Well, first day, they took us and the other recruits on a bird hunt, with a BBQ and skeet shooting party that evening. They had awesome dogs, and used wagons and horses. Showed us the houses where they raised the quail. The flight pens where they conditioned them. The stables and kennels, etc. I was like " To heck with selling insurance. How do I get a job working on the plantations?" The guy who brought us down said "Why not just sell the insurance and make enough money to buy your own quail plantation?" I thought about it, and that is what I did.... sorta.

 

[Warren Allison]

To Clarify: The dam for the pond is OK. The beavers are damming up the spillway causing the water in the pond to rise to the point of almost going over the top of the dam for the pond. The pond isn't a primary drinking water source for the cattle. Originally, the dam was built to provide access to the back 40. The pond will be fine as long as the beavers don't block the spillway to the point of causing water to go over the top of the dam...that would cause huge problems...possibly compromising the whole dam.

The "not doing the whole thing at once" was in regards to clearing the beaver structure being built on the spillway. A couple of years ago, I had some culverts put in downstream to create a better crossing for equipment/vehicles. Didn't want to release such a large volume of water all at once for fear it could wash out the culverts...just controlling the volume of water being released at one time by clearing the spillway.

Ok. I thought the pond was made by the beavers, and the beaver dam was the dam. They built one below yours, and it is backing up to the other side of the one y';all built.

 

[gman4691]

Ok. I thought the pond was made by the beavers, and the beaver dam was the dam. They built one below yours, and it is backing up to the other side of the one y';all built.

May have to go to war with the beavers. They ain't interested in negotiating a ceasefire...so a little Ruger 10-22 may be in their near future. Persistent little critters - I'll give 'em that.

 

[GoWyo]

Ok. I thought the pond was made by the beavers, and the beaver dam was the dam. They built one below yours, and it is backing up to the other side of the one y';all built.

I understood that they were plugging the spillway out of the pond, which will cause an overtopping of the dam and wash out the dam. Beaver need to build elsewhere in the drainage or die. Sounds like they gonna die.

 

[gman4691]

I understood that they were plugging the spillway out of the pond, which will cause an overtopping of the dam and wash out the dam. Beaver need to build elsewhere in the drainage or die. Sounds like they gonna die.

You gotta do what you gotta do. It's a shame...I think it's kind of cool to have them out there but their choice of building sites leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Travlr]

The problem with beavers is they won't sign a treaty or any other agreement that commits them to keeping their work and impact at a level that suits both themselves and us. They are another great example of how nature is in fact never balanced but rather a perpetually swinging pendulum. Huge swings in populations, eating themselves out of food supply, etc mean that they can either be flooding you out or abandoning you in your time of need.We have had a love hate relationship with them here for 75 years.

When I was a kid I would fish beaver ponds and they were a great source of fun for me. I'd trade prairie dogs for beavers and give you boot.

 

[Silver]

When I was a kid I would fish beaver ponds and they were a great source of fun for me. I'd trade prairie dogs for beavers and give you boot.

If you lost 50 or 60 acres of hay ground to beavers you might reconsider. On the flip side, when you find yourself with water in your creek when it's dried up everywhere else you'd feel quite proud of your trade.

 

[Travlr]

If you lost 50 or 60 acres of hay ground to beavers you might reconsider. On the flip side, when you find yourself with water in your creek when it's dried up everywhere else you'd feel quite proud of your trade.

I lost ground to Prairie dogs too. And they aren't nearly as easy to control with a rifle.

But I get your point. Still, I'd accommodate a few beaver ponds to have a good place to fish.

 

[Farm Family]

I married into agriculture. He grew up on a dairy. We milked cows, had a young family. I learned the ropes of farming, husbandry and rural life. Sadly his family sold the farm. We started over, husband went back to school for a trade but we could not stay away from the bovines or rural life…thus we work hard everyday on the farm and off the farm to support our "bad habits".

 

[gman4691]

@gman4691,

Thanks for sharing your 'worklist'. To give you a head's up, some of this replacement that you are doing, you should be able to get assistance through the NRCS with a creation of a Grazing Management Plan. It's not necessarily all about grasses. It includes water lines and pond work. Check with them.

About your pond. You might not want to do the whole thing at once, but, the pond dam will be MUCH stronger if you do do the entire thing at once. Patches are just that, patches. They are never as strong (and considerably weaker in this case) than original complete construction or re-construction.

Writing it in here keeps me on track…like a list…which I never make…lol

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I married into agriculture. He grew up on a dairy. We milked cows, had a young family. I learned the ropes of farming, husbandry and rural life. Sadly his family sold the farm. We started over, husband went back to school for a trade but we could not stay away from the bovines or rural life…thus we work hard everyday on the farm and off the farm to support our "bad habits".

I think your "bad habits" are "good habits" to have.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Yep. Here in the southeast, there are no natural lakes, Nothing but creeks and rivers til the Corp started damning them to generate power. Lakes, ponds and wetlands for water fowl and other creatures, were courtesy of the beavers for centuries, until the 1930's or so.

I got a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Management from UGA's School of Forestry Science my self. Growing up, I always wanted to a Marlon Perkins. But, about the time I finished, I changed my mind. Wanted nothing to do with any kind of government job or union job. When I first started in the insurance business, someone from a credit life company in Ga, came by our office, and talked to me and my partner about the new line of payroll deduction products his company. Invited us down to the headquarters in south GA for a meeting to learn about them and the products. The family who owned the company had 3 quail plantations, that they would invite customers down for a weekend to hunt birds. Well, first day, they took us and the other recruits on a bird hunt, with a BBQ and skeet shooting party that evening. They had awesome dogs, and used wagons and horses. Showed us the houses where they raised the quail. The flight pens where they conditioned them. The stables and kennels, etc. I was like " To heck with selling insurance. How do I get a job working on the plantations?" The guy who brought us down said "Why not just sell the insurance and make enough money to buy your own quail plantation?" I thought about it, and that is what I did.... sorta.

I wonder how many of us remember Wild Kingdom? I too had visions of following in Marlon's footsteps.

 

[gman4691]

I wonder how many of us remember Wild Kingdom? I too had visions of following in Marlon's footsteps.

I remember it well…Marlin Perkins

 

[greybeard]

now find where the $&@#*& beavers are blocking the spillway…

conibears are your friend......... Go to war.

 

[Warren Allison]

I wonder how many of us remember Wild Kingdom? I too had visions of following in Marlon's footsteps.

His assistant, Jim, was from here in Georgia. I remember a few times he would bring some animals to school.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

His assistant, Jim, was from here in Georgia. I remember a few times he would bring some animals to school.

Cool!