The Ouachita Desert

[Caustic Burno]

I am amazed at all the rain we have had this year and it has just disappeared. In a normal year after last week's rain I would be nervous about driving the Mule in the bottom pasture. Went down there today on the tractor didn't make a rut.

 

[Ouachita]

We had about 17 inches between Christmas and February 19 (I remember that because it's my oldest boy's birthday). I thought it odd that a neighbor rancher commented to me that he "was glad we got caught up on rain". I couldn't bring myself to tell him it didn't do much good; vegetation was dormant for most part, and it just flushed the creeks and ended up in the Gulf.
Wish we had a chain to pull when we need it

 

[Fly-guy]

Yep, I have papers, just never bothered to register cause I haven't figured out a name for this new dual purpose breed I'm working on. :lol2: Any ideas appreciated

I call her Jacka$$ some of the time, the rest of the time it's just plain ole "Don-key". It's pretty good at eating grass and keeping the neighbors little yappers at bay. There have been several times that I don't think it worked so well at keeping a mountain lion away. :cry2:

I don't think she has sired any calves yet either, you can kinda tell because none of the calves have big ears like she does. She might have though, come to think of it some of the calves act just as stupid as she does sometimes!

Oh, did I mention that it will pick out a particular spot in the pasture for it's fertilizing project? :lol:

 

[1982vett]

We had about 17 inches between Christmas and February 19 (I remember that because it's my oldest boy's birthday). I thought it odd that a neighbor rancher commented to me that he "was glad we got caught up on rain". I couldn't bring myself to tell him it didn't do much good; vegetation was dormant for most part, and it just flushed the creeks and ended up in the Gulf.
Wish we had a chain to pull when we need it

Pretty much saved my kiester or rather kept me from selling out all together. Still not sure if it was good or bad....but it did grow good pasture in what was supposed to be the dead of winter....about the best March grass I've seen without fertilizer application and clover did more harm than good since it was so dense.

 

[Ouachita]

Last summer


Today

 

[Ouachita]

Last summer


Today

 

[Anonymous]

Your before pictures look a scary awful lot like our now pictures

 

[Ouachita]

Hate to hear that about your situation. If there is one positive for me, it is that the drought really made me consider how I manage my forage. I wasn't prepared. The only saving grace was that I was under stocked.
The grass is still thin and patchy in many areas, but I used that to frost seed some clover. Got some litter spread a couple weeks ago, and everything is growing fast. So fast I'm having to clip the stem grass and seed heads before I rotate. I could use triple the cows I have right now.
Maybe this will be elusive "recovery summer"

 

[highgrit]

Were back to our normal rain pattern here. The rain goes south or the rain goes north. It's dry here again and were hopping for rain like normal. It can and will get worse I 'am sure.

 

[Anonymous]

Highgrit, you guys didn't get any of that rain up there today?

 

[highgrit]

No luck here Hook, heard a lot of noise and seen the dark clouds.

 

[cow pollinater]

Personally I'm real glad I felt really bad for all of you that were in the drought last year. This year it's our turn. :frowns:

 

[greybeard]

We've had "some" rain this spring, but like most folks around here, it wasn't enough to really soak in and stick with us. It is dry now, and I see cracks appearing in all the usual places.

No where near as green here as it is in Ouachita's current pics.

 

[Ouachita]

I was thinking about this thread and my situation a couple years ago. Amazing how things change. We had a lot of bare spots in the grazing, but I've been letting areas go to seed and then mowing. This has been a really wet and cool year. I had a lot of weeds take up residence during that 2012 drought. Except for spot spraying, I have managed to recover well by clipping.

I didn't have anything else in the truck to set out as a gauge, except a beer can

Last year I bush hogged certain areas. This year I used a finish mower set to 8" and I've mowed these area 1 week ago

Bus hogged this 3 weeks ago

It bothered me for a while, all the bare spots. And then my idea of letting it go to seed made for a blanket of mulch that concerned me. Along with the weeds and the heavy layer of bush hog mulch I was worried I had made a mistake

My uncle didn't want to do anything with the family trust property. He said nature would take care of itself. The trust property is still very thin and poor quality. I offered to take care of it for fuel cost only, but he declined.

 

[Ouachita]

I can't forget my brides pride. She just came in from the garden. This is a sight different from 2012

Not her, the tomatoes she's still very soft, moist, and productive as she was in 2012. Heat doesn't seem to alter her demeanor none

 

[Caustic Burno]

Flat Bottom the grass here is shoulder high on Obama this year.
Then again there is a lot less cows here than in 2009.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Ouachita, the place isn't looking too bad this year.

Katherine