Trees and fence

Help Support CattleToday:

RanchMan90

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2016
Messages
1,320
Reaction score
2
Location
Southeast Oklahoma
What are y'all doing for fence in wooded areas where trees fall often? These spring storms have me patching fence and retrieving yearlings nearly daily. Im about to the point of moving my fence back where trees can't fall on it or putting up wire panels for this 1/4 mile would be worth a peace of mind while I'm at work during the week. Thanks
 
I would have to move to avoid the problem. If a tree is not falling, then a limb is. I have not had a single instance of mine getting out. I suppose TT will make a joke about my over feeding my cows and say something like "Why would they check out of the Motel Copacabana to go stay at the Super 8.

9pp554.jpg


2w74qra.jpg


a46d6g.jpg
 
My folks ran a single HT around the bigger patches several years ago to keep them out of the woods. Bout all you can do, other than panels or pipe, and it's harder to fix when a sure enough tree goes down than woven, by far
 
I hate trees with a passion. I wish we could live without them. Almost every fence I have is either through the woods, or a wood line. It'd be a nightmare to fence around them. It'd be fortune to bulldoze a path. I just work with what I have, and nail to them when I have to.
 
Bigfoot":lxnee298 said:
I hate trees with a passion. I wish we could live without them. Almost every fence I have is either through the woods, or a wood line. It'd be a nightmare to fence around them. It'd be fortune to bulldoze a path. I just work with what I have, and nail to them when I have to.

About the same here.
 
Bigfoot":1z9aaqtx said:
I hate trees with a passion. I wish we could live without them. Almost every fence I have is either through the woods, or a wood line. It'd be a nightmare to fence around them. It'd be fortune to bulldoze a path. I just work with what I have, and nail to them when I have to.
Likewise. The neighboring woods are almost impermeable horseback, I just leave the sale tags on calves any more to make them easier to locate. I love a good challenge trying to contain my hedge fund on the hoof :cowboy:
 
We don't ever run less than 6 barb on perimeter. If it's in the woods 8 .
You got a couple of extra wires to catch limbs and still have a fence.
The 14 gauge high tensile barbwire is good in this instance as well.. course nothing is going to stop a full size tree.

Oh apparently if you pour out enough feed or have tall enough grass you don't even need a fence. ;-) 8) :mrgreen:
 
callmefence":u2dplv0e said:
We don't ever run less than 6 barb on perimeter. If it's in the woods 8 .
You got a couple of extra wires to catch limbs and still have a fence.
The 14 gauge high tensile barbwire is good in this instance as well.. course nothing is going to stop a full size tree.

Oh apparently if you pour out enough feed or have tall enough grass you don't even need a fence. ;-) 8) :mrgreen:

I am using my cost share this year to add to my perimeter fence. The fence contractor has given me an assessment. It was a bit above his normal rate but I agreed. There will be more bracing and he is putting the posts closer together. Here they drive treated wood post.
 
My oaks and hickory seldom give me any problems. If they come down, it's usually a big act of nature involved. Other species seem to really raise problems, just on a daily basis. Sasarusand elm come to mind. I guess they are short lived or something.
 
Bigfoot":okfadfw6 said:
My oaks and hickory seldom give me any problems. If they come down, it's usually a big act of nature involved. Other species seem to really raise problems, just on a daily basis. Sasarusand elm come to mind. I guess they are short lived or something.

Yep oaks don't cause much trouble. Here it's hackberry. Grow very large very fast and die young.
 
Here it's mostly sassafras and maple. Usually the limbs aren't too big, but maples here lose limbs with every stout breeze it seems like. Twigs are forever in the yard, it's full of maple
 
Bigfoot":2vbm2jyt said:
I hate trees with a passion. I wish we could live without them. Almost every fence I have is either through the woods, or a wood line. It'd be a nightmare to fence around them. It'd be fortune to bulldoze a path. I just work with what I have, and nail to them when I have to.
After Rita there wasn't a fence standing on this place. I can relate
 
High tensile smooth wire run very hot, and remove all the dead timber. At least when a tree falls on the high tensile it normally returns to being a fence when you cut the tree.
 
Trees and deer, 2 worst enemies.

I usually check my fence charger, it tells me when I have a limb down. Cattle (at least mine) won't hardly cross a downed electric fence, they are so accustomed to avoiding it, even when I drop a wire, they wait for me to move it until they step over the old fence line.

My perimeter is electrified HT smooth wire with springs on some long runs. Limb falls and it just breaks plastic, run along with chainsaw and bag of retainers and it's usually pretty quick. Would hate to think what it would be like living where I live with barbed wire, I would do nothing but fix fence every afternoon here lately. Lots of storms and ridiculous amount of wind. Also, I keep different pastures on a switch so I don't have to check the entire line all the time, just the one they are in.

Ice storm years ago has had a long lasting effect, limbs and trees are dying at an even quicker rate than usual here lately. Lots of "widowmakers" hanging in those trees when you look up. A logger I talked to said he was just doing mercy killings. I like to keep our pasture pretty clean, and lately it's been a nightmare, at least in the woods I can just pile it to the side.
 
Kell-inKY":1lqj1yvx said:
Trees and deer, 2 worst enemies.

I usually check my fence charger, it tells me when I have a limb down. Cattle (at least mine) won't hardly cross a downed electric fence, they are so accustomed to avoiding it, even when I drop a wire, they wait for me to move it until they step over the old fence line.

My perimeter is electrified HT smooth wire with springs on some long runs. Limb falls and it just breaks plastic, run along with chainsaw and bag of retainers and it's usually pretty quick. Would hate to think what it would be like living where I live with barbed wire, I would do nothing but fix fence every afternoon here lately. Lots of storms and ridiculous amount of wind. Also, I keep different pastures on a switch so I don't have to check the entire line all the time, just the one they are in.

Ice storm years ago has had a long lasting effect, limbs and trees are dying at an even quicker rate than usual here lately. Lots of "widowmakers" hanging in those trees when you look up. A logger I talked to said he was just doing mercy killings. I like to keep our pasture pretty clean, and lately it's been a nightmare, at least in the woods I can just pile it to the side.

Here you need to add hogs to the enemy list they can tear up some fence.
 
I just wish we had more trees, natural shade is in short supply on our place. We use electrified HT fencing and have for about 20 years, love it. The home place where we develop our bulls had a pecan orchard on it until Hurricane Ivan. Prior to Ivan we had 52 pecan trees, after Ivan about 42, out of the 10 that were left 8 were out by the working pens and barn. The boss was going to cut them down when he was taking care of the 42 that were beyond help. I begged him to leave some I just loved the trees. The following year another hurricane hit I think it was Dennis, well the 8 trees out by the working pens all came down and I think each one was on the different area of the working pens. To say the boss was a little put out with me would be on the mild side :dunce: :dunce: Now we have two pecan trees at the home place. When all of the trees came down during Ivan we were sure glad we had the HT fencing, once the limbs trees were cut off the fence jumped back in place.



this little tool works really well, if the fence goes off the light starts flashing. We don't have this on all the fences but we do keep one on the bull runs. It is never a good thing when the mature bulls are able to get together..

edited to say sorry about the huge photo...oops I wasn't trying to shout at ya'll

gizmom
 
I had a choice. Spend the rest of my life sawing up fallen limbs and trees and fixing fences or spend the next 1 1/2 years doing it all at once and being able to sleep nights.
7-31s.jpg

A hypo hatchet + Remedy + diesel are your friends. Trees are not.
Don't want to pay $300+ for a hypo hatchet?
eastwing%20hatchet.jpg

+
2L-garden-hand-held-pressure-sprayer-pump.jpg_200x200.jpg

+
Remedy_AMX5H_d4c8a408fa.jpg

or
Chemicals.jpg

+
10L%20YELLOW.jpg


When the wind blows hard, I sleep nights.
 
All of my fence is smooth HT electrified wire most is through woods and brush. I try and keep the dead trees cut and any that look "hazardous" cut and out of the way. But it never fails that something will fall on the fence, at least with the HT wire after removing the tree the fence will "pop" back up and do its job. Also with a hot charger the fence will usually still give a little poke even with a tree on it.

I also have a few of the lights like Gizmom showed located in areas I frequent daily. So if the light is flashing I know further investigation is needed.
 
greybeard":i2lgmwf9 said:
That's the little squirter that crapped out with diesel in it after just a few minutes. The gaskets on the pump part got so snotty and soft they just fell off.
 

Latest posts

Top