brush pile fencing....

[growalot]

What a great weekend to work on the brush pile fencing....I was able to pull out enough blow down saplings to rebuild one of the existing fences to shoulder height....they work great to break my movement going to stands and provide some wind resistance and a great back drop for sitting next to while turkey and deer hunting........I have them biult up as road barriers and in the woods to direct deer movement and to cover my movement near bedding areas....they've increased my rabbit population and clear the woodland floor a bit..... to make deer movement improve..... the turkeys work those areas much more...... scratching for bugs

The only down fall...is it seems to increase the skunk sightings........ here are a couple of pick of a road side section I started a few years ago...now it is much more compacted and it will need a good build up this late winter and early spring,,,both deer and turkey movement have increased....this blocks the north winds a bit and they like the security from the road

Edited February 6, 2012 by growalot

[growalot]

here are some pics of sections I worked on yesterday...I leave gaps at certain spots to get movement near stand sets.....

[ny hunter]

Wow that looks like tons of work,my hats off to you.

[tughillhunter]

Thats a pretty unique way of cover fence. I like the ingenuity.

[growalot]

Thanks...I now have several hundred yards of them around the property...being mostly wooded and having several acres of slashings...more trees now...growing up from over grown farmers fields....There is a good supply of young dead trees...mostly ash and young maples

Then we had 9acres logged so that gave me some tops ...after the deer didn't use them as much...I'm in the process of downing a section poplars.....hinging...well if they co-opperate...for a bedding area on a ridge we have...this winter has been fantastic as far as getting work done....just came in from taking down a few sections of fencing around the goat pasture...leaving road front and half one side up....once the ground drys I'll go in and pull post to move to another area to be fenced...then all that will flow into a long time plot.......seeing it will need lots of lime and gets a bit wet....I believe a few differant tests seedings will go there...slowly gathering lime each week...two bags a week till growing season

[fasteddie]

Grow --- when my son was preparing a food plot in Italy Valley , he needed a lot of Lime . Some of the Country Max stores will cut you a lower price if you buy 25+ bags . Check with the local farmers as it's even cheaper to buy it by the loose truckload .

[growalot]

Thanks Eddie....looked into that...have to buy by the 10ton truck load for ag lime...the areas I do I just add a bit each year....more cash in long run I know but managable

[First-light]

Grow what kind of equipment you use to do those fences?

[growalot]

two sore arms and a bad back....lol

[First-light]

One good workout!

[growalot]

It helps get me ready for all thye rock raking I have to do int he spring...and the fire wood hauling

Curious if anyone else uses this practice

[Dom]

This is agreat idea. can i do this on state land?This would make a great ground blind?I wont be harming the land by doing this also would make great hbbitat.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I use brush piles at my father's to try and get the deer into better lanes as well. It works good, but I dont have near the brush available as you to build them, so they take a while to build up.

[Dom]

The brush and downed wood is plentifull on state land.I might even build a natural ground blind/cabin.Going to see how it goe's.

[First-light]

Mt property was logged 6 years ago by the former owner. Weather turned bad and they left cut trees in the woods. May try to do this in spring.

Nice idea.

[Robinson446]

Never thought of making a brush pile fence, great idea. But what about after awhile when the sticks and stuff starts dying? Wont it start breaking down?

[Geno C]

they came out great, very good idea. looks like hard work...

[growalot]

Yes it does break down...some years faster than others...last year the weather had all the fences depleted by half in the fall....but with a big wood lot I always have plenty of dead stuff to add and well as green cut from fire wood trimming and selective cuts..ie ...doubles... splits...today I just came in from cutting many mature poplars....hinging didn't work..... these were 12"+ diamiter trees and they fell hard!...by the way ....catkins were all open all ready.

As the fences start a slow decay...slow because most of the fence is above the ground able to dry out...it compacts and the more compact the better it holds up.....starting with logs like poplar or locust or even dead pine helps the base layer...every good fence starts with a good foundation.....I cut the poplar logs into 5ft sections..that size because poplar is heavier than heavy when green...5ft I can manage moving...those will be the base for the road side fencing I'm still adding too...then I'll add long younger ones I cut....hopefully besides making the fencing the deer will enjoy the tops...... the roots from the trees I cut will sucker this spring into a nice young stand of poplar the grouse will come back into

Edited February 7, 2012 by growalot

[growalot]

The 2 days have been great for cutting..well until winter hit again....I have been cutting mainly the poplar and then cutting log sections and limbs to add to the fences...the log sections are just a tad heavy to handle with out equipment...Mr B has been wanting forks for the tractor...I just may say go for it..I couldn't really see the need before it's a lot of $$$ for a big toy...lol...That mostly I'd be using...but it would certainly be handy in collecting then moving brush and holding logs to be cut for firewood.

Lots of that to be cut in the future...many double trees and dying ash...unfortunately a lot of dying maple as well..soil born fungus is leaving me with standing dead maples...and well the beech have the canker taking them out...I have two areas that mother nature is "clear cutting" for me...might as well take advantage new future bedding areas

Edited February 18, 2012 by growalot

[bkln]

Great job, Grow, great job.....

[landtracdeerhunter]

We did this many years ago on my dads farm. He always called it a poor mans fence. We cleared all the fields of the farm this way. I think it's great to see you using natural resources.( The workout isn't bad either, much better than a workout in some gym.)The rabbit population exploded in that area. We always had a spot to go hunting. Miss that rabbit stew, goooooood.

Edited February 19, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter