Land: The road to no where

 Land: The road to no where

We didn't get to work on the project until mid-July due to the weather.  We needed a week where there would be no chance of rain.  It was a wet spring.  By July, we had to go rain or not if we wanted to make the hunting season.  Once again, Warren-Cat delivered a few machines to make the work easier.   We rented a 320 Excavator and 299 skid steer with tree sheers and a grapple.

The primary goal was to expand the area around the RV and the food plot.  Secondly, we wanted to create a new road, two ponds, and a second food plot.   We also scheduled a driller for a water well and gravel delivery to improve the road.  

The 320 makes it very easy to clear off land.  I wish someone had told me this when we started this project.     The 320 is big enough to rip most trees out by force alone.   It can simply knock over bigger trees.    For big trees, I held the arm at 90 degrees then pushed the bucket at 10 ft up the tree.   If the machine rocks without moving the tree then I back up and dig around the base.    Taking a full bucket on three sides will destroy the roots enough to tip the tree on the next attempt.   The thumb makes it easy to stack the tree logs out of the way.   This solved the problem of a dozer which can only push them down from about 4 feet high.  The low height reduces the leverage you have against the tree.  The dozer is not able to knock down larger trees.  Furthermore, the trees would get in the way once they fell preventing further work.   This means every few hours I would have to cut up the trees and move them out of the way.    Since the dozer can't move trees it can become a danger when the trees get hung up in the canopy.    

If you need to clear many trees then the 320 excavator is definitely the way to go.

I was able to create half a mile of new road 20 feet wide through a thick forest in about 8 hours.  At some point, I will need to rent the dozer again since the excavator is not good at leveling the ground.   The road is clear but it is rough to travel over even for the Jeep.    

I doubled the size of the food plot in a couple hours.  It took less time than the road because the skid steer could help clear.   The excavator didn't have to travel as much as it did for the road.    It could stay along the tree line removing trees within reach and set them behind me.   

The skid steer could not travel over the new road.   The rocky ground and pits from downed trees made it unsafe for the short track base of the skid steer.   Unfortunately, the skid steer was down for a couple days due to the track slipping off and waiting for the service technician.

It was later determined that the track and grease regulator were worn out.   This caused slack in the track that could not be tightened despite several attempts to do so. 

The bad luck continued when the excavator blew a seal on the thumb hydraulics.   It produced a nice flower pattern when the thumb was used.  It was before the cut off valve so it leaked constantly and we lost nearly two gallons of hydraulic fluid while moving it out of the deep forest.

By Friday we had completed most of the task but both machines now had mechanical issues.  The equipment trouble prevented us from doing the gravel.   The company was not happy when I called to cancel delivery.    The scheduled delivery was for 6 truck loads and without the equipment we wouldn't be able to move it.    We waited two days for parts and the technician to return. There was only one full day left by the time the equipment was working again.   We will have to try to do the gravel again next year.

Clearly, we planned to do too much for one week.   We had delays due to equipment repairs and had to go every couple of days generator fuel.   Every technician or delivery required us to meet them in town and lead them to the site.   Every trip takes at least 2 hours round trip.   

Initially, the drillers were not confident we could reach water since we're on top of a mountain.  I have never seen a well being drilled before.   First, they drill 20 feet down with a large bit using air to push the material out of the hole.    Once they reach the end of the line, the drill is pulled up and a large PVC pipe is dropped in the hole.     They pour concrete in to seal around where the pipe contacts the ground.   Then a smaller bit is installed and they resume drilling.     They switch to water to push the material out of the hole instead of air.     

We agreed to drill up to 200 feet in search of water.   With time running out, we hit water at 160 feet.    He said it was flowing at about 1.5 gallons per minute.    They determine this by how much the water moves when the drilling is paused to add a new pipe. 

This probably wouldn't be enough for a full time residence but we don't plan to live out here.     He finished drilling at 180 feet which would give us about 230 gallons of water before the well is dry.  The well casing is just PVC pipe with holes cut to allow surrounding water to fill in the pipe.   The pump sits 10 feet from the bottom to avoid debris only connected by the electric wires and the water line.   

Most of the well is in black shale. The water comes out milky, but the test shows there's no bacteria or heavy metals.   I'm sure the water will taste as bad as it smells but it appears to be safe to drink.   We just needed water for the toilet and showers.  We bring bottled water in for drinking and cooking.  At some point, we will need water for concrete mixing too.  The driller said the water should clear up over time and to run it dry as often as possible.

 

We left a 275 gallon tote we've been using to bring water in. I added a little plumbing and wired a breaker with a generator connection.    The plan will be to power the pump (240v) and fill the tote then put in water conditioner to prevent mold/bacteria.   The 12v RV pump will be used to draw on the tote.    The 275 gallons should last several weeks which means we won't need to bring the generator with us on every trip.    The best thing is we will no longer have to transport hundreds of pounds of water every trip.

My son brought the beverages.  After the long day, we would gather around the campfire.  Drinking beer with good company.   My hope was always that this land would be a place we could spend quality time with friends and family.   

Maybe I should have asked them if they liked camping first?

 

Land: Clearing things up

We went back to the land at the beginning of June.  I rented a CAT D5 and 299 Skid Steer with a mulcher.  We arrived just before noon on Saturday. It was good to see the RV was still there in good shape.  The biggest issue was the water pump was singing it's death knell and a small bird had created a nest on top of the propane tank. I don't know what kind of bird it was.   They were small mostly brown in color.   I counted at least 3 nestlings.

 

The plan was to expand the RV area and food plot.  I also wanted to create a couple ponds and a new food plot on the west side.    We arrived just in time to meet the equipment delivery driver to lead him in.    There was a new locked gate just off the county road.  No one had cell service and turning around would be nearly impossible. Thankfully, the delivery guy was able to radio his boss and get the combination from the phone number written on the gate.

The number was for the operations manager of the gas company running the wells in the area.   He said the land owners on the north end of the road suffered large losses from thieves recently.   The gate was built to discourage random people from entering.   This is the first time we've heard of wide spread thefts. He said the oil company regularly has parts missing.   They run their equipment on solar panels because there's no electricity.   He said they tried to make the batteries and panels harder to steal but the thieves would just tear up more to get what they wanted.    They usually just accepted the occasional loss.    He said the road is technically owned by the oil company and if I catch someone trespassing to let him know and the oil company would file charges as well.   

He also said that a quarry company owns the land to our south and might provide access to the main highway.  I couldn't find a company that owned any land to the south.  The only one I know of is a Mike who owns the land to the north.  I've already talked to him and he doesn't know of any alternative routes.

I also discovered the Texans who bought a plot of land last year is an elderly gentleman named Chuck.    He was also using a lock on the gate.   I had a great conversation with Chuck. He said he has been staying the winter months there September till February.  He keeps an eye on things while he is there thus earned the nickname "sheriff".

The water was below the bridge which indicates it had not rained for several weeks although the roads showed there was a lot of rain since November.  The erosion channels were deeper and many new deep pot holes.

Some of the pot holes were very deep and I scraped the ground with the trailer jack.  The jack doesn't work anymore and will have to be replaced.   I think the biggest factor was there was 200 gallons of water in the back which caused the truck to ride low.  I hope the new gate will keep the four-wheelers out too.    They like to joy ride through the area ripping up the roads and drinking beer.    One of the worse spots on the road near a cattle guard was created this way.    A year ago we noticed new tracks where someone left deep ruts which the water now uses as a path eroding it deeper.  I doubt they got stuck there and the tracks were too narrow to be a truck.

We got to the well pad and unloaded the tractor.    We started moving equipment down to the RV when we encountered a deep erosion channel on our road.    It's the same spot that was there last year.  There are two major spots in the road we've had problems with.    One at the top of the road eroded a foot deep and wide.    It was bad enough I couldn't get the tractor over it let alone a truck and trailer.    We had to turn around and bring the dozer to correct the road again.     

The trouble spots were fixed last year when we rented the dozer, but it's not a simple case of the correcting the slope.     I believe when it rains hard enough to raise the water table there are two locations on the road that drain.    We have located several places all over the property located mostly in creeks where water seemingly comes out of rocks.   They run for weeks after a heavy rain and in the road it slowly erodes exposing the bed rock.

The first spot is just north of our property half way down a steep slope which drops elevation 20 FT through a couple benches.  The second is past the RV on a steep slope where the elevation drops over a hundred feet in a short distance.  

We have a few options which is to locate a new path further to the west or fill these spots with gravel.  The second erosion area can be avoided if we fix the alternate path created by the previous owner.    It turns before the trouble spot crossing a wet weather creek.    This area is mostly stone so it doesn't erode.    The problem is the creek bed is full of pits and sharp rocks.   This where we lost a tire the first trip as owners.  We tried to fill the holes with rocks from the area but a heavy rain had washed them away.  We need to fill the deep spots with concrete to make it easier on the tires.   We don't plan to bring the truck over this often, but we need at least one trip to remove the old camper and trash.

By the end of the first day, I fixed and widened the road.   It's now about 10 feet wide.   The gyroscope of the dozer was broken so I had to level everything manually.  This was a challenge since it's only the second time I've driven a dozer.  By the end of the night my son put rocks in a 5 feet circle and we settled in to enjoyed the night with beer and BBQ.

We were awaken by thunderstorms early in the morning.   It rained until after noon dumping a total of 2.5 inches.  The sky was clear the rest of the day which made the heat and humidity almost unbearable.  The ground is mostly clay and became a soup.  Thankfully, the road didn't wash out but there was a spot where run off was starting to erode again.  We waited until the afternoon to start work.    I was able to fix the run off area by putting a slope in the road.  It was difficult due to the slimy mud.    The biggest problem while it was wet is the ground cuts off like a slab of cold butter.    This made it impossible to level out the land with the dozer.  

We cleared some of the trees around the RV.   I pushed the trees over with the dozer then tried to fill the holes which didn't compact.  We had to get the chainsaw to cut up the down trees often then move the logs and brush to piles.   It was interesting the trees seem to collect rocks out of the soil and pull them close to the trunk.    Many of the trees had a large collection of stones of all sizes in their roots.

The hope was we would have enough sky to get a cell phone signal if we could clear a path from the RV to where the elevation begins to drop.   I was hopeful because my son was starting to get notifications around the RV.

At then end of the day we moved the trucks up to the well pad.  The forecast indicated rain the next day.   The amount of rain is always an uncertainty.   A forecast of "scattered light showers" could mean trace to heavy down pours.  The road looked solid after drying all day but the fresh soil had become like peanut butter.   There was a lot of slippage making four inch ruts but we managed to get to the top.

We didn't get much done due to a late start.   It was so wet that we couldn't even get a fire going.  Every stick of wood was soaked.  We went inside the RV and just watched a movie until bed time.

The next morning the same weather pattern repeated giving another inch of rain. The forecast expected the same every day until Friday.  It hadn't rained enough to get the creeks running but the constant showers would ensure the dirt would not dry out.

We were only able to work a couple hours each day.   What work could get done was slowed by the mud.  We decided to go home after a couple days even though we planned to stay the entire week.    The weather forecast had been accurate so far and there was no way we would use the forty hours equipment rental. CAT was willing to just charge for the eight hours we used instead of the forty hours we scheduled.

I got stuck on the way out on the main road.    There was a channel about a foot deep and six inches wide that one side slipped into.  I always assumed the possibility of getting stuck on the quarter mile leading down to our property but not on the main road.   It was almost inevitable because I was pulling the tractor grossing about 14K pounds and the oil company hasn't been maintaining the road since we bought the property.   I walked down to the dozer and used it to pull the truck out.   

The plan had been to improve the land with ponds and extra food plots then prepare for hunting.   We didn't get anything completed due to the rain.  It seems the biggest priority will be improvements to the road.   Ideally, we would come out for weekend get-a-ways and hunting.   A washed out road or getting stuck in mud would be difficult problem with the closest person being a forty minute drive.  The thought of having to walk that distance in freezing temperatures is not pleasant.  Usually, we bring the jeep with us thinking it would be able to get the truck out if there was a problem.    I want at least another option.   I scheduled to get a 16,000lbs winch with a new bumper installed on the truck next week which will allow the truck to pull itself out.  

I think the best option to improve the road is a layer of gravel. I estimate it will take 200 tons of gravel to fill in bad spots and cover the road to our property.   The road is a little over a quarter of mile (.27) from the well pad to the RV.   It's about ten feet wide and a depth of three inches.    This is over 3,500 cubic feet of gravel.    It would take 188 tons of gravel at 19 cubic feet per ton. 

The total price for the gravel will be around $7,000 including delivery. It also means we won't get the tree work done or be ready for hunting season this year.  We will have to make a trip out there before winter to prepare the RV and perhaps have a load of gravel delivered to fill in the bad areas.  It will be worth the delay for a little more peace of mind.

Land: The Hunt

The Hunt

We went hunting in the second week of the season to avoid complications of travel during Thanksgiving.  The use of the RV instead of trying to build a cabin work out well.    We were able to stay a full week in comfort.    Over the week, we used 30lbs of propane for cooking and heat,  We brought 125 gallons of water and used about 85 gallons for waste, shower, and cleaning.   We ate mostly canned soup with some freeze dried meals from Mountain House.  We mainly drank bottled water even though the water transported in the tote is probably safe it just doesn't sound tasty.   We ran the gas generator in the afternoon till evening to recharge all the batteries and play movies for dinner.     The generator runs at about 83 decibels but due to topography and trees it is hard to hear more than 100 yards away.   We used about 5 gallons of gas every 12 hours.    We brought 25 gallons of gas and only used 15 by the end of the week.

 

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and able to go hunting that evening.  The weather was cool during the day reaching 60F most days and dropping to below freezing at night. We didn't see any deer until Monday morning at sunrise on the food plot.  The deer never broke heavy cover which was probably because they noticed the blind we were sitting in.  We were sitting about 40 yards from where they entered the food plot.   This is the second time they noticed the blind even though we tried concealing it with vegetation.   I don't think we will use them again.  They didn't run off in alarm but they retreated from the plot without eating. The thick tree cover prevents us from being father away.

 

The next few days we concentrated in the west part of the property.  However, we never saw the deer again.     We looked at the pictures from the game cameras to see what they were doing.     The deer had been in the food plot every morning at sunrise since it started growing including after Monday.   The deer had changed their previous year patterns and were coming from the hills in the east down to the food plot.  Rarely did they venture to the west.    In fact, they would often take their fill in the food plot then return to the hills in the east.   The bucks stayed further away from the food plots.   They came from the hills but there was no pictures of them in the food plot.   We didn't see some of the big ones from the previous year meaning they were probably harvested.

It seems our blind on Monday and us living a quarter mile to the north running the generator didn't scare them away.  In fact, they returned to the food plot the next couple of days. After Wednesday they we no where on the property even at night.

We later reviewed the previous years of pictures and the deer always leave the area during the second week of the season and are rarely seen again until late spring.     Our presence or absence doesn't seem to affect their patterns.  The deer have even stayed in the area while we used heavy equipment.

The main difference is the deer no longer go to the west side of the property in any significance compared to before where they were almost solely appearing there.  We even had a corn feeder in the west which were occasionally visited by a young buck in the middle of the night. This is why we didn't see any deer in the first part of the week since we were in the west and they had already left the area by the time we returned to the food plot.  

I think the lesson here is that the new food plot as a good food source in our area.   In that way our improvements are a success.    After Wednesday, we spent using stalking methods.  This gave us a chance to find the deer and explore areas we have never been too.    The main creek running through the center of the property abruptly starts at the base of hills that raise up 100-200 feet.   The land to the south rises quickly while the north is a more gentle slope.   Their main travel seems to be a bench that goes off to the east and sits between the creek bottom and the steep hill on the south.

Our improvements were so effective that we found a large battery on one of the trails.    We moved the cameras off the roads so we don't know when they were there.

I think this year we need to make further improvements.

1. Expand the current food plot in the east to about 2 acres
   
2. Create a new food plot in the west
3. Create two ponds in the east and west
4. Clear travel corridors.
5. Build a shed
   

The first problem is there is very little natural food in the area.    The entire region is covered with thick tree cover which means there is almost no grass.   The large hardwoods were harvested 30 years ago and conifers now dominate.  The major source of food we found was acorns with the exception of random feeders and food plots sprinkled through the area. Our food plot is just under an acre but it seems that it is too small to support all the hungry deer during the winter.   We need larger food sources to keep the deer in on our property longer.

The land is located on top of a complex of hills which raise an average of 400 ft compared to the surrounding low lands.  This means there is no natural bodies of water in the area aside from creeks which are mostly wet for short periods after rain. The closest body of water we found via exploration or Google Maps is almost two miles to the north and north east.   Thus, I think we need to widen and deepen some of the creeks so they will hold water beyond the rain.

Travel anywhere in the property is difficult.    The easiest travel is the logging road that cuts through the center.   However, cameras there in the past show the deer do not regularly travel on the road.    They prefer minor trails, creeks, and clearings that weave through the property.   In fact, with a food source the east the deer stopped traveling to west completely.      So it appears they were only going in the area in search of food which is no longer worth it.   It was difficult for us to walk to the west as creeks would become impassable and trails would suddenly end.

This means another week of renting a bull dozer.   In addition, we will probably rent a skid steer to shadow the dozer to clear the downed trees.  Right now, we plan for sometime in June.

At some point we need to build a shed.   First, it would help work out logistics of the ultimate goal of building a cabin.    Second, it would provide a place for batteries, solar panels, and much needed storage.      I don't like running the generator while we are there trying to hunt.   To replace the generator we will need a battery bank and a combination of wind and solar to keep them charged.     However, a generator will always be needed during the summer to power the air conditioner.

Land: A New Start

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Next: A Place to Lay Your Head

 

The progress is slow and each trip seems to have a large list of todos.  This created anxiety on each trip when we couldn't get everything done.  The stump grinder was a waste of time and money.  The excavator worked, but we still needed to cut down every tree before digging up the root.  The weather wouldn't cooperate and we are running out of time.     We started considering other ideas because we don't have time to build a cabin before hunting season.   We still needed to fix the road and the price of lumber was going up due to inflation.   

We need to make the end goals more realistic.  While thinking of how to move forward with living arrangements we would start by fixing the road and expand the size of the food plot.    In order to do this we decided to rent a bulldozer.  We rented a D3 from the local Warren Cat.  I felt bad for the delivery drivers since I could only give vague directions using landmarks so they could find our land.     They did an excellent job driving the semi up through those oil/gas roads.   The dozer was put exactly where I requested.

A Road to No Where

The previous owner told us he used to bring his RWD truck down to the camper which suggest the roads were in better shape in the past.  I guess the existing roads were originally about 12 FT wide.   Trees have closed on the road on both sides so that the majority was only 10 FT wide.  The majority of them are thin pines no bigger than 2 inches.  Some spots are more narrow and a couple areas had erosion channels.    The roads haven't been traveled much in the past decades and no one has tried to fix them in at least 15 years judging by the size of the trees.   

Dozers are designed to push in near straight lines.  It will lose traction in sharp turns.   If you have a lot of material on the blade turning becomes impossible with the tracks and you have to turn by adjusting the angle of the blade.   I've never operated a dozer before and couldn't pay someone to do it.    The controls are easy to understand.   The biggest learning curve is adjusting the blade to the changing ground as you go.    You can slow your speed down to a crawl while you learn how to make those changes.  I found the slope assist useful as a novice operator.  It shows what the current pitch of the blade compared to the dozer.     You can set the desired slope and the computer will make the adjustments automatically.

I was able to quickly leveled out the road.    The biggest problem I had was the blade would unearth large rocks which left pits and channels.   Raising the blade to let rocks pass gouged out large hills in front of the blade creating a washboard effect.   The only solution is to back up and try again.    At times, I hit bed rock and had to back fill the area.   Small adjustments of the blade make big changes to the ground.   Feeling the changes made by the blade is delayed because the dozer has to travel to the point of change.    These changes are amplified by the dozer.   If you make a hill by raising the blade too fast then the height will be increased as the dozer begins to climb the hill.     

Aside from basic operations, I learned the best way to make a road is to pitch the blade down on one side to create a channel along the side.  The process is repeated for the other side pushing the extra material to the middle of the road.  The final step is to make passes down the road to level it.    I think this would solve the problem I had with hitting buried rocks since there would be extra material to fill trouble areas.   There so many rocks in the soil it is impossible to get a clean pass.

This method of making roads is a good set up because it creates drain channels on both sides of a level road bed.  The road can be finished with small gravel topped with larger gravel.    This is needed to bring the trucks down safely.    

You can slow erosion by moving large stones into the ditches will slow passing water.   In theory, the road would drain into the ditches and water would pass along the side of the road.  It would also create a road wide enough to accommodate most vehicles.  Roads should have a pitch so the water will not pool on the road.

Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to complete the road and only made one pass leveling the existing road.     I don't think this will be a major issue since only two areas had erosion channels.    We will finish the road next spring.

Food Plot

We went down to the food plot after the work on the road.  We need to make the food plot bigger for the upcoming hunting season.   The dozer was able to push most trees over.   Small pines and hardwoods usually have a shallow root system.  The best way was to raise the blade and push the tree.   Most trees would fall over from the first push.   Back up and lower the blade hooking under the root ball and push out the roots.  

If the tree couldn't be pushed then raise the blade half way and push into the tree while raising the blade.     The medium size trees would pop out quickly.  The large trees could be downed by digging down with the blade on each side of the tree to remove some of it's roots then pushing it over.    It was also good to go slow at this and watch the trees movement.    The tree falling on the dozer probably wouldn't destroy it but replacing broken windows is expensive.   Broken windows or damage to the grill guard is common when clearing land according to the CAT representative.   The fact I returned the dozer without damage is worth a merit badge.

The only tree we couldn't remove was large pines.    Their large roots are too deep to be pushed over as we discovered with the excavator.   The blade cut deep in their soft wood which I think would be unsafe since the tree could snap at that point.   It was suggested the ripper could be used to dig 3 feet down around the large trees then pushing them over.    This would probably work as the removal of the surrounding dirt would make the tree unstable thus easier to push over.   I didn't get a chance to try this method because we were running out of time.  I can't say the idea of pushing over a hundred foot tall 30inch wide tree was appealing.

 

The dozer by far was the easier way to clear land.  I was surprised at the "gas mileage" and only used half a tank in 20 hours.   We were able to increase the size of the food plot by ten fold in a day.   The hard labor came from cutting the trees up so they could be moved by the tractor.  It was easier than before since the tree is on the ground when you start cutting. In fact, removing stumps is more difficult because you lose the weight of the tree as leverage.  It also saved time compared to the excavator because the dozer would remove the roots .   Some of the roots were too big for our tractor and I pushed them to the side with the dozer.  I'm not sure what to do with all these stumps aside from just letting them rot.  I was able to fill and level the area after the trees were gone.    It only took about 8 hours to clear a large area.  The food plot was expanded by at least four times.     Storms are coming and we don't have time to establish a new food plot on the other side of the property.

I was quickly reminded that I should bring extra parts and supplies.    The bar on my chainsaw failed (front bearing) while cutting up the trees but never bought an extra bar.   The bar doesn't fail often, but this one was pinched while trying to fall a large tree that didn't go the way I planned.  We ended up losing half a day while trying to find a compatible bar at the local stores.

The next issue was to figure out what to do about the cabin.

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Next: A Place to Lay Your Head

Land: Making Our Own Path

Previous: Staking Our Claim

Next: A New Beginning

 

The food in the area is scarce during the winter.   The first year we had two corn feeders and the cameras show the deer flocking to the area, but we had the feed interval low to stretch out the corn.   The second year one feeder was destroyed by the pigs and the other motor failed.  The corn feeders brought the deer to our land, but there wasn't enough to hold them there.   We need to make the food plot bigger and expand it to at least an acre or more.   We also wanted to put in a second plot on the other side of the property, but it was late in the season so we settle on making lanes from the plot deeper into the forest.

With four people we managed to clear two lanes about 20 feet long and 6 feet wide in 4 days.   The weather was hot and humid which made the work miserable and exhausting.  The heat index was over 105 every day.    We were so hot we spent the majority of the time drinking water.   It took a long time to fall trees and cut them into pieces the size of firewood so we could move to piles.   This wouldn't work in the future since most of the work would be done by just the two of us.   We realized that some kind of machine would be needed.   

Hauling Ass

The trucks we used as our daily driver were just not suited for hard work.   Our 1/4 ton trucks (5.7L RAM 1500) have served us well and able to pull the Jeep up the mountain to our land even where the slope reaches 20% in some places.     The problem is the trucks struggled on the slopes and the gas mileage was 50% lower than normal.   I was also concerned about the wear on the trucks.

We bought a used 3/4 ton long bed truck (6.7L RAM 2500) with a diesel engine.   We were lucky the truck came with a tool box and 93 gallon transfer tank.   This truck is able to pull the Jeep up the mountain easily and does it while getting 15 MPG.    We only use the truck for trips to the property or long drives.    Diesel trucks are expensive to operate.

Now we have to bring the smaller truck to tow the Jeep when we need the trailer for heavy loads or the tractor.   We feel like we should bring the Jeep at least until the roads are fixed.   

More Toys

 

We started looking at equipment to assist our work.   At first, I planned to use the Jeep to do most of the work.    I thought the wench and chains would be enough to move logs around and we could buy implements designed for UTVs.  Pulling logs around with the Jeep and chain proved difficult because the logs would dig into the ground and were limited where they could be put.     The implements didn't work well either.   Perhaps they would work in a home garden, but it wasn't practical on undeveloped land with rocky soil.    The UTV implements rely on leverage instead of weight to push the chisel down into the ground which means the chisels lift the rear of the Jeep up and just scraps the top of the ground most of the time. 

 

We decided on a Kubota LX2610 with a grapple, box blade, and seedbed roller.     We bought new because of the warranty and financing available at the time.  The tractor we picked is a midsize machine in their compact line running 25 HP.     The draw back of this model is that the PTO runs at 19HP which is not enough to drive many attachments.    The next model L3310 would have been a better choice with more attachments available and the ability to drive them.  The next model jumps in price and cost an additional $100 per month.  The L3310 also has a cab option which is really necessary when working in hot/cold weather.   We considered a skid steer but they are double the price.   It's hard to justify extra expense for something that has limited use.

The tractor is able to lift around 800lbs with the grapple.      My wife and I were able to clear ten times the area with half the people using the tractor.     The time saver was being able to fall trees and cut them into 8 foot logs instead of 12 inch pieces. The tractor can pick up multiple logs at once.   We plan on getting the tires filled which increases the weight of the machine by 800 lbs.   The extra weight is needed to counter lift and makes travel less rough.

The tractor has been worth the price.     If you buy a tractor then go for the biggest one you can afford.    What the tractor can do is only limited by its horsepower and weight.    Too much is always better.    If you are not able to buy a tractor then at least rent one for the land work.  A grease gun and extra grease is also needed.    Even when renting you are expected to lubricate the joints per the manufacturer's recommendation.    They do check.

Vacation Home

Everyone dreams of a weekend get away at a cabin secluded in the woods.  Until this point we had only been there hunting a few weeks of the year.    We tried to make some repairs and improvements to the camper but the years of neglect made it impossible, and the small size makes it uncomfortable even for two people.    The lack of showers and air conditioning makes summer stays impossible. 

Building a permanent cabin would be the best option.  There are many options for foundations but a concrete slab was the best option.    Pier systems will settle and lead to structural issues.   The isolation of the area makes any repairs difficult.    The first problem is getting concrete out to the site no matter what type of foundation is used.   Being able bring bags of concrete are limited by what we can carry out there.     We would need to transport over a ton of cargo in concrete and water just to make a 10X10 3in slab.   The hunting cabins out there are usually utility sheds on cinder blocks.

We met with a concrete company and they said they can deliver to the well pad near us but warned the truck weighs 50,000 lbs when loaded and if the ground is soft the truck would sink.  We would be responsible for the cost of getting the truck out. There's no way for us to guarantee the ground could support that weight.   It wouldn't be possible to pump the concrete because of the distance from the well pad to the build site. Most pumps can only go up to a few hundred feet and it creates additional concrete waste and cost.  I think the best option would be to use a dump trailer to transport the concrete the last quarter mile.  We will be charged by the minute over 45min so the trailer has to carry at least 2 yards so we can make less than 3 trips.   The plan is to fill the trailer from the truck, drive to site, dump, work it, and return in the 45 minutes.  The big truck would be needed to pull the trailer which means there must be enough extra space to maneuver.   First, we will need to clear an area for the cabin and improve the roads.

Search and Destroy

The camper is located is the center of our property which disrupts the entire area when we travel.  We cleared 3,600 squared feet at a new site near the north border.   Cutting down the trees left many stumps around the new cabin site which would prevent building.

The only experience I had for removing tree stumps was a grinder.   They do make grinders for tractors but the low horse power at our PTO means that the attachment can't be used.  We found a company near by that rents self propelled stump grinders.     

Unfortunately, grinding a stump is a slow process.    You can only grid a few inches per pass.  The speed and depth of each pass depends on the size and type of tree.   The big oak trees took forever to grid down.  The grinder also had trouble because the ground is filled with rocks of all shapes and sizes.   If you hit any rocks with the grinder teeth they are instantly dull or broken which means you must dig out the rocks out between passes.    The grinding leaves a lot of the tree in the ground.   The grinder was only able to remove the top 8 inches of the root system.   The left overs may attempt to regrow but I'm concerned it's rotting corpse will make the ground unstable.     I only rented the machine for a day and I was only able to grid 5 trees out of the 20 or so we cut down.  The progress was too slow and incomplete for the cost of the rent.  

Dig it

 

A field of buried, rotting trees would not work for a place where we need a stable foundation.   The next step was to rent an excavator to dig out the remaining stumps.      We rented an excavator and dug out the stumps over two days.  The small stumps could be pulled out in one motion.   I had to dig around the large stumps before pulling them up.     The trees that gave the most issue we pines.   Most trees have a small root ball 1-2 feet deep.  It seems for every 10 feet of height a pine adds a foot of root that is as wide as the trunk.   Pines are natures fence post.    They don't seem to develop this large root until around 30 years.    This means any pine over 18 inches would have to be dug out.

 

We were able to dig out all the remaining trees in two days.  We also removed the stumps we grinded.   We used the tractor to move the stumps to the sides and smooth out areas after the stump was removed.

The excavator was easy to learn to operate.    The main challenge is to synchronize your joystick motions so the arm smoothly scoops then deposits it to the side.     We also started digging a foundation where the cabin would be built.     The area was at a slope so the foundation had to be deep on one side.    This created another problem because the dirt is deposited at some point within the arm's reach.   The alternative is to drive to another spot to dump the load but that would cost extra time.    This will mean you have a pile of dirt that you will have to move again.     Our tractor had difficulty moving these piles due to the clay and rocks.

We aren't making progress like we had hoped.

Previous: Staking Our Claim
Next: A New Beginning

Land: Staking our claim

Previous: Dreaming of Personal Hunting Property
Next: Making Our Own Path

 

We settled on a secluded 80 acres tract at the end of a 13 mile oil/gas road on top of the Oklahoma mountains in SE part of the state.  The majority of the property is usable with wet weather creeks and a rolling topography.  The area has a maze of logging roads with most of them overgrown or damaged by erosion.   There's several natural gas wells in the area and the oil companies keep most of the roads in good shape.  The last half mile of road that crosses through a field from a well pad will be our responsibility.

The majority of the trees are pine and post oaks.    The land was logged in 1995 taking every tree over 8 inches except for the pine.  The pine trees quickly filled in gaps and many of the remaining hardwoods were stunted by fast growing pines shading them.  

The biggest issue with a secluded location is you must bring everything you need and include backups in case something runs out or breaks.     The consequences of ignoring this can be annoying or even life threatening.    A good example is our frequent use of a chainsaw which means I need tools to fix problems and extra parts.     If the chain breaks then I can't continue working until I find a store that carries a compatible chain.  This is a big problem because the surrounding small towns have a limited selection.   If the truck breaks down or even a flat tire then I better have food, water, and shelter available until the truck can be repaired. The first rule is always have a plan A and plan B.

Neglected 

 

The last owner had not been to the area for at least a two decades and was still reluctant to sell the land due to protest from his kids.    He left a small food plot and a truck camper built in 1963 that had been there for at least 30 years.    The camper has heavy water damage and bullet holes.    

He told us that he found a marijuana field during the mid 1990's while scouting.     He reported the location to law enforcement and the growers shot up the camper for revenge.  He had fixed most of the broken glass but the appliances were beyond repair.    A hail storm damaged the roof vents which allowed water to leak in during the years of his absence.      The majority of the wood in the roof and over hang was rotting.    A friend of his attempted to make repairs to the camper more than 10 years ago.   He placed supports under the overhand and a tarp to cover the leaking roof vents.   There was evidence of multiple failed attempts to fix the water leaks.   He had replaced most of the interior panels but failed to replace the wooden frame of the camper.   

The window screens were old and would tear with a slight touch which only left one window that could be opened without an army of insects invading.    The interior curtains were in the same state as the fabric and tore like tissue paper.  We filled all the gaps with foam and attempted to replace the roof vents which failed because of structural issues.   We also attempted to replace damaged wood in the frame but this caused more issues since frame was made from 1X1 studs with metal panels nailed to them.  Removing the rotten wood damaged the outside panels and the entire frame was in various states of decay.   We decided repairing the camper would not be possible.   This would also be difficult to complete since we have to bring everything with us and a 40 minute trip to get materials.  We would need to find something else then dispose of the old camper.

Off Roading

We have a 4x4 truck but didn't want to take our only mode of transportation down questionable or non-existent roads. This was due to having a flat from lose rocks on a previous trip where it was our only transportation and forced us to stay over night.

We looked at getting a ATV/UTV, like a Razor, that could be used to get around the property.  Having an additional vehicle would serve as a back up in case something broke down. It's much easier to throw a tire in the back for the 40 minute trip to town rather than hiking while rolling it through the hills.

We bought a used (1991) Jeep Wrangler.  We chose a Jeep because they are easy to work on and cheap to repair.   Jeeps have a strong social following which means there are endless aftermarket options.   (Winch, light bars, etc.)   Our Jeep has high ground clearance with aggressive mud tires.   It's versatile enough to pull a light trailer and drag plows.  It is also street legal with a good size fuel tank and storage space.     It's easy to tow since many people flat tow them behind RVs.    Buy a tow bar and you can tow it anywhere.     (Check local regulations)

I wired permanent tow lights by adding side markers and brake. The straight 6 gas engine provide a lot of power for it's body size.  It has never gotten stuck and has been able to go over any type of terrain.   I'm not saying it would go through an obstacle course but everything we bring out to the property must be practical due to the cost.

NOTE: "Flat tow" simply means the Jeep is not on a trailer and rolls on it's own tires.    This is done by putting the transmission in 5th gear and the transfer case in neutral.    The transmission should be kept in gear to keep the transmission from turning without oil during transportation.   (The oil pump is on the input shaft of the transmission which means the transmission won't be lubricated unless the engine is running.   Towing while the transmission is neutral will wear out the transmission.)   The transfer case is set to neutral so the tires spin freely.  (The transfer case oil pump is on the output shaft so it will lubricate anytime the wheels are turning.)

Home Sweet Home

We have spent several nights in the camper despite its current state.   The thought of the overhang collapsing was constantly in the back of my mine but at this point we have little choice.  We brought freeze dried food and bottled water.  We use a camping toilet with a pop up tent.  We have a propane camping stove and lantern.    During the cold months we use a Mr. Heater which was enough to keep the camper warm and wake up hibernating wasp.  It would run on the low setting for at least 8 hours with a 1 lbs propane bottle.   It's cheaper to get a large propane tank and refill the 1 lbs bottle using an adapter. (Use at your own risk)   You can refill a 20lbs propane bottle $20 while a new 1lbs cost $10.  You need forceps to pull up on the vent to refill the bottle to the top.    If it sticks open then quickly pull it up again and release.   The heater used the most propane going through 15lbs of propane in a week.

I was paranoid about leaving the heater running during the night even though the heater says it is "indoor safe".   Running the heater fills the camper with a smell of burning propane and fogs the windows.  I always have an alarm for CO2 and propane and the alarm never went off while using the heater.  We still turned off the heater  before going to sleep.   Another important lesson is to look at the rating of your sleeping bag to make sure it will handle the temperatures.    A 32F rated sleeping bag is worthless when the temperature drops below freezing and leads to sleepless nights hugging the heater to stay warm.

I would say we were lucky to have the camper since the only alternative at the time was to pitch a tent. We didn't really consider this when we first got started on the land.   None of the other properties we looked at had any kind of shelter.

The Hunt

We set up tree stands at various spots and have pop up blinds for every where else.  We wake up in the early morning and walk to the stand for the hunt often staying all day in the field.  Staying out there was a shock because living in the city makes you forget how beautiful the night sky is.  The area is dead quiet at night with the occasional coyote. 

We set up game cameras where there was any evidence of deer.    The best camera we found for the price is StealthCam.    The cheaper cameras were unreliable and filled the memory cards within a week with thousands of pictures of leaves fluttering in the wind.

We use Energizer Lithium batteries which last eight months or more.   The cameras will reset their date/time when the batteries get weak even though they continue taking pictures.  Every time we go to the property we check the cameras and reposition them if they aren't getting a lot of deer traffic. When checking the cameras, I check a couple of the batteries (out of 8) and replace the memory card replacing with a blank card.  I have a portable viewer but most of the time I review the pictures at home.

Herd

The cameras indicated deer are moving in the area.  It appears there is very little hunting pressure in the area.  Most deer prefer to move along the edges.   This could be the edge between the trees and a grassland or even the edge between rows of different tree species.  The easy path you would take through the woods is often the same choice the deer make unless they are panicked.    They don't like low branches hitting their heads or thorns any more than you.  I have see a couple solitary does travel though the thickest parts of the forest and even come close to us.

 

The ground is hard and tracks aren't visible unless the ground is wet.    Tracking the deer through the woods is difficult.    We saw very little signs of deer even when regular travel is shown on the camera.  In fact, most of our cameras are places by educated guesses.   It random chance to see any deer even though the cameras indicated our presence didn't change their behavior. 

Dinner Time

We realized that the deer were only traveling though our land.   We don't have a reliable food or water sources giving them little reason to stay.    We do have some creeks but they are lower than the surrounding area and deer won't go into places where they can't watch for approaching predators.  This means that any encounter with a deer is by chance alone and backed by over a year of pictures from the game cameras.

 

We tried to provide food with corn feeders but deer would knock them over and wild pigs would destroy them even when strapped to a tree. This means we need to put in food plots since wild pigs don't see to bother with live plots.   The cameras never found the pigs in the planted food plot but they would also come within a week of refilling the corn feeders.   They must really like corn.

The food plot (20FT Squared) was small but we planted it in the second year.   First, we would take soil samples then spray the area with RoundUp.   We added a fertilizer and lime to the ground as indicated by the soil test.   Two weeks later we dragged a cultipacker to flatten the dead plants then put out seeds.     The plot was completely green when we returned for hunting two months later despite several cold snaps.     The food plot is too small as the deer had ate the plants down to where only about an inch of growth could be seen.    It was such a clean cut that the most attentive golf course manager would be proud to play there.   At least the seeds germinated well and were a hit with local wild life.

The following spring the food plots were ignored by the deer leaving the grains and clover to overgrow.   I suspect this is because the forest is filled with food sources during the warm months.   Most of what I've read says this isn't a big problem because providing food year round will lead to many does since does tend to stay in the same general area and push bucks out.

No Trespassing

 

Trespassers will be an issue every where despite posting signs on the major access points.    We have been fortunate that we have had few trespassers and little was stolen.    The only thing we know was stolen was the memory cards of a couple cameras obviously to conceal their identity.  They didn't see all the cameras and we got pictures of the same people moving though our land.    I assume they were exploring or didn't know there was new owners that were active since they haven't been seen since.      We reported them to the local sheriff's department.    The sheriff department was helpful as they take trespassing seriously especially with fields of expensive oil equipment.

If the problem get worse we would consider installing a fence or blocking the road.  Often these roads are the only way to get around the area and blocking a road could prevent people from reaching their land on the other side.  I'm sure these people own property nearby but I have not received responses to any of my attempts at contact them and arrange access.

The last step we can take to contact them is to review the plot book at the county courthouse.   We have been so busy with other task that we haven't taken the time to do this.   We also need to explore the network of logging roads to see what's around us and possible alternative routes out.

Going through Changes

It seemed obvious that we need to make changes to the land to get deer to come and stay on our property.   We read information from many authors include Whitetail Solutions.    (Their site seems to be one of the better ones with lots of free material. )   

We also contacted the local forestry department for recommendations.    Our local department did a complete evaluation indicating the tree species and animals.  Their biggest advice was to hire someone to perform controlled burns to remove debris from the forest floor.   This is definitely something I would not do myself.   They also recommended adding food sources and clearing trails through the heavily wooded areas.

We need to make improvements for our comfort as well.   The camper is uncomfortable to stay in for more than a few days and the deer treat our land as a highway.    Adding some modern comforts would make our hunt more enjoyable and adding a convenience store on the deer highway would encourage them to spend more time on our property which would make a successful hunt more likely.

Most of our neighbors don't seem to use their land for any purpose with the closest hunting cabin being 4 miles north of us.  A large portion of the land to our north is used by a company as a natural stone supply.  Any improvements we make should draw deer from the entire area.

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Next: Making Our Own Path