If you can somehow control water level, maybe you could plant an acre or two on the upstream side with corn (if that grows in your neck of the woods) and then flood that area for duck season. I hunt a state fish & wildlife area here where they do that and the ducks can't stay away no matter how many guns are blasting. They just gotta have some underwater corn.
Hey Mike, please post a shot of your Arctic White GSX. I haven't seen it in so long and I miss it. I know how heartbroken Al was to have to sell it, and I think he'd probably like to see it again too.
Notice the blue pipe coming out of the lower dam face in the center? I'll be able to drain it down to whatever point I need to do for shore & shallows maintenance. Typically they drain them down to about 50% surface area in the winter to compress the fish together so the bucket mouths can prey on and control population of the bream (bluegill, sunfish), as well as to manage weeds in the shallows. I had also planned for about a 50' buffer all around the shoreline to the woods. That will offer a lot of land for feed crops like corn, clover, etc. I calculated 50' around the shoreline to total about 3 or 4 acres. Yardley, as for Al's GSX... It's safely tucked away in a climate controlled garage in Chicago area. Unfortunately I don't have any new pictures of it since I bought it and the site won't let me upload any of the old ones because they were already posted before. I may be selling my condo in Illinois pretty soon, in which case the four cars still up there will need to be moved down to MS with me. There's Chris's 71GS455 4spd convert blue/tan/black, Gary's 72GS Stage1 green/black, Al's GSX455 4spd 10-10, and Moz/Randy's 71GSX455 black/gold/black clone still up there to move. If anyone's got a suggestion for cheapest safe way to move all four at the same time, I'm all ears. I've got volunteer drivers but not sure all four would make it without some mishap along the way.
Well, the dam and lake are done. What I need now is rain to fill it up. Next comes grass seeding on the dam and lake edges, repairing fences taken down during construction, etc. Had a pad built for a 60x80' storage building. Also a lot of roads, including a boat ramp. Over 40 dump trucks of crushed concrete for the road surfaces was more than I originally had planned on. Also cleared about 1/2 mile of creek bed of logs and beaver dams, redug it out, and cleared about 25' on one side for easier future maintenance. The brushpiles and fires were numerous and enormous. Too many side stories to talk about here, just hoping it all comes together. I visited a local steel building dealer today to put that in motion, and have a fence guy coming out Saturday to show him where I want it rebuilt, it's only about 400' of barbed wire which won't cost too much. Here's a few pics of the empty lake bed and the dam if interested.
The pond is filling up with rain almost daily. Mostly heavy thunderstorms in the afternoons. Erosion is a concern on the dam, along the roads, and shoreline. Haven't been able to put down any grass seed yet. I've shifted gears, and buying 30 acre place adjacent to the farm. Property touches on one corner. This property is about 1100' along main Hwy 51 and it has a 2br 1ba "cabin" on it. Really a tin pole barn that is half boxed in for a cabin and the back half is open for equipment storage. It's perfect for what I need right now. Am really excited about this new place. Also am planning to purchase a Kubota L5240 next week with cab, bucket loader, bush hog, box, and a RTV900 4wd. Looking for discounts on those as a group purchase and zero financing... Then I can really get to work and shape up the place. Here's a pic of the new cabin. It's nicer on the inside than it looks. In fact, it's better security for what's inside because you're first impression is that nothing of value is in there. I've been thinking of putting a MEN sign and mounting a urinal in the bathroom. 148 acres of hunting and fishing, ATV trails, etc. It's outside of cell phone coverage so when you're there nobody can call you to tell you to come home. What gets better than that these days?
Mike, does the lake have a tributary? Or is it only run off that feeds it? Will you be at NTR in 2 1/2 weeks? If you are serious about spending all your money before Christmas, you can put my kids through college for me.
Lake is fed by run off, but there are a couple ditches coming into it off the neighbor's 250 acres of woods. Not planning any events right now, because I am too busy with this. However, along with all the farm equipment I'm getting an open trailer that will be suitable for car hauling too, so in that sense am one step closer to being able to go.
Awwwww, c'mon Mike! Columbus isn't THAT far. I think I owe you a beer for something, but I forget what.
Yardley, 800 miles is a pretty good hike. They're telling me my trailer is on order from Texas and will take about three weeks to get here. Looks very doubtful. I don't want to burn 100 gallons of gas for the trip if I can't race a little bit too. Keep that beer offer open. I was at the first BPG Nats and I will return.
Hey Mike , Did you get my e-mail yesterday ? I used the new e-mail addy . Hope its in effect as of now
Mike , You must have been reading my mind!!! That is EXACTLY what I want to do one day. Can't wait to get up there. Remember you're less than an hour away from my mom. P.S. Let me know if you change your mind about any road trips. I'm a great co-pilot......:idea2:
I'm up for having you here. The Kubota 5240 tractor, Kubota RTV900, and a Honda Rancher (420cc) 4x4 are on site now at the farm. I think we could have a good time running on the trails. Would Sept work? By then I plan to have some bunk beds at the cabin which is 2br 1ba for over nighters as well as back at the lake house on Ross Barnett Reservoir that is 3br 3ba. Lets make it a surf and turf weekend... Some time on the farm with the atvs dodging snakes (shooting them if possible) and some time on the reservoir on the party barge fishing for cats or crappie, your preference. I just got some interesting ammo for my 9mm Bersa pistol (shoulder holster) that shoots buckshot for snakes. Haven't tried it out yet. Would be more convenient than lugging a shotgun around if it's "enough" to get them in one shot.
Did I scare everyone off? We can leave the guns out of the equation, and just do some trail riding. I spent a full day yesterday bush hogging, clearing trails along the creek with three or four exits into the hayfield through a narrow line of woods, and cleaning up around the dam. Haven't located the beaver dams to break them yet, but the front of the tractor did fall into a beaver tunnel about 15' from the creek at one point. Fortunately I had the bucket loader on it to push some trees off the trails, so I could lower it to lift the front end out of the holes to back out of them. My neighbor to the north who has a couple hundred acre farm heard me out there and came by with four of his dogs to say hello just about that time. We pledged to work together on the beavers. When my creek is blocked it backs up onto his land too so we have a common interest.
Mike, I'm tired tonight, but the first things that popped into my mind involved cheesy music, dance poles, and......well you can guess the rest.:laugh: ou: If I were closer, I'd take you up on that offer. I haven't had the chance to target shoot at anything for several years now. Don't worry, I've taken firearm safety courses in my youth. Seriously, beavers can be annoying pests at the best of times. They are just too darned good at dam building. They cause problems up here too. A few years ago, the Trans Canada Highway near Kenora, ON was closed for three days due to a beaver dam blowing apart, and washing the highway out. It happened in a spot with no possible detour around it. I had passed by that very spot only about four hours previous to the washout.:eek2: :eek2:
