Smoothing hog rooting?

[hks003]

Hi,

So I live on 4 acres on the edge of town, and I recently had some hogs rooting around in my yard. It took a couple weeks for me to see them in the daylight so I could eradicate the culprits (2 of 4 and haven't seen them since), so my yard got pretty torn up along a creek bank where they congregated.

I have my dad's grader blade and attempted to use it today to smooth this out. I made decent progress, it is smoother, but the top layer I scraped up had a good bit of live grass in it, and lots of it stayed clumped up and wouldn't spread. Either the whole pile drug, or the whole pile slid under the blade. This happened moving forwards or backwards.

I got it relatively smoothed, with a few clumps of dirt and grass left laying around. Any tips as to how to get this fully smoothed out? That dirt came out, it needs to go back (I can see the low spots...).

After working an hour or so on a 15x20 ft section, my neck was getting sore and I was getting mad, so I called it a day and will tackle the other 2 areas another day.

 

[3Ts]

The problem with a yard is the grass. It just doesn't seem to go back in the same way it comes out. Tell the hogs they have to put things back the way they found it. :laughing:

I tried a blade many different ways and was never satisfied with the results. I finally broke down and got a 3ph rototiller to break up the area into consistent sizes, then used the blade to smooth it all out. Worked much better that way and was relatively quick, even changing between the 2 implements. The key is to not till it to much. You want the grass rhizomes to remain intact so they resprout quickly, just enough to break up the clods into small pieces that can be spread evenly.

 

[TractorGuy]

When they tore up my yard I just pulled a roller over it. The soil had to be damp. Wasn't perfect but the holes seemed to fill in over time.

Been fighting armadillo lately. They dig just as bad.

 

[jaxs]

Beg,barrow,buy or steal a box blade. There's day and night difference between box and straight blades for doing this. Soil from holes always get's spread over the intire area while grading leaving low spots where holes were. It's usually necessary to bring in soil to finish filling low spots.
As for the two that left,they'll be back when their next litter is big enough to root.

 

[oosik]

My side yard - 120 x 200 - looked like a practice range for the Army's 2nd Light Artillery brigade. Pocket gophers. I tried my big 'ol Land Pride LPGS. Does not work well in and amongst the dirt mounds & grass. Made a drag - ten foot greasy old railroad tie - rope bridal - pulled with my ATV.

Everything smoothed out well - no grass torn up. Just starting to see new grass where the dirt was spread.

Now I have to trap those !@#$ gophers.

 

[hks003]

I've been looking for a box blade, but the cheap ones are no good and the good ones ain't cheap or are beat to death... I don't know anyone that has one either.

Beg,barrow,buy or steal a box blade. There's day and night difference between box and straight blades for doing this. Soil from holes always get's spread over the intire area while grading leaving low spots where holes were. It's usually necessary to bring in soil to finish filling low spots.
As for the two that left,they'll be back when their next litter is big enough to root.

 

[skipperbrown]

I just hit a couple of food plots that had been torn up by hogs. It was so rough that I could only move forward at about 1 mph or I'd get thrown off the tractor! It was like artillery had been going off. It's ridiculous. Anyway, I pulled my rototiller over it once and it really helped, but didn't fix it completely. I'd rototill or disk in 90 degree patterns or a 6 way pattern if necessary then smooth with your blade.

 

[jaxs]

I've been looking for a box blade, but the cheap ones are no good and the good ones ain't cheap or are beat to death... I don't know anyone that has one either.

It's unfortunate that you can't borrow one for this job,I believe you would be sold if you have a gravel drive. I've owned an entery level box(equvilent to TSC) for over 20 years and still work's as well as the day it was new. Unless the box is used at least 4 or 5 hours every week,hydrauliclly operated rippers and leveler aren't worth what they add to cost. I'm curious as why you don't like cheaper box blades. Your G3038 can handle a 5' and 6' box with ease and choices are limitless.
A rake of some sort might help gather grass clumps into a single pile where it can be better managed.

 

[oosik]

A little too late but. A neighbor down the way just bought a brand new very HD Rhino 3-point rototiller. He saw my Artillery range - sic, side lawn. Offered to let me use it. Shallow tilling - maybe dragging - reseeding would have been better. I just might take him up on that. AFTER I exterminate my current crop of pocket gophers.

 

[hks003]

It's unfortunate that you can't borrow one for this job,I believe you would be sold if you have a gravel drive. I've owned an entery level box(equvilent to TSC) for over 20 years and still work's as well as the day it was new. Unless the box is used at least 4 or 5 hours every week,hydrauliclly operated rippers and leveler aren't worth what they add to cost. I'm curious as why you don't like cheaper box blades. Your G3038 can handle a 5' and 6' box with ease and choices are limitless.
A rake of some sort might help gather grass clumps into a single pile where it can be better managed.

I've been told by many on here to stay away from light weight box blades. I assume because of the same issue I'm having with dad's blade, not heavy enough and just bounces over stuff.