Building my tractor bridge across the creek

[JethroB]

Something to be proud of for a long time.

 

[deezler]

Bridge is holding up well. Been a pretty mild, tame winter so far, so no real tests so far in that regard.

I did finally go fetch some firewood logs from a newly downed ash tree on the other side of the bridge recently. The decking boards all pinged and popped a little while driving across, probably had ice in between them and whatnot, or just general settling. Doesn't look like anything came loose though.

But it is definitely nice having a convenient way across the creek for nature walks and whatnot. Here's my buddy with his daughter (foreground) who was born just six days after my own (background). They're buddies; thankful to be sharing a covid bubble with them over the past year.

My other buddy also appreciated having a bridge to haul his two bucks across that he snagged during bow season.

 

[fried1765]

Bridge is holding up well. Been a pretty mild, tame winter so far, so no real tests so far in that regard.

I did finally go fetch some firewood logs from a newly downed ash tree on the other side of the bridge recently. The decking boards all pinged and popped a little while driving across, probably had ice in between them and whatnot, or just general settling. Doesn't look like anything came loose though.

But it is definitely nice having a convenient way across the creek for nature walks and whatnot. Here's my buddy with his daughter (foreground) who was born just six days after my own (background). They're buddies; thankful to be sharing a covid bubble with them over the past year.

My other buddy also appreciated having a bridge to haul his two bucks across that he snagged during bow season.

The bridge looks good ,..... but the children are BEAUTIFUL !!

 

[EddieWalker]

any pics of the bucks?

 

[deezler]

Sure, here they are. Both kinda little, taken just a few days apart. I wasn't super thrilled he took smaller ones, but it's not like there's any shortage in my area (urban/rural boundary, minimal hunting pressure). But I always have to wonder... how do you expect to ever nab a 10-pointer if you kill the 6-pointers? He left a nice little blood streak across my bridge decking, lol.

 

[BackRoad]

Mr. Deezler, agree with you on the buck hunt.

I've got 35 acres mixed woods and fields, surrounded by larger parcels with similar mixed growth...limited hunting pressure...not severe, but everyone hunting is looking for horns.

Lots of deer...often 12 or 15 at a time grazing my fields...but the biggest buck has been an 8 pointer.

I let a neighbor who sits on 1 acre, and his buddy hunt my land...may change it to allow them to hunt every other year.

My thoughts are similar to yours...if you keep shooting the 6 and 8s, you'll never get 10's.

 

[EddieWalker]

That's pretty much what the state of Texas decided with antler restriction about a decade ago. We can shoot spikes, or mature bucks with a spread of 13 inches or better. This allows us to shoot for meat, or let the youngsters time to grow up a little. In my game camera pictures, I have a few spikes, half a dozen bucks that are illegal, and usually one or two that meet the antler restrictions to be legal.

Thanks for sharing the pictures, those bucks are going to make a lot of great dinners!!!

 

[LouNY]

Well it's your property you can set the rules.
When bow hunter use my place it's 8 pointers wide enough for a basketball to fit in the rack or does.
Had a couple of guys that took spikes every year they don't hunt here anymore,
one of them got a bit pissy about it till he decided he would be better off shutting up and getting off the property.

 

[deezler]

^ yeah, we didn't review these particular details pre-hunt. Live and learn.

 

[Grumpycat]

Great work!

When we build lesser bridges for dirtbikes and ATVs we attach 2x4s flat on top of the decking as “rails”. Your rails differ in being attached to the outside ends of the decking. During races our bridges are often covered with mud where these rails help keep a spinning tire from sliding off.