I'm wore out! - fencing

Soundguy · Oct 4, 2004

I\'m wore out! - fencing

Yesterday me and the wife went out for lunch, and on the way home stopped by down the road to look at the pasture I'm renovating. I had just mowed it friday, and it has been really looking good lately.. grass is overtaking the weeds by leaps and bounds.

When we pulled up we discovered that some ?kids? with ATV's had spun out all over the front of the property.

I've had the occasional car or truck get stuck and then spinout in the road and drive up on the grass now and then.. but this was way too much.

The pasture is side fenced curtesy of the neighbors, but has no front fence. I had been planning on fencing it after I got it ready for cows.. which it may be next year... leaving the fence down lets me mow it a tad easier.

Well.. as the ?parents? can't seem to take care of thier kids down that road, I was left with no choice but to 'emergency' fence it.

At 2pm yesterday I grabbed the survey and estimated my fencing needs, hitched the flatbed trailer and made haste to tractor supply. Bought about 300$ worth of twine, t-posts, corner and brace posts, brace wire, u-nails, and some 4" 20d nails, a 80rod roll of gaucho barbed wire, a wire roll holder tool, and a post pounder and 14' tube gate with support wheel.

I already had the usual gear.. fence pliers, PHD, and my tractor jack, which can be re-assembled specifically as a fence puller. I also brought a small power drill and an inverter.

I got to the 'jobsite' at about 3:30 dropped in my 2 farthest corner and brace posts, and my gate side posts and braces. Pulled my string, and then marked off my tposts with orange paint sprays on the ground. Layed out my posts on the ground from the trailer and then started pounding posts. Boy.. after sinking those posts and the corner posts and braces.. I was slam wore out.

Pulle dmy first strand of wire, fiddled with the jack to figure out how to pull wire with it.. found out it works great!. Pulled my other 2 strands. Clipped the wire to the t-posts, and then hooked up the inverter and drill. By this time it was dark and I was working by headlights. Inverter was a tad undersized.. but did the job for the 2 gate bolts. Got the gate hung and balanced.. slapped the support wheel on, added a masterlock and masterlock steel cable with eye loops to the gate.
I drove the fence and collected my extr tposts and tools and checked my wire clips.. left.. and got home and the trailer unloaded by 9pm.. again.. let me state I was wore out. 333' of fencing kicked my but. Honestly though.. I didn't think I was gonna be able to do it in one day... Hopefully this will keep the atv's off my pasture.

Soundguy

Bird · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

( I was wore out )

I can imagine. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif That's quite a job for one day.

Varmintmist · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

You might want to get out there TODAY and hang some red flags off it, one inch red marking tape every 5 or 6 feet. Somthing to mark the fence. Little Johnny doesnt see the fence while trespassing (stealing) where he has trespassed before, you could be in doo doo.

I hate trespassers and as far as I am concerned if they DIE while screwing up my property, fine. However the law, read trial lawyers, have this all @#$%$# up. You are liable in most states for the theif's (tresspassers) well being. Unless they are hunting. If they are hunting they are engaged in a hazerdous sport and take their own chances. Tresspassing with a 4 wheeler apparently isnt dangerous. Dont know the exact law in your state, but I bet its as screwed up as here.

shvl73 · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

 ATV's had spun out all over the front of the property. 
ATV's are a real problem everywhere it seems. We abut a state park with signs saying "stay on the trail or stay home" but, the ATV'ers seem to think all property, public or private, is their playground. Extremely frustrating. I'd like to see greater enforcment but, there isn't much of a penalty so it most likely woundn't amount to much. They sure can do some damage though.

shvl73 · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

You would think it would occur to the creeps, that if it's not their own property, they are most likely not welcome with their loud, destructive toys & are definitely trespassing.

Gatorboy · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

I know the feeling of seeing your hard work pooped on. Early this spring I had several doughnuts spun on my front section from Jeeps and Pickup trucks (as witnessed by neighbor across the street), and now it seems as though every kid within 2 miles has a 4-wheeler and was using my property as their personal playground.

So, in June I put up a 2-wire high tensile fence -- not to keep any animals in, but just to keep the joy-riders at bay. You can see from my picture the 4-wheeler tracks as well as a well-traveled route up/down the hill.

This fence has done an excellent job keeping the kids and teens from entering in through the main road.

ByronBob · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

I belong to a snowmobile club. It's hard to look good in a recreational sport when it takes 1 bad apple to ruin it for others. We've now got the DEC in N.Y taking a much more proactive approach to checking for I/D ect... on the trails. This is starting to spill over to ATV's.
Being a land owner it's hard to like activities like mine when stuff like this happens and I'd do the same. Some people are trying to make a difference so maybe someday they will in your area too.

shvl73 · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

I wonder if requiring membership in a club to ride on public land would help? It may be a little too invasive, but it's a thought.

pekabu · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

I belong to a Snowmobile club in NH also. There is a law that has been used a couple of times that if caught, you can get damages I think times X. Problem is catching, and usually 1 ATV isn't the issue, it's repeated use that wears things done. ATV usage in NH is an issue.

ATV's are fun and can be very helpful. There are several problems.

1st. They are not babysitters. Parents need to be involved and ensure proper usage!!!!

2nd. Trails. There is very little legal riding area in Southern NH, so almost any riding is illegal. It would be great if there were more trails. This would help a lot with the illegal riding.

It would be nice if I could take my ATV out and check the trails. It would be a lot quicker on it than taking out the truck, or riding my bike.

shvl73 · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

The state park that we abut is on federal property managed by the Corps Of Engineers. This dike ends at our land. Last winter we had a problem with snowmobiles coming down & around the gate & into our field, then up our driveway. A orange plastic fence put a stop to it & this summer I took more permanent measures.