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11/30/09, 02:13 PM
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Can't find bacon seeds
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the move again
Posts: 1,493
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Advice for cleaning up an Ozark "jungle" property?
LOL ok I don't know what else to call it.
I am looking at two properties in southern MO and they are what I would call, um, "overgrown". As in take out your machete and hack at the jungle overgrown.
One is 10 acres and one is 50-ish. Raw land. Timber. And more tightly packed species of who knows what than I have seen other than pics in National Geographic.
Now here in CO the pines just don't turn quite as jungle like. LOL
Ok so on to my question. lol If I were to purchase said property... what kind of "must have RIGHT now" tools/equipment should I have? Other than said machete ofcourse.  What we use here is for a much different climate. I am not trying to cut the whole place down, but a couple acres in the middle and some paths would help. At present you can't even drive into either one.
Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question... it's just alot different than the places I have looked at in CO and I like to be prepared.
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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.
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11/30/09, 02:17 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posts: 5,492
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You need fencing and some goats! They will happily clear all of that for you. You don't even have to fence it all at once, just do a bit at a time and keep moving the goats into the fresh territory.
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Wags Ranch Nigerians
"The Constitution says to promote the general welfare, not to provide welfare!" ~ Lt. Col Allen West
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11/30/09, 02:55 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: N. E. TX
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The 'goat answer' was not viable for us b/c we don't yet live at our property. So we started out going on wkends & 'clipping' w/pruners. Like we were Amish & couldn't use power tools. 
Got a used old tractor & bush hog. Wow! Big diff. But that can't get into most of our 'jungle' of briars/honeysuckle/wild grapevine/VA creeper. So got a used DR mower that is worth it's weight in gold!
Patty
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11/30/09, 03:13 PM
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In Remembrance
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 6,844
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Is there marketable timber on it you can have cut. Specify where you want the logging yard to be and where the main entry and exit roads will be. The loggers then clear out a glade and provide the roads.
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11/30/09, 03:22 PM
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Can't find bacon seeds
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the move again
Posts: 1,493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wags
You need fencing and some goats! They will happily clear all of that for you. You don't even have to fence it all at once, just do a bit at a time and keep moving the goats into the fresh territory.
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I do plan on goats... currently one would need the national Guard to come find them if one were to attempt to walk in and put up fencing.
It's THAT overgrown. Now if someone could just drop me in the middle I would never have to worry about being found or any zombies coming for my brains. I don't think they could get through.  Ofcourse if they dropped me in the middle I might not be able to touch the ground either. 
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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.
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11/30/09, 03:25 PM
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Can't find bacon seeds
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tricky Grama
The 'goat answer' was not viable for us b/c we don't yet live at our property. So we started out going on wkends & 'clipping' w/pruners. Like we were Amish & couldn't use power tools.
Got a used old tractor & bush hog. Wow! Big diff. But that can't get into most of our 'jungle' of briars/honeysuckle/wild grapevine/VA creeper. So got a used DR mower that is worth it's weight in gold!
Patty |
Yeah, I have way too many pruners. Though I was scared of trying to use them... the "jungle" might fight back. Hence my desire to show it who's boss with the machete.
Ofcourse it probably wont listen to me and I will still need some sort of gps tracker on all of us so I don't lose a child in there.
Aww makes me think of the "Jumanji" movie. Maybe I should name it "Jumanji Acres"? My kids will end up looking like Robin Williams did when he first came out of the game.
I may need an elephant gun for "safety". LOL
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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.
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11/30/09, 05:58 PM
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In Remembrance
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: SW Mo.
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All joking aside, and speaking from experience, don't get too wrapped up in getting it cleaned at once. What is the smallest area you need right away, that is the area you need to concentrate on.
You have pruners, brush hog and a DR cutter. Clean up the area you need and an area for a future fence line. When you get moved in put up the fence and turn the goats loose....Seriously they will clean it out really good and quick. And the best part is that they think poison ivy is better than candy. It will all get done in Gods good time.
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11/30/09, 06:11 PM
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Freya, first, how far are these places from Arkansas... PM me if they are within 50 miles of Mammoth Springs ...I may be able to help... mike
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11/30/09, 06:15 PM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,490
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Hey, when I'm in Missouri, I'm within 50 miles of Mammoth Spring!!
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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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11/30/09, 06:25 PM
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An Ozark Engineer
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Powhatan, AR
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IF you do get it timbered out, take my (BTDT) advice, and be ON SITE when the loggers come. DH and I were states away when the loggers came to our property, and they stole several valuable trees that they were told to leave alone. Just my 2 cents.
NeHi
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11/30/09, 06:34 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: north Alabama
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Also - word of warning on machete use. Lots of use of one can mess up your shoulder. A lot of the shock when you hit something hard gets transferred to the elbow and shoulder. The effects may not show until years later. If you do use a machete, get a fairly heavy bladed one and hold the handle lightly - almost so light it wants to fly out of your hand. And wear thick gloves to pad some of the shock.
A bush hog is really the tool for most of those tasks though. Check craigslist in the farm and garden section for folks who do this for extra money.
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11/30/09, 06:59 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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It might be worth your money to buy a week's worth of dozer time?
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11/30/09, 07:42 PM
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Rose, that is a good idea, BUT, this is the Ozarks and you have to be with those animals almost all the time...if it is that overgrown you could not get in to get them out to protect them at night and on 50 acres you may not even be able to find them... in my area I have to bring all of my pasture pets into a well confined fenced area at night...just this week we ran off an owl and shot three possums around the chickens...last week it was a couple coon... the goats always have dogs and coyotes giving them a hard time in their well protected yards and housing at night...can't remember how many have been shot on the place just this last year alone...worst part is, we haven't even put a dent in the population of them yet...mike
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11/30/09, 08:30 PM
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Can't find bacon seeds
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the move again
Posts: 1,493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nehimama
IF you do get it timbered out, take my (BTDT) advice, and be ON SITE when the loggers come. DH and I were states away when the loggers came to our property, and they stole several valuable trees that they were told to leave alone. Just my 2 cents.
NeHi
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I have heard this and want to keep the timber myself. I am hoping to try building a cordwood house and my oldest son has an interest in woodworking. But if I did sell any I would be there!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea
Also - word of warning on machete use. Lots of use of one can mess up your shoulder. A lot of the shock when you hit something hard gets transferred to the elbow and shoulder. The effects may not show until years later. If you do use a machete, get a fairly heavy bladed one and hold the handle lightly - almost so light it wants to fly out of your hand. And wear thick gloves to pad some of the shock.
A bush hog is really the tool for most of those tasks though. Check craigslist in the farm and garden section for folks who do this for extra money.
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Good advice thank you. I am not as keen about machete work with alot of poison ivy now. Having someone come in and brush hog is high on the list since I have never done that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas_Plainsman
It might be worth your money to buy a week's worth of dozer time?
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If I get one that is truly jungle like I think so!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rose2005
Spend your time clearing two narrow paths in, and one to connect them. Put up some electonet fencing on a battery and get some goats. Once they have finished this area....and trust me it wont take long, clear another path in and across to meet this one and you are good to go.
Rose
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Sort of a grid formation? That is a good idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozark mike
Rose, that is a good idea, BUT, this is the Ozarks and you have to be with those animals almost all the time...if it is that overgrown you could not get in to get them out to protect them at night and on 50 acres you may not even be able to find them... in my area I have to bring all of my pasture pets into a well confined fenced area at night...just this week we ran off an owl and shot three possums around the chickens...last week it was a couple coon... the goats always have dogs and coyotes giving them a hard time in their well protected yards and housing at night...can't remember how many have been shot on the place just this last year alone...worst part is, we haven't even put a dent in the population of them yet...mike
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I am wondering if it might be worthwhile to pay someone to come and cut an outline around the property (well at least once) if there is no perimeter fencing. Get a good survey and a perimter fence up and then work a path into it from two different areas?
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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.
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11/30/09, 08:32 PM
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Can't find bacon seeds
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the move again
Posts: 1,493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ozark mike
Freya, first, how far are these places from Arkansas... PM me if they are within 50 miles of Mammoth Springs ...I may be able to help... mike
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They are all mostly in Howell County, varying distances from West Plains. I have been looking mainly from Willow Springs to Thayer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO
Hey, when I'm in Missouri, I'm within 50 miles of Mammoth Spring!!
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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.
Last edited by Freya; 11/30/09 at 08:34 PM.
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11/30/09, 08:45 PM
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Ages Ago Acres Nubians
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: MO Ozarks
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I live 12 miles outside of Thayer.. our 20 acres were total jungle when we moved here. We used electric fence and goats. We built REAL fences only in the dead of winter (only way to not get eaten alive by chiggers, ticks and covered in poison ivy) I decided it was better to have to bundle up and work in the cold then the other option LOL (also by doing the big clearing winter, by spring it was easy to let the goats into the areas I had been working on. They were able to totally kill out all the buck brush, the sumac, the wild roses.. all of it is gone. Poison ivy is high on the girls most desired food list.
susie, Mo Ozarks
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11/30/09, 09:05 PM
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Can't find bacon seeds
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the move again
Posts: 1,493
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Susie... when does it really go "winter" there and have everything die off?
My trips have been in Oct/Nov and the summertime and the Oct/Nov trips everything was still fully leafed and pretty green.
And may I add you have some of the coolest "spotted" goats on your website that I have ever seen.
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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.
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11/30/09, 09:40 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: ozark foothills, Mo
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Welcome neighbor
Kaiser blade, I calls it my slingblade..unhunhh! 
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11/30/09, 09:45 PM
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Udderly Happy!
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 2,831
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nehimama
IF you do get it timbered out, take my (BTDT) advice, and be ON SITE when the loggers come. DH and I were states away when the loggers came to our property, and they stole several valuable trees that they were told to leave alone. Just my 2 cents.
NeHi
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a big AMEN to that! I hate to sterotype anyone, but I've not met too awful many loggers that were willing to do it the way you want it done if you're not present...
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Francismilker
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16
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11/30/09, 10:03 PM
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Ages Ago Acres Nubians
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: MO Ozarks
Posts: 2,603
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freya
Susie... when does it really go "winter" there and have everything die off?
My trips have been in Oct/Nov and the summertime and the Oct/Nov trips everything was still fully leafed and pretty green.
And may I add you have some of the coolest "spotted" goats on your website that I have ever seen. |
Well it's pretty brown & dead already... it's suppose to get down into the 20's later in the week.. that will do in any green that's left. The peepers usually don't start back in until the 3rd week of Feb. (last year spring was late, it was the 2nd week of March)
Thank you for the goatie compliment, I'll pass it onto the girls.
Good luck with your homestead hunt... this is a lovely area of the Ozarks.
susie
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