My Dream...

[Skeeter]

From what I have learned...the Black Hills are an excellent place to retire (though I am still a few years off) - but let's not tell to many people ;-)

I've come across two small springs that I will be doing some further investigation on down in the canyons (one in each). I will need some water solution on top of each meadow...which likely means hauling water on the back of an ATV into a semi-buried water trough.

I'd recommend a semi buried stock tank vs making a pond. I have family with acreage in central SD and the dugouts and reservoir are terrible EHD infection sites.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

In the black hills I've seen wildlife guzzlers that provide water on the top of hills. They catch rain water from a larger area and have a small watering area that the animals can drink from. I think they run off only rainwater, but I'm not 100% certain on that.

 

[gonzalezeb]

I'd recommend a semi buried stock tank vs making a pond. I have family with acreage in central SD and the dugouts and reservoir are terrible EHD infection sites.

Hum...will definitely have to research this. Thanks for the insights.

 

[gonzalezeb]

Just returned from a quick trip to South Dakota working on My Dream...

Achievements for this trip include placing additional Cuddeback Cameras, installing a home monitoring system, and the purchase of a propane heater and tank (which should be in place in the next few days). I also took @Troubles Trees advice and planted a few seeds for long term growth goals. In fact, a friend is going to give me a handful of saplings this May to help speed the process along.

One thing I need to figure out is how to deal with poison ivy...I've got a ton of it. If I lived there, I'd turn to goats. But seeing as I am so far away, I need another solution. The poison Ivy was so thick there are probably at least 30-40 acres I have yet to truly explore. In fact, I found what appears to be a small water source that is just consumed by Poison Ivy...I'd like to clear this out some to create better water access for the wildlife.

With that, I've been debating buying a Dr. Power Brush Hog for the ATV. Curious if anyone has any experience with that brand - if so, please let me know before I go out and spend $2500 on one.

 

[scott44]

Just returned from a quick trip to South Dakota working on My Dream...

Achievements for this trip include placing additional Cuddeback Cameras, installing a home monitoring system, and the purchase of a propane heater and tank (which should be in place in the next few days). I also took @Troubles Trees advice and planted a few seeds for long term growth goals. In fact, a friend is going to give me a handful of saplings this May to help speed the process along.

One thing I need to figure out is how to deal with poison ivy...I've got a ton of it. If I lived there, I'd turn to goats. But seeing as I am so far away, I need another solution. The poison Ivy was so thick there are probably at least 30-40 acres I have yet to truly explore. In fact, I found what appears to be a small water source that is just consumed by Poison Ivy...I'd like to clear this out some to create better water access for the wildlife.

With that, I've been debating buying a Dr. Power Brush Hog for the ATV. Curious if anyone has any experience with that brand - if so, please let me know before I go out and spend $2500 on one.

I have the Pro XL30 16.5hp and I really like it, it works great for making trails to and from stands, deer trails through switch and even doing plotting TnM style and clipping clover, I haven't used it much as a brush hog but the little I have it's walked through 1-2" sapplings.

https://www.drpower.com/Power-Equip...-Behind/DR-Field-and-Brush-Mower/p/AT45030BEN

 

[WeedyJ]

Beautiful place! I can't imagine 30-40 acres of poison ivy. I've always had good luck with most brush killers, though. Some are straight triclopyr and some combine it with glyphosate. Keep us posted!

 

[gonzalezeb]

I have the Pro XL30 16.5hp and I really like it, it works great for making trails to and from stands, deer trails through switch and even doing plotting TnM style and clipping clover, I haven't used it much as a brush hog but the little I have it's walked through 1-2" sapplings.

https://www.drpower.com/Power-Equipment/Field-&-Brush-Mowers/Walk-Behind/DR-Field-and-Brush-Mower/p/AT45030BEN

The Dr Power equipment looks awesome...truly on their marketing I am convinced. Glad to know the walk behind model works as advertised...

 

[gonzalezeb]

Beautiful place! I can't imagine 30-40 acres of poison ivy. I've always had good luck with most brush killers, though. Some are straight triclopyr and some combine it with glyphosate. Keep us posted!

I'll take a look...really hoping to stay away from chemicals right now...if I lived there full time I'd own about 10 goats to help with the Ivy...

 

[fishin coyote]

I use an older DR walk behind to cut down the MF rose and keep an old gas line open on my place. It will chew up some brush and give you a work out in the process. The few places I have poison ivy it keeps it mowed down to a couple of inches but your going to have to spray it to get rid of it

 

[buckdeer1]

There seems to be alot everywhere,I would spray it instead of just mowing

 

[goatman]

Now is a very good time for killing poison ivy with the sap going down. It doesn't take much 2-4d to kill poison ivy. You want to use something that is grass friendly. Grass will choke out anything in the future.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Now is a very good time for killing poison ivy with the sap going down. It doesn't take much 2-4d to kill poison ivy. You want to use something that is grass friendly. Grass will choke out anything in the future.

Related to this and to echo what others have said, poison ivy is actually really easy to kill with herbicides. I would use a mix of 2,4-D and triclopyr. It sounds like you are trying to avoid using chemicals. As long as you use the appropriate PPE, both of these herbicides are quite safe. A backpack sprayer and tyvec suit is what I would do.

 

[WeedyJ]

I use an older DR walk behind to cut down the MF rose and keep an old gas line open on my place. It will chew up some brush and give you a work out in the process. The few places I have poison ivy it keeps it mowed down to a couple of inches but your going to have to spray it to get rid of it

I used this as well as the first piece of equipment when I got my property years ago. Had to cut paths. works great with one caveat: If you have a bunch of downed timber, it was some work to get it over logs. I was cutting in 100 degree heat and just about exhausted my self after enough log lifts! But definitely a workhorse!

 

[gonzalezeb]

Some updated pics. Simi-finished the inside (or rather had a contractor Simi-finish it).





I also, put in a small food plot (soy beans) and a tree stand overlooking it (30-75 yds off).




I also met with the local Wildland fire division to discuss fire risk mitigation...and a forester to start to develop a forestry plan. In the process, we found several pockets of ips beetles. Not much I can do to address them now...but the good news is the seem well contained.


Oh...and this workhorse is amazing! Picked up a 97 F250 7.3 Powerstroke to do some heavy lifting...and though it may take me 5.2 miles to get to 60...this thing is a beast!

 

[bwoods11]

Lucky to be in SD!!! Great state

 

[SD51555]

Did you pull a soil sample by chance? I've always been curious about what that stuff would look like.

 

[gonzalezeb]

Did you pull a soil sample by chance? I've always been curious about what that stuff would look like.

Sadly...the soil sample hasn't returned yet...So I did this all blind.