M
MoBuckChaser
Guest
You guys are turning that trail system into a project. Just crown the dam thing and see how it holds up. Then go to extreme measures if needed. Geez!
I agree with MBC, but hey, it's not like this site hasn't encouraged people to spend $$!
You want to ditch/crown what you have before you do anything else first. If that isn't working for you, you can always add gravel or fabric & gravel in the wettest areas. The fact that you need access during wet periods may make it into a larger project. And yes, I do build roads for a living!
You can get the fabric at Farrell Equip and Supply in the wide rolls, and yes it can work wonders in the right application. We chose to throw down small logs (corduroy) through the wettest areas, as they were cheap and readily available. It also was a quick way to raise the road profile 4-6" without needing a lot of dirt. Went from not being to walk through a section to running the skid steer with no issues.
You want to ditch/crown what you have before you do anything else first. If that isn't working for you, you can always add gravel or fabric & gravel in the wettest areas. The fact that you need access during wet periods may make it into a larger project. And yes, I do build roads for a living!
You can get the fabric at Farrell Equip and Supply in the wide rolls, and yes it can work wonders in the right application. We chose to throw down small logs (corduroy) through the wettest areas, as they were cheap and readily available. It also was a quick way to raise the road profile 4-6" without needing a lot of dirt. Went from not being to walk through a section to running the skid steer with no issues.
Kansas-andres
5 year old buck +
what about a few heavy duty road bridges? :D
Steve Bartylla
5 year old buck +
nah.....Unless the water is over a couple feet deer, low water crossings are cheaper and tend to hold up better than bridges or culverts over the long haul. I know you were being a wise cracker, but I am serious about the low water xings.
Chris, if you believe he can make that work with a little fill to build it up and that will stand up to driving a tractor over it when it's wet, we need to talk (I'm being sincere), as all those jobs I've been a part of are trashed after a couple trips with a truck or tractor when it's wet out. I'd love to pick your brain on how you make that work (again, being sincere). Everytime I've done that through wet areas, I always have had to pay dozer rent to reshape and then rock the rd before a year was out.
I've seen a couple rds done with logs and they seem to work well. I just have never been a part of those jobs. so, I can't even pretend to speak dangerously about them.
NY_Terrence
5 year old buck +
So... I just searched to forum for trail drainage and landed on this thread. My trails look like those in the original pictures. BJE80... So what did you end up doing and how did it work out?
B
BJE80
Guest
Nothing yet. Been too wet. Thinking here in early august I will start the process.
B
BJE80
Guest
I am going to put down the loggers trail mix. Probably going to buy it from the pre made bag just because I won't need that much. Otherwise I would mix my own.
M
MoLandOwner
Guest
Here is another mix.
M
MoLandOwner
Guest
For some of my customers, a trail is their only place for a food plot. So it kills 2 birds with one stone.
B
BJE80
Guest
I am going to be fine with deer feeding on the trails now since I will be accessing stands from the external system next year.
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
This would be mainly on your plot and orchard access trails then? If so, you could put in more palatable food with the mix that Mo has than the one you originally looked at. With that first mix being 80% grass, it might be worth it for you to look into the Lacrosse mix if the price points weren't too far off.
M
MoLandOwner
Guest
White Clovers cost money! The Lacrosse Mix is in the $4 a pound range. Seeding rate is 10lbs per acre drilled in.
B
BJE80
Guest
Does the other seeds in that mix work as well in shady and low P.H. and wet soils?
I don't know anything about BFT. I thought the grass may be better to stand up to traffic better. That is the main goal of this mix. Not to feed deer. But I'll take the bonus if it will work as good.
B
BJE80
Guest
I can get the Loggers mix at $2.08/lbs. 20lbs/acre broadcasted which is what I will be doing.
M
MoLandOwner
Guest
Fescue's are pretty inexpensive compared to clovers. Once established you can't kill them, even with roundup. So they should hold up very well on trails.
B
BJE80
Guest
Thanks guys. I'll stick with the loggers mix and see how it does.
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
In this case the price would be a wash. 10lbs/ac @ $4 vs 20lbs/ac @ $2. You would be putting on either half as much at twice the cost or twice as much at half the cost, either way it is $4/ac. You might have to up the rate slightly if you broadcast instead of drill the Lacrosse mix, but it wouldn't be that much. They only thing that is different between the 2 mixes is that the Logger's mix has way more grasses, they both have white Dutch and Alsike clover, red fescue, and perennial ryegrass. The BFT will tolerate moist, acid soils and stands up well to grazing traffic, not totally sure about wheel traffic, but if it withstands repeated trampling by cows, that is a pretty good test.
