Clearing Our Pond Area After Years of Neglect
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- We began the long process of clearing around our pond after years of neglect. We cleared about a third of the pond damn area using our Exmark Mower, string trimmer and a chainsaw.
I could’ve cleared that for you with my Cat 299 D2 with my 60inch disk muncher in about 2 hours. For a 12 pack, steaks and some fishing time on the bank.
That would have been a deal for me!
Paying a neighbor or renting a unit is always more convenient. Just depends what you have more of, time to do it with your own tools or money to pay for faster equipment and spend that time elsewhere. Like fishing lol or working to pay for said upgrade
Legend❤
Fantastic job Sir. Sweat equity.... You just increased the value of your place... You should be proud.
Thanks! Sure is satisfying to get it all cleared.
I spent a long time clearing one of my ponds this way. I said never again and bought a ventrac. I now make pretty good money on the weekends doing other people's ponds and steep areas. I would also recommend a brush cutter head for your new gas weedeater. Get the ones that look like circular saw blades. They are dangerous but will cut through 3 inch saplings like butter and keeps you from kneeling all the time.
Since I made this video, I do have a brush blade for my trimmer. Might use a saw blade this summer though instead.
I live in the town where Ventrac mowers are made and built. I also have a couple relatives that work there. They are really a beast on the brush and overgrowth like in this video. I kept saying to myself that he could have gotten twice as much done with one of those and thought nothing of it especially if he had the 60 inch blades for it.
One of the simplest pleasures in life is the accomplishment of a job well done .💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼👍👍👍👏👏👏
I agree!
Bo, this mower you got is a tank! Brush cleanup, land clearing, and now fire control?! The folks that make this mower need to start sponsoring you. If I tune in to see you lifting roof trusses with it, I don't think I'd be shocked!
Ha! Now there’s an idea. Hadn’t thought of that lifting the trusses with it.
Others have said this too but gahhhhd I cant believe what a beast that mower is!!!
Hard work, but you’re doing a terrific job, and it makes your pond come alive again……Well done and beautiful..!
Nice job clearing all of that out! Can’t wait to see the finished results!!
You and me both!
Nice!!!! You should fall some of those bigger trees into the pond and leave them as cover for the bass near shore.
I have been doing what you are doing for the past 5 years. The early stages of restoration are the most fun as the changes come fast. I just subbed you looking forward to more happenings😊
Thanks for the sub! Yeah it sure is rewarding. Can’t wait to see what it looks like this spring when it greens up around here.
small excavator w/ mulching head would do wonders for that bank. Would be able to reach over the edge w/o getting to close to worry about tipping. The fence was to keep the cattle from breaking down the bank as they went to water, making them use the sloped entrance. Don't forget to check with your local Ag. Commissioner to see if they can provide any advice or help with tools, equipment, or materials as start-up homesteaders.
You ain’t kidding a mulched head would be sweet! Nobody around here rents mulcher heads for any equipment though, I’m guessing for liability. I’ll have to check with the Ag commission and see if they rent stuff. I always forget about them. Thanks for the info!
That's a lot of hard work. It's probably not in your budget but I would have gotten an excavator and a dozer and really turned that place into a paradise.
That would have made quick work for sure and probably would have been in the budget but most of the time I get to spend clearing around the pond is last minute type stuff so no time to plan for equipment. I plan to use a mini ex this spring though to remove some stumps and things.
I would seriously recommend you renting a skid steer with a bushwacker attachment and one of the rotary ones as well for a week. It will save you so much time, fuel and wear on your machines. And after that you can mow/maintain it with your zero turn. Just to get it back into shape you need something more powerful imo.
I agree. When I was doing all this my rental place had their high flow machine out of order. Would have been fun to have though.
I am amazed that you can cut all that growth without a brush hog. Good for you. Bob in Nevada was in Kali but left.
It’s on my list to get eventually with a tractor but gotta work with what I have for now.
Get snake boots. Most rattler bites are at the calf, and their fangs will certainly penetrate the leather on regular boots at the shaft areas. 150 psi of bite force from a straight on strike from one of those full grown bad boys will serve up a very bad day. Copperheads can fit in that category too, and I'm unsure whether a cottonmouth could, but I wouldn't want to take the chance and find out differently. Small snakes, not so much, but they can still get at the calf above most work boots.
You did a great job.
Thank you!
Good job, looks great!
Great job , can’t wait to see the finished product
Looks wonderful! I found myself picking out places for the bench(s) and a picnic table. LOL
I was doing the same while clearing. Once I get it all cleared I can decide where to put it.
that hookset was great. i wish all people catching bass would do that
If you could only play an episode finish to start 😊😊😮😮😅😅😂😂🎉🎉❤❤what you do is a gift thank you for being you😃
Looks awesome!
Thanks dude!
Nice catch. 🎣
I'm pretty sure those brambles you're dealing with everywhere are wild blackberries!!! They can be a real problem for sure!!! It's looking great!!!
Oh yeah they definitely are. The ones I was able to pick and eat by the pond were actually the sweetest but the rest around the property were not so sweet. And the bummer part is they are super small.
@@TriStarHomestead lucky you got any at all, we’re in Florida and the birds always beat us to them! Lol!
The birds love them here too. Took me a few days to figure out that all that purple stuff everywhere was bird poop. Lol
@@TriStarHomestead lol!!!
Nice job Adam!
Thanks!
hard work this man aint skeered
I had to do it with my mower before I got a brush hog and it was definitely better to cut back in the fall after everything lost it’s leaves and I could see what I was mowing. It worked out a lot better and was nice next spring. I’ll have to do a little more this year!
We have so much new green grass coming up this year. Really makes it all worth it.
@@TriStarHomestead it’s crazy that once you mow down the weeds and keep it mowed the grass kind of takes over. We never seeded and it’s nice green grass like a lawn. Definitely makes it nice. That pond will be so much better to fish to
enjoyed your video. Waiting for part 2👍👍👍
We have a couple others up. 👍🏻
You are surely getting your money’s worth out of the Exmark. Heck of a lot of work clearing stuff like that.
For sure! And I bought it used with super low hours at half the cost of new. It has paid off big time.
dude, this is a perfect use for goats. around my town you can rent goats for 5-8 days and that would all be gone.
Not sure about renting here, haven't really looked. We plan to do sheep. Goats are harder to keep contained and I would much rather eat lamb than goat. Hopefully we can get some this spring.
You can cut down small trees up to 3-4 inches with the mower. Open the discharge gate and back up swing the discharge area into the tree or bush.
In the future bring a ratchet straps. Tie one end off on the cedar tree and the other on the lawnmower. Then drag them where you want using engine power.
Good you cleared under the power lines. Yeah man, I would have rented a skid steer with a brush cutter. Anyway, good on you with a piece of land, making it happen. ✊🏻🖤
I tried to rent but their machine was broke. Such is life. That little mower has gone above and beyond my expectations.
@@TriStarHomestead I don’t disagree. Things a trooper!
Good job sir
That shirt is epic bro!! 😂😂😂❤❤❤
Imagine the pioneer days when they cleared land with a scythe, sickle and a few farm animals. My wife says get some goats.
I often think about that. Good workout for sure. I think I'll stick to machines for now though. Sheep coming soon I think.
Looks good some trres make good habitat for your fish if you throw them in the ponds like old Christmas trees
For sure they would make a good habitat but then it would be tough to fish. There are quite a few stumps and other things in there for the fish.
That’s one heck of a Mower. You’d make a great commercial
Haha! I can’t wait to buy another one and just baby it. I feel I owe it to the mower gods.
What a difference a day or two makes huh? Looking beautiful
For sure! Thanks!
I cried for the mower
I'd look into a solar powered pump and sprinkler system to aid aerating the water. Bring life back to it. Add mosquito fish too !!
Yes and yes. Those solar pumps are NOT cheap! Hopefully we will get one eventually. Mosquito fish and others are being planned for this spring as soon as the weather stays above freezing. Should help a lot.
It’s not neglect it’s called nature.
Cedar will break down. It just takes a hell of a long time. That's why it makes great outdoor furniture and fences.
Yeah it sure will but my baby will also graduate high school eventually too. lol
Those dead cedar treeswould make great fish habitat on the pond bottom. Strap a bundle to a cinder block and toss it in. The baby bluegill and shiners would thrive there giving the bass more food.
Side note, remove too many trees and you lose shade and the pond will evaporate faster in the summers.
That is a good idea, but I don't want to catch my line on stuff in the bottom. There are large stumps in the bottom and the sides already so they will have a place. Plan to add some other things that won't impede the fishing but enhance the environment for the fish this spring.
As I’m watching you I’m thinking have you ever considered getting a bush hog device it’ll make an incredible asset to your farm
For sure would make it easier but no tractor yet so I revert to doing it by hand or renting equipment when I can. Eventually I’ll get a tractor setup.
@@TriStarHomestead they make a Bush hog for the skidsteer
They do but the place I rent from only has one high flow machine and it has been broken for a while. The skid steers I have rented are not high flow.
Maybe you could get some blue plastic barrels and make a small floating dock.
Yes! That is the plan. Probably this summer.
I hope you leave some trees. They will keep the water cool for the fish that you want!
All the trees on the pond dam will be removed. They are not good for the dam itself as the roots cause damage and leaks. There is stumps and branches in the pond itself for the fish to go under. They will be fine.
Weed wacker with a Georgia blade
You need to think about taking more off of the head wall before you spring a leak. Those roots are going to make it unstable.
Yup, working on that. Had to clear enough around to even be able to get to that. Probably looks a lot different now than it did even in this video.
@@TriStarHomestead great to hear. Forgot to mention that the bass you pulled out was real nice :)!
Sure was! Hope there is more in there.
Pretty wonderful Adam. You are an awesome worker. Do you know how deep does your pond get?
I’m not really too sure. It’s up two to three feet since we got here with all the rain. I need to get a little boat and get out to the middle and toss a line in to see. Right by the bank it was almost to the top of my high boot so I’m guessing it drops off good.
Dang I had to pause the video after 5 minutes to spray down with DEET to watch the rest 😂
The bugs in the south are fun.
Looks like my Pond im overwhelmed on what to do
Baby steps! Ours looks totally different now but we have been working toward cleaning it up for the last nine months. Takes time but little bits here and there will have it looking great in no time!
Those lighter colored "trees" are either Autumn or Russian olive. Highly invasive too.
They are autumn. They are all over. Slowly getting rid of them. Lots of invasive trees around here.
those rats and mice will be running for new homes. The hawks will be waiting!
Those tree skeletons are from power company clearing their right-of-way. The drone view, it looks like they went to pond and skipped some trees between the pond and that field. Kinda odd.
Funny you say that, the power company was literally here yesterday clearing around the lines. Not sure if those trees are from them or not since they use a forestry mulcher for most of it but it is possible.
Don’t take to much shade. Fish like shade
A saw blade on your weed wicker is killer u should try it. I was to afraid of it until an old man was using 1 in crap like that. U could have knocked down that part u mowed in a couple hours
lol Been working myself up to it. Thinking maybe this summer I'll give it a whirl.
Diving headfirst into weeds taller than your ride on is the most "for the gram" recklessness I've ever seen.
It's probably not meant as one but I'll take that as a compliment.
Hope those are solid tires!
You've mowed a pretty good fire-break around the pond. Were there any thoughts of just burning it up to the pond edge? That's alot of work without big equipment.
I didn't think about that. I would probably need a burn permit in my area for that. Also it got super dry end of last summer and we went three months with no rain. Probably not a great idea for that although it would have been a lot faster.
I’m picking out a place to put my RV to live next to you.
Watch out for snakes
Seen a few black rat snakes. They are good to have around.
I’ve got that same shirt. Lol
NIce video. Are you going to be able to swim in that pond? Where is this located, please?
Possibly. I would want to clean it and make sure there are no snapping turtles before. My brother has trekked into it up to his waist though and no issues. Not sure how deep it actually is.
We are located in Northeast Tennessee.
Viewing from Detroit Michigan USA 🇺🇸 . Local 307 mailhandlers Detroit and Pontiac . United States Postal Service , Metroplex PDC Pontiac Michigan .
Why not bring a burn barrel for some of those larger tree limbs ?
I have one and use it regularly but that would have taken a real long time with all this. It was easy to just burn right there.
I would stock that pond work guppy fish
Plan to stock it with a bunch this spring. Not sure a guppy would make it since the pond is not very warm and freezes in the winter. Plan to do some different fish though.
I think you need more than a weed Wacker and riding mower 😬
Sure would have helped but I managed.
Do you always bring a knife to a gun fight?
I typically try to avoid going to gun fights but if you’re referring to using a mower where a bush hog or other would be better, sometimes you have to use what you have.
Music is still too loud. Sorry to tell you! Have subscribed and enjoy your videos!
Why wouldn’t you rent or perhaps borrow a tractor with a brush cutter on it? I’m sure it would make quick work of that clearing and then use the zero turn to maintain the pond.
It would have made it easier in some areas but I did it on a whim so no time to rent.
Yea I can relate to that I do stuff at random too, that’s how my fire pit got built. I had a few liquid motivations and next thing I know I was roasting hotdogs on a stick lol 😂
Should look damn fine when u get it done. One question, how did u not run in to any snakes while doing all of that?
Not sure really. Only seen a couple snakes around the property and they have been black rat snakes and racer snakes.
@@TriStarHomestead nothing wrong with that brother
My son and I had to do extensive refurbishment on our property as well. Everything we did was by hand. What my poor push mower couldn’t handle like privet hedge and small trees we used clippers or a bow saw. Took us a really long time but we did it and are very proud. It’s nice to look out to see the streams running through the property and the forest surrounding us. Great job! Can’t wait for you to be able to look out and feel that same great feeling of accomplishment and enjoy your pond!
You have to leave some cover for
The fish bud
There is stumps in the pond under the water. The fish have plenty. The problem with the trees on the pond dam is the roots wreck havoc on the dam and cause leaks. They aren't good for it.
Chainsaw or a hedge Clipper to get through them Vines ?
There’s so much that would take a long time and not get down to the roots. This way cuts them all the way down.
Surprised you didn't use goats!
We plan to get some sheep. No interest in goats really.
wrong tool for the job, but it slow working
Sometimes you have to use what you have.
😂without vegetation oround its gonna dry out faster?
Bulldozer, bon fire, levelor and new grass seed
Snakes ?
I've only seen a few snakes so far on the property and they were not around the pond. Seen a couple black rat snakes and racer snakes.
You really need a tractor, now .
It sure would be a big help but I’d rather wait and get the one we really want down the road.
Rent/buy some goats to help clear the pond?
We are planning for some sheep in the spring. We prefer to eat lamb over goat meat.
you need a goat
Sheep, but yes, animals would clear that easily.
Hire some goats