Post by Joe_Fur on Aug 21, 2012 7:35:52 GMT -5
Call me crazy....
When we fist moved in 5 years ago there was a beautiful 2 acre pond down below the hill in the woods. There were two beaver houses and three dams on my property. Several ponds extended for nearly a half mile off my property and upstream. The beaver must have heard I was a trapper and left before I got to tell them I would never trap them. My property is 100% powdery sand although I do have lots of hardwoods. That last dam, before it connects to the river, let out and that stretch has been a creek for 4 years. It was going to cost an arm and a leg to have some one come in and put a dam across and the DEC passed on the chance to come do it for me.
After two years of think'n, one day I just started digging with the front end loader on my small JD 950. Being in the woods this seemed damn near impossible with roots and rocks and no room to work. I was able to wiggle around enough to get it started enough so I couldn't stop.
I used the old dam as a left tire track and made my way out. The dam is now 12 feet wide, 75 yards long in a boomerang shape, and averaged 6 feet high/deep. I put in an old used galvanized pipe that was all bent up. For the first time last week I dumped dirt on the other side. It took me a year and about $100 in diesel.
The pond filled up over night but the adjacent dig site filled up with water as the pipe wasn't letting the water out and was in danger of over flowing the dam. With plan a B I blocked the flow to the pipe and dug a 2 foot deep trench where I had removed the pipe. I mixed concrete in the front bucket and made a spillway. It worked very well.
The kids and I went down yesterday to see what we could see. We found deer, coon and skunk tracks. Hundreds of frogs and THOUSANDS of fish. Some of these fry are 4 inches long and I knew they were there! That pond is loaded with trout!
It looks a little odd with all the tall grass in it but when that is gone in a few years the water level is higher than it ever was. There is an island even, that we will build a log bridge out to for bird watching. In the fall the boys, Chessies, and I will harvest some geese and ducks, other than that...ALL animals are welcome to come and stay without fear. Well not the porkies, obviously.
I have always said it and now to my 6 year old son and 3 year old daughter I proved it. Beaver ponds are the base for ALL OTHER ANIMALS. As corny as it may sound, "Build it and they will come".
First thing this morning, my son comes down the stairs and says, "Dad can we go down to the pond today"?
We might even take a pole.....
When we fist moved in 5 years ago there was a beautiful 2 acre pond down below the hill in the woods. There were two beaver houses and three dams on my property. Several ponds extended for nearly a half mile off my property and upstream. The beaver must have heard I was a trapper and left before I got to tell them I would never trap them. My property is 100% powdery sand although I do have lots of hardwoods. That last dam, before it connects to the river, let out and that stretch has been a creek for 4 years. It was going to cost an arm and a leg to have some one come in and put a dam across and the DEC passed on the chance to come do it for me.
After two years of think'n, one day I just started digging with the front end loader on my small JD 950. Being in the woods this seemed damn near impossible with roots and rocks and no room to work. I was able to wiggle around enough to get it started enough so I couldn't stop.
I used the old dam as a left tire track and made my way out. The dam is now 12 feet wide, 75 yards long in a boomerang shape, and averaged 6 feet high/deep. I put in an old used galvanized pipe that was all bent up. For the first time last week I dumped dirt on the other side. It took me a year and about $100 in diesel.
The pond filled up over night but the adjacent dig site filled up with water as the pipe wasn't letting the water out and was in danger of over flowing the dam. With plan a B I blocked the flow to the pipe and dug a 2 foot deep trench where I had removed the pipe. I mixed concrete in the front bucket and made a spillway. It worked very well.
The kids and I went down yesterday to see what we could see. We found deer, coon and skunk tracks. Hundreds of frogs and THOUSANDS of fish. Some of these fry are 4 inches long and I knew they were there! That pond is loaded with trout!
It looks a little odd with all the tall grass in it but when that is gone in a few years the water level is higher than it ever was. There is an island even, that we will build a log bridge out to for bird watching. In the fall the boys, Chessies, and I will harvest some geese and ducks, other than that...ALL animals are welcome to come and stay without fear. Well not the porkies, obviously.
I have always said it and now to my 6 year old son and 3 year old daughter I proved it. Beaver ponds are the base for ALL OTHER ANIMALS. As corny as it may sound, "Build it and they will come".
First thing this morning, my son comes down the stairs and says, "Dad can we go down to the pond today"?
We might even take a pole.....
