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  Discussion on Soil Types for Pastures
Author Message
Member:
Nadia

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2004 - 8:44 am:

I'm looking a buying some land to build a house and barn. The land was a corn field. In looking a the land, it appears very sandy. The realtor gave me a soil map and the types of soil are:

Boyer loamy fine sand, 6 to 12 percent slopes, eroded
Sisson loam, 2 to 6 percent slopes
Sisson loam, 6 to 12 percent slopes, eroded

Should I have any concerns about this type of soil? Are my horses more prone to sand colic? (I think you can feed something weekly to help that.)

Thanks for any suggestions.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jul 18, 2004 - 9:27 am:

Hello Nadia,
If the soil is sandy, then sand colic is more likely, see the article on sand colic on how to minimize the risk.

I am not familiar enough with soil types to be much help with what to plant, but I know who you should talk to. Get your local extension agent out and not only can he make comments about the soil but recommend grass varieties to best take advantage of the soil.
DrO
Member:
Nadia

Posted on Monday, Jul 19, 2004 - 8:51 am:

Thank you for the suggestions!
Member:
Nadia

Posted on Monday, Aug 16, 2004 - 8:42 am:

Still looking at this land - VERY close to buying it!

But I have a concern - but it may be that this will everywhere I look: The lot is 30+ acres - sort of a large rectangle - one of the shorter ends is 500+ feet of shoreline (reedy, marshy, not sandy, although the soil is sandy up to this area). I am aware of the zoning restrictions in this area. I can build a fence for pasture up to 75 feet from there - but will not probably be that close to it anyway (more like 200-300 feet back at a minimum). The top half of the land (near the road) is at a higher elevation and this is where I would put my house and barn and main pastures (I think it will be a very scenic view). My biggest concern now is a neighboring lot (30+ acres) - it has been marked sold already, but see very little land that could be buildable - so I think it may be used for hunting. I live in the city (but ready for the country!)- so I'm not used to this. It this just a fact of life in the country? (It seems to be). How does everyone deal with this? I'm hoping to have a friendly relationship with the owner and will be warned when they are hunting and I can stable my horses. There is an abundance of wildlife - saw 2 large bucks hop through that lot this weekend - all kinds of wild turkeys, herons, etc. near the shoreline.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Monday, Aug 16, 2004 - 9:23 am:

Hi Nadia,

I am surrounded by hunting land, and my husband and son hunt on ours. What I have found is the closer it gets to hunting season, the crazier people (guys) get. It used to be we rode on other peoples land, and as long as we were respectful of the time of year it was, all was well.

Flash foreward 15 years: Some of the hunting camps are now permanent year round homes. A younger generation is now hunting, and give us grief if they see us riding on the access roads. which are roads that anyone can legally ride on, but we still get complaints that we are "scaring the deer".

For the 2 weeks of rifle season, I don't even leave our yard with horses, and are dogs are kept locked up also. During bow season, I make sure I wear blaze orange.

Hunting season, for some creature or another, runs from Oct 1st thru Dec 31st. There may even be something in Jan. So the most beautiful time of the year for riding is when everyone is hunting also.

Even if you are on friendly terms with the present owner, the property may be sold many times and have many owners.

My horses still run when they hear the first shots of the season, so that's another consideration.

Here in the Northwoods of Upper Michigan, hunting is not only a way of life, it is the LIFE for many. If that's the case in your area, it will always be a factor. Hopefully, you will be on good terms with your neighbor, and you may be fortunate that that someone is respectful to you and only there a few weeks outa the yr.

Take your time before buying and see what else you can find out bout hunting in that area, see if you can talk to whoever bought the land next to you.

Maybe it's someone who just wants to just watch the animals and feed them!!!

good luck!!
Member:
Goolsby

Posted on Monday, Aug 16, 2004 - 9:51 am:

Nadia
My pasture is on top of a ridge adjoining two hunting clubs. I have never had a problem, but get a little nervous during season. If possible, I would stable the horses during this time and put signs up along your fence letting hunters know there are horses in the pasture. Like Angie said some of these hunters get a little crazy. Around here we call it "buck feaver". I have known of several cows being shot, a guy I know shot and killed a man thinking he was a deer and last year an elderly hunter shot a horse out from under a rider thinking it was a deer. So, exercise caution and try to stay on good terms with the surrounding land owners.
Member:
Lhenning

Posted on Monday, Aug 16, 2004 - 12:47 pm:

Here in Wisconsin we deal with the hunters too. My horse is used to the sound of gunshots as he hears them everyday from the nearby gun club. I also don't ride on unfamiliar trails between Sep. 15th and Dec. 31st, and especially during gun deer season in November. It's just safer to stay on our own property. Be sure to post your land as "No Trespassing", or you will find hunters wandering in there. Good luck.

Linda
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