[JAllen]

Thanks for the replies - all very informative!

 

[JAllen]

It stopped raining long enough to "get after it. I chose the "follow the slope" recommendations and it seems to have turned out okay. I also avoided using concrete around the post I installed. I'm more of a fan of the "use physics properly and it will be okay" method. The post at the other end of this section is "in concrete", missing an H-brace, has been pulled out of alignment and can be pushed back with the tractor. It will get a proper H-brace next week and then the wire will be tensioned.

In the attached pic, the two "tall' post were part of the original H-brace "end of the run." For reasons I don't understand, the horizontal member - long since rotted away, was about 2 ½ feet off the ground. I added the right most post - pressure treated. I tamped it down, but it will need another round of tamping. With the H-brace in place, it's pretty solid. I'm disappointed with the distance from ground to gate on the right side. But, I'm not keeping livestock - the gate is to allow me to get through when mowing the fence line and keep the local utility folks from climbing on the fence. (They are the ones who broke the H-brace and keep stretching the fencing.) One of my diagonals might have to be redone - I'm having trouble getting it tight. I'll also throw down some grass seed and straw - it was pretty much bare dirt when we started due to low hanging limbs which have also been removed. I also coiled up the wire we removed and stapled it to the post - that will be tidied up when we get the other end fixed and the tension addressed.

I know the gate hinge post should be braced but it will be good enough for now. It's not likely to sag much since it is pretty big post (old utility pole) and the far end of the gate is resting in the dirt. I'm merely attempting to keep the fence from further deterioration. I'll probably trim off the tall post at some point. If it fails within a few years, I'll take all the post out and start over.

One of my goals for this fall/winter is to clean all the brush from the fence row on the other side - lots of bush honeysuckle and low hanging limbs. I own about 700' of road frontage and I want it to look a little neater.

In case anyone is wondering, I did contemplate just removing the fence - we own both sides. When we bought the house, it came w/ five acres and the fence was the property line. Then the 8 acres on the other side came up for sale so we bought it to keep somebody from building houses next to us. At some point, we might move again and want to keep options open - sell as one parcel, sell as two, .... Who knows - maybe I'll get a cow some day?

 

[JAllen]

Also, I didn't "notch" the post for the cross brace - I drilled holes and used ½" rebar. I'm just not that good w/ a chainsaw. I left the rebar about 1 ½" proud and used it to hold the diagonal wire at the top.

 

[JAllen]

Well, this one is close to done - all the bracing is done, the gates are working, and the muddy mess I made has been reseeded and covered with straw. All that is left is to tighten the barbed wire - a tool for this is being delivered on Monday. Thanks for all the helpful advice. I'm sure it could be better, but its "good enough" - not coming down anytime soon. I was amazed how little tension was needed to tighten the braces up.

I'm also searching for a sign. As noted earlier, the damage is from the local water company climbing the fence, accessing the meter for my neighbors house. (I don't know why they ran it across this field when there's a shorter route from her house to the road across her property. That was all done before we purchased the pasture.) I'm thinking something like "Do not disturb the bison; they have been known to charge" or "Beware of large bulls" or "Enter at your own risk; Predators may be present." The local AG store has a warning sign for electric fencing. I thought about buying one and a cheap solar unit just to mess with them. (I know I can't electrify a "grounded" fence/gate.") One of the local farmers has his property posted "Trespassers will be shot or hanged."

I'm hoping making it easier for people to do the right thing will have the desired outcome.