From Fencelines


By Kristin Hawkins T


he old saying “the best defense is a good offense” applies to many areas of life, including one that many don’t think about until it’s staring at them from behind a tangle of green and brown. If you


have fences, you probably also have an army of brush and trees doing their best to take them down. Unfortunately, ignoring the problem could only make matters worse and on top of that, more expensive. Whether it’s a costly high net wire game fence for exot-


ics or decades old fi ve-strand barbed wire that’s seen many calving seasons, the problem is the same: encroaching brush, trees and weeds. Removing brush around a fence will prolong the life of the hardware and reduce problems such as loose livestock due to gaps or providing enough fuel for a wildfi re to completely take out wires and posts. According to Dr. Charles Hart, Dow AgroSciences range


and pasture development specialist, your fi rst step in tack- ling the problem is to scout those fencelines. Brush assess- ment, treatment and management are all made easier if you have clear access along a fenceline by truck or ATV. Take stock of how much brush and trees you have,


what types and species are near the fencelines and what could become a problem if left untreated or allowed to keep growing. The easiest—and cheapest—time to treat your fence- line is when you’re installing a new line or repairing an


tscra.org October 2014 The Cattleman 111


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