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Old 02-15-2019, 11:45 PM   #43
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You might try "Two Years Before the Mast" by Dana A classic seafaring tale of early California. I've read it 3 times
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Old 02-16-2019, 12:08 AM   #44
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You might try "Two Years Before the Mast" by Dana A classic seafaring tale of early California. I've read it 3 times
Excellent book!!
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Old 02-16-2019, 07:07 AM   #45
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On a Well gate, you'll average about three pages a day, of names, unless their Fracking.
During Fracking operations you will fill out 8-10 pages a day. You will be busy 24 hours, and hard to read,(not much rest).
The no photo rule is from the ranchers / landowners. Started @ the King Ranch. (they didn't want outsiders profiting from fantastic deer and wildlife photographs). Other ranchers followed their lead through the years. Now it's the new normal.
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Old 02-17-2019, 07:05 PM   #46
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Ranchers...they're not john wayne

The Ranchers

In American mythology mostly handed down to us by Hollywood the rancher is the epitome of the rugged individualist, stands for justice and fairness, takes care of the land and his animals and is usually depicted as a bluff, hardy and friendly type...though often cynical and wary.

Well the reality at least here on my gate is a bit different. Most of the construction guys I talk to have little regard for these ranchers around here feeling they are arrogant , unfriendly and greedy.

My own impression, while admittedly limited, is that they are also cheap and penny wise and pound foolish. And Rude.

The other day I was sitting in my truck as usual when a pickup pulled up on the other side of the 8ft high fence. I jumped out and asked if he needed to come thru. I was a bit stunned when he yelled at me “So were you sleepin in there?”. No I replied warily. Thinking to myself what’s this to him he doesn’t sign my paycheck...He continued exclaiming “Well that’s unusual, the other guard did and my cows are getti’n out! Mmmm... I think that the cows couldn’t get out even if I was sleeping. “Well” I said “youv’e got to stop giving them the key”. He glared at me and drove off without a further word.

Whatever happened to “Howdy Pardner?” Or just “Hi” as an opening...Where’s Barbara Stanwyk when you need her? Or John Wayne? (Howdy Pilgrim)

Now this particular ranch is one of those that buy expensive rare animals and charge for the privilege to come in and kill them. Kinda like shooting fish in a barrel. Apparently they hunt them with automatic weapons considering the gunfire I hear. I wonder how long it will be before my truck is “mistaken” for a Javelina...

A few days ago I got a text message from the supervisor here sent out to all “high gate” guards to be sure the gates are tightly secured with their chains and locks so the wind doesn’t move them and to keep the $40,000 deer inside. (yes you read that correctly $40K) Now the gate where I am is ten feet high and a total of 30 feet across with two opening gates or “doors”. Apparently the ranchers wanted these big expensive gates to protect all those valuable cows and exotic animals roaming their tightly enclosed range. But apparently they wouldn’t pony up for or even thought about the need for a ground rod that would hold one door in place while the other was opened and a plate to keep one door from passing the other. These simple and inexpensive additions to the gates would add greatly to the security of their animals to say nothing of making our job to make sure their cattle stay inside when a pickup goes through much much easier.

So I have to say that my sympathy for the rancher and his exotic animals and cattle stops at the waterline of his miserly-ness and lack of foresight.

According to the construction-guy scuttlebutt these ranchers are very adept at shaking down the pipeline company for extra payments for lost animals and all sorts of other supposedly questionable claims for damage or injury.

There’s never a dull moment here on the earths most boring job...
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Old 02-17-2019, 07:11 PM   #47
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I knew a guy that got kicked off of a very big and popular forum website because one of the owners of the website was bragging about their exotic animal hunt in TX. My friend, we'll call him Bob, asks "How high were the fences?"

That was all it took. Myself, I got some opinions about hunting inside fences, especially when I see a dead deer swelling up on the shoulder of the road.

Sad that the property owners, although being paid, come and give you guards any kind of a hard time for any reason for things well outside your control.
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Old 02-17-2019, 07:33 PM   #48
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Your assessment of ranchers and landowners is spot on, With my over 60 years experience, they are all the same. You, your company and all involved are all trespassing "in their mind", They couldn't play rancher without the money they make from the oilfield and pipeline companies.
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Old 02-18-2019, 04:12 PM   #49
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While I'm not a rancher I have been involved with a few over the last 4 decades and yes, they are an independent breed, gruff and tough in many instances, feel trespassed on by the energy companies on their land (but without mineral rights to same), who, in many instances, do more damage than they need to to extract "their" mineral rights".

Most ranchers would in all probability be hurting financially without the energy income.

Texas, more so than any other state, is a "high fence" hunting state, much like South Africa is. Depending on how big the place is, one can get a real hunting experience even behind a high fence. Hunting in a small pasture is not hunting. I, myself, do not prefer a high fence. For me, just knowing that they put a record book deer out on the property to be hunted kind of takes a lot out of the "hunt" for me.

Automatic weapons are NOT used to hunt anything but pigs anywhere in the USA. Machine guns can be used (by properly licensed owners) in Texas, on pigs, as pigs are a very invasive non-native species that the state is trying to control with eradication means. "SEMI-automatic weapons can be mistaken for full automatic weapons by some who may not be aware of the acoustic reports of full auto weapons.

There are about 5 million pigs in Texas and they have spread all over the USA. They kill innumerable native species as they will eat anything. Most states that have pigs are really trying to get rid of them. They are that bad for the environment.

Yes, there are $40K deer in Texas. Its called braggin' rights to a big deer kill. They are selectively bred for big antlers. Not my cup of tea but none the less, done quite often in Texas. BTW, ALL the meat is harvested, nothing is left to lay in waste in the field.

Again, kind of on the rancher's side, think of a ranch of 50,000 acres that has been in the family for generations, handed down from father to son, and now, someone else has 24/7 access to "your" ranch and can tear up the ground and put in roads all over the place and you have no say so about it. All legal, all known in advance but none the less, irritating to say the least. Ya, I can understand some consternation there.

Something for the boredom, get a good telescope and look at the stars at night :-)
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Old 02-18-2019, 04:50 PM   #50
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Cliffy, glad you responded to the unjust slam against ranchers, you did it quite well. I’ve known several over the years and found them to be hard working and loyal patriots. They work hard, raise families and only ask to be left alone. These folks are salt of the earth Americans. BTW, I’m not a rancher but do enjoy a good rib eye.

To kill the boredom I suggest Chernow’s books on Washington and Grant, great reads and about 1000 pages.
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Old 02-18-2019, 06:05 PM   #51
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Great reading here!
Boring? OK
You could ignite ants with a magnifying glass-
You could use a rake and make a Zen garden in the dirt-
You could learn to shoot marbles in the dirt-
You could build and fly kites (its west Texas ain't it?, the wind always blows:-)
You could practice Yoga and reach a state of peace within ones self-
You could get a drone and add video to your write ups here!
Now there's an idea!
Keep up the good stories.
Kites... what a great idea!!!!!!
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Old 02-18-2019, 08:14 PM   #52
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Was in Fairbanks in September. Stayed at princess resort and saw northen lights several nights. Scenery is great.
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Old 02-19-2019, 05:32 AM   #53
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The "Pigs" noted are actually Javelinas which ARE native to this area and a species that live in family groups and are part an integral part of the ecosystem.



And this creature has an undeserved reputation similar to how the wolf and bear were demonized over time.


Of course there would not be so many if the ranchers had not killed off its predators the coyote and grey wolf.


Because of that the Javelina has no predator species. This is OUR fault. Not the animals.


Javelinas are common across the lower southwest dry desert areas of the US and Northern Mexico.
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Old 02-19-2019, 05:38 AM   #54
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Cliffy, glad you responded to the unjust slam against ranchers, you did it quite well. I’ve known several over the years and found them to be hard working and loyal patriots. They work hard, raise families and only ask to be left alone. These folks are salt of the earth Americans. BTW, I’m not a rancher but do enjoy a good rib eye.

To kill the boredom I suggest Chernow’s books on Washington and Grant, great reads and about 1000 pages.

My post was neither a "slam" nor "unjust". It was a retelling of a combination of direct experiences and where I was repeating what someone said versus what I saw I noted that fact.


These landowners get paid enormous amounts of money for the right of way rights and at the end the pipeline company re-forms the land as much as possible to it;s original and re-seeds it.


This land is worth very little per acre compared to similar sized farmland in North Dakota getting any money to cut a pipeline through one's land here is just a financial windfall of enormous proportions.
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Old 02-19-2019, 07:25 AM   #55
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My post was neither a "slam" nor "unjust". It was a retelling of a combination of direct experiences and where I was repeating what someone said versus what I saw I noted that fact.


These landowners get paid enormous amounts of money for the right of way rights and at the end the pipeline company re-forms the land as much as possible to it;s original and re-seeds it.


This land is worth very little per acre compared to similar sized farmland in North Dakota getting any money to cut a pipeline through one's land here is just a financial windfall of enormous proportions.

I have to weigh in on your side of the fence.

I grew up hunting, my grandfather was a member on one of the nation's oldest hunting clubs, which I of course became a part of at an early age.

To a man, our disrespect for any jerk participating in any form of high fence or caged hunting is profound. NO one who has paid for a trophy shoot would be allowed to set foot on any of our hunting properties.

We are also landowners with property on the Texas/Louisiana and Louisiana/Arkansas borders. Other than mineral and ROW leases the land has little income producing ability. We do not harvest the timber. If we did pulp is going for around $10/ton and quality saw wood $15/ton, the land could earn maybe $30 per acre per year. I get more than $30/year worth of Tomatoes from a few plants behind the garage down here in the Bayou.

Sorry, there are no gates to guard on our property because there are no fences.
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Old 02-19-2019, 07:07 PM   #56
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Thanks for those that have posted thoughtful and funny responses.


I want to avoid this becoming a referendum on Hunting or Land issues.


I Only engaged on those issues to correct some misconceptions that were voiced here.


I do appreciate your kind comments and support and hope you enjoy the ongoing saga of the worlds most boring job (at my gate at least)
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