Huffy, I asked my farmer friend about hardpan. He said that's probably why the other farmers places I hunt on don't like me or others driving on their fields when wet. I asked him what he thought about it. He said they plow their corn stubble deep enough that he's never been concerned about a pickup truck causing hardpan or shallow ruts. I'm headed to the stubble again this evening to set up my snows. Thanks for all the replies...
Driving in Muddy Corn Fields
- Thread starter Triple BB
- Start date
Shallow ruts can become large valleys and a good portion of topsoil can be relocated to the nearest watershed,or stream never to be recovered . Not to mention the silting-up of a fishing spot and the time and money it can cost to repair the erosion damage. Some feilds the effects can be minimal, but I know farmers who spend big bucks terracing and grading to keep their feilds where they belong. One small rut in the wrong place or going the wrong direction can cause major damage in one downpour.
I drive tri axle for a farmer cutting corn silage and one truck beside the harvester and when I am next to load the farmer wants me behind and split the trak of the truck being loaded the only time we can drive around in the feild if we start to spin on a hill then we can break off and circle and make a run for it but the farmer is really picky about driving on his feilds he says it will erode the soil. I wouldent want to get stuck in this guys feild with a pick up truck. I hear alot of guys use quads and side by sides but my side by side tears up the ground when I make a turn please enlighten me on why tht is any better ?? not as heavy but still leaves track marks and tht is on dry land muddy corn feild I know that would leave a mark.
Well, it's been 18 years since it's been discussed here. Maybe there's some new ideas about it
lucky_man
Senior Refuge Member
We don't do it because most of what my family farms is already worked up for the coming spring. Also, with the price of fuel, it takes a lot more to disk in where deep ruts are (3-4 passes) than when there are no ruts. The other part of that is, especially on precision leveled fields, after you've disked it 3-4 times to fill in the ruts, now you've created a swag in the field that needs to be filled. So now you'll also have to pull a landplane across it to fill in the low spot which is more time, money, and fuel. It's all a lot easier to just use a side by side or 4-wheeler than have my cousins give me he*l.
Mud is still a relevant issue all these years later LOL
I'm a spring snow hunter in AR/MO and typically the fields aren't truck accessible, just too wet that time of year and soil has been sloppified by several freeze/thaw cycles. A few times we chose to setup near a grassy field road and were able to take the trucks down in. But otherwise its only ATV's with sleds/utility trailer, and have even been told a few times no to the ATV's. We fill in visible ruts the ATV's make as none of it is worth irritating a farmer.
The last time I walked in, and hopefully the last ever, turned into a very memorable hunt. Thought the farmer was crazy for not letting me take ATV, yet as I crossed one corner I was up to my shins in mud and he was right, and the walk was brutal. But my son was along watching and we had birds come down from the heavens several times, and he got hooked. But if it's walk-in these days, I'm moving on....
I'm a spring snow hunter in AR/MO and typically the fields aren't truck accessible, just too wet that time of year and soil has been sloppified by several freeze/thaw cycles. A few times we chose to setup near a grassy field road and were able to take the trucks down in. But otherwise its only ATV's with sleds/utility trailer, and have even been told a few times no to the ATV's. We fill in visible ruts the ATV's make as none of it is worth irritating a farmer.
The last time I walked in, and hopefully the last ever, turned into a very memorable hunt. Thought the farmer was crazy for not letting me take ATV, yet as I crossed one corner I was up to my shins in mud and he was right, and the walk was brutal. But my son was along watching and we had birds come down from the heavens several times, and he got hooked. But if it's walk-in these days, I'm moving on....
If anything it is more of a concern now than in the past
Compaction is still a concern. Tonight we had a deep 6-point ripper in the field next door, Quite pretty with all the lighting and snow falling.
I use to "manage" the trespassers and hunters on a corporate farm. Seems like if there is a track others think they can too. And as mentioned some farmers treat their fields like some people do their yards, all perfect.
60% of our fields are currently planted in winter wheat, In the spring it is very obvious the compaction that takes place.
Compaction is still a concern. Tonight we had a deep 6-point ripper in the field next door, Quite pretty with all the lighting and snow falling.
I use to "manage" the trespassers and hunters on a corporate farm. Seems like if there is a track others think they can too. And as mentioned some farmers treat their fields like some people do their yards, all perfect.
60% of our fields are currently planted in winter wheat, In the spring it is very obvious the compaction that takes place.
Click
Senior Refuge Member
I use a gator in the fields anymore, we have two of em so I may as well. Been in some serious sloppy in worked up fields and have never been stuck. Make a few ruts every year but I go back with a vertical till tool and smooth em up prior to planting in the spring. If we pull our ripper through a field to bust the hard pan up no one will drive in it including me... it's just too dam rough. Compaction and and all the other things listed above are very real. Unless you are the one farming it don't year it up.
duck central
Senior Refuge Member
I think the KEY factor in all of this is USE COMMOM SENSE !!!!!!
Oh that's right that's not common.
Oh that's right that's not common.
