Dan O.

I' ve recently started to run into problems with the neighbour. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence because his cattle seem to prefer my plantings over his pasture. I don' t have livestock and I don' t mind buying more barb wire and helping to put it up but I' m not too impressed about paying for 600 yds of fencing through a deep swamp because he wants to pasture the cattle there.

Has anyone else had this interesting experience?

DaN o.

timbercruiser

Don' t ya' ll have some sort of stock laws in Canada? I would think that would be some sort of tresspassing. Regardless I wouldn' t think it would be any responsibility to you to help with any kind of fence or monetary help.

Dan O.

We have fence viewers that make a decision as to how much each owner has to pay. (if it goes that far). If it was dry land and both owners were pasturing their land the cost would be split. The less you need the fence the less you should pay (if the fence viewers decide). I' d have to work out of a boat to put up a fence in the swamp right now. That' s my complaint. It' s a useleass waste of money, except for his cattle that trample the area in the driest part of the driest years.

I' ve pointed out to him that Ducks Unlimited will pay for a fence around the wetland. But he doesn' t want to loose about 3-4 acres of potential grazing so he wants to go straight through it.

Dan O.

TimberPig

The general rule here in Iowa for boundary fence is to stand in the middle of your property facing the fence, the half on your right side is your responsibility. The other half is the neighbors.

I' m going through a similar (but smaller) situation in that the neighbors have cattle and I dont. Even though it doesnt benefit me I must maintain my half of the fence to keep their cattle out. Just part of owning rural land I guess.

My only gripe is that they dont seem too worried about whether or not their cows get onto my land. Their fence is junk and so is mine. I' m replacing mine with new, they just cobbled theirs up by pounding in a couple more metal posts and weaving some wire through the holes in the fence. If those cows get into my planted trees, new yard, or food plots, I' m going to get a bit upset...

I' m new to this Dan so I dont have any advice, just sympathy!

greg-dude

My guess is that if he wants to put a fence up there, he has the right. And more likely, you will have to pay part of it. It does sound stupid. Here in MO., a guy could get payments, not to graize an area like that.

Some suggestions,
1)If it is a straight line, put in a high tensil electrical fence. Requires less fence posts and labor. Make him buy or maintain the fence and fencer.

2) Put a temperary electric fence in dry area now. Then go in and fence the area in the dry season.

3) What I would do if the land was mine and I would absolutely, have to have that pastrue is fence the dry area around the swamp. Then in dry years have a two wire electric fence through the swamp on the property line and graize it for a short time periods.

Hope one of the above will help you. I can' t see how anyone can put up a fence on a boat.

greg

Dan O.

Thanks for your input. I heard about the stand in the middle and fence to the right rule but I can' t find anything to say it' s the rule up here. I especially like the fact that the part to my right is mostly high and dry.

If the neighbour wanted it, he could have a fence around the wetlands put up for free and get a tax rebate for the fenced off area. He can even get grants to dig a pond outside the area. I don' t quite understand his logic.

During the dry season I' ll still need hip waders to walk the fence line but it' ll be better than now.

Dan O.