Keeping goats fenced into a place is just about as much work as cleaning up the **** you put them in there for in the first place. "If water can go through it, goats can go through it." It does work somewhat, they will kill the hell out of your native grasses and ruin a place if you're not careful, though.
have done a fair amount on several different properties. while you can do an awful lot with a decent sized tractor and a bucket (which makes the most sense long-term equipment-wise when you're a landowner), you might in this case consider trying to find a small dozer. Use it for a year or two to get what you want to get done over time at a leisurely pace, then turn around and sell it for I would think pretty close to what you pay for it. something like a D3, a quick search in Texas turns up something like this: https://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/construction-equipment/for-sale/190957325/1994-cat-d3c not saying exactly that one, I also don't know what your budget is, but you could finance the purchase and again unload it when you're done without losing too much money. consider it a rental.
I agree with the need to talk to people that are local to that area. I don't know how Appraisal Districts - Taxing Jurisdictions treat raw land in your area, but I know that in some parts of Texas there can be a huge swing in the property tax bill depending if it is or isn't classified as being in Ag use. Is this land going to get a favorable treatment in regards to property taxes?
Yes, it is a huge tax difference. An even easier* thing to do is apply (just like you would for an ag exemption, through your local tax authority) for a "wildlife exemption". I think the smallest plot you can claim is 15 acres? Could be wrong, could vary by county. You get a similar tax break as long as you don't put a rock quarry or rv park or any of that other **** that pisses me off, on your property. *the State has put the hammer down on people taking advantage of the agricultural exemption...they'd put 2 horses on the 10 acres of manicured grass around their house and claim it was ag land. Not anymore. I believe you now have to have a breeding population, and there's all sorts of other caveats and qualifications.
What made me think of the land use classification question were his mentions about improving habitat and land ecology. No mention about improving the land so it could support more cattle (or goats). Maybe 10 acres is the minimum to get Ag use classification which dings the horse people with a few acres and wanting to claim Ag use.
That doesn't sound like a smart idea. You'd end up with a goat problem. And you'd need lions to get rid of goats. Then you'd have a lion problem.
Oh no, the coyotes* would take care of the goats before you had a lion problem. There are people who "rent" out large herds of goats for that purpose. You put them in at the right time of year (not in spring to early summer, because the goats would just eat all the fresh new grasses and ignore what you actually wanted them to eat); you concentrate them in a small (I'm talking about 200 goats on 200 acres for 2 months) area for a short time; then you move them to the next small area; and repeat until you're done. *Herd guards, like great pyrenees, or donkeys, or llamas, are a necessity. The hardest part is good fences.
Had the zag agent out yesterday. Doing a wildlife exemption. Not planning for pastures, just clearing brush to open the land up a bit and not on all 140 acres. Helpful comments so far, thanks.
We have had wildlife exemption on our acreage for years. Same tax advantages as ag exemption. Only difference is you have to fill out report once a year. Take a few pictures. Send in copies of a few receipts for expenses you have incurred justifying the WE. So far have never had any problems. I would have to see your property to comment on what I would do and to what extent I would clear brush and trees. I would say the more clearing you do the more ongoing work you will be creating for yourself.
I kinda halfassed sorta tried to make this point earlier, but it's a great one. and @Pole, dozers are fun for a couple of hours, after that it's work
We actually live on our property. About 40 acres. Half wooded half cleared with 1.5 acre pond. During growing season, now until around end of October, I probably average 25 hours a week doing work on my property. I am retired and enjoy it but have my limits. Can't over emphasize the importance of good equipment.
I know a lady that bought 100 acres in cleveland for 300k. She rented the excavator to do it herself with no experience
