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Neighbor conflict?

Skully

Skully

PMA Member
I need some honest opinions. I have a neighbor to my South that has 100 acres of C.R.P. that butts up to my 70 acre piece. Two years ago it was all clover but he enrolled it into C.R.P and it is now about 40% thistles! With the predominant south summer winds I am now fighting a major thistle problem. I have confronted him twice and both times he brought down his old brush mower and mowed them down. This is not the answer to the problem and I don't know what to do next. He lets me shed hunt the property and run cameras in the off season but his relatives have full hunting rights. They do not care for the property at all, "no food plots or improvements for hunting have been made", it's just a yearly C.R.P. check to him. I don't want conflict and I don't want to be labeled a narc by turning him in to the weed commissioner so what would you guys do?
 
If its that big of an issue for you, maybe talk with him about splitting the costs to spray the thistles.

Does the DNR have any programs to help out with this?
 
Yes you are supposed to spray the weeds or clip them every year.


I would talk to him about getting them cut earlier in the year before they shell out and the seeds start blowing onto your land. Thistle is a hard plant to burn down with spray and it is hard to erradicate. Even if he does spray it every year, it will still come back.

Maybe split the cost of spraying or cutting it down.

If the state found out he had a Thistle problem out there, he could loose his CRP payment. Maybe politely remind him of this if he is unwhilling to reason.
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It is every landowners responsibilty to take care of noxious weeds on their property. It is their responsibilty not yours to pay for that. You can report them at least in MO and I am sure it is the same in Iowa. That is their responsibility. Not sure who you report that to, but try the NRCS and ask them.
 
I know we have a guy employed by the county who's job it is to deal with situations just like this. I thought that every county had one. I would contact you're local conservation board to see what can be done.
 
I'm not sure if he can be forced to do anymore then mow them but I would check with your local NRCS office to see what your options are.
 
I talked to everyone from the Sheriff to FSA to NRCS and I ended up at the court house talking to the County Engineer! Yes, it is the Co. Engineer's job to enforce the "weed slackers" in my county. In order to continue I would have to fill out a form explaining the person and property in question. They claim it is confidential but in a small community who knows. If the person does not control the growth of noxious weeds the county can come in and spray the acres and put a lean on the farmers taxes for payment. I am going to have one more talk with the land owner and let him know what my next step will be if he doesn't comply. I feel I have no choice. I already waste to much time fighting thistles. With my new tree seedlings thrown in the mix, spraying becomes an overwhelming job on my place .
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A couple cycles of well timed mowing will make a huge difference. You want to just offer to help for hunting rights?
 
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A couple cycles of well timed mowing will make a huge difference.

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I have very little time working with thistle but I mowed one of my food plots several times that was over grown by thistle. It helped some, the next year they werent as thick.
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GOOD LUCK!

Dean
 
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