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   Over the years, quite a system of trails have been developed around the farm. The original trails mostly followed the fence lines so I could ride the horse around and repair fences as needed. We eventually got a John Deere Gator so my wife could ride along with me. We extended the trail system to include areas for sight-seeing and making places for a leisurely Sunday afternoon ride. When we retired the Gator and got a Ranger, we further extended the trail system as the Ranger could easily go more places. When our grandson, Zane, started riding dirt bikes, he dramatically increased the trail system. We have found several advantages to having these pathways through the timber.

   What used to be a major undertaking packing a horse with assorted tools and supplies to check fences, now is a pleasant ride around the farm. I can throw the tools in the back of the Ranger with some extra wire and the chainsaw. My wife and I can load a dog or two and have a pleasant ride around. Having trails cut through the timber has allowed grass to grow where it had previously been too shaded. On a hot day, cattle can stay in the timber in the shade and still continue to graze. Deer appreciate the safety of being able to move from one area to the other without having to plow through rose bushes and other brush while still having protective cover. The best place to place cameras for wildlife pictures is where two of our trails meet in the timber. These junctions have become part of the natural habitat where I can get pictures of any and all wildlife that lives on the farm.

   From the front porch, we can see a couple of the groomed trails where they come out of the woods into the open pasture. These provide hours of wildlife viewing entertainment. This morning, we watched as two hen turkeys came out and down the hill with their fourteen poults. The young turkeys, about the size of an adult chicken, spread out across the trail eating and scratching as their mothers followed behind keeping a watchful eye for danger. The short grass made an ideal place for the young birds to find bugs and tender shoots of white clover.

   Most mornings, we can watch as a doe with her twin fawns follow the lower lake trail, stopping to get a drink and venturing on to their bedding area.

   Predators have also learned to use the trail system to easily find the game they are seeking. At least once each month, a coyote will come hunting along the upper lake trail. It is usually early in the morning when they come out of the timber onto the open trail. A long stretch of this trail is exactly three-hundred yards from the porch. Coincidentally, I have a rifle sighted in to three-hundred yards. Though we never seem to run out of coyotes, I feel I am doing my part to protect the fawns and poults in the area. My wife has learned to be a good sport about being woken from a sound sleep by gunfire. Fortunately, she also understands the importance of predator control.

   All the work that has gone into building and maintaining the trail system has been well worth the effort. We can now get just about anywhere on the farm whether hunting or riding for pleasure. One just needs to be careful if a person is going very fast. When a person rounds a corner, you never know what else will be sharing the trail.

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