Pocket gophers and fruit tree area grass mowed

For now I am done trapping pocket gophers this year.  I have trapped and removed the pocket gophers from the hayfield and all the pastures.  I say "for now" because most likely a few more pocket gophers will move in from the neighbor's fields before the snow comes.  I trapped 98 pocket gophers.  More than average.  I'm glad to be done as I spent twice a day (morning and evening) checking the traps.

Last year I didn't mow the fruit tree area.  I let it be at the level the cattle ate the grass down to.  Today I finished mowing the fruit tree area. It took longer than expected - a few days - as before mowing I had to use a rake to upturn the cattle manure (and I still missed lots of them as I found more when mowing).  Before mowing I also trimmed some dead branches from the buffalo berry trees.

Here is an old photo of the buffalo berry trees from a few years ago.

Apricot tree that has not turned color yet, and the buffaloberry trees.

Then I decided to trim some branches from the box elder tree growing under the power lines.  Better now when all I need is a clipper and not a saw to remove the branches.  I gave the branches to the cattle as they like to eat box elder tree leaves.  They ate them all.

The tree is split low on the trunk.  I should remove the right half, but it provides shade.  So I leave it.

After the cattle had left this area I removed the fencing from around the smaller trees.  I discovered now that many of their leaves had been eaten.  I guess the deer, when not finding any apples this year, decided to eat some fruit tree leaves they could reach.  Dang.

The mowed fruit tree area.

Now on to other projects.