Bottomland hardwoods and hunting ground
O'Keefe WMA sits about three miles south of Lambert, in Quitman and Tallahatchie counties. MDWFP describes it as mostly mature bottomland hardwood, with oaks, pecans and sweetgum, plus a green-tree reservoir for duck hunting. Private ground around Marks looks a lot like that, and a lot of it gets hunted. B&M cuts lanes and trails wide enough for a truck and trailer so you can reach stands and blinds.
Clearing hardwood bottoms takes the right machine. We use a tracked skid steer with a forestry mulching head on brush and smaller timber, and on bigger tracts we clear out of thick timber and push the timber into windrows. Select clearing takes out what you do not want and leaves the good oaks and pecans standing. We dig ponds and dirt pits with an excavator and dump truck.
Pads, yards and drainage
Quitman County is flat Delta ground, and heavy clay does not drain on its own. Houses, shops and camp buildings need pads built up with hauled-in fill and shaped to shed water. Yards need a grade that moves water away from the house, which we check with a laser level. Grading and drainage work keeps water off drives and out of buildings.
For a riding arena or a building site, we grade with a track loader. For a ballfield, we work and drag the infield. If there is an old house, shed or other structure that needs to come down, tell us what it is and we will talk it through. Every job starts with a conversation and a free estimate.
Lots and permits in Marks
Marks has the Quitman County courthouse, Quitman County School District schools, Delta Academy, churches and businesses. Straight Line Services stripes new or sealed asphalt, lays out traffic flow and marks fire lanes and no-parking zones. On a small lot, the ADA still calls for at least one accessible space, and on a lot of 1 to 4 spaces that one has to be van accessible.
For work inside Marks city limits, check with Marks City Hall about permits. Outside town, check with Quitman County. Mississippi law requires notifying 811 before excavation, and clearing or grading that disturbs 1 acre or more falls under MDEQ construction stormwater rules. Before burning brush, check local ordinances, MDEQ guidelines and any burn ban.
