Best grapple for a cutover?

[oosik]

Two items here to consider. Collect & burn the slash - - type of grapple.

I had my property selectively logged about 15 years ago. Ended up with around eight slash piles. Two years later - went back out to burn these piles. So many of the local animals had already established homes in these piles - I didn't burn. Now - 15 years later these piles are about 1/4 of their original size.

I bought my Land Pride - Rock and Root grapple - eight years ago. It works great for what I do. Move large chunks of Ponderosa pine trunk and large rocks. Whatever type/style grapple you choose - DO NOT forget to modify your grill guard.

I have 80 acres here in NE WA state.

 

[oosik]

BTW - what is a cutover???

 

[RollTide1974]

I have the same problem . The deer seem to love all the Slash so I'm keeping most of it but as soon as I clear a path through it. The deer follow the path 70% of the time .

That's one reason I want to keep some of the debris out there. I want to keep the deer coming in.

 

[RollTide1974]

BTW - what is a cutover???

I call a cutover....land that timber has been cut

 

[RollTide1974]

For best management practices for soil nutrients and your new forest, you should concentrate the heavy fuels into smaller piles and burn them. Have them well distributed throughout your block. Then just leave the smaller material and light accumulations scattered where they are. You can accelerate decomposition by either crushing the woody debris into the soil with equipment or just buck the longer sections into shorter lengths with a chainsaw to get full soil contact. That will speed decomposition. The key is you want some of the slash to melt into the soil and dispose of heavier concentrations by either burning or removal. You can also skid them into decks away from your tree seedlings if you’re ok with letting them sit until they rot. Burning a large pile just bakes that area into concrete and destroys soil properties.

Thank you for the advice! I will look at getting rid of the bigger logs left and maybe let the rest rot.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Which ever style that you get, since any grapple is better than no grapple.

I have had both styles and prefer the L bottom style:
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L bottom definitely.

 

[jyoutz]

BTW - what is a cutover???

Clearcut

 

[jyoutz]

Thank you for the advice! I will look at getting rid of the bigger logs left and maybe let the rest rot.

As I mentioned there are things you can do to speed up the rotting process. The material needs to be in contact with or incorporated into the soil.

 

[Smokeydog]

We don’t clear cut much but collect a significant amount of trees just to maintain cleared areas. Like my dad, use to collect in piles and burn. Times change. Now push and pile into the woods to make habitat and rot. Also have a large gully off the the driveway that receives several house size debris piles per year. Given the favorable conditions of moderate weather, shade, water and starter decay I’m always amazed how quickly trees rot. The gully drains 1/4 mile to a paddock that always lush with the added nutrients. The gully has gone from a nuisance to a valuable part of the farm. Good gully.

 

[Kschwennsen]

Why burn them at all? They make good wildlife habitat. When I take trees from my forest, I limb them, then remove the trunk. The branches and stumps rot down eventually. I have a great abundance of wildlife now.

I agree! If you want it cleaned up a bit, push the piles together some but they are great for wild birds and rabbits. I have a couple piles I end up just adding to them year round and like MossRoad says, they just decay and go into the ground. They just stay the same size as they rot as fast as I add to them.