Can I Clear This by Myself?

[scesnick]

My wife has been bugging me to clear some of our property to make a bigger field.
I have been wanting to clear this spot on my property for quite some time anyway. It is pretty much just useless property right now. It was clear cut 35 yrs ago by my grandfather but now it has some pretty good growth on it. It has cherry, white/red oak and locust on it. Would it be possible to sell this as pulpwood? or is it not worth the effort?

I do have a 25 horse farm tractor and a Case 580B Backhoe. But, since I have yet to hit the lottery, I can probably only swing one more piece of equipment. I would imagine a good solid crawler would be the logical choice. Since I have never even attempted to clear any land before, I was wondering if this would even be possible for me to clear by myself?

The land I want to clear is just to the right of the pond in front of my house (The green roof tops are my house and garage) all the way to the small field on the far top right and to the left of the field in the pic. Kind of a triangle shape. It is roughly 30 acres I would guess.
Oh and Yes, I do live out in the boonies ... lol...
Frostburg, Allegany, Maryland - Google Maps

 

[20 20]

Old timers did it with a team of horse's and an axe

 

[scesnick]

I was thinking of burning mostly. any idea what it would run me to get this done. ( ballark of course) I haven't a clue what the going rate would be.

 

[kthompson]

My thoughts based upon my experience I would say yes if time is your friend. Would make the following suggestions: selling pulp wood would give you some money and get the tree trunks out of the way. Chippers would leave your land cleaner than normal loggers do. Then you are left with stumps. This to me is where you need to think carefully. Will your backhoe dig your stumps? You can dig a bigger tree than you can stump. But if you will have only a few stumps you are not able to dig, sell the wood and use that money to rent or hire a big excavator to dig out those few stumps or if you have time use it.

You will find cleaning up 35 acres say on weekends and after work will take much longer than you may think. You need to also find out are you able to burn the trash or must it be hauled off. A lot of this of course depends on how thick your trees are and how large. Don't forget dug stumps leaves holes.

 

[kthompson]

Make some calls and find people in the business of logging. Depending on you may find someone who will trade the work needed for the timber. At same even with the market get someone there to cruise the timber and know what it is worth. It may more than pay for the work.

 

[QwikDraw]

Cut, stumped and removal of everything from $3000 to $5000 per acre

 

[scesnick]

Thanks for the advice, I think I will get someone to look at the timber and see how much I can get for it as kthompson suggested. Then, possibly use that money towards clearing the land. Of course I'm gonna have to wait till the 3ft. of snow is gone before I do that..

 

[kthompson]

You might find a Tom Sawyer or was it Huck Finn approach could work. Set up a contest and pay say $15,000 to the one who does the best job of clearing their acre. Then only charge $500 per each contestant.

 

[20 20]

I agree with Kthompson, check with local loggers, you make some $$$. Also ask around about those in need of fire wood.

An experienced operator can easily take a whole tree{roots and all} down much easier then it is to just dig up an old stump. As Kthompson said, roots will need a lot of fill when done. Plus you'll have to find a place to get rid of the roots, they won't burn until dry and that can take some time.

 

[tlbuser]

I agree with Kthompson, check with local loggers, you make some $$$. Also ask around about those in need of fire wood.

An experienced operator can easily take a whole tree{roots and all} down much easier then it is to just dig up an old stump. As Kthompson said, roots will need a lot of fill when done. Plus you'll have to find a place to get rid of the roots, they won't burn until dry and that can take some time.

It takes a whole crew of equipment and people to clear this much in a short tme. Logging will leave stumps, tops and the undesireable trees behind. The equipment you have will work just fine, don't get impatient and plan to cut small tracts out at a time (acre per weekend?). Uprooting the whole tree is easiest, then cut if you want. Rough grade as you go, filling the stump holes. Spend a couple minutes picking most of the dirt off the stump. Sliding trees is easier than lifting to move. It shouldn't be a problem to burn in your part of the state, check with the county for a permit and for burn season times (now is open). Pile your burn up as high as you can reach, it'll look daunting the first time but you will be ok.
Pulp wood is still at $10/ton, we load their trailer, they haul. Firewood processing co. might work ok if you can locate one near you. Firewood unless for you or family, I would pass. People are funny, they say one thing and do another. They really want free firewood only if you cut, split, deliver and stack for free. If an individual injures themselves on your property, you are liable for them and their injuries even if they sign a waiver of liability. One lawsuit will change your mind quickly.

Yes, the whole process will take time,. The more of it you do, the more efficient you should become. Most of us have more time than money, we just don't think we have the time.

 

[eepete]

I've been to Frostburg! We were picking up fire tankers in Meyersdale.

We had some clearing we did. I have a 21 HP Kubota B21 TLB. I hired a local guy with a track loader w/ 4-way bucket to come in and push down the trees, then haul them into areas/piles roots and all. Then I limbed them, some guy bought the timber, I burned what was left of the limbs after the local wood stove crowd got what they wanted. Then the track loader guy came back and buried the stumps.
I used the B21 to help hold trees while I was limbing, clean up the ground, pile the limbs, stack the timber, and dig up any root pieces that didn't come up with the tree push over.

You could do the same approach and the tasks you are undertaking would be matched to your equipment. If you took 5 acre bites of the problem, it would be manageable and if this approach didn't work for you, you wouldn't have 30 acres of pushed over trees to contend with.

Pete

 

[20 20]

A one or 2 man operation can clear out a heavily forested 5 acre lot in about 1 week. A skidder can move a lot of material fast and have it stacked in a clearing, Log truck/s come and take it away. I suggested trying to have a logging outfit because it may help with $$$, plus you won't just be wasting lumber. A good skidder operator{respectable logger} will even push up the brush piles so you can burn them. Probably take a month or less, depending on weather job demand etc, for them to be done. In our neck of the woods the loggers don't just take "lumber wood" they also sell firewood in log length{the owners still gets a cut of this}. Not to mention if you explain what you're doing they may even help with stump removal. From what I can see stumps are going to be your biggest issue. Not only do you need to get them out but you need to get rid of them, dump truck sure would be handy?

Tlbuser, you may be correct about lazy incompetent firewood getters. At the same time there are those that respect and take responsibility for their actions. Seems like there could be some sort of signed agreement if one were to choose this route, especailly if the owner were giving the wood away????

 

[20 20]

If you took 5 acre bites of the problem, it would be manageable and if this approach didn't work for you, you wouldn't have 30 acres of pushed over trees to contend with.

Pete

I agree, I've seen folks go in and cut cut cut then go numb because they can't handle the clean up. It's much easier{for the DIYer} if one takes small bites and cleans as they go.

 

[tlbuser]

Tlbuser, you may be correct about lazy incompetent firewood getters. At the same time there are those that respect and take responsibility for their actions. Seems like there could be some sort of signed agreement if one were to choose this route, especailly if the owner were giving the wood away????

Lazy was just part of it. One of our sites we let people in to cut firewood. Had them sign a waiver of liability drawn up by our attorney. Guy cuts himself with his chainsaw, we got sued, he won in court. That particular scenario won't happen to us again.

 

[20 20]

Tlbuser; that sad, these sue happy people can really ruin it for the rest.

 

[radioman]

Lazy was just part of it. One of our sites we let people in to cut firewood. Had them sign a waiver of liability drawn up by our attorney. Guy cuts himself with his chainsaw, we got sued, he won in court. That particular scenario won't happen to us again.

That is sad! They SIGNED a waiver and STILL won for thier OWN carelessness??!!