Plot in Lumber trails

[Carl_NH]

Your trails look great, exactly what I am going to do. Ginding just seems like such a slow way of going. I have used a similar grinder but it was on some pretty big stumps 30 inch diameter. I have some time coming in March I will have to see about renting one.

Thanks

Vern,

So I you have 6 to 12" stumps now, maybe 30-40 to do, and a 9"stump is probably 12-15" to really grind down to the base - it will take you about 15 minutes to grind one with a 16" Rayco unit like Foggy suggests.

I did about 4 24"size and 10 6-12" stumps in a day with a similar unit a few years back. But when I had to grind the big ones (30-40" stumps and 6-10' of stump area to be ground) I had a guy come to do these - he did 10 40"+ stumps (ground to 8" below ground 7' around) in 3 hours with a 24" 90HP Vermeer unit.

If you want to do some of your acreage, contract a mulcher guy - they will make fast work of your area. In fact I would hire a mulcher for 2-3 days rather than a stump grinder if you want to see quick results and get to planting.

If you have time. then rent or buy a stump grinder. I would buy one if you have time to work it, and a lot to do, then sell it when done.


Carl

 

[Mudfarmer]

Wow
This is all a pretty amazing discussion. Did you know that the Black Forest in Germany is endangered? A lot of the research is indicating that over the centurys too much has been done to the forest, too much has been taken away. I suggest cutting your stumps at ground level if you need to drive over them, and leave the debris lie to nourish your trees. It is a forest after all. If you want a pasture, get a pasture.
mf

 

[Vern]

Carl
Thanks I will look into a mulcher.

 

[Carl_NH]

Mudfarmer,

I agree with leaving a forest a forest and letting nature do its thing, but sometimes cutting and thinning is needed. In the last 5 years in this area we have seen 95MPH hurricane force winds off the ocean shear off the tops of 100' pines, and same for microbursts touching down in NH taking down a large swath of trees in 10 minutes time.

The pines we have taken down or have blown down are probably 80-100 yrs old and more than 40% had core rot at the base which I am told is what happens as pines age then eventually they fall down or create "leaners" which are dangerous in the woods - yes eventually they will fall and new growth will occur.

These pics are from my office deck and our patio with our new teak set after a microburst we had 10 trees down, and three were bent so we took them out and left the hardwoods..

 

[foggy1111]

Wow
This is all a pretty amazing discussion. Did you know that the Black Forest in Germany is endangered? A lot of the research is indicating that over the centurys too much has been done to the forest, too much has been taken away. I suggest cutting your stumps at ground level if you need to drive over them, and leave the debris lie to nourish your trees. It is a forest after all. If you want a pasture, get a pasture.
mf

You gotta be schmiding me. Whether you grind a few stumps or let them decay naturally has little to do with the "debris to noursih your trees".

I have seen the Black Forest, and understand some of the obsessive micro management that goes with the German culture (in the Black forest). In some areas they groom every inch of the forest and pick up every fallen leaf....it's like they cannot leave anything to nature. I dont think that's what is being suggested here.....not even close.

One could make the same argument about the shed in your picture.....better get that off the pasture....as its diminishing the land and preventing legumes from growing. :confused2: Some level of management is needed if people are going to use the resource.

 

[Vern]

Sent off to Whitetail Institue for a soil sample, they are really quick, sent Monday results Thursday.

PH is 5.3 - recomend 5000 lbs of lime per acre. Good thing I am not doing an acre.

 

[Vern]

Planted Whitetail Institues no till a week and a half ago. Clover is coming up.

 

[Carl_NH]

So Vern,

Did you get a grinder or a mulcher in to clean your place up? Just curious seems I might have missed that part..

Let me know how that turned out and what you did with the chips.

 

[Vern]

Carl

I made a brush fork for my loader and stacked the tailings at the end of the logging trail my the stump. then took a landscape rake and racked as much of the little stuff I could get. Its about 150' by 20'

I contacted a mulcher - 4 hours away and want 1200 per day plus a set up fee. Found one place the use to rent them but due to insurance issues they have stopped.

We have a burn band on right now so just stacking what I can until I can burn it. Have been looking at a 3 point stump grinder for my tractor but 3600.00 for it. Also looking at a used DP 3 point chipper that will do 4 1/2 in dia. but that is soooooo labot intensive.

Vern

 

[Vern]

Food plot at 4 weeks.

 

[Vern]

Met a local guy out at the camp yesterday that does mulching. Nice young man, mid to late 20's and sound like he is honest and has a work ethic. He thinks he can run through all the trails and knock down the stumps to grade in a day and a half, between 2 and 3 grand, he is going to send me a firm price.
I am concidering it - by the time i rent or buy what I need and spend all my time I think I would come out on top and it is done now and now taking a couple years.

 

[Vern]

update - hit it with liquid nitrogen yesterday

 

[Vern]

Hired a mulcher to clean up the trail - asked him to becafull of the food plot. I think I put down to much nitrogen some of it looked burned - between the mulcher and the nitrogen there is not much left, hope it comes back some.

 

[Vern]

Coming back some, no sign of deer using it yet.

 

[koamfps]

...................................
Sorry Duplication

 

[koamfps]

Vern looks like your doing a fine job!
The trails you are planting down, after they start growing, do you plan to still drive them? Are you a Deer Hunter or just enjoy wildlife? I ask because planting down trails is no really not recommended. The reason being, typically you have two types of plots. A feed plot or a harvest/kill plot. When you have a long stretch of trail unless it’s straight (shooting lane) the deer have no place to be thus making it potentially detrimental to your hunt and decreases your chances of harvesting an animal.
The above statement even holds more value if you are a bow hunter :2cents:

 

[Vern]

Koamfps - all I have are trails to work with. The 25 arecs was planted in 93 with pines that are now arbout 20 to 25' tall. It was thinned last summer and I purchased it in January this year. Eventually i will clear a couple arcres for a plot but for now....

 

[koamfps]

Vern, Two things if you bow hunt and are planning on hunting along the trail and you are insistent on planting down all of the trail. Here is a suggestion I would plant down the trail with something lick a Medium Red Clover and then plant in you White Clover in your kill areas. What happens. The clover is still there to help with Fawning and Milk Production in the spring due the high protein content. However as we move to toward fall Deer shift there diet more toward carbohydrates. So how do you alter that. One way is to fertilize the kill plots with urea in early fall. This will sweeten the clover and make it more desirable for deer. By having these spots (kill Plots along your trail) you know create an environment in which several groups of does will visit several spot (Kill Plots) and Does bring in Bucks
Michigan Guided Whitetail Deer Hunting, Deer Hunts Specialists, Whitetail Deer Food Plot Specialists, Spring Guided Ohio Walleye Fishing Trips, King's Outdoor Adventure

 

[Vern]

Thanks for the input. Having had stumps in the trail I could not disc so raked it and spread Throw and Go. This was more of a quick thing to get something growing and it is close to the middle of the property so wanted something to draw them in. The main trail, where planted, goes front front to back with several branchs that go to the swap. I may cut some trees to fom a bigger clearing next spring.