Mini Backhoe for clearing

[MN_Chestnut]

do you think a Bobcat Mini excavator 425 will work for clearing a ton of small popples? I have 40 acre of land that was logged by my grandpa in the 90's. Now I have 40 acres of pop can sized Popple trees. I would like to clear a few acres for food plots and mast tree planting.
I have a limited budget <$500 and this is the piece of equipment I could get my hands on for May 1st.

What are your thoughts?

 

[EOB]

I agree, hire a bulldozer. A bulldozer can clear a lot of land in few hours.

 

[MN_Chestnut]

Does anyone know of a Dozer for hire in the Remer, MN area?
I would be willing to discuss rates and try to work out a deal.

 

[MN_Chestnut]

Thank you very much! What is an expected hourly rate? $75-$100/hr do you think I could get someone to do a half day for say $600

 

[West Branch]

My cousin owns Cass County construction listed MOs post. I know he does good work, but don't see him enough to know about his rates or how busy he is.

 

[MN_Chestnut]

I plan to contact everyone on MO's list today. If I am lucky I can convince someone to comeout to my place for a 1/2 to 3/4 day. I am only looking at clearing 3-5 acres or so, what ever they can get done for $500-$600.

There is easy access into the property from the gravel road. There is a 15 yard wide existing logging road that runs right down the middle. I really just want to widen that road in a few places to create small food plots and plant mast trees on the northern edges so they get the southern sun. Mast trees I would plant are Chestnut, Apple and some Burr Oak. I would protect them all with tree tubes.

Food plots would be small 1-2 acre clover, oats and brassica's. They really ate up the oats last year in the areas that I was able to plant.

Below is the idea

 

[foggy]

To clear "pop-can sized popple"......I would think a tractor and a good brush hog would do the job just fine. I cut small trees like this all the time even with my rig.....which is not the perfect tool for this. A good 50-60 HP tractor with a HD brush cutter will make short work out of 4" popple. So would a mulching unit on a bobcat. Check out the site at "mulching mania" whom is based out of Little Falls. This is exactly the kind of work he specializes in.

Dozers make a big mess IMO.

 

[MN_Chestnut]

Thank you, he has a pretty nice rig there (wish I had one) cool video too. Do you think he would be able to take care of the roots with that rig? Would I be able to disc the ground afterword to put in food plots with out dealing with a ton of roots?

 

[wiscwhip]

Not everyone, some of us just go directly for the Garlon 4 or Tordon RTU and diesel fuel.;)

 

[wiscwhip]

Areas we treated in April/May with Tordon, we were able to plant in August and while those areas did germinate and grow, it did seem like the rye may have been affected to a small degree that first fall. The following spring we planted soys and there were no noticeable affects at all. I would say it could affect germination/growth for possibly 4-6 months, give or take. My guess it would be worse on clay as opposed to our sand. Can't speak specifically to the Garlon4.

 

[foggy]

I've made trails thru my poppel Using my tractor and brush cutter....., then nuked it w roundup.....then followed with a couple passes with my disk.....and then a tiller......before planting with clover. Works well for me .

 

[foggy]

when operating my brush cutter.....I've leaarnd to put my loader bucket low with the cutting edge turned up. Then doze through the poppll......and if the tractors front wheels come off the ground....then I have too much load for my cutter. :eek:;)


I have a light duty cutter and have always treated it as "disposable". It's still going strong after five years of hard duty.

 

[EOB]

I had a food plot put in an area that was mostly aspen and have not had a problem with regeneration. Had a couple sprouts here and there. Part of this area was a clear cut of mature trees and part of it was regrowth from a previous clear cut. A bulldozer did most of the work and excavator was used on the big stumps. The stumps and debris was pushed into berms. I would say that if you get the stumps and roots the regeneration won't be that big of a deal.

 

[PRK]

If you want to use the brush piles and stumps to direct deer movement I would go with the dozer. If not, think about the mulching. There are 2 outfits in the Brainerd area that can mulch about anything with tracked mulchers with minimal ground disturbance, Mulching Mania and Wilderness Land Clearing. I used one of them this past fall after hunting with great results. Amazing machines.

 

[MN_Chestnut]

Would mowing with a Brush hog a couple times a year and discing for food plots in the spring and July minimize the regen? I use Gly on the food plots I have now but they are mostly just grasses and brush that i am able to mow down with the Brush Hog and wheeler. I see good results doing this so far.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

If you clear an area of Aspen, the regrowth is 99% killed off with a mowing the first summer and the rest the next mowing the next year. Their is no energy left in the roots to continue. By then everything is rotten and starting to fear up for making a plot. It is a lot of work to convert a forest to a plot in less than 2 years. To much debris too deal with and plus you still have to lime and let the lime work in. I got in field in its 3rd year that will get planted this year. Could have done it in 2 if would have at least removed some of the logging trash from it. By this summer it should be a nice grass meadow ready to be worked on. Aspen stumps rot fast, especially when under 6 inches.