Plot Begins

[Zag]

For some I might be repeating myself a bit. We have 90 acres of land all woods and most of the surrounding area is woods. I bet id have to drive a few miles before I saw an ag field. Our newest parcel has a few acre block that is just about all maple and ash, mostly med to small diameter size. Ash will be all be dead soon anyways. So I finally convinced my dad we should clear out space for a food plot. Last week I marked the design and location of the plot. I'm going with an hour glass shape that will be just about 2acres in size. So today (great day in the woods) I had a couple hours to break ground with my brother and dad. I'll keep posting as we progress through the cutting, bulldozing and finally the seeding and growth of it.

 

This pic is from one of the corners looking into were plot will be.

 

Here's where I mapped out the pinch point in the hour glass.

 

Let the mess begin!!

 

 

[Pav2704]

Looking foward to seeing your progress. How do you plan on removing the stumps?

[growalot]

Are you going with Ray Sick or L:ess Mastin for the dozer work?   that's a lot of good fire wood  "Ashwood wet...Ashwood dry a King can warm his slippers by"

[Zag]

Looking foward to seeing your progress. How do you plan on removing the stumps?

Thanks pav im excited to get this going. Will have a dozer clear out the stumps.

[Zag]

Are you going with Ray Sick or L:ess Mastin for the dozer work?   that's a lot of good fire wood  "Ashwood wet...Ashwood dry a King can warm his slippers by"

Hey Grow, neither, my dad has a friend who owns a dozer and will be helping us out once we get it cleared. I think it was a perfect spot to clear out for a plot otherwise it would turn into an ash tree cemetery. Sadly I don't burn much wood but my brother and dad will be swimming in it!!

[wolc123]

You could probably just cut the stumps off low, and let them, rot out.  Ash is all I have been burning the last 4 years to try and stay ahead of the borers.  Personally, I will not be sad to see them all go as I prefer oak, cherry, hickory, maple, and walnut for firewood anyhow (less ashes to clean out - I see where the ash tree got it's name).   I think I would just clear, like you did, and maybe add some lime after getting the soil tests back next spring.  All the "natural" browse that pops up in the new sunlight should be very attractive to the deer next fall, so why not take advantage of that "free attraction" for a year or two as your stumps are rotting. 

 

In 3 years you should have some thick, nasty cover in there, again, very attractive to deer when they start getting pressured, so I would leave a little of that, but roundup the rest to clear the way for a late summer planting of rye grain. That grows in almost any soil conditions and is quite attractive to deer from fall thru spring.  You could probably just broadcast the inexpensive seed heavy into the dead, untilled thatch prior to a rain and have it sprout pretty good in the untilled, old forest soil.  Maybe repeat that one more year, until your stumps are rotted well enough to plow right thru them, you have your soil ph where you want it, and can plant anything you want.    White clover and brassicas come to mind as two plots that provide a lot of tonnage per acre and can stand heavy pressure from deer while suffering minimally from other species (coons, turkeys, bears, squirrels etc.).       

[mlammerhirt]

I am only guessing....but I think he is planning on having a full blown plot by fall...from previous posts it doesn't sound like he is interested in waiting another three years.

[wolc123]

There is nothing he could plant on fresh cleared ground, that I know of, that will be more attractive to deer next fall, than the fresh browse that sprouts up when all that sunlight starts hitting the old forest floor.   Ripping things up with dozers and such might just send the deer into the next county.  Clearing the trees is definitely a step in the right direction, but I am not so sure about ripping out the stumps.   Some folks have to learn stuff the hard way I guess. 

[growalot]

To a point I agree with Wolf123...but you guys have read my thoughts on this enough to know where I stand...No it won't send the deer into the next county...but he best have a lot of money...Now if that rather flat area isn't shale like much of the area I'm in..he may have some descent top soil to work with...but good luck getting enough lime in there to grow something like wht.tail institute clover...if he is where I think....3 ton per acre needed easily...but soil tests will tell..besides lime isn't t h e only thing soil needs.....then you have to find someone to spread it...so the area best have great access and turning radius for big equipment....this is where a simple project starts bleeding $$$$.and one gets discouraged...So a slower approach to a project like this is something I agreed with.

[thphm]

Been there don that , as they say. If you want to plant for this up coming hunting season., You better have a logging crew come in ( there is a lot of firewood there to be sold ) with a chipper ( there will be a lot of branches ) Then a good size Dozer and an excavator to get all of the stumps out ( I have some sitting 8 years and there not rotted out yet ) They will just wreck and any equpitment needed to prep the soil for planting.And they will not chase the deer into the next county, they will be there after the work crew leaves for the day feeding on branches and buds. As Grow said, Hope it is not full of shale and rocks. You want to get that ground tillable to a least 6" down. Grow. can fill you in as how to condition the soil. 

[mlammerhirt]

Looks like this will be a hot thread for a while to come........

[Zag]

We don't have any shale. I also have great access for heavy equipment where I placed the plot. Grow I suspect ill need a good amount of lime as well. I do have a family connection for bulk lime and access to get in there to spread it.

[wolc123]

One thing you have working for you now is a free fall in oil prices thanks to the threat from CNG and fracking.  Off-road diesel might be under $2.00/gal by next spring.  

[growalot]

Zag is there water very near by?... if not...I'd concider having at least a small pond put in near the plot...it will make the area great for hunting a bunch of critters...even fowl...many a time I have had duck come into our little wet area when the rains have been high of we've had early snows and quick melts...one day I'll get a pond in there! its loaded with grey clay...Makes sense if your going to have a dozer in there any ways...just think of the prevailing winds during fall leaf drop....having it on the correct side of the plot will help keep it clean..along with other tricks...

Edited December 29, 2014 by growalot

[thphm]

X2 on what Grow said about a pond. Last year on the property there was a spot where water seeps out of the ground in the middle of the woods. I went and dug a little hole 5' x 10' x 2' deep with my bucket loader. In 1 day there was a foot of water in it, I set up a cam near it and have pictures of deer hitting it every day and all types of birds and furbearers. I went past it yesterday and it is filled up with tracks all around it.

Hint, do not put it on the down side of of the ground right after clearing the woods. Did that to a larger one and it filled 1/2 way up with silt after the snow melt and heavy rains. ,the first year.

[Zag]

Appreciate the idea Grow. There is water somewhat close by probably 150yrs away there is a natural spring that goes thru the property. Something to think about for sure!!

[Zag]

Well we got a few hrs in today. Always fun cutting trees in the wind. We made a decent dent but still have a long ways to go!!

[growalot]

Looking good...from experience...get what is down now cut up before downing any more...it can get over whelming fast...those tops could go towards making some natural ground blinds...or movement fences steering them where you want...or ones to hide your approach in...such fences will increase your other hunting as well if you like rabbits...

[thphm]

Put up a trail cam where you just cut the trees and see if you have any visitors.

Grow is right about the brush piles , I have them all over the property, Birds like them also.

[Zag]

Looking good...from experience...get what is down now cut up before downing any more...it can get over whelming fast...those tops could go towards making some natural ground blinds...or movement fences steering them where you want...or ones to hide your approach in...such fences will increase your other hunting as well if you like rabbits...

Grow its way easier just dropping them  . Ill be lining up the pinch points of the plot with the brush and also behind the stand location. My plan is to create a dead zone downwind of the stand location and hopefully alter their travel route from the east making them come into the plot from the north or south end. Will see how it works.

 

Put up a trail cam where you just cut the trees and see if you have any visitors.

Grow is right about the brush piles , I have them all over the property, Birds like them also.

T cams been out there, just doe so far. My dad took a noon time walk over there this week and jumped a good size buck. I was hoping id have him on cam eating buds but no cigar.

[Zag]

Got a few more hours of cutting in today and still have a long ways to go. Today I focused on cutting up what's down and clearing a path so we can start getting the wood out. It was just a little cold out.

[Zag]

Well I was a one man band today. I had an idea instead of dropping trees and cutting them into firewood right there maybe just dragging the logs off the plot would speed things up, only issue I ran into was trying to maneuver around all the stumps with the 4wheeler. So back to square one, drop the tree and chunk it up. I have to brainstorm some more ideas to try and speed up the process if possible. We have a long ways to go. No pics forgot camera in the truck. If I can get a pass from the wife I might try and get a few hrs in 2morrow am.

[Zag]

Well today we continued putting a dent into this project. I haven't come up with a better way for removing the trees than dropping and chunking up. Any ideas let me know.

 

This is the north east corner looking west, We finally have corner to corner cleared out!! Corner to corner is around 75yrds. were about 20-25yrsinto the interior with about a 100 to go.

 

 

This is the west corner looking east.

 

 

Let there be light!!

[thphm]

Keep at it and you will have wildlife all over the plots this summer and fall. Remember what Grow . mentioned about the branches and make some piles for the little furry animals and birds.

[Zag]

Omg im making piles for sure!! At this point I think everything we cut on the edges will make brush piles with and when we get more into the interior I think instead of dragging the brush to the edges will make burn piles. Plus at the end of this long process will have the dozer pile up the stumps around the edges to. Surprisingly im not sore from yesterday, walking around on 6-8 inches of snow gets old fast and it doesn't help with my desk job.