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Post by terrifictom on Nov 26, 2018 18:19:29 GMT -6
I’ve thought a lot about that muncher machine. I don’t know I’d gain much with one. I think all the good would get chopped with the tag and poplar. Then the tag and poplar will come back fastest and really kill off the desirable. Fresh growth of tag and poplar are deer magnets. Is your goal to grow harvestable timber or turn your land into the best deer hunting land that it possibly can be. |
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Post by batman on Nov 26, 2018 18:36:06 GMT -6
I’ve thought a lot about that muncher machine. I don’t know I’d gain much with one. I think all the good would get chopped with the tag and poplar. Then the tag and poplar will come back fastest and really kill off the desirable. Ae you insinuating that food trumps bedding? Without bedding you have no control of human pressure. If the deer don't bed on you, you are at the mercy of the neighbors. |
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Post by kl9 on Nov 26, 2018 18:41:09 GMT -6
I feel like a dozer could do as much if not more than what is being discussed at less cost than the figures I’ve seen.
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 26, 2018 18:42:23 GMT -6
I’m just confused now. This is where MNfish comes outta left field with an impactful one-liner and makes it click for me.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 26, 2018 19:29:26 GMT -6
For your ROD management why not just take fence and make a tee-pee out of it over your ROD. Deer can graze whatever grows out of the t-pee and the rest is allowed to keep putting on new growth indefinitely.
On the mulcher thing... I know you like to do stuff by hand, can you use your chainsaw and do pockets of cutting each year? It would open understory up to light, create brush for bedding, allow you to be very selective in what gets cut and what doesn't, and create a ton of new growth. I've done this in my oak forest. I cut everything in a circle about 30 yards by 30 yards. I left the mature oaks around it, stump cut the hedge and mulberry (they love the leaves and they are high in protein), and left the native shrubs alone. Every couple of years I go back in and re-stump cut the hedge and mulberry to keep them at deer height. It grows into a huge mess and the deer are in all the stinking time... while they avoid the rest of the park like forest unless acorns are on the ground. Eventually all your brush plots could connect, or maybe you make a circle pattern out of them? Would this get what you want, or am I kind of not following what's going on here?
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 26, 2018 19:44:52 GMT -6
For your ROD management why not just take fence and make a tee-pee out of it over your ROD. Deer can graze whatever grows out of the t-pee and the rest is allowed to keep putting on new growth indefinitely. On the mulcher thing... I know you like to do stuff by hand, can you use your chainsaw and do pockets of cutting each year? It would open understory up to light, create brush for bedding, allow you to be very selective in what gets cut and what doesn't, and create a ton of new growth. I've done this in my oak forest. I cut everything in a circle about 30 yards by 30 yards. I left the mature oaks around it, stump cut the hedge and mulberry (they love the leaves and they are high in protein), and left the native shrubs alone. Every couple of years I go back in and re-stump cut the hedge and mulberry to keep them at deer height. It grows into a huge mess and the deer are in all the stinking time... while they avoid the rest of the park like forest unless acorns are on the ground. Eventually all your brush plots could connect, or maybe you make a circle pattern out of them? Would this get what you want, or am I kind of not following what's going on here? That’s exactly what I’m doing, and I love the work. For me, I get excited over digging conifers, dogwoods, oaks, birch, and hazel outta the shit canopy that is over-mature tag alder. Beats the hell out of planting shit from scratch. I’ve got a good half day left getting new stand sites ready for spring, then I’m gonna start leveling in the center and work my way outward. |
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Post by Foggy on Nov 26, 2018 20:20:50 GMT -6
One thing about the mulching machine......it does leave ALLOT of debris on the surface when it goes thru. I think you need to get some or all that debris off.....if you want to make a food plot.....or if your goal is some regrowth of the existing brush, etc. Maybe this is dependent on how deeply you mulch the trees and brush and the type of bush and trees you have. OTOH.....a dozer leaves huge piles of stumps and debris too....and those are not easy to deal with either. I always felt I would rather get the stumps ground out (poof - they are gone) than have them dozed into a pile or buried, etc. In my situation I wanted trails (clover or grasses) and food plots. So I really needed that debris off those areas to get stuff to grow....and allow my machines to work, etc. I used a 3 point digger and a 3 point landscape rake to pull the debris off those areas....and disked the chit out of the land......then did hand clean up and loader / grapple work....... before planting or father culitivation with my tiller, etc. Lots of choices on implements depending on the soils and the degree of slash remaining. Thankfully....I do have most of the implements to help do this stuff. It's not easy to clear land....especially for us old guys.  . |
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Post by biglakebass on Nov 26, 2018 20:51:24 GMT -6
The one thing with a dozer is that you can pile stuff around plots to create entry points to the plot by piling debris.
Both methods have great merit.
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Post by batman on Nov 26, 2018 21:05:06 GMT -6
The one thing with a dozer is that you can pile stuff around plots to create entry points to the plot by piling debris. Both methods have great merit. Fence can do that for less money. |
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Post by biglakebass on Nov 26, 2018 21:10:22 GMT -6
The one thing with a dozer is that you can pile stuff around plots to create entry points to the plot by piling debris. Both methods have great merit. Fence can do that for less money. High fence a 40, versus 6 hours of heavy equipment? Hmmmm.... Not sure about that. Hell what do I know. I havent fenced a property yet. And I have only read what it costs to hire heavy equipment on here. Just have fun doing whatever a guy wants to meet a goal if its in budget. Hows that? |
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 26, 2018 21:21:20 GMT -6
I think 40’ of 4’ snow fence could keep them outta my secondary access trail. Just gotta stuff that crotch I bet.
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Post by Foggy on Nov 26, 2018 21:24:20 GMT -6
I think 40’ of 4’ snow fence could keep them outta my secondary access trail. Just gotta stuff that crotch I bet. Put Bob on patrol of that line. Let him earn his keep. Time to step up and earn your way Bob. TANSTAAFL  |
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Post by biglakebass on Nov 26, 2018 21:30:59 GMT -6
I think 40’ of 4’ snow fence could keep them outta my secondary access trail. Just gotta stuff that crotch I bet. SD,.... You CANT use snow fence. You have to use Steer a Deer!!!!!!! |
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Post by batman on Nov 27, 2018 15:41:34 GMT -6
Fence can do that for less money. High fence a 40, versus 6 hours of heavy equipment? Hmmmm.... Not sure about that. Hell what do I know. I havent fenced a property yet. And I have only read what it costs to hire heavy equipment on here. Just have fun doing whatever a guy wants to meet a goal if its in budget. Hows that? SD is planting a 40 acre food plot? Whats he thinking? |
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 27, 2018 19:11:34 GMT -6
I found a small patch of ROD this afternoon as I was surveying last year’s cutting work. None of these can get past a foot tall. I need them to produce berries. These are in a remote location, so it’ll get a cage.  |
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