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Post by chummer16 on Nov 15, 2020 13:54:54 GMT -6
I have been trying to figure out how to put a plot in this spot for years. I sat on a stump and I think I figured it out watching a couple deer travel. It is probably 200 yards from my main plot and bumps right up to the hemlock stand they bed in. It is a slight slope from south to north with a small water hole at the bottom. It is 1\2 acre in size but has a low stem count of cherry and maple (larger trees). I can only get my small tractor in, with some cutting. What if I removed all the bigger trees and tipped over all on the south edge. That would allow sun in and aide in steering the deer through this plot on their way to the main plot. Does anyone have a plot they left the stumps in? It wouldn’t be pretty but any reason it wouldn’t work?
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Post by Reagan on Nov 15, 2020 14:11:06 GMT -6
I carved my first plot out of mature hardwoods on my old place. We harvested some maple and ash, cut down and drug some worthless trees away and planted. I only used an atv disk so it was pretty easy to work around stumps.
It was only about a 1/3 acres but saw lots of action since there wasn’t much ag around.
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Post by batman on Nov 15, 2020 14:13:55 GMT -6
I have left stumps in plots. Works just fine. Pulling big stumps in low areas can be a tractor trap. Mud with no bottom.
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 15, 2020 15:12:18 GMT -6
I have been trying to figure out how to put a plot in this spot for years. I sat on a stump and I think I figured it out watching a couple deer travel. It is probably 200 yards from my main plot and bumps right up to the hemlock stand they bed in. It is a slight slope from south to north with a small water hole at the bottom. It is 1\2 acre in size but has a low stem count of cherry and maple (larger trees). I can only get my small tractor in, with some cutting. What if I removed all the bigger trees and tipped over all on the south edge. That would allow sun in and aide in steering the deer through this plot on their way to the main plot. Does anyone have a plot they left the stumps in? It wouldn’t be pretty but any reason it wouldn’t work? How thick are the trunks? I've never taken out the big stumps right away. I'll take the trees out and leave the stumps high so I can see them. I first took the iron and diesel to my plots in 2017. Trees gone, biggest stumps stayed. This next summer, I'll go back with the excavator and take the stumps now that they've had a few years to rot off the smaller roots. I'll probably take those dead stumps and bury them in other low parts of the plot. I've got I think 9-10 to dig out of my north plot. Probably got 15-20 to dig outta my south plot. The ones that are still bulky/rooty will get pitched into the edge for screening if it looks like too much work to bury. With some rotting time, you can go back and dig up some pretty big stumps. I'm pretty sure this was an oak and it was 20+". No idea how many years it was there, but with the right tool, you can dig anything out. I've only run across one stump I couldn't get out with a skid steer. Mini ex outta make most of mine a simple scoop and throw. Just be sure to put some Record Rack on your cut stumps so they die and get to work decomposing. That'll mark 5 years in a row I'm still working on my first plot. And I bet I can find something else to do on it in after that too.
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Post by chummer16 on Nov 15, 2020 15:19:14 GMT -6
They are about the size of the ones you have, some smaller some bigger. I will do a count next time, I would guess 15-20 substantial trees but very little of anything else.
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Post by nhmountains on Nov 15, 2020 16:55:33 GMT -6
I’m going to make a plot in this spot for next year. I have a DR stump grinder so I cut them as low as possible and then grind them when I have time.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 15, 2020 16:59:58 GMT -6
It's been a while since I cleared anything but I like to leave stumps about 3ft tall and let them sprout. Deer seem to love stump sprouts. When they get out of control I bring the chainsaw in and cut half a foot off the top and drag the mess to the side. Starts the process over fresh.
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Post by chummer16 on Nov 15, 2020 17:49:11 GMT -6
It's been a while since I cleared anything but I like to leave stumps about 3ft tall and let them sprout. Deer seem to love stump sprouts. When they get out of control I bring the chainsaw in and cut half a foot off the top and drag the mess to the side. Starts the process over fresh. That is a good call. Great food source when snow is deep. Let them sprout and the ones that don't use Carl's stump grinder. I can rent one of those pretty cheap for a weekend.
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Post by batman on Nov 15, 2020 17:51:46 GMT -6
20 stumps that produce a pound or 2 of regen should feed the deer for months.
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Post by chummer16 on Nov 15, 2020 18:00:50 GMT -6
20 stumps that produce a pound or 2 of regen should feed the deer for months. If you were trying to live on 5 foot snow pack you would love 20 stump sprouts. 20 pounds of regen goes in the basket with all the other groceries to try to get one more deer through winter.
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Stump plot
Nov 15, 2020 19:18:11 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Catscratch on Nov 15, 2020 19:18:11 GMT -6
I don't do it for tonnage; diversity, mineral uptake, different nutrients, and stuff like that. I do think deer feel more comfortable in less open plots. When I hunted plots I would use them as a chance to draw on a deer that walked behind one.
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Stump plot
Nov 15, 2020 19:27:35 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by batman on Nov 15, 2020 19:27:35 GMT -6
dl
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Post by smallchunk on Nov 15, 2020 20:11:56 GMT -6
Are you worried at all about your depth of cover to hold a mature buck around?
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Post by benmnwi on Nov 15, 2020 20:30:11 GMT -6
If I leave a stump in a plot there is a good chance I'll hit it with my tractor, atv or atv brush hog!
Working around stumps with the sprayer and disk/drag isn't ideal, but it's not the end of the world either.
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Post by Foggy on Nov 16, 2020 9:42:02 GMT -6
I have a few rocks and trees that I have to farm around on my plots......but I have taken most of the stumps out of the plots. At last count I have ground out over 3,500 stumps from my food plots and trails on my land. Lots of seat time grinding stumps a few years back. I'd spend hour after hour grinding hundreds of stumps each day. Now?.....maybe a few each year to tidy things up. My plots are now groomed to the point that I can run any tillage implement in them to any depth.....and seldom find a root. Easy / Peasy.
If you have a few hundred stumps or less......get yourself to the rental store rent a self propelled stump grinder of at least 25 HP and with a decent set of teeth installed. Good brands are Raygo (my favorite) and Vermeer. There are some newer models than from back when I rented these......and they are now more powerful and have better teeth to make the job go still faster.
I would not bother with an excavator has you now have stumps to deal with. When you grind 'em......its all over. Poof.....they are gone.
My tractor / stump grinder is now pretty worn out.....with the joints being sloppy and it gets "jumpy" which is not good. However it works for the few stumps I need to grind each year. If someone with the skills to fix the joints is interested in it.......I would sell it. Still.....I dont want to give it away......as it serves it's purpose for my needs.
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