Food Plots and Forestry Mulching

[HoosierHunter07]

I've got a spot picked out for a food plot, but the area needs cleared and access is pretty hilly. Are forestry mulchers very agile? I've never seen one operate. Does anyone know someone in Southern Indiana they'd recommend? I want the area raked as well once the mulching is done. It's less than an acre.

 

[L C H]

I had LoneTree out of Linton do mine. They did around an acre, they were already in the area clearing power lines and I thought the price was very reasonable. Would probably have been more if they had to haul equipment back and forth just for me.

They go up and down the hills and hollers clearing the power lines, so anywhere you can grow a food plot should be easy access.

I had my FIL till under the chips in my plot, growth was spotty the first year but pretty good since then.

Before/After:

 

[Mounty09]

This is a friend of a friend. Seems to do good work.

HOME - farmservicesindiana

www.farmservicesindiana.com

 

[HoosierHunter07]

This is a friend of a friend. Seems to do good work.

HOME - farmservicesindiana

www.farmservicesindiana.com

Thanks a lot. Looks like a good place to start

 

[Leo]

We had a steep, heavily wooded hill cleared about 20 years ago. That articulated, all wheel drive tractor climbed a hill that was difficult on foot and eliminated 18 inch diameter trees like a teenager pinching pimples.

 

[HoosierHunter07]

We had a steep, heavily wooded hill cleared about 20 years ago. That articulated, all wheel drive tractor climbed a hill that was difficult on foot and eliminated 18 inch diameter trees like a teenager pinching pimples.

That's awesome. Sounds like what I'm dealing with

 

[DoggyDaddy]

We had a steep, heavily wooded hill cleared about 20 years ago. That articulated, all wheel drive tractor climbed a hill that was difficult on foot and eliminated 18 inch diameter trees like a teenager pinching pimples.

Out of curiosity, what does something like that cost? I know just having one tree taken down here is like $1500.

 

[Leo]

I would have someone look it up but if I remember right, it was about 40K to clear about 1/2 an acre. That might have included leveling that piece of land.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

A friend of mine rented a skid steer with a mulcher attachment to clear some acreage of wild Bradford pear trees. I really don’t know what it cost but if you’re a DIYer you might see if that’s something you‘d want to tackle.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Out of curiosity, what does something like that cost? I know just having one tree taken down here is like $1500.

A lot of that cost is the meticulous way they need to take them down in pieces vs felling them and cutting them up on the ground. Its VERY time consuming to send a guy up and have him "fell" it limb by limb from the top down. (sometimes winching the pieces down)

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I would have someone look it up but if I remember right, it was about 40K to clear about 1/2 an acre. That might have included leveling that piece of land.

Thanks for that! I had no idea. But still, ouch!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

A lot of that cost is the meticulous way they need to take them down in pieces vs felling them and cutting them up on the ground. Its VERY time consuming to send a guy up and have him "fell" it limb by limb from the top down. (sometimes winching the pieces down)

Oh yeah, I'm sure that's part of it. But I had a big maple (probably 30+" in diameter at the base) taken down. a few years ago and they didn't have to do much trimming before they felled it. They hauled away the small stuff, cut the larger stuff into (roughly) fireplace lengths, and ground out the stump (very poorly I might add ). I rented a splitter and did the rest.

 

[Longhair]

The Wife and I bought 33 acres in Bartholomew County a few months ago and the property had so many sycamore saplings you couldn't even walk the property.
We hired Midwest Brush Control out of Greensburg, IN. he is a contractor for Jackson County R.E.M.C. ph #317-512-6195
He did a great job and cleared 12/15 acres for less than 10k.
He's a great guy and we plan on having him back soon.