About to take the plunge! Buying 150 Acres

[Brokermike]

It looks like I'm about to take the plunge and move to upstate NY from Vermont to take advantage of a good deal on land and a house.

We're close to agreement on a 150 acre parcel with a very small house (in desperate need of renovation). The plan of attack is to clear cut the 20 acres immediately west of the house to have some pasture for our beef cows, and pigs. Obviously we're getting a timber cruise done on the entire parcel, and this piece has a decent amount of cherry and red oak, making it a reaonable piece to clear. All of the land above the house is future sugarbush, and just needs some silvicultural treatments to open up some canopies (etc)

Does anyone have experience with stump removal after a process like this? I've heard from a few old timers that a D-8 and a root rake can clear this 20 acre piece in less than a week, but I have yet to find any contractors with that large of a piece of equipment. I can operate just about any piece of heavy equipment around, but I really don't want to try to do a project this large with a small dozer (I could afford a used 550 if needed) or a small excavator (15-20 ton) if it will take 2 years. Any thoughts

[jasonl6]

Mostly around here i see people use excavators to stump removal. We have some large potato farms in the area since the 1950's. My grandfather told me they cut and burned the trees on the entire farm. When they fires were out they brought in huge dozers with some type of disc on the back. They were able to pulverize the top 15" of soil with them (roots,rocks ect), when done they just planted the crops. Funny how much times have changed to burn that much wood now would be a crime, back then it was just in the way.

Look into a company that will do chipping as well (or bid it out to two companies). They will come in and chip the pole wood/tops making it easier for you to get the stumps out.

Jason

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay upstate NY is a pretty vast area. Where are you moving to? Welcome to NY.

[Maple Hobo]

Cut them close to the ground and let them rot out over time is the cheapest option.

They rent out stump grinders at some rental places... You cut them down a foot or so below grade and backfill them with soil.

The old timers I knew used explosives to BLOW the stumps out of the ground after digging/boring a hole under it for placment of the charge.

Before that they would tie mules to them and pull while the dug it out by hand and chopped the roots off. I've tried theis a few times with a tractor... its a LOT of work.

[Flat47]

First off, congrats on the up-coming pruchase.

There is a member on here who does this kind of work, but I can't remember who. Hopefully they will chime in.

Cutting the trees and leaving the stumps to rot will just give you 20 acres of stump sprouts. Attack it with heavy equipment. I looked into having 2 acres stumped and the cheapest contractor I could find was $17,000. I think your best bet would be the type of equipment like an all terrain Bobcat with a chipped/shredder head.

[Monster Maples]

If you can do it yourself that is going to be the cheapest. A dozer is going to be the best way to go. If you use an excavator, then you will still need the dozer to pile the stumps up. I think you should be able to get by though with a D6 high track pretty easily. leave about 2 foot of the stump, allows you to get more leverage this way.

[wiam]

How big are most of these trees?

[Sunday Rock Maple]

My dad had 4 acres of 12" red pine (plantation) stumps pulled. The guy used a large hoe with a thumb to pull the stump and then throw it about 30 feet to dislodge the soil from the roots. He then pushed them into piles on the outside of the field using a large dozer dragging a heavy duty rake. We then picked several loads of roots and stones and planted corn for several years. We just seeded it down to grass this year after one year of laying fallow.

Sounds like a great project -- good luck!

[Greenwich Maple Man]

It looks like I'm about to take the plunge and move to upstate NY from Vermont to take advantage of a good deal on land and a house.

We're close to agreement on a 150 acre parcel with a very small house (in desperate need of renovation). The plan of attack is to clear cut the 20 acres immediately west of the house to have some pasture for our beef cows, and pigs. Obviously we're getting a timber cruise done on the entire parcel, and this piece has a decent amount of cherry and red oak, making it a reaonable piece to clear. All of the land above the house is future sugarbush, and just needs some silvicultural treatments to open up some canopies (etc)

Does anyone have experience with stump removal after a process like this? I've heard from a few old timers that a D-8 and a root rake can clear this 20 acre piece in less than a week, but I have yet to find any contractors with that large of a piece of equipment. I can operate just about any piece of heavy equipment around, but I really don't want to try to do a project this large with a small dozer (I could afford a used 550 if needed) or a small excavator (15-20 ton) if it will take 2 years. Any thoughts


Depending on the size of the wood you may be able to just push them over with either a large dozer or skidder. If you can push them then the stump would not be an issue. If it is bigger timber than you would be better to higher a clearing crew to cut and stump the lot. Depending on were you are in upstate NY, I may be able to get you some numbers. I do logging but am not in the clearing and stumping business. If they are small enough I could clear it with one of the biger skidders.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would first look for a logging company that can do the timber removal and stump removal. Cut a deal that they are responsable for the stumps. If it for grazing whats the problem with leaving the stumps for now. Sounds so simple just bulldoze the stumps out..............YEA and then fill the craters remove all the pulled up rock and level so the cows dont break legs......................SURE just get a new shinny D 15 and have at it:rolleyes: pile up the stumps and wait till the approve the burn permit.

[maple flats]

If you're just going to graze, I'd also suggest just leave the stupms. Keep then trimmed of sprouts each year. All except the oaks will be gone in a few years, oak will take far longer, maybe a few others. Then after a few years address the stumps if needed. One way that is fairly quick to remove them naturally is to make compost piles on the stumps, put a round fence around them, fill with any vegetation and top off each year.
I also cut many stumps at ground level and just let nature take it's course.

[smokeyamber]

Check out this site.... Interesting read on how to clear land... I like his philosphy, but it will takes alot of time !

http://www.howtoclearland.com/about_this_site.html

[ctjim]

congrats on the purchase. if you decide to timber and then remove the stumps try to find a company that will stump it and then grind the stumps w/ a tubgrinder try to work it in the deal so they may cut you a big break on price for the ability to sell the chips. why just push the stumps in a big pile or burn them when you can possibly make some $ off them or lower your cost to remove them. i have also heard from old timers that if you drill holes in the stumps and put some grain or corn in the hole and turn the piggies loose they will have them rooted out quick and make stump popping easy.

[SSFLLC]

Check with Eric Johnson, Tucker Mountain on here. I beleive this is what he does for a living. Keith

[gmcooper]

Several years back we clearcut about 20 acres here on the farm. We cleared stumps from most all of it with a JD 550 dozer we bought. It would have been quicker to rent a good size excavator and dig the stumps then push them with a dozer. A decent operator can clear a lot of stumps in day. Push stumps into piles or rows will give you a chance to level ground at the same time. As for letting them rot, for 20 years you'll be cutting brush in a stump field and at the end of 20 years you'll still have 20 acres of stumps. We have some pine stumps left in the pasture from 20 years ago and most still need a dozer to take them out.

Congrats on the new property!

[Brokermike]

No congrats quite yet, we're still negotiating and I'm trying to figure out the intracacies of NYS 480A program so that my property taxes aren't a small fortune every year. I think we're getting close, but no cigar quite yet

[bobsklarz]

Hey, sounds like a lot of work, but if you enjoy it you'll have a blast. I know how exciting it is to own a new plot of land. Ya just wanna go out and explore and ya got all that work to tie you down. Take it slow and enjoy .

Good luck to you on this wonderful new venture!

[Clarkfield Farms]

Okay upstate NY is a pretty vast area. Where are you moving to? Welcome to NY.

Ditto - Just in for a few minutes and then heading out to string some tubing... I know I'm late coming to this thread but depending on the location of the property, you may well have some of us as neighbors and possibly some extra hands (and maybe equipment) to help you with things. As for the 480A, maybe Dave (maple flats) can chime in. Are you any closer to closing on this? I wish you well!

- Tim