So my parents have a 10 acre field that's currently in CRP. The contract is up next summer and I don't think they plan to renew. I'm really trying to convince them to let me clear the field and put in some food plots. I'm in southern mn and can't find any companies that do that work on my area. So first, if anyone knows any companies that do serve my area let me know. Second, if not, what equipment would I need/ what would be the best way to start? It's all tall grass and probably 30% is covered in some smaller 2-4" diameter saplings which I think might be buckthorn. I have a small tractor with a 4' brush hog and a disk. I don't think the brush hog can clear the tree areas. What's my best bet? Get dnr to do a controlled burn? Rent a mulcher? Mow what I can and burn? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The DNR will not do a prescribed burn on private land. Burning it is a good option would clear the undergrowth and fertilize.
Really depends on when and how you burn. If you want to kill a shrubby plant like willow or alder you wait till right when the buds swell and burn it, if it burns hot enough all the liquid in the shrubs will split the cambium layer and kill it. I see you are in Minnesota what part? I could be willing to help burn, getting a permit from the DNR is easier if you can put together a burn plan and have access to equipment and know most of the foresters and have the qualifications to get a permit.
Find a rental company that rents skidsteer loaders and attachments, rent a good sized on with high flow hydraulics and a brush cutter and just more the entire thing. You can crawl it up to the thickets and start at the top and just mulch them down to ground level. You'll have to keep the sprouts sprayed every year but that's easy enough.Probably the fastest and easiest way. Burning would do it but it's slow and there has to be enough of a fuel load to kill the woody stuff and you'll still have the skeletons to deal with for five years.
one question, Are deer utilizing it now for cover? If they are i wouldn't clear the entire thing. I would put one large plot of 3 or so acres in and then a few small plots in the half acre range in around perimeters where you can sneak in and access it according to the wind. I would use three applications of round up then go to fall plots first week of august. Spay one first week of may, another mid June and final application third week of July. That should have everything killed, then add your fertilizer and lime disk it and plant! Unless you live in huge block of timber cover is more valuable than food from my experience. When you can get the right mix of both you have a recipe for success!
^^^^ Agreed. A neighbor bush hogged a pasture that hadn't been touched in 15 years and boy did that mess with our hunting. The pasture was only 8 acres but it was right next to one of our fields that is 25 acres and instead of being able to see deer at least three or four times a day in our fields it turned into seeing deer once a month at best. So depending on what you have around this ten acre CRP field, that would be a deciding factor for me as to how much to reclaim. Are there currently travel routes through the CRP? are there beds? Are there some trees in it? I'd have to know a bunch more before I made any decision on what to do. If it's only going to be bow hunted then I would definitely be putting in smaller plots that you were able to shoot across and access from different directions depending on wind. So many questions. So much potential for fun!!!!!!!
