Best way to clear rocks for a food plot?

[bhh]

You guys are great. I had someone else recommend a spring loaded chisel plow but I'm trying to minimize the equipment i have to buy for 1-2 uses. Used implements are hard to come by around here rental equipment is limited. I figured a disk and rake would be my "buy" items cause i will use that to cut in lime and other inputs but was hoping to use the scarifiers on my BB driving REAL slow to turn up the soil initially and I can smooth everything out with that as well. A couple passes with the landscape rake might then drag the rocks into piles i could scoop with the loader. A lot if the no-till guys on the QDMA site dont even use their disks any more so I might even be able to get by with just the rake. Thanks so much for the ideas. I have to research those other pieces of equipment as well - Egon, what us that? Looks bada$$ but $$. No grandkids btw or they would hate me already haha.

 

[Egon]

You guys are great. I had someone else recommend a spring loaded chisel plow but I'm trying to minimize the equipment i have to buy for 1-2 uses. Used implements are hard to come by around here rental equipment is limited. I figured a disk and rake would be my "buy" items cause i will use that to cut in lime and other inputs but was hoping to use the scarifiers on my BB driving REAL slow to turn up the soil initially and I can smooth everything out with that as well. A couple passes with the landscape rake might then drag the rocks into piles i could scoop with the loader. A lot if the no-till guys on the QDMA site dont even use their disks any more so I might even be able to get by with just the rake. Thanks so much for the ideas. I have to research those other pieces of equipment as well - Egon, what us that? Looks bada$$ but $$. No grandkids btw or they would hate me already haha.

Ers

That is a rock picker. Do a google on rock pickers. Lots of results.

In some areas combines pick up cut and swathed grains. Picking up a rock and running it through the combine may not be profitable.

Using a team of horses and a stone boat requires only one person.

 

[jenkinsph]

I use rakes, rock buckets and hand labor to clear as much of the larger rocks as I can. The majority of the rocks are mixed back into the soil and pressed down. Out of sight out of mind and good enough for a food plot. You can continue to pick rocks all your life but most of us have other things we want to do. Frost heave can keep you busy every year in some locals, luckily for me it isn't a big issue.

 

[Slickheadhunter]

Frost heaves=more rocks in spring.....every spring! Yup that's my location! What a pain.

 

[jeff9366]

I've been eyeing a landscape rake anyway but I've heard mixed reviews on their ability to remove rocks. Which model do you guys have and do you run gauge wheels on it?

As you are in New York, keep on lookout for a York (brand) Landscape Rake. The parent corporation is York-Modern and they produce heavy Landscape Rakes as much for road construction work as for ag work.

Gauge wheels will not help at rock removal stage.
If you have rear remotes gauge wheels are less necessary.

Without rear remotes gauge wheels will help achieve a smooth seedbed before seeding.

Writers on T-B-N have found used York Rakes at good price points.


LINK:

Model RI - 7' Rake [007117] - $2,224.00 : York Modern

Read the informative York TAB: "Articles".

RI.JPG (image)

 

[1026mrg]

Stone bucket or stone fork.

They go by either name. You can get one with or without a grapple arm.

A couple of thoughts...

We have a number of food plots in terrain that has good soils, but is very rocky. I agree with the other poster who commented on the benefit of tilling because it brings up rocks
that will only pop up later anyway.

Here is the way that we did it.. Plow with a three bottom auto reset plow. It will bring up a lot of big rocks. Some will be big enough to pop the moldboard and cause the plow to reset. After plowing, go through with a grapple and pick out the large rocks. Then disc harrow. More rocks will come up. We usually run the tractor with a grapple or stone fork on the front with the plow or disc on back. Balances the machine & also provides for a way to pick up the rocks when the soil working attachments pull them up.

A regular grapple, or root grapple, will work well for really large rocks. But once the real big ones are out, you will need a stone fork or stone bucket. The stone fork has more tines that are closely spaced so that smaller rocks will not fall through. As mentioned earlier, these can be had with or without grapple arms.

Another way is to just use your bucket, pick the stones up by hand, throw them in the tractor bucket & haul them off. The only issue is that unless you plow and disc a lot of the buggers will lurk just below the surface. Also, one tends to lose one's sense of humor after the 15th or 20th bucket full of rocks that have been hand-loaded.

A root grapple or grapple with stone fork is one of the handiest attachments to have anyway. You can do all sorts of mischief with one. Great for hauling logs, brush, etc.

With regard to the box blade... Very helpful for leveling fields. But I would caution against using it to mine rocks. Yes, small rocks will get caught up in the box. But if you are running a box with scarifiers, too many large rocks can really abuse them, particularly if they get wedged in tightly. Yes, it will pull rocks up. An occasional large rock won't hurt, but a steady diet & box full of large rocks is not good.

 

[jaotguy]

Ers



In some areas combines pick up cut and swathed grains. Picking up a rock and running it through the combine may not be profitable.

YUP and very noisy ... but look on the bright side , you're grinding the seed at the same time ....

 

[Egon]

YUP and very noisy ... but look on the bright side , you're grinding the seed at the same time ....

But-but the ground seed falls by the wayside. This is good for the duck and geese hunters.

 

[jaotguy]

We both know the pain of removing "items" from machines, that shouldn't be there ... and the associated costs involved (and down time for repairs )..

rocks is rocks , and tuffer than steel .... we've both replaced teeth on cutter heads ....

best to avoid it in the first place and collect the "gems" before they do damage ....

 

[bhh]

Thanks again for the updates guys - I was away from my computer yesterday. I do have a 48" grapple on my tractor with 3rd function remote on the front but no additional remotes on the back. My grapple has 8" spaces between the bottom tines so that is great for getting the larger rocks. It seems like a very heavy duty landscape rake is probably going to be the cheapest option for windrowing everything smaller rocks which will need to be done annually as others have mentioned due to frost-heave. I'm sure I'll find plenty of other uses for the rake too so I think that is a good buy. I'm sure it will be great too for most of the same things people use a chain harrow for. If that doesn't cut it, maybe I can find a rock picker to rent for a day or so as well. I appreciate all the help guys.