Best way to clear rocks for a food plot?

[bhh]

Hi guys. I'm getting ready to have 1.5 acres of trees cleared in my woodlot for a food plot. This part of the country is very rocky but this particular area was once AG as evidence by the miles of stone walls running throughout the property so I'm hoping a lot of the larger rock has already been removed although I'm sure we'll bring a lot more up with the tree roots. I'm going to be using no-till methods so I will not need a perfect stone-free seedbed but I do want to try and get most of the smaller and medium sized rock cleared that will give a rotary mower or disk harrow problems. Is there a "best method" for this? I'm still not sure if we're going to hire a dozer or an excavator to clear the land and I have a box blade, grapple, rotary mower and bucket for the tractor but would be willing to rent equipment or hire a skidsteer if I need to. Like I mentioned, I am going to be doing no-till but I will need to mow on a regular basis and disk occasionally. Thanks.

 

[Slickheadhunter]

Hello,
I would stay away from a dozer, they tend to remove that important top layer of soil.
My area is also fairly rocky and after I removed the large ones with an excavator I raked it with a heavy duty landscape rake.(mine is made by everything attachments) it does a pretty good job at removing most surface rocks down to about 4 to 6 inches, but won't remove soil.

 

[Piston]

Look into the rental availability for a PTO power rake. I purchased one with similar intentions as you, however, I can't say I have much experience actually USING it for that quite yet. They are meant for raking out debris and windrowing it, or carrying it to the end of the row using sideplates to avoid spillage. They supposedly work best with small to medium sized rocks. I'd think if you can disk the area first, to loosen up the soil, then rent a power rake you would be very happy with the end result. Unfortunately, I can't give you first hand experience just yet.

 

[deerseeker001]

I have to agree it worked for me.

Hello,
I would stay away from a dozer, they tend to remove that important top layer of soil.
My area is also fairly rocky and after I removed the large ones with an excavator I raked it with a heavy duty landscape rake.(mine is made by everything attachments) it does a pretty good job at removing most surface rocks down to about 4 to 6 inches, but won't remove soil.

 

[bhh]

Thanks for the input so far! I was thinking there had to be something similar to the power rake. I was even thinking of trying to fab up some expanded metal thing for my box blade that would catch rocks but let dirt fall out the back. 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?

 

[Egon]

One of these might work.

 

[coobie]

I would look at a shank ripper/cultivator.

 

[Slickheadhunter]

I have the version 3.
Mine will bring to the surface rocks about half the size of a soccer ball and drag them, if it pulls up one larger the tines just flex over it and it stays on the surface. After I'm finished with the rake I manually pick up the larger ones. I don't have the wheels because I want it to sink as far as it can. Coobie also has good advise! I also have a Fred Cain cultivator/ripper, it will loosen up everything. I was having traction problems with the Mahindra 2516, couldn't pull it without the tires spinning. I hope I fixed that with the new Mahindra 4025.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would look at a shank ripper/cultivator.

I agree with coobie.

I know you have said no till but by the time you remove the trees and smooth it all out it would amount to nearly the same thing. An advantage to tilling in your situation is you can work these rocks below the surface out of your way. You can push the rocks down in to soft dirt to get them off the surface. Obviously properties and soil conditions make a big difference in what will work the best, but I usually try to gather the larger rock and the rest I try to roll into the soft dirt.

 

[Hill Farmer]

Got any grandkids? Grandad used to drive tractor while all the grandkids chunked rocks into the loader bucket.
Last hayfield we sprigged Bermuda in Mom drove the tractor and I chunked rocks into the loader bucket. Not sure when I will get to drive the tractor, I only had one rock chunker and she won't even go to the farm with me.