Reclaim pasture

[CharlieTn]

I have a hill that leads to a flat open area on my mountain property. (pic attached) The previous ower had cattle on it about 30 years ago. It is pretty overgrown and had a few junk cars there. There is a power line right of way over the area and they have cut it as needed to prevent growth near the line.

I would like to reclaim this area. It is probably about an acre of hillside and two acres flat. I have a 30HP tractor with a FEL, Backhoe and 4' bush hog.

I was told there may be stumps that will "tear up your bush-hog"

How do you recommend I proceed.

Thanks

 

[TMAC]

I'd first walk the area and mark the stumps (Example... use some stakes and ribbon or spray paint. Make sure no other piles of trash are laying around. Check around cars stuff like that and start cutting. That acre of incline looks like a goodin to ride up be safe. Hope this helps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Do they rent one of those DR Field and Brush mowers?

 

[aloha]

After you have removed all large and obvious hazards . . .

You have a 48" brush hog and presumably your FEL bucket is wider than that. If you put it low so it just clears the ground, it should find most (perhaps not all) large objects that might be objectionable to your brush hog.

Proceed slowly.

You will have to stop and investigate each solid object you encounter. Be careful when backing into any un-mowed area.

I used that method when first going through deep overgrowth and my brush hog survived.

 

[CharlieTn]

Thank you. It does help. I am scared to death of that little hill. The stumps I saw were cut off an inch or two above the ground. What is a "safe stump" to go over with the brush hog?

Thanks

 

[CharlieTn]

I dunno. But there is a good size rental place up the road and I was going to find out.

Thanks

 

[CharlieTn]

This seems to be the way to go. I guess slow and easy. I just wish I had a flat spot to practice on! Never ran a brush hog before.

Thanks

 

[HammerFour]

If the stumps are cut off an inch or two above ground level and you have your brush hog set to say 5 inches high ( which is a good height for restoring pasture, it cuts the brush and weed heads off and trims the grass enough to stimulate growth ) the brush hog will pass right over them.

Lift your brush hog up and look at where the blades mount, if they mount onto a bare bar that connects to the vertical shaft, you don't have a "stump jumper". If there is a round or oval disc with the edges angled upwards that is mounted on the bar the blades mount on, that is a "stump jumper".

The sump jumper is designed to help the rotating shaft, cross bar and blades of the brush hog bump over stumps and other obstructions ( tire rims, rocks, logs, whatever ).

I don't have a stump jumper on the brush hog I am using now, and I still bounce it over logs, rocks, stumps with no ill effects. I don't go real fast and I lift the brush hog up when I hear it start chewing on something so it doesn't beat around to much.

Like others have said, make sure to walk around a bit and check for engine blocks, telephone poles, stuff like that.

Getting up that hill looks interesting, make sure you have the fel all the way down ( if you have a front end loader ) and the mower all the way down as well to keep the center of gravity as low as possible, then remember to go straight up and down, not across until you are sure of how stable the tractor is on a slope. If you can, set the front and rear rims to be as wide as possible, that helps a lot.

 

[CharlieTn]

Thanks for the info. I was told the bush hog (Howse) has a stump jumper but I will check.

My fear will assure I only go up and down. Not accross the hill for at least the near future.

Charlie

 

[Soundguy]

About the best way ( easiest ) to reclaim pasture is to mow the bejezus out of it.. and keep mowing. Perhaps overseed it every now and then.

Stump it.. or mark them..

Soundguy