Reclaim pasture

[Tim_in_IA]

I was going to suggest this. I have BOER meat goats for this type of situation. No milking required and they devour brush and weeds. They prefer it! I'll post a pic later if I remember.

 

[fig]

Charlie,

Others have given great advise. I wish that I had taken a picture of my property when we moved in to show people how far it has come in 2 1/2 years. Sometimes pictures can be deceiving, but it looks like that hill has already been cut to some extent.

We purchased a home on 6 1/2 acres and only the portion around the house had been mowed in over a year. The pasture was so grown up and full of ***p that you could not even walk it. Grass was chest high, trees cut off of the property and just dumped, couple of bicycle frames, garden hoses, etc. We paid a soon to be neighbor to bush hog it for us when we closed on the property (mid September). Took him about 3 to 4 hours to mow approximately 4 acres. He did not charge near enough to put up with all the problems he had. He had to move junk and clear his bush hog of junk that either got caught in it or wrapped up in it.

I had not purchased a tractor yet, so I mowed that property every week with a 42" lawn mower while cleaning and clearing out the junk (good thing it was end of growing season). That fall/winter we did a control burn to get rid of the thatch and everything else. When spring came around; the grass came back just as if it were a yard. By then I had a tractor and finish mower. The pasture has more weeds than the yard does, but it looks great after mowing it every week. Just my 2 cents.

Fig

 

[Phred]

The other guys have given you good advice about cutting it.
I would not waste my time with a DR, rent/buy/borrow a real brush cutter on a tractor. Preferable a heavy duty model.
If it were me I would identify what the brush is and spray for it first. You can get herbicides that will kill brush only, and not any underlying grass. A tractor mounted sprayer can often be rented for a day.

The really quick way would be a one day rental of a dozer. You could make quick work of those stumps, brush and even the cars /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
A day rental around here with delivery charge is ~$600, or you can get an operator and dozer for ~$50-100 / hour. The operator option may be cheaper if you have never been on a dozer. Also you will not flip a dozer, with out significant effort.

Once the dozer work is done you would be able to mow, spray, plant easily without worrying about the cars and stumps.

The dozer could also smooth it out for you a bit so that its easir to run up and down with a tractor. The real danger on hills like that IMHO is the hidden ruts, holes and stumps. Your ridding along at ten degrees side angle on a side slope, which is no problem, and suddenly a tire goes into a hole or hits a stump and you can be 20 degrees plus in a hurry. This can flip you over so go slow and keep one foot on the clutch.
Try to go up and down only, but it looks like you have a compound slope so it may be hard to keep it straight up and down.

I like tilt meters, and have two on my tractor. One for side to side and one for front to back. You do not really need the front to back one, but I find it useful to gauge slopes.

Fred

 

[CharlieTn]

Thanks. I saw those goats and there appear to be quite a few in TN.

Charlie

 

[CharlieTn]

Thanks. It is encouraging to hear success stories. I have a tractor and a bush hog so I guess I have a leg up. I will be there full time starting in Mid July so I will be able to get started.

Charlie

 

[CharlieTn]

Thanks for the advise. I have been contemplating the Dozer route. Once I walk it and drive it at least a few times I will have a better idea. I am still a part timer there for a few more weeks.