Trails - Where & How

[EddieWalker]

CTW,

I'm not an authority on this, so don't take anything I say as fact, but from what I understand, you can have a fire of any size you want, just about anytime you want. We did have a burn ban in effect last summer and fall because of the two year drought, but that was very well publisized.

I've been told by another contractor that you cannot burn right next to a highway because it can distract people driving, but I've done it several times and never had anybody in authority say anything. It doesn't mean I was legal, I just didn't get in trouble for it.

My burns are in large open areas, and I try real hard not to get the fires too big. Of course, my fires are with entire trees and a good one might have 20 to 30 full sized trees in it.

One of the biggest issues, or I should say, the hardest part of clearing my land is getting rid of the trees. It's is extremly thick here, and there is so much lumber around this part of Texas, that the loggers are not interested in messing around with me and my restrictive requirments. I've had dozens and dozens of them say they will be here too look over my timber, and not a single one has shown up in four years. I did have one guy come get a few logs for free, but then he never showed up again to finish it off, or even get a small amount of what he wanted.

My latest trail follows my neighbors fenceline. It goes around some nicer trees and has allot of smaller trees that had to come out. Those little trees usually get shoved to the side if they don't get draged out right away. I then take my time pulling them out and dragging them over the trail. Trees do a great job of smoothing out a trail when you drag them over it. Those small trees also work real nice as kindlling for my burn pile!!!

Eddie

 

[TC29-dude]

This was a big weekend for me...I finally had time to cut a trail from my tractor shed to my pasture. Until then I have been driving on a state highway and going around a blind curve, I was puckered everytime I made the trip, about 3/10's of a mile.

It couldn't have been easier. My cousin walked ahead of me with a chainsaw taking out stuff my hog couldn't. I used the FEL a bit to smooth out a wet weather creek crossing and the hog took care of everything else. I cut thru, turned around and came back and trimmed it here and there and I have one heck of a tractor/4 wheeler trail.

I highly recommend this method over the chainsaw and machete method! It took 1/3 of the time. I really wish I hadn't broke my stinkin' camera, I would have some great pix for you guys.

 

[3RRL]

TC29-dude,
I can't believe you didn't borrow a camera for pictures.
You just ripped us off man. We would love to see pictures of that.

Eddie,
Not to change the subject (sorry), but did you ever consider bucking and splitting all those trees to sell as firewood for your RV park? Out here a tiny bundle is like 4 or 5 bucks. They would be prime seasoned by now. I don't remember, but will you be providing camp fire rings at the site?

 

[EddieWalker]

Rob,

Here in East Texas, a chord of split oak sells for $120 to $130 delivererd. If you stack it, you can get another $20 per chord. It's just not worth the effort, the wear and tear on the saws and fuel to run them, plus deliver the wood.

Eddie

 

[Danno1]

.

That's a great price. I'll take 4 cord. I'll stack it myself too!

.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

Hi Everyone
Funny I just saw this topic. Last weekend this was what I was doing. I wanted trails to walk thru my woods for a couple of reasons mainly I want to start a shooting preserve. And along with the hedgerows the path through the woods will give hunters more chances to go hunting. We used a small dozer. The first thing the dozer guy said to me was this will make a mess. He pushed over the trees, I will cut them up and the stumps I will leave along side the trail.(I can move those with my tractor). When I cut up the trees I will pile the branches again the stumps. When I raise my birds in a pen I will keep feeders under brush piles so this will become a haven for birds or they will expect to be feed. So they have been kind of conditioned to go to the brush pile while in the flight pen. It will also give other animals a little more cover. So as the dozer went a long I went behind cutting up trees we also did not do a straight trail we weavered as to the less cover. But when we did that many of the ways are very wet and I will have to do something to fill them in. As I want to take my tractor in there and also my gator to plant the birds. More then likely I will use some of my stonewall fences the smaller stones as fill and then maybe get gravel or crusher run for the really wet spots. There is a ton of work to be done yet, but that is what I am trying to do. And boy did I get the gator stuck not once but twice the second time bury it to the axels. There is no point in doing something unless you do it right!
Michelle Linnane

 

[EddieWalker]

Michelle,

I'm sure you've put some research into this, but I'm curios what type of birds you hunt from trails through the woods?

My brother is a field trial judge for both AKC and Shoot to Retrieve, and I've spent allot of time with him working the dogs. My experience has all been in open fields with a variety of cover that the birds can hide in, and feed off of.

When reading your post, I was thinking how it sounded like a shooting clays type of setup where you walk to each shooting station. I've done a few of those, and it's very pleasant to go to the ones with lots of trees. In fact, after we found one like that, we stoped going to the others.

Eddie

 

[bigballer]

i didn't read the entire thread so this may have been covered but on our property (and behind it which is privately held by a "tree-farm" company) we have used the dog trails as our "guide", clearing any deadfall or brush out of the way using a nipper or a small chainsaw. i never intend to take my tractor on any of those trails (winding and narrow) but it's amazing how much a pack of dogs will wear down a trail once they start using it. it's also possible some of them started as "game" trails too and the dogs just wore them in a bit better. i do however want to cut a 6-8' path along my fenceline (on the other side of the fence) which is going to involve much time with the chainsaw and other various tools including the backhoe. Once completely cleared from the big stuff i'll just use my bushhog to keep the blackberries and ferns down.

 

[RobJ]

My burns are in large open areas, and I try real hard not to get the fires too big. Of course, my fires are with entire trees and a good one might have 20 to 30 full sized trees in it.

Eddie, I just found these photos. This was a neighbors once fine machine. It has the V cutter on it now but he also has straight blade. The nice thing about this machine is you could drive it down the road at 20mph!! That beats a dozer because of the need of a large trailer and truck.

Anyway this happened when he was pushing up some burn piles. He got off and checked things then went to lunch. When he got back he said the fire must have just started...just a little to late. I think it's salvagable but the Cat guys say no. I think it lost 1 tire, about $6g for that alone. Last I heard Cat was going to buy it and part it out.

 

[escavader]

HI
I have 6 ft wide trails on the property lines,and 5 OR 6 dividing it up in sections.Each year i cut firewood i do a section.Cutting the trees larger than 6 inches,and thining out the species i dont want,elimnating all the softwoods etc.I clean up all the brush and chip it and place the chips on my trails,it makes them super smooth.I love riding the perimiter trails on my atvthey are so smooth.
For fun i even let the kids name them and make little signs POACHERS LANE,SWAMP PATH,STONEWALL PATH,ROCKY ROAD,MIRANDAS LANE,HALEYS LANE,BUGSPIT LANE
Just be careful what you do on your property lines,there are laws that apply to cutting line trees.
ALAN