View lot clearing advice.

[mf40diesel]

Hello all ans happy holidays. About to move on to a small job next week for some people on my hill. The purpose of the job is to restore their view of the mountains. 

Mixed hardwood forest, mostly poplar.  My plan is all the poplar I will separate and sell. Believe I have a buyer lined up. Should make a couple triaxle loads. Any good firewood I will keep. By the way, I'm in western Maine.

What are some suggestions for the small stuff left over, too small to sell and too much work to burn?  Part of me thinks cut it down and after driving over it several times with the skidder it'll get munched up. Of course I could pile it all into a burn pile, but I don't want to burn it, and for that matter I don't want to pile it either. Plus, I believe it will be much less unsightly if mashed up, and will rot faster. What would other people do?

Thanks in advance.

[thecfarm]

Depends what they want. How many acres you cutting? Is this steep ground? Do they have any equipment,tractor with a loader?

[mf40diesel]

They have no equipment, I also have a tractor and root grapple.  I think with the stumps it'll really be a pita to be of much use. My payment is the wood.

I guess my question more is, a much larger fully mechanical outfit were recommended. I got it simply because we are friends and are loyal to my parents and myself. We have done this on a lesser scale for them before. It's about 4-5 acres or so. I feel like a buncher would be a huge waste of time, I can't imagine they would have even done it to be honest. I would think they would take the decent wood, ans trample the rest. I am friends with them too, no way would they be piling it.

Oh yeah, it is all sloping, a little steep but not too bad for the 'jack. Pretty boney ground though.

[mf40diesel]

By the way Mr. ThecFarm, I might be taking a trip upta Davco... might have to stop into your hardware store to shake your hand.

[thecfarm]

Boney,so nothing they will really be walking on,or trying to keep it clear. Cut it and let it grow back.
Mash it down.  ;D
I usually have Thursdays and Sundays off. 240 Main street,Jay,ME.
I work about 20 minutes from Davco.
Name is Ray.

[Ianab]

If you pull out all the usable firewood sized stuff, then all that should be left is the smaller tops and branches. Give those a few extra chainsaw cuts so as much as possible is laying flat on the ground. Then you won't see it once some regrowth starts, and it will rot much faster. This also returns much of the nutrients to the soil.

[mf40diesel]

My plan exactly!  That's what I was thinking.

Thanks so much for your advice. I guess I was wondering what most people would do with the relatively worthless saplings. Assuming the goal is not necessarily regrowth.

Ray,  don't be surprised if I roll into the store. Drive right by on the way to Davco. Johns my name.

Thanks

[Maine372]

don't bother ray with your name. he never gets mine right, knows my handle on here well enough.

and watch out for the girl at the cash register, she can hold her own.

[mike_belben]

I cut brush from tops just above every node.  Say the branch or  sappling stem splits into 3.. I will cut it where all 3 fall away into individual pieces with a single cut and theres a knuckle sandwich sans its digits left on the single stem.

No tire pokers, and it all lays right down flat.

[BargeMonkey]

 Like everyone else said, just slash the brush a little harder. Normally when I'm doing clearing work I hook on stiff and drag it to a pile, limb it in a few spots, I've found it's easier in a few spots than spread everywhere, takes 2 winters and it looks alot better.
There's a view picture from this summer I was working on, laid 10-12 acres on the ground with a few big oak saved here and there. All the brush went down over the bank out of sight in piles. 

 

[thecfarm]

Maine372,or whatever your name is, :D,we just hired another female. 

[Stephen Alford]

For cosmetics a clearing saw works great. The stihl fs 560 will level everything up to 6" and then some. Have had a positive  response from landowners.  When your doing a "view" someone is watching, .  I find it cheap to use ; bit of time and some mixed gas ..good to go.  Tricky when trying to make a living working between friends and family. They have ample opportunity to share their...views     

[g_man]

I made a small view cut in March of 2016 which sounds like a miniature version of what you are going to do. I laid every thing down hill and took the popple and firewood plus the small stuff on top. The small stuff below I lopped a little and let lay. Getting rid of the small stuff was a pain. Ended up giving it away for small camp wood.



This was taken this last summer, 2017. So 2 summers later. It doesn't look like a hay field and it is still hard to walk thru but doesn't look to bad from above. Just make sure they understand what it will be like for a while.



gg

[mf40diesel]

Thanks all for the advice. Despite living in Maine they are not terribly outdoors-y. They've lived on the hill 30 years, next to my folks. I haven't seen either in the woods actually ever.  I was happy with the results we did from last year, stumps were higher than I liked. Snow was over my knees, it was a wicked chore pounding through it due to the few ice storms we had.

I'll be starting a week from Tuesday, I'll try to get some pics up. My son wants to become a YouTuber, apparently I'm too old to really get that.  Either way, I told him I'd pay him (he's 12 so it won't be a big payday) to make me a movie of me. Not something I'd normally even consider sharing, but if it's good, and my belly looks small ;) maybe I'll post it.

[mike_belben]

Its outrageous how many people make their living on youtube. 

[teakwood]

you can make a living on youtube?  ???

I just know hard work and/or smart business decision to make a living. I think we (FF members) are just too old to get that

[mf40diesel]

We were talking about this the other day on the ship. Some of these youtubers really make quite the living. I'd have to verify, but if they have an official "channel" (not sure how that happens) but they get something on the order of .14 cents a view. But I think only if the viewer watches the ads. According to the site we were looking at roughly 30% watch the ads. (The .14cents takes that into account. ).

I follow a few guys on there. Check out a guy named "ostacruiser," not into mudding with atv's Personally, I found him looking at snowmachine videos. Either way he's got millions of followers and has videos with millions of views. .14 cents each adds up.

It's the unboxing videos I don't get. Some video of a guy or gal simply opening some device out Of a box. Tons of people watch them. No kidding.

[BargeMonkey]

"Catfish Cooley" is pretty funny, watch most of his stuff. Your still down in the GOM ? I haven't made crew change in almost 6 months, still feels kind of creepy 😂

[mf40diesel]

Yup still in the GOm. On a cutting edge Drillship, built in late 2014 been stacked since 2016. The oil field is tentatively showing some positive signs, but not many.

I sent you a PM. I just wanna wield a chain saw and drive a skidder.

[low_48]

They want you to cut out all their trees so they can see trees and mountains in the distance? I understand the request, but I don't care for the practice. I plant trees for future generations, not cut them down for my selfish needs.

[BargeMonkey]

Yup still in the GOm. On a cutting edge Drillship, built in late 2014 been stacked since 2016. The oil field is tentatively showing some positive signs, but not many.

I sent you a PM. I just wanna wield a chain saw and drive a skidder.

The last time I was down there I saw piles of stuff stacked, alot of the NYC company's have been buying surplus boats from Crosby, the company I used to work for bought a boat out of the mud from Tidewater, spent a small fortune fixing it, repower, lose 3 sets of rudders, had a bad wire from the galley stove eat a hole in the hull, good times.