the back field all grown up

[thecfarm]

Yes, I let the back field grow up. It's up in the woods, out of sight out of mind. I've been too busy around the house. 
I built a road across the wet spot that took about 3-4 years, so I could not get back there and mow the field. 
I have a bush hog and I am slowly getting it back. This will be an ongoing project. Bush hog and use the chainsaw and repeat.
I am in garden mode now. Just had a big 2-3 day project with the garden, Now I can start to till the garden.
Here's a video of the back field. We use to see deer in this field quite often.

Clearing a Pasture - YouTube

[aigheadish]

Field, you say...? It's pretty space!

[thecfarm]

My Father had sheep in it after WWII.
It will be a field again.
He had that field rocked many years ago. 
I made 2-3 trips around with the bush hog last night. The trees are getting bigger with each trip I make. Broke the shear bolt.
Looks like time for the chainsaw now.
I will cut the big stuff for the OWB, and bush hog the limbs and tops.

[barbender]

I thought it was going to be a little willow and alder. Here it looked like you could've brought a CTL crew to do a first entry thin in that white pine, Ray😁

[SwampDonkey]

A clearing saw to mow it down, then there's the brush to chew up. ;D

Doesn't take long for a small field surrounded by woods to become woods does it? ;)

[thecfarm]

Doesn't take a field at all long to grow up. But four sides of woods is that much quicker, get it from all sides.  :(
Them bushes will come in quick. It's a never ending battle here.
We did not live here growing up, but here often. Only about 10  minutes away. One day no bushes and than the next they are head high!!!! Or seems that way.
Most of the pines now are 4 inches across. There are even some that are 6 inches in there.
I have hauled off so called stone walls and dug rocks to make it easier to mow. That has really helped out on the bushes.
You are right on the brush to chew up.
I will work on it off and on until it is done.
Gotta get the battery on the pole saw charged up and work on some low limbs too.

[Jeff]

I see that here in the eastern u.p. fields left fallow. Just on my road here, one had hay being cut regular in it, the farmer past about 10 years ago, and now it has 20ft tamarack in it 

[Magicman]

Looking good Ray and that project will keep you busy for a while.  8)

[SwampDonkey]

Yes, I dug out my MM Ryobi pole saw a week ago, still old charge of half power since last fall, and had to cut some ironwood limbs in the yard. Were too low for mowing under. Sure made a lot of brush and limbs on two small trees, but they get real bushy on a lawn. :D Good job done though. ;D

Note, it's the Magicman Ryobi pole saw. :D ;)

[thecfarm]

Mine's on charge too.  ;)
I hope to be in the back field limbing up some of them limbs.  ;D
I hate to see the fields grow up. Happens a lot around here too.
As soon as I see a logger bringing wood out into a field, I know that is the end of that field.  

[Hilltop366]

I'd be tempted to try and pull those 3-4" trees out with the logging winch to get rid of the stumps. that is what I have done at the camp with some 2" ones. 

Oh and if you try it be sure to pull out enough cable so the tree don't wack you when you pull it over.

[Magicman]

My Ryobi pole saw got a workout a couple of weeks ago.  That thing is awesome.  

My Echo gas saw may never get used again.  To say that it is 'not user friendly' would be an understatement. :-\

[thecfarm]

Driving over a pine tree will up root it. Not that I want that to happen. Than the  bush hog will bang and crash and splinters come out from under it. 
The ryobi pole saw got a work out. Much easier than standing on the hood of the tractor.
I was trimming some 3-4 inch limbs. Now I don't have to duck anymore. I will take out the big wood, as I am doing with the pines, and bush hog the small stuff.
My Father would of really liked the pole saw. 
I bought a week wacker many years ago to trim around the stone walls. He thought that was a great invention.
Grandson came up and dropped about 20-30 trees. Really opened it up. 
I still have a bunch of trimming to do. But no reason to try to kill myself doing it. An hour is enough for me. 

[thecfarm]

Take number 2.
May 22, 2022 clearing Pasture #2 - YouTube

[samandothers]

Really looks nice!  I know that's a lot of work, slow and steady.   My battle is bittersweet vine and autumn olive.

[SawyerTed]

That's a lot of work but looks like great progress.  Better to take care of it before it gets worse. 

We had grown up fields about 25 years ago.  I hired a man, tractor and heavy bush hog.  The tractor he used was a pretty big Ford with a loader.  If the loader would push the tree over, the big bush hog would cut it.  Sometimes he just raised the cutter, backed over the trees and dropped the bush hog to grind up the trees. 

He cut most anything up to 5".  He also used a 4 in 1 bucket on a track loader to "bite off" limbs and to push out trees too big to cut with the bush hog. 

It wasn't cheap even then.  But with 275 acres to clean up it beat using our Massey Ferguson 135 and a chainsaw. 

I have made sure we haven't let fields get away from us since.  

[thecfarm]

I just have a light duty bush hog. I tried the backing over clumps of bushes on the meadow.
 Another video is coming on that. 
The back was coming in contact with the blade before I realized that was not a good idea.  : That is floating land, very soft. I had to face the road, so if I got stuck, I could pull myself out with the 3 pt winch, had to do that once.
I was driving over some pine trees. Broke a shear bolt twice, I decided that was not a good idea either.

[samandothers]

I was driving over some pine trees. Broke a shear bolt twice, I decided that was not a good idea either.

This always makes me nervous as to what I may damage on the underside of the tractor.  I don't have plates underneath. 

[thecfarm]

Take #3.

May 29, 2022 Clear Pasture #3 - YouTube

Gained a lot.