The Forestry Forum

I have about 150 acres of second growth pine. I need to establish one side of my property line and get it fenced. I have a JD210LE FEL with a Ratchet Rake mounted on the bucket. Just started Wednesday pushing over and moving the debris to clear the fence line. Mostly 3-8 inch trees along with clearing some brush.

The line was surveyed and marked with pink tape. It's fairly thick so it's hard to get a proper straight line. My wife and son were helping. Wife grabbed the chain saw and started making trees along an estimated line. I can't tell you how much fun I'm having. Now that I have some clear space, we'll go back and run some string to get it straighter and widen the gap we've already made. I must have gone about 1/3 of a mile in about 4 hours.

Thought I was going to need a dozer but this tractor is more than capable. However, I may have to dozer make it better and smoother to use as a road. I have to admit, I thought it was going to be much harder.

I'll trim/limb the trees I took out to use for fencing. So far, nothing over perhaps 25-30' tall. The Ratchet rake made the job so much easier than pushing them over with just the front bucket with no teeth. I'm surprise how shallow the roots seem to be. It's mostly lodgepole pine.

Seems like you have a great crew(family)! Glad the job is going smoothly! Work safe!

I'm glad you're having fun. I have property in Modoc County, north east corner of California. I don't have any lodge pole on it but I get beetle kill lodge pole off forest service land for 25 cents a pole. Maximum size 10" on big end however long.  If it is bigger than 10" I cut it into 6' lengths and it is $10.00 a cord as firewood. Use the short stuff for making cabinets and such and the poles for log cabin play houses and storage sheds. Lodge pole pine is great stuff.