what to do with tree tops

[wildwood]

Last summer i started to clear a 3/4 acre for a food plot it was mostly popular and some hardwoods. The trees are gone but the top and stumps are still there, the stumps i plan on digging out with my backhoe(piled up or burried i don't know yet.) My question is with the tops, can i get a large chipper and chip the tops on site? I plan on plowing the whole thing up after the stumps and tops are gone then discing it all under. This is the first food plot I have ever tried. I bought Ed Spins book and loved it, nice job ED. Any suggestions I would greatly appreciate thank you.

[MNdeerhunter]

Wildwood
Is there a area that you could possibly make a grub pile of the tops and once they have dried out, you could just burn the pile.

[Andy]

what book does Ed Spins make?? I'd like to buy it.

We did a very similar thing to what you did recently. We put all the tree tops and branches in a pile in the middle of the "foodplot to be" and then just pushed it to one of the sides of the field with a bulldozer. I think we used the front bucket of our tractor too. Then we crushed it all down and made a pile that the deer walked into the field on either side of.
andy

[sagittarius]

We make large piles of tree trimmings, maybe 10'x10'x8' high. Then burn them in the winter.Even with 12" of snow on them, they burn very well once they get going.Come spring the burn spot is rich in potassium and phosphorus. Rake it up and spread down some clover.

[mikeolivertx]

Just like Andy said, In the "Grow em right " book they talk about making tall brush pile barriers, to funnel the deer into the fields. In Texas you can get a Tax Break one year for Wildlife habitat construction "Brush pile".

[Bob S]

what book does Ed Spins make??<a href="http://members.tripod.com/~mmbqdm/PDFFiles/foodplotbookorderflyer.pdf" target="_blank">Wildlife Food Plots
Easy as 1 , 2 , 3
by Ed Spinazzola</a>

Ed is the president of the Mid-Michigan branch. He is also on the national QDMA board of directors. Everything in his book is from over 30 years of experimenting with food plots in Clare and Gladwin counties in Michigan.

All proceeds from the book go to the Mid-Michigan QDMA branch.

[Bob S]

Back to the original question about tree tops. The tops of the trees I cut are used to create brush piles if the trees are from areas being cleared for food plots. Trees that I cut in the woods to improve browse are usually left where they fall.

[wildwood]

Ed, I am truely sorry for bucthering your name. Andy, Bob S has got it right(my book was'nt readily available for spelling ) sorry. As far as the tops go yes i can burn them, I thought the chips over time would make my soil more desirable. As far as the stumps are concerned I was either thinking of burieing(sp) them in a large whole that i put in the middle, then covering them up, or pushing them to a side to funnel the deer in certain places. My plan is to lime accordingly asap,spray roundup,3 weeks later spray agian. Then plant rr soybeans around mid-aug and fert. A couple weeks later spray again, then plant bio-logic maxium mixed with winter wheat for a fall archery plot. I live in upstate NY near syacuse.(3 plus feet of snow now)

[Skipper]

I would just pull the treetops to the edge of the plot and pile them in a row. Deer like to browse in the tops and mill around and its a good place to get hoeysuckles, vines , or briars to start growing.

[wildwood]

Thanks skipper I think from what i've heard that i'm going to try to burn the tops and push the stumps to the edges to funnel the deer in certain spots. Does anyone have any better ideas as far as what i'm planning to do ,as far as my seeding is concerned.

[bullet]

wildwood , Ijust thougt that I woud share how I deal with tree tops.I considered the chipper shredder idea ,but what I do is raise my 4 ft. bushhog and back my Kubota up to the tops and lower the bushhog.I continue this and driving over the pile until nothing is left but the large pieces.This works great in softwoods and you would be suprised what you can do with green hard wood. Just be sure that all the bystanders are well out of the way.

[tobryan]

Wildwood, line up those tops to put those deer right where
you want them. Softwood will be gone in no time anyway.
The stumps are a pain, but if you dig or push them out be prepared to fill the "large" hole with something.
good luck!
Terrysmileys/smiley1.gif