clearing bush for farm

[robinsonm]

hey folks, I've got 320 acres that I need to clear, the quickest way? and the cheapest way? I am aware that only one option is possible, any Ideas?

[Hawkeye]

It would help if you indicate where it was and the kind and size of trees.
Is there any potential for salvaging trees for lumber, pulp, etc.?

[urban rednek]

While waiting for current information, here are a couple recent threads about clearing land that may give you some ideas.

August 2023- Looking for a price for land clearing
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=424401

April 2022- Offering 680 hour skid steer contract
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=410741

[huntinstuff]

Hi.

If its mostly poplar, I had zero interest in it in northern Alberta for resale. My trees are a mix of old polar (40-50 years old), smaller poplar and willow.

If you are simply gonna knock it down in rows and burn it and re-pile and burn again it will average $780-960 per acre from the prices I got. I did get a price of $580 per acre but if the guy doesnt show, that price doesnt mean much.Then again those guys were doing a lot of forest fire work so I dont blame them.

If the quarters are side by side it's better obviously.
It's quite a process and cats arent cheap to hire.

Likely if you got it on the go this year you might be cleared and ready to seed by spring 2017 but you will be doing clean up for a few weeks prior.

Long term it pays tho.

[Dean2]

Unless the timber can be sold, buy Cat, clear land, sell Cat. At even 500 bucks an acre, that is $80,000 a quarter, at $750 it is $120,000. So in your case between $160,000 and $240,000. It will be WAY cheaper than hiring it done, and Cats are FUN to drive. Bought right you will get almost all your money back when you resell. You will be out the cost of diesel and maintenance.


https://www.kijiji.ca/b-heavy-equipm...6d/k0c301l9003

The other option is to buy a Hydro AX and chip all the wood, as long as the bush is not very big. Saves piling and burning and the chips eventually compost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF02FlB8Xd4

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Unless the timber can be sold, buy Cat, clear land, sell Cat. At even 500 bucks an acre, that is $80,000 a quarter, at $750 it is $120,000. It will be WAY cheaper than hiring it done, and Cats are FUN to drive. Bought right you will get almost all your money back when you resell. You will be out the cost of diesel and maintenance.


https://www.kijiji.ca/b-heavy-equipm...6d/k0c301l9003

The other option is to buy a Hydro AX and chip all the wood, as long as the bush is not very big. Saves piling and burning and the chips eventually compost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF02FlB8Xd4

X2. Likely the best idea

[Big Grey Wolf]

Best way is pile and burn, best done in winter as brush cuts off better. Sometimes hard to do burn if near major highway as smoke can be a problem.
I went buy own cat route, made good money selling cat later. Always lots of clean up and bury required later. Very large poplar trees can take good sized cat to knock them over.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Hi.

If its mostly poplar, I had zero interest in it in northern Alberta for resale. My trees are a mix of old polar (40-50 years old), smaller poplar and willow.

If you are simply gonna knock it down in rows and burn it and re-pile and burn again it will average $780-960 per acre from the prices I got. I did get a price of $580 per acre but if the guy doesnt show, that price doesnt mean much.Then again those guys were doing a lot of forest fire work so I dont blame them.

If the quarters are side by side it's better obviously.
It's quite a process and cats arent cheap to hire.

Likely if you got it on the go this year you might be cleared and ready to seed by spring 2017 but you will be doing clean up for a few weeks prior.

Long term it pays tho.

Is Tolko still buying smaller poplars for chip board production ? Buddy did pretty well on that at his Valleyview land.

[Smokinyotes]

If I was clearing land I would walk it down in July. Then once the ground is froze pile it. By then the dirt on the roots and stumps is dry and the majority falls off. Make sure the piles are tight and clean and they will burn up pretty good the following fall.

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Is Tolko still buying smaller poplars for chip board production ? Buddy did pretty well on that at his Valleyview land.

I only needed 70 acres done so for a big company its not worth it.

But for the OP, 320 acres might be