RDFF
Well-known member
Yup, just pisses it off and it comes back with a vengeance! You get 3 for every one that you cut off. Put some critters on it hard at the right times though, and it'll keep it at bay real fine.
Mulching out understory
- Thread starter Brute 23
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Makes it easier to spray when mulched down, but there will be a short window to spray before it comes back.
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We are finding these trees called Red Bays. Talking to some biologists and people they didnt really think they were in this area. They likely get bulldozed as brush lto make room for the coveted Live Oak but are much more beneficial for the wildlife.
Ouachita
Well-known member
It’s pretty cool when you find any flora/fauna where it’s not supposed to exist.
My wife recently put a bird identification app on her phone (old people front porch entertainment stuff). The app recognizes the sounds and also pictures. We would have never known the difference otherwise, but the app tells us that we have a bird that don’t live anywhere close to here, and it ain’t the bird of paradise. I’ll have to ask her when she gets home.
I remember finding a waterdog (salamander) when I was a young man and my dad told me “put it back and keep your mouth shut”.
We haven't bought a mulcher for this reason. Great short term results but terrible long term results. Mulchurs do have their place and we've had them out a few times, but you have to know what your dealing with. I've had much better luck with a dozer. When it comes to underbrush.
We live about 2 miles from around 15,000 acres of wide open farm land. They had a mulcher clean out about 1/4 mile of underbrush from the only section of trees that are along the road. It looked like a park next to the corn fields for about a year. When the brush came back it was twice s thick as before.
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Ya find out what she uses. We like the apps. They claim the bird noise actually goes up when you clean up the areas and stop the herbicides.
We are using an app to identify all these trees and stuff.
Im hoping to get some cell cams on some of these trees as they make fruit. If the kids want to be on phones and ipads at least they can be looking at Wildlife on cameras. LoL
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Thats a management problem not an equipment issue. Thats like blaming the cow for an overgrazed pasture. Ive heard every pitch under the sun for every piece of equipment. In my experience, they all require follow up management. How much management has more to do with what they are clearing vs what equipment was used. What equipment they use has more to do with cost.
The main benefit of a mulching in this situation is you are using a scalpel instead of a saw. There is not a dozer operator out there that could spot these trees and not damage them. The other benefit is a lot of the trees like the Post Oaks and Black Jacks do not like a lot of soil disruption. You can kill them buy disking or dozing next to them.
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It always makes me laugh when people say... but it will come back. 
Even if you use the perfect equipment.. there is a massive seed bed to keep you busy for years and years. Huistache and mesquite seeds stay viable for like 15 years or some thing. There is no "set it and forget it" application when it comes to woody plants.
Thats not even counting birds hauling seed in... also.
Even if you use the perfect equipment.. there is a massive seed bed to keep you busy for years and years. Huistache and mesquite seeds stay viable for like 15 years or some thing. There is no "set it and forget it" application when it comes to woody plants.Thats not even counting birds hauling seed in... also.
Ouachita
Well-known member
I recently watched a big lake draining event. Got to see the remnants of a residence, and the fence lines, and the grass/weeds that grew up after the water was gone for two years, from a lake that was built in 1958.It always makes me laugh when people say... but it will come back.
Thats not even counting birds hauling seed in... also.
Amazing how nature pops back. I’m not fast enough, but my wife likes to walk. So, I bought her a backpack sprayer, so now she walks the fences with ammunition!
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You are a lucky man!
The brush from mulching comes back faster and thicker than the areas that are dozed out. This isn't an issue if you know this and understand the process. I think it's important to point out because lots of folks don't know.It always makes me laugh when people say... but it will come back.
Thats not even counting birds hauling seed in... also.
We've got a big problem with Honey Locust. We've dozed out close to 200 acres of them and now have to deal with the regrowth. If you pull, spray, or doze out the small regrowth it won't come back. If you mulch or mow down a small regrowth it comes back with force and brings friends the next year. Cedar trees are different though. Get a cedar below the last limb and it's done for.
We've got a 6' brush mower and an articulating boom mower for the skid steer to keep undergrowth, pool banks, fence rows, and brush patches clear. I'm not saying don't use those methods just understand that it's coming back fast if not managed. Chemical management will most likely kill the little trees you found so you've got to figure out what to do. I'm not into wildlife preservation so never give that stuff a thought.
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I agree with a lot of what your are saying but it's not that black and white with dozers vs mulchers, imo. Ive had both dozers and articulating hydro axes on the payroll for well over a year clearing. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. It really depends on the application and goals as to what will be best in each scenario.
ClodHopper37869
Well-known member
You get a darn lot of organic matter with a mulcher
Once the mulch gets wet it will start to really stink after awhile too. We had about 800' of old fence row mulched in front of the house and couldn't figure out what the smell was until I nearly got stuck in it.
mulching is about like mowing the lawn, growth will come back, maybe thicker but easier to control if you stay on top of it. Dozing I really don't think is much better, but it adds another layer of work to the effort which is getting rid of brush piles. We have a dozer, a mulcher and brush mower, all are kept busy, once the brush is mulched its not hard to control with the mowers but to think any method beside chemicals is going to get rid of brush forever is just a dream
For years, I wanted to clear an area of impenetrable brush in an area in the front of the ranch that has really good looking soil. It was mainly solid black brush some guajillo and a handful of mesquites and coma trees. Never saw an animal penetrate it. It was thick! Finally bit the bullet two years ago and hired an operator to clear about 200 acres. Ran a D8 with a Rome disk through it one way and then crossed back over it a second time dragging a spreader with buffel seed behind the disc. Rain came at the right time and grass grew like wildfire. There was some regrowth so this winter we ran a roller chopper over it. Great results and cows new favorite place on the ranch. Going to give it a couple of years but if brush gets out of control, the plan is to pull the cows off, shred it, let the grass grow thick and burn it.
Thought we had it all l figured out. A year later, did the same in other parts of the ranch on a smaller scale. Spent a bunch of $ on grass seed and got nothing but stickers in return. :-:-( Not sure what we did wrong but I suspect light rain follwed by the long drought killed it all the young grass.
Thought we had it all l figured out. A year later, did the same in other parts of the ranch on a smaller scale. Spent a bunch of $ on grass seed and got nothing but stickers in return. :-:-( Not sure what we did wrong but I suspect light rain follwed by the long drought killed it all the young grass.
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I hate cleaning up behind dozers. My favorite thing about the mulchers is it the leaves most of the mess in the ground and doesn't tear the ground up. I can mulch, burn off the excess if needed, and be in business ASAP. For cattle, if you broadcast herbicide you will be rocking and rolling in no time.
In our application, we want some of the short woody plants to return and we will selectively remove some with ipt and try to freeze farme the others with fire.
With large trees you have to use a dozer. With brush or what a lot or people call re-growth, I like my mucher.
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This is a favorite video of mine. We were motting mesquite in Brooks Co. I went out to bs with the operater and help him move to another area. That stuff was rough so he said to follow him. LoL It was smoother than most paved roads around here. That guy is a heck of an operator and great person to deal with in general.
I will admit a mulcher can't do that for ya.
I will admit a mulcher can't do that for ya.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
Assuming you guys in the near desert don't have this issue, but here in the soft wet soil country, running cows after mulching is a recipe for foot/hoof/leg injuries.
I mulched a chunk 10 or so years ago, following year grazed cows on the abundant grass but ended up with more hoof/leg injuries in a week's time than I've ever had in 15 years.
I mulched a chunk 10 or so years ago, following year grazed cows on the abundant grass but ended up with more hoof/leg injuries in a week's time than I've ever had in 15 years.
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Figured I would share my day today. Got 6 or 8 going so far. Got 8-10 burned before the rain 2 days ago. Burned a big one in a bad spot yesterday while it was wet.
This wasn't in the plan 2 months ago but given the conditions I figured I should jump on it. Great day to be fishing but #dozercleanup instead.
This wasn't in the plan 2 months ago but given the conditions I figured I should jump on it. Great day to be fishing but #dozercleanup instead.
