DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
I was wondering about planting rye in early spring and if it would shoot up as fast as if it were planted in the fall. I guess the only difference is the root system isn't established. We may try this.
Ya'll have mentioned ridge top plots. That's all we have. In fact, we have 9 acres of food plots and with the logging operation fixing to start, we are expanding from 9 acres to 27-29 acres! Logger will cut just low enough for easy dozer leverage to get out. He is falling trees toward the top of the ridges. We will pile up and burn until there's not much left and then spread out all those nutrients with a dozer. Disk until level, fertilize and lime after soil test.
I suggest you all to sign up and take the burn class I took. You will get SO much out of it. 80% of the class was focused on how wildlife benefits from fire and the weather conditions that favors fire. The other 20% was on strategy and planning the burn. I got so much out of the wildlife benefit portion. The course was free and was 1.5 days. Let me know if you want more info. I have a buddy that manages a WMA and he told me for years I needed to burn and like y'all, it scared the hell out of me and I kept writing it off. I started watching Dr. Grant Woods on growingdeer.tv and all the videos on prescribed fire. After weeks of watching, I felt like I was a professional LOL. But seriously, I started out small and saw how fire works and it really wasn't as bad as I thought. I'll have to admit, I was sweating bullets when lighting that first match. We have 4 areas to burn this spring. Hoping to make fire lines in next couple weeks
As mentioned in previous post we have two old cedar areas that have grown so tall that lower limbs have died so they provide no cover benefit....but yet they shade the ground out so there's little to no browse....I watched Dr Grants video and have heard others mention cutting cedars and letting them lay two years then burning.....but cedar, while hard to market, does have some value. Our Forester has given us information of who to contact...their equipment will de-limb onsite with logs being hauled out....both areas combined are 15+ acres.....and the idea of torching that FREAKS me out.....but IF we haul logs out I image it would burn well with limbs laying everywhere.....goal being to turn this area back to native grasses....or at least to thicken it up some...new growth, etc.
My understanding is for around 35 dollars per acre the forestry dept will assist with large burns, firebreaks, etc......but JC if you can share information about the training you attended or how I can attend future training I would appreciate it....thanks.