Making Trails in the Spring?

[SartellMN]

I found some new ways around my hunting land that do not involve soggy wetlands and getting stuck. I want to make some trails for my 4 wheeler. Anyone have any ideas about how to most efficiently do that? I can clear the path with a chainsaw, but that seems like a lot of work and it leaves stumps that make the brush mower unusable. A bobcat and brush cutter leaves a huge mess. Anyone else have a good method?

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

A bobcat and brush cutter leaves a huge mess.

And your point is what????

You have the trail mowed and the debris will decompose. No big deal.

[paceman]

There really is no shortcut or easy way to cut brush and trees that does not leave a mess. The cleanest would be to cut it all down and then haul it out to a clearing and make a big brush pile and then burn it. It will be good hard work no matter which way you do it.

[Bear55]

Pretty hard to clear a trail without hard work or making a mess. If you want to take the easy way out I suppose you could hire some high school kids.

[bigbucks]

Or he could hire me... I love doing that kind of stuff.

[hockeybc69]

I am still wondering why there is a concern for the debris left behind. If its just an ATV trail, why is debris an issue?

The trails we have made, I went through with my roughcut mower, and chopped away.

Trail complete. Nothing more than that. Its not as if you are leaving behing mounds of material.

[goblueM]

heaven forbid there be some woody debris out in the woods

[MinnesotaMike]

Maybe he wants to take pride in how his woods look, I know I do.

When I cut trails in my woods it is just a trail, not a bunch of brush piled up.

To each his own.

Mike

[candiru]

I have done a few. I use a Stihl brush cutter (basically a heavy duty weed wacker with a saw blade on it) and a chain saw. I just push the brush to the side, it decomposes.

[HooknHorns]

Brush piles make good habitat for bunnies and birds. You can borrow you buddies wheeler and just run over the small stuff multiple times

[Tom7227]

Call the Air Force and see what they can do for you.

[JayinMN]

It sounds like he wants to mow the trails and the larger debris would get in the way.

I used a chain saw. You don't get far fast but its probably your cleanest method. I cut the tree stumps as low as I can, pile the brush in brush piles off the trails for the smaller animals to use. You could burn them too. Once a trail is cleared I raise up my swisher as high as it goes and start keeping it mowed down with that.

[LightningBG]

[mixxedbagg]

How long would the trail be? That would make a difference on how I would approach it, how detailed I would be, how much the hard work was a problem, and whether I cared about removing the debris.

[charliepete]

I cut the big stuff with the chainsaw, and cut the small stuff with my weed whacker. I use somethign called "Grass Gator Extra Heavy Duty". It attaches to my weed wacker and I can cut down saplings and brush less than a half inch thick pretty easily. I cut about a 1/4 mile a spring and walk my existing paths and touch them up. I don't worry about cutting the small stuff all the way to the ground. If you cut it close and stay on it for a couple years the roots eventually die off. Getting the kids to ride the 4-wheeler on it helps to.

[SartellMN]

I have about 2 miles of trail (I found a land bridge between swampy areas I need to begin using). I am less worried about the work, but am more worried about the small stumps sticking up. It seems like the stuff i have used a brush cutter in the past did not really chop up or decompose well.

FYI, I use an electric pole trimmer saw and small generator for most trail cleaning. It is great for trimming everything, except the stumps. But again, 2 miles is a lot of trail.

[rustysetter]

Bobcat and mower for me, I found it easier to clean up part of the mess if I wanted to and left the rest. Getting the trails cleared quickly allowed me to prioritize my work and I can clean up if and when I need or want.

[WaveWacker]

I've cleared a lot of trails. Skid loader in the winter to slice off most of the trees at the groung level works great. If you're worried about small stumps sticking up then your left with a weed-whip with brushcutter saw blade on it. One can very easily snip off brush close to the ground. Have someone go alone behind you and pitch it off to the side or take the skid loader behind and push brush off to the side.

[TRZ II]

I have done a few miles of trails on my land and used a stihl brushcutter and chain saw. I hated the small stumps from brush tripping me all the time. then realized a after 2yrs they pull right out! I really enjoyed getting rid of them and my trails have no mess at all. But if I had a bobcat I would ditch it all in a minute and do it that way! I have alot of blood and sweat on those trails!