Not sure if this is the right forum, but I'm looking to get around 15 to 20ac cleared with a bobcat with the mulcher on it
My place is just south of coleman.

what bobcat are you talking about? my place has a lot of rocks and it would kill a bobcat

D6 Dozer all the way!!!

X2 cant beat a D6

I saw a mulcher on a bocat that takes out trees in about 5min or less.

Go to DFW craigslist under Farm and Garden category and search for "clearing". You have to check multiple times but there are some guys that have advertised so much on there that they get flagged pretty quickly.

Had that done on our place. It works really well, except when they get into taller trees (even skinny ones) or bigger diameter ones. If you just have underbrush, it will work great and they can go quick. I called the Bobcat dealer to see who they recommended.

Check with Bayourat or MaggieMTX, they will know of someone that has the right equipment.

had this done on my place it cost a lot but like how it looks.

let me ask bayourat & get back to this thread. im sure he knows a handful of people to refer to ya. especially in your area you wanted it done.

I am in Albany and have used the bobcat cutter before. If you are clearing cedars it is fine if mesquites it doesn't work worth a darn. If you don't do it in the summer and spray each stump within about 3 minutes of cutting the tree will come back with a vengance. I figure you are like me and don't want to just bulldoz everything. I am using a guy with an excavator right now and it is the only way to go. Selective clearing gets the roots and then rake and burn. PM me if you want his name. He is in Albany but probably knows someone around coleman.

napalm spray from the air cav won't kill those mesquites, they must be grubbed and sprayed and the hole banished to hell by constantine

Thats right. Use that mulcher and you'll just make em' mad, then you have a thorny bush with a huge stump.

Got any idea about $ per acre/hour cost for track hoe and piling?

Got a neighbor that used a large track hoe. He just pulled mesquite up by root and left the brush piles. Then he left the hole as a depression for water to collect in. Looks great and I bet the Land, Vegetation, Game, Quail, cattle, will love it. I sure am watching it.

Had another neighbor use a foam tired FWD tractor and large roller heavy chopper aeration drum. Made one heck of a mess. Solid brush and stump now. I really think it help the mesquite trees. He regrets it.

Costs range from $85.00/Hr to $130.00/Hr depending on geographic location. When you try to price it by the acre, it varies with the size, type and amount of trees. I have cleared 2 acres that made five times as many piles as 10 acres have. In my experience I have found that if the trees are small and relativley thick, the excavator is the way to go. If there are alot of large diameter mesquites, or if they are not as thick, the dozer with a grubber is the better way to go. There is another option that usually runs about $185.00/acre, and that is the root plow. It will take care of 8" diameter trees and leaves very little surface damage. I do some raking behind a root plow sometimes, and it works great. To do a good job you need sufficient moisture in the ground.

Thanks, Doze, root plow, brush pile is the best way but it sure get expensive fast. Can't afford it, so probably keep aerial spaying. Need a few oil wells to mix in with the cows.

FYI there is a DFW company that has been buying right to mesquite harvest local to DFW. They are selling wood to some of the restaurant and mesquite packager.

You can spray by air for $35/acre or less. Does a good job on mesquite if the timing is right. Now GPS and GIS technology on the airplanes can keep other types of trees from being sprayed.

Thanks
Aerial is what we have been using for years and it is the cheapest way, with a second spraying 2-5 year later.

But I was looking for ways to improve the pasture land with doze, root plowing, breaking hard pan, bush pile, or track hoe, leaving depressions.

Just can't offset the cost of doze, plow, pile,. So it looks like we will keep aerial spraying.

Another thing I see is the guys that root plow and pile, have tons of quail, and the aerial have none.

I think with aerial you are not selective in what you are killing IMO. Great in areas of dense mesquite and prickly pear. Root plowing or dozing gets you soil disturbance which gets you weed and forbes very quickly. Lawson aerator do a wonderful job of knocking down overstory and breaking up the hardpan and hard soils. It keeps the moisture in the ground and stimulates new growth also of weeds and forbes. You can than use fire to control the regrowth and stimulate new growth in time.

There is new aerial spraying technology that has been used for the last few years. You can get very selective even with an airplane. When the plane is not over mesquite it automatically shuts off until it's back over mesquite. Cuts on & off every 1/4 acre if need be.

What happens to other brush and plant species mixed in with mesquite?

usually kills it.

That is what I was getting at, not very selective.

it's common in our parts for spraying b/c of needing to wipe out everything before replanting pines. Turns some good cover and browse into mess the deer don't even like to bed in b/c they can no longer get up and move a cpl feet to browse throughout the day. I like the dozer route in our parts but it's not that expensive for us to do, just takes time.

In my book you can not beat soil disturbance for wildlife when clearing brush/trees.