anyone ever cleared out brush for shooting lanes and some small food plots? been wanting to do this on some of my property....mostly all shinnery and very few mesquites. considering renting out skid steer and using bucket to knock it all down and clean it up a little then using chainsaw to take out the big stuff and trees.

any suggestions or insight?

guy at rental place is recommending a shredder then tiller...gets rather pricey once i throw in all those attachments. trying not to make this a big expensive project.

The bobcat is a good idea. They can take out up to about 6" trunk trees nicely. I would not recommend a food plot due to you not having equipment each year. Renting can add up. If I were u I would rent a bobcat for one day. Make your lanes. Then use chain saw on clean up and if you have any big ones. Also try to make your lanes where a natural lane is. Would save on time and work.

From what I hear food plots are a lot of work and may not grow. I would use protein feeders. 55 gallon ones can be built for $110 with the downspout. Mine works very well. Love it.

Also your lanes don't need to be very wide. A wide lane can be spooky for deer to go across.

I keep my senderos clean with Remedy. I've achieved almost 100% kill rate with it, mixing 1 part Remedy with 3 parts diesel, spraying about the first 15 in of trunk. This may not be cost effective depending on the size of property and the amount of brush. I got tired of cutting down a mesquite tree only for it to come back as one hell of a bush the next year. I don't have access to equipment either.

As far as plots go, if you have sand shinnery you should be able to just disturb the soil and throw out Rye grass seed and maybe a bag of Oats. It CAN work well without a lot of effort. Pray for rain. Good luck.

think thats what i will do is attempt to knock over with T190 bobcat then use the remedy also. as for the food plots i have tractors and equipment to do that..already have 10 acres worth of plots (wheat & oats)...just trying to clear out more plots is all.

We already have senderos, but they were getting over grown. I have been using a hervacide as well... dont recall the name, but I think this is good advice. If you mix it right and hit it during the right time of year it kills the stuff dead.

I'd use a dozer and make short work of it, then burn the piles...if the soil is acidic push the ashes back over the plot and disc them under.

I am with Rifleman. Why mess around, do it right the first time. Save you money in the long run.

Don't screw around with a little Bobcat/skidsteer. Dozer it and be done. Then in future use chemicals. As stated, Remedy works well.

we use the bucket on our john deere to rip out mesquites, put them in a pile, then spray poison on the roots.

If you own it-Doze it, then Root plow to break the hard pan, pushup brush piles, hand seed with vetch, oats, beets, wheat, whatever grown in your area, and then have the dozer skim or drag the surface to bed the seeds. Little more money but you will have nice clean food plots sendero..Next spring hit any new growth mesquites with remedy in Febuary or March

If you want cheap Half cut your mesquites and burn after dry. Skid steer with steel track could be used to take out the other brush.

Thanks for the advice guys!

Mathman is spot on with "lane width"

I've got a clearcut in my property in North Texas I hunt on. It is a right of way for the power lines that come through. I've got some trail activity on the edges but wondered if I make a smaller clearcut connecting to the 60' wide cut if they'll start using it more. I just plant my food plots where the hogs root and have had good luck that way. Those bastards make good tillers!

One of the Ranches I've cull shot in So. Texas has the Seismograph Crews put in Senderos' (Clear Cut Lanes). They are in 450yd long doglegs 150yds wide..he has about 13 miles on his Ranch..and it's where our feeders and blinds are...Make really good shooting lanes..I don't much care for the Prickly Pear, ect
and Mr. Rattle Snake..He also uses them for food plots..DD