We're making an access road to some hunting land I got last year. The trail's nearly complete. We were able to make it without having to cut many trees down. For the trees that were cut, we left the stump about a food tall. Question: Do you think I should have a dozer, or perhaps skidsteer, remove the stumps...or could I cut 'em off flush. Both options have pros/cons I guess. They aren't huge trees, but I'm kinda afraid the stumps'll rot over time, & cause a hole to form (in the trail), if I just cut 'em off flush with the ground and 'call it good.'

AJE congratulations on getting some hunting land. I have cut flush as well as had a mini excavator remove tree stumps. For me it depended on what was using the road. For UTV and tractor traffic I left them cut flush. The stumps do go soft in time and require a few shovels of fill to keep smooth. For truck traffic everything is pulled and pit run hauled in where needed.

This is mainly on lower ground that in spring the UTV trails I stay off of because they rut up pretty quick.

Dave

Good advice Alex

Don't make it too nice you will attract the worse varmint there ever was! LOL

This so true more ways then one. Also what Alex post is what I would say also.I know one that I trap on just cut them flush and call it good.but is is for UTV and tractor use and some times SUV the land owner have .

When the stump rots out may be 10-50 years from now depending on the tree. Cut them low and drive over in three or four years the stump will be sticking up high enough that you will need to cut it low again, I have a stump that has been cut lower three times and is still solid. If you dig the stump out you will take dirt with it in the roots and need to haul dirt back to fill the hole which will then sink over time and the result will still be a low spot.

You do not say if they are hard wood or soft, plus you do not mention how many there are. If they are dog hair Aspens it is a different story than big pines. You also do not say how much time you will be on this road as a few times a year over stump potholes is not that big of a deal.

Without the information, I would get a bulldozer and shove a trail through there, dump oversize for when you get a wet fall, and purchase the two things you did not mention in a big gate with a big chain lock.

Had this skidder trail done in 1990 and seeded it with pasture mix in Oneida County, WI. No stumps were left and it has been a nice driveway all this time into the hermit shack.

Thanks for the advice.


I borrowed a co-workers DR Mower Sunday. Wow, are those great. I manuevered around the stumps. The stumps are not from huge trees. We were able to work around the woods without taking many big trees, but there's a lot of small stumps. A combo of hard and soft woods. None are aspen. We won't use the road a ton.

Good advice about not making it too nice, Law Dog.

We need it nice enough so my brother can get his 2WD vehicle in there. It's a long road, about 1/3 mile.

Haven't put up a gate yet, but will.

As usual, guys here provide excellent expert advice. Everything said is spot on.

Fishdog - absolutely beautiful!

Ongoing road maintenance is important. It has been a long time since I added new limestone. I had been smoothing as needed to repair any washout and preventing more. Last year, on one lane, we cut down the center crown a bit, smoothed some rough spots, and spread 135 tons of limestone. This year, on another lane we just smoothed and graded and spread 45 tons of limestone.

The best advice that you should immediately act on is the gate, chain, and lock.

My follow up advice is to erect a serious no trespassing sign at the entrance. Put up no trespassing signs all around the perimeter with one sign just visible from the previous sign. Restricted access will preserve what you are building for yourself.

Part of the trail got quite sandy, as I had to have some modifications made and ran short on good fill. Anyone have any good suggestions on native perenial seeds that would grow in sand?

Might need to spray the aspen roots when they sprout or that might get thick on you.

I would cut them flush and chain saw deep cut in them and spray them right on the cut.

I would just dig around them a bit, put on an old chain and saw em off a couple inches below grade.
If you are going to remove them leave them up a couple feet so it is easier for the dozer operator to do so.

Zim

This is too tough of a question for me to answer... I guess you could say I'm stumped.

Don't forget erosion. Down here we have to stay on top of it with water bars and turnouts or it'll be gullies and mud pits in no time flat. The more traffic the more attention it needs.

On the seed question: Is it pretty shady?

Gates keep ,out the honest people and those big beautiful orange signs help you find your way back to the cabin. Why would you buy a slice of heaven and "beautify it with those ugly signs? If you were that worried why buy the place?

The vegetation I had growing in the sunny spots didn't fair well in the sandy soil since our rainy season ended a ~few weeks ago. Too bad...I had the rye/grass/oats blend coming in fairly good until the recent dry heat. I tried finding straw bales but they are a rare commodity around here. Farmers around here often don't deal with small square bales like they used to.

You mean you can't get to the root of the problem.