O/T soil erosion on skid trails

Zachary Hoyt · Jan 12, 2009

I am writing to see if anybody has any information or knows where i could find some about the effects of running a tractor on old skid trails. We have an MF35. We had a timber sale this summer that was supervised by a consulting forester and created a lot of skid trails in our woods. I would like to go in on them and remove some firewood and dead standing saw logs. The easiest thing for me would be to go in when the ground dries up in the spring and remove the saw logs and then go back and get the firewood in the fall or next year, but I am wondering if it would be better to go in once and do everything instead. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Zach

thurlow · Jan 12, 2009

To answer your question(s); I don't know. Kinda hard to give (pertinent) advice without seeing the woods in question, but that's never stopped 'us' bephore..........the skidder probably tore the ground up a lot more than you will with a small pharm tractor; I'd do it at my convenience.

g mccool · Jan 12, 2009

Up here in the north country ( Faro Yukon Canada ) where a lot of timber is harvested all work is done in the winter. The ground is frozen & in the spring you cant even see any sign of a Cat or a skidder ever being there. The same is true as far as oil exploration on the North Slope. Work in the winter & take the summer off. Gerald

Bill(Wis) · Jan 12, 2009

Atta Boy, Thurlow! I phigure by the end oph winter we'll be getting the hang oph it.

thurlow · Jan 12, 2009

Hey Bill, just following orders............after I read the other day that you were in OCS and .........I assume.....got through it. I worked phor a living my-own-selph.

2x4 · Jan 12, 2009

Generally skid roads are made to be used only to get the timber out, then sealed up by water breaks, grass seeding & mulching & closed down for any more use til next timbering in 25 years. However, the access is so handy all or part of them need culverts, ditched, rocked in soft spots etc. So it depends on road conditions, lay of the land & your plans. Most folks do the most economical thing for them. If the roads are laid out right & used wisely you cannot tear it up with a small farm tractor.

tractormiallis · Jan 12, 2009

Here in michigan, on my woodlot which is hilly, logged it off 7 years ago now. Never was any trails through the woods. Once the skidder got done, i had trails and i was happy. I can get trough with my tractor on most parts and mow the trail in the summer to keep brush down. Also good for getting in to hunt. Not worried about erosion as leaves and small sticks keep it stable. Most forest floors have a thick buildup of forest roots and rotting junk which doesnt wash too easy. You should be fine just going in to cut wood. Its not like the skidder is dragging logs tearing into the soil.

Bill(Wis) · Jan 12, 2009

Yeah, OCS in 1957. I almost went to the 50th reunion but then didn't. Georgia was not my favorite place but I guess if you're from there it makes a difference. Ft Benning is well south of the "gnat line". The Army left me there for quite a while. I finally got away by going to flight school but then ended up in Alabama which was no better. Last assignment was in Yuma, Arizona. I'm sure if the Army could have found a hotter place for me, born and raised in Wisconsin, they would have. They probably sent the guys from south Georgia to Greenland or Alaska. I have no complaints, though. For a farm kid from the midwest who hadn't seen much more than the business end of a holstein cow, it was a hoot.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 12, 2009

My neighbor had a timber harvest a couple years ago. Skidder ruts are waist deep in some places. It would take a lot of dozer work before any of my tractors would be able to use his "trails".

Paul

O/T soil erosion on skid trails

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

thurlow

Well-known Member

g mccool

Member

Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

thurlow

Well-known Member

2x4

Well-known Member

tractormiallis

Member

Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Similar threads