Burning off Old Field

[RickNold]

This may be the wrong place or forum but figured I'd put it out there.

I'm looking to turn and old overgrown hayfield into some bedding and a food plot. The field is about 17 acres, I'm thinking 12 acres of bedding in a bag (realworld wildlife) and the rest of a row crop that I'll switch up every year.

My question is, how should I go about the burn? I know it's not the right time of year. I'm thinking of spraying the field in July and then trying to burn about 3 weeks later. I would brushhog a 20-yard perimeter, then york rake the cuttings off the perimeter, then till up the 20-yard firebreak. Do you think this would be a good way to go? I'm wanting to plant a late season plot in the five acres and start prepping the soil on the other 12 acres for bedding. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[mossyoak52]

you could check with your local fire department and see if they would be willing to come do a
training /pratice burn on it

 

[RickNold]

Great call - will do, thanks!

 

[WCB]

If you havent done controlled burns before or have only done smaller ones I would also cut a couple breaks across the dield itself and tackle it in small segments. Spray burn, turn/disk then spray again when green appears again. Work and then plant.

Ive done this a few times with natives plantings and has worked great.

Also as Mossy oak said give local fire a call

 

[MightyWhitey]

I’m was interested in burning on a place I hunt. I was told to call the Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association. We set a date to meet and a guy came out and walked the place with me a wrote me a burn prescription involving time of year, wind direction, humidity etc. and it was all for free. My prescription isn’t until January so I haven’t put it to use yet but you may look and see what your state has to offer. It was cool to get yo talk to somebody that knows what’s happnin, cuz I sure didn’t. Burning with a prescription also has its legal advantages if things went wrong. So he said.

 

[Billy Goat]

NWSG you are going to want to plant in June, not July. I'm not familiar with your region particularly, but I know a thing or two about them.


I'd look to buy seed from a company that is going to sell you seed based on PLS, so you know what you are getting. I'd also either do all switchgrass, or a Indian/big blue mix. Depending on what equipment you have available you will probably be best to go the switchgrass route.

 

[Billy Goat]

Realized you were asking more about the burn, not the actual habitat.


More or less it sounds like you have a good plan. Make sure you check all local ordinances, as well as state. In some of our counties we can't burn, some you need a permit, some you just need to call it into the EOC. 3 weeks after a chemical burn down sounds about right, lots of factors. Need to learn about the effects of the relative humidity on the burn, and how quickly that can change during the day. Also if you will be doing a backing or advancing burn, the effects that has on the vegetation you are removing and what will be left behind. Also smoke control, how ceiling height plays into that as well as wind and humidity.

20 yard is more than plenty, but if you aren't familiar with what you are doing that will give you a large safety margin for your first burn. If it's a good burn day it will make you chit your pants, but it will be over pretty quickly.

 

[cnelk]

Way back when I grew up on a farm, we would burn our hay fields every year in the spring.

Best way we did it was to get a couple old tires, and a couple atvs. Wrap a length of chain around the tires and hook up to atv.

Toss a little gasoline inside the tire and light. Each atv will circle the field in opposite directions. The tire will burn and light the grass as you drive along and eventually burn out.
The fire will burn to the middle and have a mop up crew with pump cans putting out any flames that want to get away from the perimeter.

 

[dtrkyman]

Timing of fire has an effect on what plants will flourish, burn at the wrong time and you will promote the wrong species of grasses in said field.

If you are killing the field off and planting new seed then it may not matter much, just keep it in mind when doing your prescribed fire every few years.

I would contact some local forestry or maybe a college program based in your area to get the best advice.

loved burning properties, I managed some ground in the midwest for a while and loved it, I rotated my fires each spring so I always had a variety of age in the plant communities, diverse habitat is always best for deer and most thing for that matter!

Have a strategy for how you lay out the bedding and food so you can take advantage of different wind directions and entry and exit strategies!

Check out growing deer tv on youtube, excellent contact for property management!

 

[wytx]

I just don't think July is a good burning month, too dry and hot.

 

[Billy Goat]

Way back when I grew up on a farm, we would burn our hay fields every year in the spring.

Best way we did it was to get a couple old tires, and a couple atvs. Wrap a length of chain around the tires and hook up to atv.

Toss a little gasoline inside the tire and light. Each atv will circle the field in opposite directions. The tire will burn and light the grass as you drive along and eventually burn out.
The fire will burn to the middle and have a mop up crew with pump cans putting out any flames that want to get away from the perimeter.

Ringing a field can result in a rabbit that catches fire, jumps fire break, and ignites a different section.

It happens.

Gasoline is not ideal either, diesel or kerosene.

 

[cnelk]

Gas is what we had. Ignition is ignition

 

[N2TRKYS]

I use 2/3 diesel 1/3 gas or kerosene in my drip torches.

 

[dtrkyman]

half gas half diesel in a drip torch.