Once you start a burn routine and get through the first yr burns in each unit, it just gets easier. No better tool to create browse/ diversity for all critters. Glad to see you doing these habitat videos!!!
Bill, we burn about 15 acres of Switch Grass every couple of years. It makes me VERY NERVOUS as the flames are 20' plus because there is so much fuel available. We have the local volunteer fire department come in with a large water truck and 8-10 fire fighters with UTV'S with water tanks attached to their vehicles to keep things under control. They tell me our is the hottest fire they have because of the amount of fuel available to burn, remember THEY are the experts. All they ask in return is a donation to the fire department in return, as they are volunteers. I would suggest you consider this, as I feel much better with them doing the work and me observing. In the past we have had a few small fires in our woods caused by the main fire that they have quickly extinguished. They time the fire with the correct humidity, wind direction, and a large enough crew to handle and issues. Remember, if a fire gets away from you, they are the ones that you would call. This is just how we do our burning. Bob
I've been burning around my place this spring. Planning on lighting one tomorrow. Try to see if there is a local Prescribed Burners Association in your area. If so they can help you with the burn including planning, manpower, and equipment. Also look into local Lean to Burn workshops and getting certified as a Burn Manager. The cert courses are a deep dive into fireweather, behavior, and smoke management etc. I highly recommend this training if you plan on continuing using fire to manage your property. Have a good burn.
Hey Bill, I just did the very first burn my farm has seen in forever this past Thursday, the 21st. I burned 13.6 acres of old growth pasture and a small strip of woods. It went VERY WELL. I had two other experienced "burners" helping. Wind and humidity are VERY IMPORTANT! Relative humidity around 35% is ideal Wind speeds less than 10 mph are ideal. Also IMPORTANT are fire breaks. These three things can make for a successful burn.
Excellent! I have a Missouri burn certification, but there is always more to learn and your pro guests showed that. There can be many other considerations, ie. smoke crossing public roads, wires, etc. It gets easier with experience, but I’d say never throw CAUTION to the wind! Pun intended! 😊
I made a fire trailer, it has big tanks a pump and hose. That gives me a lot of confidence, that if I get concerned. I can put the fire out. I keep the trailer nearby when im doing any type of burning
That would definitely work, but would be a lot of effort. Depending on the size of the burn area. I am going to post another video tomorrow with my actual burn. After that experience, I think I will try to use backing fires as much as possible in this steep country. The fires burning uphill are just too hot and too fast, but maybe that was because this place had not been burned in forever and there were lots of leaves on the ground. I need more experience. Good question.
Or even starting at the top and doing strips from bottom to top… stair stepping your way down the hill. The strips should burn well traveling uphill and not take too terribly long. At the same time, if they are narrow strips they won’t gain enough momentum to get away from you too fast or get out if control. Say a 10’ strip from low to high where the fire break is. Then the next 10’ strip below that. Then another. As thy go down they can get wider as you’ll then be letting the fire burn towards a 30-50’ fire break.
Fire in the timber is usually pretty easy to control with a leaf blower and fire breaks. Four wheel tracks work well as fire breaks with a back pack sprayer or blower. I regularly burn small pieces of about 10-20 acres by myself.
What about burning in a red pine forest after a clear cut? There’s a lot of limb duff, needles etc. high fuel area. Probably a lot smaller burn sites would be best
I remember how scared I felt just burning piles 24 years ago, when I became a large property owner. I'm now super confident on piles, but I'm learning a lot with your series on controlled burns. I have been interested in doing this on a larger scale as well.
Bill I have some burn break examples that have worked well for me in drone pic form if there is an email I can send them to I’ll share them. Listening to those two fellas they really know what they are doing and I agree with them. It takes many burns to gain confidence, but once you’re there it’s a wonderful tool. I’m glad to see you sharing this type of content with this kind of expertise.
We burn about 50 acres every year, which effectively burns the entire property every 3 years. Seems like we spend the majority of the time setting it up and isolating the fire before we light it. They can get tricky at times.
Based on studies that I've seen wildlife will respond too burn areas of as little to 1/4 an acre as well as to a 25 acre burn that is a result study. I'm assuming looking at your Ariel views the country side around you there are some deer and turkey which should find your area but it does take time so don't get discouraged I'd just keep improving in all the ways you want to do with your woods and continue your burns which will in time make the animals move in your area or nearby in time and from your efforts it will compound eventually. What have we but time and if that's what you like to do with your time it will be a fun time! Good luck....
Thanks for the comment and the encouragement. Much appreciated. It will be really interesting to see what dies in this burn area and what comes in that the wildlife will find useful (for forage or bedding). Have a great day.
A backpack leaf blower is the way to go for fire breaks and control in the timber. If you have snags or downed logs near fire breaks you can quickly blow the leaves away from those so they dont catch and smolder.
It’s all public information if anyone really wanted to know where his or any other farms are. Just an fyi. I’ve searched and found his old farm, the Drurys, the D’Acquistos, the Bowmars, etc. Only reason I did so was because it was interesting looking at the maps of how they have their places set up.
Your cousin Rick helped with a lot of burns in the past but we're all getting old and slow. The last controlled burn I was involved with was my birthday cake
We’re finding fall burns more suitable for woodlands-leaf litter hasn’t been crush by snow, fluffy, dry, and low humidity days gives those low fuels more combustion, seems to be anyway. Don’t worry, your precious deer will care less, they’ll be right back in there.
I hunt 3400 acres that’s been logged out in years past. The owner is terrified of the liability of fire and never allowed it. I’m going into 25 th season and watch the whole place turn into a biological desert. Soft woods and invasive species mostly. 100% mountain land.
