First burn on my place in NE Texas

[TeamAmerica]

maybe a dumb question but how does the fire not also burn/kill the oaks - im in junction area - toooooo thick with cedar - but- i dont understand if you burn out the cedar wouldnt you lose alot of oaks too and also if it doesnt kill the oaks how long does it take for them to come back?

how long does it usually take the grasses to grow back - again - hillcountry -i assume it depends on rain etc

Would be interested too in this issue. I have huge post oaks in Navarro County but would benefit from prescribed burns otherwise.

[bowhuntertx]

First burn on my place in NE Texas

Most timber burns utilize a backing fire,It’s burns into the wind. The intensity is much lower than a head fire that burns with the wind. The leaf litter in a timber burn is also a much less volatile fuel source than grass which also helps keep the fire intensity down.
If we have cedars to burn near oaks, we will cut and move out of under the oak canopy. Another option is to cut the cedars and wait a year or so for the cedar needles to fall out. Then you could burn where they lay without having to move them.

You’d be surprised how fast stuff comes back after a burn. Without grass, thatch or leaves on top of the soil, then add a little sunlight, rain and warmer ground temps- you’ll have regeneration no time


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[GA Bowhunter]

...i should expect to pay about 15cents/foot and the burning will be 30-40/ac for a company to do it

15 cent per foot?

acre=43,560 sq ft x .15 = $6,534

Am I missing something or is my math bad?

[hunterdrake]

Would be interested too in this issue. I have huge post oaks in Navarro County but would benefit from prescribed burns otherwise.

Post oak is very fire tolerant


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[CWendling]

15 cent per foot?

acre=43,560 sq ft x .15 = $6,534

Am I missing something or is my math bad?

Linear foot, not sq ft. So to $150 for 1000' of firebreak. I havent started pricing anything, just what i was told

[txtimetravler]

maybe a dumb question but how does the fire not also burn/kill the oaks - im in junction area - toooooo thick with cedar - but- i dont understand if you burn out the cedar wouldnt you lose alot of oaks too and also if it doesnt kill the oaks how long does it take for them to come back?
how long does it usually take the grasses to grow back - again - hillcountry -i assume it depends on rain etc

Like a firebreak, you would make a break around your trees. You do this by removing the fuel. So if you have understory cedars, remove them from the area.

Just like a firebreak around structures, fences, etc.

Even if you didn’t burn, removing the cedar from around oak trees would help them.

[Etxbuckman]

We burn our hay field every other year. We make a very good donation to the volunteer fire department, they cone out and “ supervise” and then BBQ. It’s a grand ole time.

Does that help control bahiagrass in favor of bermuda?

[El Paisano]

All. TPWD has been trying to organize Prescribed Burn Associations (PBA) for east Texas as a way of getting more small acreages burned to improve the overall wildlife habitat. 2 years ago I completed the 4 day Prescribed Burn Manager course at Lufkin. It was free then. Since then I have participated in 10 burns. You can contact your local biologist to get started, or you can send me a PM and I can send you some contact numbers.
I guarantee it is the best and cheapest thing you can do for your property, especially if you can get some folks to help each other out. Much cheaper than feeding.

[Mohawkman]

I try and burn 20 to 30 acres a year. We are blessed with a great volunteer fire department, and I do let them know I will be burning. They give me the cell number of the person on duty that day so I can call if it jumps my break. Preparation is the key. I mow the perimeter months in advance and keep it mowed until I burn. Most of the time I plow the perimeter as well. As far as insurance my farm liability will pay if it jumps my bleak and damages my neighbors property. If you don’t have farm liability look in to it it is way too cheap. I really watch the wing and humidity. I like high humidity and low wind. I burned a 30 acre blue stem patch this year. I put a 320 gallon water tote with a 12 volt pump on my flatbed and use it to keep the fire from crossing my break. I also use my Skidsteer to help control and spread the flames.

[IkemanTX]

I’m planning on doing one next January/February.
I felled several acres of cedars in spring of 2020 and need to burn the 8.5 acre unit they are in. I will be doing it myself, and the local volunteer department seems to be willing to be onsite for mop-up for a small donation.

I’m planning on WIDE fire breaks, taken all the way to clean dirt, and won’t initiate a burn unless the all the weather targets are met. I’ve done enough research to know that it will go well, so long as I stick to the prescription I have written.


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[wildaggie]

I try and burn 20 to 30 acres a year. We are blessed with a great volunteer fire department, and I do let them know I will be burning. They give me the cell number of the person on duty that day so I can call if it jumps my break. Preparation is the key. I mow the perimeter months in advance and keep it mowed until I burn. Most of the time I plow the perimeter as well. As far as insurance my farm liability will pay if it jumps my bleak and damages my neighbors property. If you don’t have farm liability look in to it it is way too cheap. I really watch the wing and humidity. I like high humidity and low wind. I burned a 30 acre blue stem patch this year. I put a 320 gallon water tote with a 12 volt pump on my flatbed and use it to keep the fire from crossing my break. I also use my Skidsteer to help control and spread the flames.

You need a burn plan approved by a certified burn manager. If you burn within the burn plan specs, your farm insurance should cover you. If you burn outside of the specs, you won't be covered. If you burn without a burn plan, you probably won't be covered. TPWD/NRCS/TFS and others can write a burn plan for you, or approve one that you write. TPWD and NRCS can also assist you with a burn on your place. They usually will provide equipment and some people. You are responsible for the fire breaks, providing some people, and you are the "burn boss", meaning it is still your fire. This is done for teaching, and once you have a couple of burns under your belt and feel comfortable, you can conducts burns on your own. It's a great tool.

[wytex]

Spouse's family burns some every year. This spring it was about 500 acres .
I believe they have been burning for over 30 years. Do it all themselves . Really helps with green brier.
Pretty fun to get going and tend if conditions are right.

[dhall1414]

There's a thread here on hunting Morel mushrooms that I read through a while back, and one of the things they said was to look for places that had burned in the previous season. Do yall that do these burns see a lot of mushrooms later?

[tdwinklr]

My neighbor did a prescribed burn this fall. He used a certified burn master, which was required since our county was under a burn ban. It looked to me that it mostly burned the grass and weeds. It did not take out as much of the undergrowth as I thought it would. It did nothing to the cactus except to highlight how much he has.

My entire plot needs it, especially the undergrowth but like you said, I've seen burns done on NFS land and there was quite a bit of the thorns growing out of the ground left, although somewhat crisp. It took out all the fire tinder, obviously.

[wytex]

There's a thread here on hunting Morel mushrooms that I read through a while back, and one of the things they said was to look for places that had burned in the previous season. Do yall that do these burns see a lot of mushrooms later?

Yes sir, burns and elm trees mean morels.
Frankly though the burns we do are usually in March. Not sure how a burn right now would affect morels however your bitter cold snap may have them popping up later this spring.