Why Burn Brush & Slash Instead of Leaving It

[@Bushman9]

I’m in rural Ontario. We have an automated burn permit system. You go online and register for the burn permit. When you are burning (like I did today), you just dial a number and an automated system records your intent to burn. It already knows where your property is from your phone number. Quick and easy.

[@WilsonForestLands]

That sounds like a good system. When we do it through the Department of Forestry that is online too. But a little more complicated.

[@clayoreilly4553]

A runaway crown fire is an awe-inspiring thing. It brings you right down to right size. Immediately. Powerful, scary stuff.

[@pauladams3789]

You always make me laugh watching your videos. I truly enjoy them.

[@hv1461]

Forest ecology is an interesting topic

[@longridgearchery]

Agree completely with your aspect of forest management. I grew up in SW Oregon with my family in the timber industry and we have a few hundred acres of timberland we log. Moved to Wyoming a couple years back and half to laugh at all the angles back cuts I see around here, I’m probably one of the only or few that leave Humboldt stumps when I cut firewood haha. A lot of public engagement/education will need to happen on the west coast to allow forest managers to do their job properly.

[@jimmytate7587]

if people started using the Humboldt cut they would like it. i like the way it kicks the trunk away from the stump/

[@IdeasBox]

I fought some big fires on Kangaroo Island in 2020 which had been made worse by the fact that the National Park people had let the fire breaks cut in 2005 grow back because the tourists said they were unsightly. Fire breaks are more important than people realise.

[@RangerRage69]

I really enjoy your videos… I like to watch them with my morning coffee- no calories…. And it’s nice to be able to sit back and watch other people work… keep them coming!

[@threeriversforge1997]

I always enjoy hearing something about something. You never know when something will strike a chord with you, or ring a bell, and then it's off to the races! I might try some small burns this spring to help clear out a lot of ugly invasives that are swamping me. You can work all day long and not get ahead of those things, so fire's really the only option. Keeping on top of the burn, though, is a real struggle!

[@m8s4lif]

At 7:17 I 100% agree. If people really want to reduce catastrophic wildfires, then we need to do just what you said. Wilson, you are doing a great job teaching things about the forest that more people need to know about. Keep it up. Your videos are not just entertaining, but also very educational. Oh yah, stay dry.

[@GW71093]

Strategic breaks around certain areas seem like a necessity, as unfortunate as it is. But in addition to that, we seriously need controlled, low-level burns. These forests relied on natural burns for their entire existence before we showed up and spent 100 years messing up that cycle. Now these huge fuel build ups are just waiting for a spark to set them off catastrophically.

[@WilsonForestLands]

Well said GW. You nailed it.

[@davidsylvester2543]

When we used to clear land we would sometimes land the top of some of the trees right in the fire.

[@VAwoodsman164]

Thanks for making these videos. I’m on the east coast doing similar forest management practices and its great to see other sensible and experienced guys doing things a good way.

[@WilsonForestLands]

Thank you for the comment. Sometimes I watch videos from the East Coast. It’s interesting to see how people do things differently out there in that different environment. It’s good to see people taking care of their land.

[@heatherheward870]

Thank you for putting this together. I will share with others who are considering using fire on their land; your approach is very genuine and helpful.

[@HardRockVermont]

I found in my decades of Logging and Firewood Work that School Moms are the most difficult trees to Fall because of the weight going in different committed directions. I just cut them one at a time, easier said than done sometimes....lol

[@daveh4106]

A lot of places where you do need a burn permits, you can avoid the need by keeping it less than 4' diameter. They also have requirements for water, shovel, etc. on sight.

[@austinjames1368]

I'm kinda apathetic to small trees falling down, but sympathetic to your cause. Also, it is such a weird thing to see an angled back cut out there. I guess some mysteries may never be solved.

[@davidjustice1848]

Thumbs up to get rite to the point,thanks

[@creatednordestroyed5339]

They always try and shut me down for too much smoke lol😂😂😂

[@wayneallan2550]

Very informative.

[@joeyrector1015]

I agree with you. It's looking good around there

[@Civvie63]

You're the man, Mr Wilson!

[@TATE-d6z]

This is the best chainsawing wood lot burning general outdoor guy fun on utube. Sorry buckin. But I just love this type of Humor also

[@Blackadder75]

Every time you answer questions I end up with double the amount of questions. Like ' What is the difference between 'heavily wooded' and 'heavily forested' ???

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

Another good video with good information..

[@birddogfarms6981]

Enjoyed this....thanks for posting!

[@johnfahey7215]

Another good one! Thanks 👍😀

[@Arrtists]

You’re an ace man , sharp shooter

[@WOR-hk2tr]

Do you have a management plan for your property? Something that outlines and guides 1, 5, 10, and 20-year plans for your property? Does the state or federal forestry service have programs for education or to work with homeowners on managing their lands? What is you background in?

[@hrothgeirrH]

6:23 will you broadcast burn to clean up the pine duff?

[@Carboneye7]

Here I’m on east Va, we would burn the forest down, if my woods were this clear it would be doable however briars have taken over with mixed hardwoods and yellow pine. It’s tough money.

[@Anfstunes]

I’m new to your channel and I find what you share to be fascinating. Thank you for your insights.

[@16m49x3]

So many environmentalists today without any actual knowledge of the world seem to think if humans don't do anything at all, then forests will manage fine on their own. There is so little appreciation of a forest actually being managed properly, and so little understanding of the fact that humans have been doing so for millennia

[@eulerizeit]

Loving the snarky 4th wall break at the beginning.

[@Zebracat5]

Great Video. Very informative.

[@LegendOfMithras]

awesome informative and entertaining video! Im always curious how much land you have to manage?

[@TheOldJarhead]

It's also good to prevent pine borders from having extra breeding grounds

[@WilsonForestLands]

Yes that is a very good point when dealing with pine. At least here in the western US. And that was a very good live stream you did on your channel this week. I think anyone considering a sawmill, or anyone who owns a sawmill should watch that.

[@TheOldJarhead]

@WilsonForestLands Hey, thanks for that, I appreciate it and always strive to both help others and entertain 😉

[@scooterscat3309]

My property is in the coos forest so glad we dont have poison oak near the coast.

[@WilsonForestLands]

You are fortunate for that. For not having poison oak, and for being in the coos forest. I have always liked that area.

[@raymc5699]

What kind of crown shyness you got around there?

[@bretdavisdmd]

good videos. thanks for the info. question: does the the fire ever get away from you when you're burning slash piles? I see pine needles everywhere. Or is your ground really wet? thanks

[@WilsonForestLands]

I burn in the winter when the ground is really wet. Too wet for the fires to go anywhere. In the past I have had fires get away from me. Nothing that I wasn’t eventually able to get under control. That’s how I learned to burn only when everything is wet. 😁

[@TheAcenightcreeper]

I leave cedar brush piles down in spring so fawns can hide, i burn them end of summer so deer can forage better on acorns and growth…and then cut down/thin in fall/winter…then pile end of winter….all cyclical..

[@WilsonForestLands]

I like it. 👍

[@danstevens2204]

Do you own a rakehoe?

[@jasonpinnix1905]

Proactive is always better that reactive . People just don’t understand that .

[@rogercalza9936]

Where is your forest located? State?

[@anemone104]

Slash is the Guns'n'Roses guitarist. Here if you have a slash you have a wee. If it burns when you have a slash, you're in trouble. I'm cutting derelict coppice. We have hundreds (literally) of introduced sika deer that knacker the regrowth and can kill the stools. The stools may be many hundreds of years old. I use all the brash and tops to create dead hedges to keep Bambi out. Otherwise it would get get burned. Over here, sadly, wild fires are becoming more common, but mostly on heathland (a dwarf shrub community) 'cos arseholes start them. Most of our woodlands are small and surrounded by pasture or arable. Or horse pasture or lots of houses......

[@winterfar2814]

How many acres do you have? Love the videos man.

[@ChrisOjustWatchingTheTube]

You can pay the state of Tennessee $45 an acre to put in a firebreak and do the controlled burn. It’s on Tennessee State Website

[@Don.Challenger]

So, on your property are there any old tire dumps/piles of construction debris (typically ravines near roadways) or garbage pits/piles or abandoned farm equipment as presents from back in the 'good old days'?

[@Blackadder75]

probably not, as he mentioned it is quite far from any developed land. At most you could find some remains of old trappers or settlers or so, at least that is my romantic imagination. lol, not the remains of the people, (hey, what kind of shinbone is this?) but the cabins they might have built....

[@WilsonForestLands]

There used to be a public BLM road through the property. But decades ago it was abandoned by BLM when they built another route. Long before I had the place. There are a few small trash dumps along that. Mostly steel cans, glass, a few car parts and tires. There is the remains of an old log cabin, mostly rotted away. A local old timer said it was likely from mining prospectors. A mining company probably sent them out to search the area for possible potential mines.

[@thekiltedsawyer]

Hey Mike, another great video on your play ground lol I saw you made erics live, hes a good guy too. Why aren't you packing your fire extinguisher on your belt anymore. Do you not use a Forestry axe in the field, and wear a yellow shirt 😂❤❤ Get to milling soon, work safe buddy, your kicking but on your subscriber #'s! Very proud of you!!

[@WilsonForestLands]

I saw you there too. I thought Erik did a very good live this week. I only wear the extinguisher during wildfire season. That is the only time they are required. The ax I have been using is not exactly a forestry ax. It’s a make do until I get around to putting some new handles on some of my other axes. I guess if I’m talking about fire I should be wearing green pants and a yellow shirt. 😁 Thanks for the comment Craig.

[@L46C3]

I remember (57 years ago) as a 12 year old, catching the woods on fire. We built a camp fire in an old white pine section with large trees, 40/50 inch dia. We thought we doused it out but come to find the fire crept silently below the surface of the century plus years of dense pine needle accumulation on the forest floor. Anyway, the fire department came and died it out. We never got caught! Ha ha. I'm guessing you do not have this issue, do you?

[@Blackadder75]

lol I did this at 14, me and my buddies had won imitation Zippo lighters at the local carnival and of course we had to test them out. We burned some grass and went to a playground. 30 minutes later: 'what's that smoke?' 'Fire truck siren'' oh F$#$! what did we do? We had to own up and my parents had to pay $600 in damages because a small shed with some tools had burned down, but we had insurance for that

[@WilsonForestLands]

I am not remembering any time I got in trouble with fire as a kid. Maybe because I got my fire fix by doing a lot of burning with my Dad. Ok, there was that time my cousin and I took a whole box of fireworks, took them apart, put all the powder in a pile and lit it all at once with a long fuse. Fortunately we were able to put the resulting fire out without having to get any adults involved or burning anything important. I have had prescribed burns get away or get more intense than I expected. But not to a point I ever had to call for help. I did get in on a prescribed burn on an empty lot in Oklahoma. The town fire chief set it. After he thought it was finished he got called away on a fire somewhere else. Right after he left the wind started and flared it up, started pushing it right toward his new house. A bunch of us ran out, including the fire chief’s wife, and barely stopped it in time. Even the Schwan man driving by stopped to help. Fire chief’s wife was so pissed at him.

[@L46C3]

@@WilsonForestLands Panic sets in right fast when you're seeing a fire that you started (possibly) getting out of hand! Love your channel. Just purchased a 28 in bar for my saw.. Thanks for the advice.

[@realairplane261]

With all the pines, the soil has to be acidic; so the ashes act as a base and neutralize the soil to promote new growth of plants animals will use. Just do not burn green wood, unless you you want to stand in the smoke before your neighbors get the unwelcome guest.

[@WilsonForestLands]

That is true. If I was to burn some of the duff in the more heavily forest areas, that would also promote more greenery. Both from the ashes and from removing the duff layer.

[@realairplane261]

I had to look up “duff”. Never heard that term before. Thanks for the vocabulary lessons. I can tell you are a very intelligent person and well versed in your field and Forest.

[@williamemerson1799]

I burn my stash using a totally different method, much smaller scale and the smoke never affects the neighbors....unless they ask nicely. 🥴👍🍻

[@RobertSkene-qw3ob]

I a!ways thought the slash came first and then the WEENIE WOST and FOREST FIRE if you are careless and then a good paddling by SMOKIE the BEAR 😄🇨🇦

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

Good video Michael. Pathetic, but, good.

[@WilsonForestLands]

Thanks Dave. As long as I can keep things on the good side of pathetic, that’s good enough for me.

[@timobreumelhof88]

Hahaha😂

[@Dustin_the_wind]

Funny or friends, I still think you're inaccurate. Pathetic, compared to...? They all can't be symphonies.

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

I consider Michael to be a friend that I've never met in person. I think he prefers it that way.

[@efo1358]

He’s doing good and who forgot the Ladddder? A crown fire is because the forest was not Maintained Below the Ladder! Who Smokey the Bare Now! 😤🤧🤙🦦🫡

[@section8374]

Have you had out of control forest fires on your property? These are my favorite type of videos, keep them coming. I live north of you on the High Cascade Desert Steppe, 50 miles West of the Cascade Mts, Central Washington. I've seen and fought a LOT of fires, many of which those fire breaks would have helped stop the spread. As far as I'm concerned it would be money well spend, an ounce pf prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm NOT a fan of the Forest Service or the BLM, it's to hard to see where your going with your head stuffed up your A#@!.

[@Twobrothersoutdoors]

Too many things to ponder 🤔 my head hurts 🤕

[@WilsonForestLands]

When my viewers heads start to hurt, that’s when I know I’m going in the right direction.

[@korodski]

😈

[@92Begbie]

If you don’t hear a new rumour by noon Make something up

[@eric91780]

Your making bio char.

[@Papawcanner]

Trump told us to rake the forest .Genius

[@southernadirondackoutdoors]

I think you need a bigger saw for the pathetic trees 😁🤣

[@WilsonForestLands]

😂 This one is getting a lot of hours on it. Maybe I should upgrade to a bigger one. And if I had a sawmill shed, I could store it in there. 😁

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

"I'm learning I have to *specify* these things." Did all you Komment Karens hear that? I hope so.

[@jameskringlee8974]

chip it, to provide mulch around the seedlings you just planted or to improve your forest pathways or for fuel for your unitized, movable dry kiln unit - at least don't burn in "compliance" with "their" narrative that forests need fire to thrive.

[@Iluvatar85213]

wth are u even saying

[@jameskringlee8974]

@@Iluvatar85213 my advice to a person in the future.

[@jameskringlee8974]

@@Iluvatar85213 I am speaking to a person in the future, Yes, I understand this may be difficult to understand for those living within their current understanding of the nature of the reality of life on Our Planet Earth..

[@L46C3]

@jameskringlee8974 - Chipping is VERY labor intensive unless you have a very expensive unit. And even then it takes young backs and some good old fashion work! You can always rent a small, commercial unit for $300/day. Todays, small residential types would take for ever! Ask me how I know???

[@GMC-qo9xi]

@@L46C3a good reality check.