Clearing Land for Hay Fields - Questions

We are going to have some old pasture clear cut hopefully in a few months. The growth is pine trees and the terrain is somewhat hilly. This area use to be for grazing cattle back in the day, but has been overtaken with pine trees for at least the last 30 years, and they are ready to be cut.



Where we can safely put a tractor, my plan is to make 4x4 round bales. We should reclaim around 20-30 acres total for potential hay production.



Question is - how to deal with the stumps left behind? Don't think it would be good to cut them flush with the ground, because most of the time flush is an inch or two above the ground, then the stump dies and the frost pushes them up further. I'm also getting to old to wait for stumps to rot too - LOL! Just don't see running hay equipment over old stumps - even if they are flush with the ground.



So how can we deal with these stumps? Again they are pine - not the most difficult or deep rooted stump. Is there some kind of drag a bull dozer might use to rake the ground and pull out the stumps or should the stumps be left some distance tall, i.e. 12-18 inches off the ground so a bull dozer can knock them out.



Any experience, tips, advice you could share would be most appreciated.



Thanks!

Bill



Clearing Land for Hay Fields - Questions