almost time

[Charlie Knighton]

its almost time to go into the woods for wood

any do's and don'ts of scavaging wood?????????

 

[George Guadiane]

1. Make sure all hunting seasons are over (or that the property owner doesn't allow hunting on the property).
2. Get permission before going onto anyone's property.
3. Wear BRIGHT clothes.
4. If you can, take someone with you, for safety and to help carry the really heavy stuff.
5. Make sure to let someone (else) know where you are going and when you expect to be back (in case you get yourself into trouble).
6. Bring and drink plenty of water... Make sure you have plenty of bar and chain oil, fuel and tools to tend to your saw, there is NOTHING worse than getting to your hunting sight and finding out you can't "work" because you forgot something important..
7. Use safety equipment and bring a backup saw (or chain and bar for your one chainsaw).

I'm sure there are others, but those things will help insure your greatest success and least amount of danger.

 

[Jake Debski]

1. Make sure all hunting seasons are over (or that the property owner doesn't allow hunting on the property).
2. Get permission before going onto anyone's property.
3. Wear BRIGHT clothes.
4. If you can, take someone with you, for safety and to help carry the really heavy stuff.
5. Make sure to let someone (else) know where you are going and when you expect to be back (in case you get yourself into trouble).
6. Bring and drink plenty of water... Make sure you have plenty of bar and chain oil, fuel and tools to tend to your saw, there is NOTHING worse than getting to your hunting sight and finding out you can't "work" because you forgot something important..
7. Use safety equipment and bring a backup saw (or chain and bar for your one chainsaw).

I'm sure there are others, but those things will help insure your greatest success and least amount of danger.

Very good advice, but # 4 should read, "always have someone with you." Never go alone. Even if you've informed others of where you will be, should an accident happen, by the time they come looking for you, it may be way to late. Even the most experienced loggers have accidents.

 

[john lucas]

Gosh I wear my ninja outfit and go with a good bow saw. that way you can remove the wood quietly when no one will know. Be sure and put a bandaid over the burl you remove.
Around here it would be better to wear camo and walk quietly. The guys who call themselves hunters will shoot anything that moves. I say call themselves hunters because a real hunter would never shoot something he could not positively identify.
Just joking around. Hope no one took all that seriously. personally i find any time of year to be a good wood gathering day. All it takes is for me to hear a chainsaw somewhere.

 

[n7bsn]

I should really have taken a photo of my neighbors....

They hired Jim-Bob & Jack to come cut down some trees, after a rather powerful fall windstorm we had (I lost one of my Paulowina's in that storm).

Now just to make it clear, Jim-Bob & Jack are not what you call "Arborist" or even "Timber Jacks", but a couple of "good old boys" that "knew what they were doing"

Jim-Bob & Jack told the people that "no you don't need to move that brand new Dodge Ram 4x4", "we can make these trees land anywhere we want"... Do I need to tell the rest of the story?

Or the other neighbors a few years ago. Neighbor One talks to Neighbor two and remarks that "You know I'm worried that the big Fir tree you have is going to fall on my garage some day". Neighbor two replies "You know, you are right I should do something about that"
Neighbor Two dropped said tree square on Neighbor Ones garage, result. Neighbor One got a new garage and two new cars, while all Neighbor Two got was a bunch of firewood. Most expensive fire-wood he ever got.

Or why I hire a Pro, if there is any chance the tree will damage anything

 

[jimbob91577]

Hey!

Me and my brother Jack are Pro's...

 

[Richard Baker]

Charlie,
Nice pictures. Thanks.

 

[Brian Hahn]

Very good advice, but # 4 should read, "always have someone with you." Never go alone.

Funny thing is, the only times I've run into trouble is when I had someone along who was eager to "help". Much safer for me to work alone. Unless you count my loyal companions, John Deere and Stihl.

 

[Brian Hahn]

Make sure all hunting seasons are over

Boy, you guys really don't want me gathering wood at all do you! Hunting season is 365 days a year where live, except deer season which is only 7 months long (early of September through the end of March).

 

[George Guadiane]

Boy, you guys really don't want me gathering wood at all do you! Hunting season is 365 days a year where live, except deer season which is only 7 months long (early of September through the end of March).

Well...
Under THOSE circumstances, load your tools up in your hoopty (car with lots of speakers) and drive it into the woods with your windows all open to drive away the animals and let the hunters know you are there.
On the other hand, THAT might get you shot too...
I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

[Ken Grunke]

I know at least 4 people with Lymes disease so my advice would be to be well protected from ticks. Don't be petting any deer, OK?
Myself, I would just stand there gawking at the beautiful scenery and wouldn't get anything done.

 

[dkulze]

Harvesting? You mean cutting trees down?

MURDERER!!!!!!!!!

That being said, I only cut trees that are down or coming down anyway. Most of my wood is "harvested" for me ahead of time and I just go to the log yard and cut it up. We have a big one that takes logs from all the local arborists when they're too big to chip up. A couple of years of gifts and politeness and they now let me cruise their yard and cut up stuff. Occasionally they'll set one aside for me ahead of time and call me.

Advice: If you call a couple of local arborists and ask where you can drop off yard waste and logs, they'll hook you up with the local log yard. Be polite. Take your time. Remember this is a business for them. Bring a couple of nice things from local wood to "show" the owner why you want their wood then do the "here, put this on your front counter" with one of them. Don't ask to cut anything in return. Wait for them to offer. In fact, offer to pay them for wood if there's something nice there that you want. Once you're in, care for the relationship well. Don't show up daily or with 15 friends and a tractor trailor (unless they said you could ahead of time. Been there, done that, owner got several niiiiice bowls in thank you's).

Dietrich

 

[Jake Debski]

Funny thing is, the only times I've run into trouble is when I had someone along who was eager to "help". Much safer for me to work alone. Unless you count my loyal companions, John Deere and Stihl.

Don't forget the old saw " you can't pick your relatives but you can choose your friends." And another "tis' a wise man that chooses his companions carefully."

 

[Mr. Don]

Sneaky!!!!

1.) Make sure the pickup is in "stealth" mode
2.) Chain saw is painted "camo"
3.) Chain saw has a silencer.
4.) It is after dark and the owner is off to a dance or dinner!!!

 

[George Guadiane]

Harvesting? You mean cutting trees down?

MURDERER!!!!!!!!!

That being said, I only cut trees that are down or coming down anyway. Most of my wood is "harvested" for me ahead of time and I just go to the log yard and cut it up. We have a big one that takes logs from all the local arborists when they're too big to chip up. A couple of years of gifts and politeness and they now let me cruise their yard and cut up stuff. Occasionally they'll set one aside for me ahead of time and call me.

Advice: If you call a couple of local arborists and ask where you can drop off yard waste and logs, they'll hook you up with the local log yard. Be polite. Take your time. Remember this is a business for them. Bring a couple of nice things from local wood to "show" the owner why you want their wood then do the "here, put this on your front counter" with one of them. Don't ask to cut anything in return. Wait for them to offer. In fact, offer to pay them for wood if there's something nice there that you want. Once you're in, care for the relationship well. Don't show up daily or with 15 friends and a tractor trailor (unless they said you could ahead of time. Been there, done that, owner got several niiiiice bowls in thank you's).

Dietrich

So you take the EASY way out of this (me too). I have a BIG property across the street from me, and the owner likes my work, SOOOooooo I can have anything on the ground or dead standing. Storms ALWAYS knock stuff down over there.
I also cruise the log dumps and I have one logger who actually goes out and brings me back stuff - HE is a checkbook friend, but he brings out the burls.

 

[Hugh]

Talk about stealth and bow saws - I used to live in the Sacramento Valley (California). There were many old walnut orchards - some with some very nice burls. There were people who would show up on very rainy nights (to cover the sounds) with a back-hoe and a flat bed truck and chainsaws with carbide chain. They would cut the top off the tree and then run the carbide chainsaw in the dirt to cut the roots and then use the back-hoe to pull out and load the burl. Some of burls were worth $10,000 - $15,000 each. They call that "Grand Theft" in California. And what are you in San Quentin for?????
Hugh