End of a 'side'

[turnkey4099]

I started on this site last November. Today I put down the last of 7 locusts at this site.

Hit almost dead center of the brush pile which is where I wanted it but did cause me some trouble climbing the pile to limb out the off side.

Nice part is the butt end split into three pieces (co-dominant stems) - makes for easy bucking and a minimum of splitting to get them down to loadable size.

Had it on the ground at 7:30, left at 12 with 95% of the brushing and cutting up of limbs done.

Down to the fun bucking. Age is getting to me. Can't go but about 3-4 hours at a shot anymore.

Taking a day off to catch up on the woodpile and haul anohter load to a customer. I'll finish up that tree probably Tuesday if the weather permits.

Harry K

 

[cjcocn]

Great pics as usual!

I browse this forum almost daily and one of the things that I look for is your threads. I look forward to them and am always glad when the next one shows up.

 

[turnkey4099]

Nope, not the "end"! I was out today to finish up that tree. Realized that I wouldn't be able to get it all in one load so was involved in loading up what I had cut. Landowner was there bushhogging, stopped and asked if i had gotten "that little one". "Yep, this is the last one". He had a strange look. A bit later I shifted PU to grab another small pile and WHAT! Where did that thing come from!?.

Yep, an 8th tree, small and mostly brush and sorta hidden behnd a big maple but I should be able to get it and the rest of the 7th tree on the next load.

Then the landowner asked if I was interested in another, non-locust, tree that was in his way. Not really interested but considering he had given me 14 trees I had him show me the problem. Big, brushy something. Doesn't look like good firewood. Hanging over an outside corner in his field - a real mess. I agreed that if he would help with it I thought we could have it down and piled for burning in a couple hours. Looks like a job for this coming weekend.

Harry K

 

[KD57]

You have to take the good w/ the bad, after giving you 14 trees, I would have taken the big brushy thing down, no questions asked. Besides, it's just more saw time, lol.

 

[turnkey4099]

It's a done deal. Finished it up today including that "little one".

Before:

After: 8 trees gone ("little one" behind the camera location).

I contacted my next 'contracts' tonight

Richard: what I thought last year was 2 trees turned out to be four - very brushy. He even said it was okay for me to put a track through his crop to get to them (only about 75 ft):

Ron: Only seen these from 1/2 mile away. Can count 15 but have no clue as to size. Have an appointment for Wed to look it over:

Will remove that 'problem tree' for Pat probably Sun or Mon and then get to the new sites.

Harry K

 

[ericjeeper]

Harry

Is there a reason all these folks are willing to let these trees go? Has something killed them?Or do people just not like a few trees left standing out on the prairie?

 

[turnkey4099]

Is there a reason all these folks are willing to let these trees go? Has something killed them?Or do people just not like a few trees left standing out on the prairie?

They are all Black Locust and are being killed by the Locusst Borer. At the rate it is progressing there won't be any live locust in this area in a few years.

My brother from Clarkston Wa told me yesterday that the borer is also getting into the English Walnuts.

There is also some "problem trees", i.e., ones that are in the way of farming operations or for other reasons. Those don't come available very often though.

Harry K

 

[ericjeeper]

They are all Black Locust and are being killed by the Locusst Borer. At the rate it is progressing there won't be any live locust in this area in a few years.

My brother from Clarkston Wa told me yesterday that the borer is also getting into the English Walnuts.

There is also some "problem trees", i.e., ones that are in the way of farming operations or for other reasons. Those don't come available very often though.

Harry K

I see, I was just curious.,Thanks

 

[KsWoodsMan]

"Big Brushy thing" sounds like it might be Mulberry. It makes excellent firewood. It doesnt last in the stack like Locost so you would need to use it in ther next several years. Very few woods won't beat Willow for total BTU's. Aside from all the brush handling it might not turn out to be so bad. Probably not as easy as nice straight BL but might turn out to be worthwhile.

WTH it is saw time. LOL

 

[turnkey4099]

Nice day today. Low 70s, slight breeze. Started by removing a weeping willow for an old widow...well, really helping her grandson. He 'broke' his saw (I suspect something fell on it). I supplied the saws and 24' ladder, he did all the ladder work, I did the bucking. 1 hour later it was done and I left without having to do any of the cleanign up .

On to that 'big brushy thing'. Wasn't as bad as I expected I started whacking my way in from the edge until I go into the middle and then it was just chop some brush, stack brush, chop, etc. 3 hours later I had all but one big limb done plus some from another tree. My body again said that 4hours is about my limit. I'll finish that off in about another hour's work on Friday if nothing happens. Still don't know wht kind of tree it is. Tends to grow with multiple stems up to 2ft DBH, apparently very brittle as there are soem major big limbs broken off laying on a junk shed roof. Wood when cut is ?red? (I'm color blind) and dripping with water. Heaviest chunks of wood I ever cut but a bone dry limb weighed about the same as one from a willow.

I should have taken before/after pics. Will do so on Friday.

Harry K