finally a scrounge success!

[vwboomer]

Pretty happy!
Got a call this morning at 730 from a friend who's dad told him there was a free firewood ad in the paper ( I don't get the paper). I waited until the decent hour of 8am and sure nuff. free wood. He thought it was hardwood but beyond that no idea. It's about 20 miles away, and he said I should go look at it. Well who goes to look without a saw?

Tree number 1 is a blowdown snag. about 22" or so at the base. Caught on another dead tree (hickory maybe?) about 8 feet up.

Farther up the hill are some other trees that are down - too steep and snowy to go look at though. but there's this

it looks like it was topped at some point. The tree it's leaning on seems alive but the one next to it is dead.

Of course I get on the horn and tell the guy I'll take it. He says someone else is coming to lookat it. Well he did. and didnt' want anything to do with the snag or snow up to my knees lol. He said he'd see what was left in spring. Not sure how I'm going to get it out - it's up a slight rise, then down a hill to the road - about 100 yards. Sled?

This is after about 4 hours of cutting.

Having never done it before I was leary of the snag. Took out all limbs not under pressure. I was afraid if it twisted the wrong way it would take down the dead one it was leaning on. Got the saw stuck a few times and had to chop the branches off with the ax. I dropped the hinge without too much worry.

any thoughts on taking down the leaner? landowner says anything that's dead on his property I'm welcome to take down. I'd like to do it with a minimum of damage to other trees of course.

 

[danrclem]

Good score! I bet you can already feel the heat that you'll be getting next winter.

 

[ericjeeper]

Good score I suppose

I admire you guys that will work so hard for free wood.. I am very fortunate to have almost 200 acres to cut from here at home..If I can not get the tractor and splitter next to the tree. I will use the dozer to bring the tree up and to a better location to buck it up.
As lazy as I am if I had to pack wood 100 yards through knee deep snow.. We would be heating with fuel oil..

 

[gilraine]

I admire you guys that will work so hard for free wood.. I am very fortunate to have almost 200 acres to cut from here at home..If I can not get the tractor and splitter next to the tree. I will use the dozer to bring the tree up and to a better location to buck it up.
As lazy as I am if I had to pack wood 100 yards through knee deep snow.. We would be heating with fuel oil..

honestly with me, the hunt for it is part of the fun..

 

[Jon E]

I've got thirty acres at home to cut from, and another ten acres about six miles away. Sure doesn't stop me from scrounging all I can get from elsewhere. I haven't cut a tree down in three years of any significance, and I've burned close to 20 cords of wood in that time. All from somewhere else, tree service, municipal, slabwood or picked up off the job site or road somewhere. I have a contractor buddy who cuts and sells hardwoods but his own property is all pine and he won't burn it or sell it - says I can come and cut all I want. It's all tree length, in a big pile, with root balls still attached. Free is free, even if you gotta work for it.

 

[johnnylabguy]

I'm with gilraine, the hunt is part of the fun! Although 3 feet of snow and a steep grade dampers the fun quite a bit! That just makes the finds where you can pull your truck and splitter right up to them sweeter!

I'm currently in "preliminary talks" with a coworker about cleaning up the hickory tops on her new home property. Gee-Gee-Gee!(me laughing like sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane from the Dukes of Hazard.)

 

[vwboomer]

I don't mind the exercise. I'm tryin to lose some weight. Feels like death humpin those rounds up the hill one at a time though Plus I'm going to gain experience at dropping a tree. never done it! Never did a snag either of course. so far so good

I'm gonna find a toboggan to buy when I'm picking up my gallon of bar oil and wedges tomorrow though!