I took him to mean just until the leaves turn brown then buck, split and stack. He seems to think the leaves will pull out moisture as they dry up for that first week its cut down..
I do that if felled in the summer with full foliage. I wait until the leaves shrivel up, then buck it up. In the winter with leaves off the tree, buck it up right then. Certainly *seems* drier to me, you can tell, the end branches will break off pretty clean, they lose a lot of springiness. Has to suck some moisture out. I think "how much" is the real question, I am guessing "enough" so that if convenient, it doesn't hurt. Only takes a week or two anyway. If I can get all the wood lighter before I have to start schlepping it around, I am all for that.
Guess if I owned a moisture meter it could be tested, say, drop a large tree, pick two close in size branches, say opposite sides of the tree or however would be the most fair as to daily sunhine hitting them and as per size, etc, strip all the leaves off one big branch, leave them alone on the otherbig branch. Wait until leaves shrivel. cut and buck both branches, check meter readings of the pieces. See if there is a significant enough difference to make it personally worthwhile to do it that way.
I have been doing it, but I would change if it really didn't make much difference, but it sure *seems* like it to me, but that is just anecdotal, I don't have any hard science to back it up.
I am 61, not sure if I qualify for old geezer status yet....neogeezer at least though...