How much $ for standing ash

[Bushmans]

Finishing up my "tops" job and started looking around at the ash trees that have been killed by the bug.
There are 15 ash trees that are dead in this little wood lot that are "do-able". Then there are 6 more
"big-uns" that are beyond my skill set. Not because of the size but because they are leaning towards the freeway and the tips of the tops might just reach pavement. I don't see anyway, other than climbing, to get these guys safely on the ground. (I don't climb and a mistake in judgement might send them towards the freeway)

I paid the landowner $100 to cut the tops. All of which are hard maple and I think there was about 15 or so.
No easy access. Everything hauled out by quad or snow sled.

The 15 ash trees I would lik to cut are all still standing and would also need to be hauled by hand to get them out of the woods.
What do you think I should offer per tree? On average each tree has a 12-14" diameter. A couple are in excess of 20". All right around 60 -80 feet.
They most likley are going to hang up in the canopy. There are no clear shots to the forest floor. I'm hoping they still have enough weight to get there. In short, a lot of work so the price has to be CHEAP!

Here are a few pics of the woodlot
Some of the maple
View attachment 270945

An ash leaner. This one is about 14" diameter
View attachment 270946

This ash is a big one. 24" two pics, bottom and top.
View attachment 270948
View attachment 270949

Another 20" ash, very dead up top.
View attachment 270950

Then I have another big 20" leaner that will crash on the fence next to the freeway. It's already uprooted but hung up in another tree.
There is no way to get a truck or tractor in there for pulling.

Whad'ya think?

 

[stihly dan]

50% less than the maple. I would say, I will get these out of here for you, at no charge to you, if you like.

 

[Bushmans]

In the third pic , in the background, you can see the big freeway leaner.
Here it is up closer.

View attachment 270959

The vehicle is in the North bound lane. The S. Bound is much closer. I don't think it will make it to pavement but it will be very freaky to a car coming down the road when this guy lets go. Don't want to cause an accident.

 

[hanniedog]

Let me applaud you for being smart enough to not get in over your head. I would not give over $20 per tree if that much. You got a bit of labor involved to get it out. Good luck.

 

[Bushmans]

50% less than the maple. I would say, I will get these out of here for you, at no charge to you, if you like.

This guy is smarter than that. He knows. He values hardwork but he isn't gonna let anything go for free.

In order to hunt this property this year I had to load and haul and the unload about 10 cord of firewood from his other properties down the road. He cut it and I picked it out of the field.
He sells it for $50 a 1/3 cord.
He won't go after this because it isn't "easy getting" but he knows it's not worth free!
He is a tough cookie.

 

[REJ2]

Paying him anything in the first place was a mistake i believe, now he is maybe expecting something for your work. A case could be made on your behalf that you are performing land management and you should be compensated with more than just wood. However, if your both happy with the arrangement, then offer what you feel is worthy.

 

[showrguy]

it's not really "firewood" until somebody puts a bunch of time and effort into it....

btw:
i'd be carefull transporting that ash very far..
there are regulations in different parts of the country prohibiting such an act....
has to do with the spread of the ash boring beetles...... seems stupid at first...... but actually, probably makes alot of sence once ya think about it a little more ??

edit;
i would'nt pay for standing wood, whatever it is..
i'd also find a new place to hunt as well........ your letting this guy use you up...
my 2 cents

 

[Bushmans]

Let me applaud you for being smart enough to not get in over your head. I would not give over $20 per tree if that much. You got a bit of labor involved to get it out. Good luck.

I was going to start at 10. I don't want to cheat the guy but for the work, I don't want to pay face cord price for it either.

 

[Bushmans]

it's not really "firewood" until somebody puts a bunch of time and effort into it....

btw:
i'd be carefull transporting that ash very far..
there are regulations in different parts of the country prohibiting such an act....
has to do with the spread of the ash boring beetles...... seems stupid at first...... but actually, probably makes alot of sence once ya think about it a little more ??

Yeah it makes a lot of sense but Michigan is a lost cause now. They lifted the ban on moving wood because the whole dang state is a goner. Not an ash tree to be found alive anywhere.

I would be moving it about 15 miles give or take.

 

[stihly dan]

Moving 10 cord to hunt. Better have had a guarantee to fill all your tags with big ones. Let the wood rot where it is. Sounds like the guy is an a$$ taking advantage of you. Doing it for free is a benefit to him. He should be charged.

 

[Bushmans]

Don't get me wrong, this guy is a pretty cool chap but you gotta realize that everyone and his brother is asking this guy to, hunt his properties, cut his wood, fish his ponds and no one ever offers him anything.
I have been rabbit hunting and late season deer hunting this guys place for a few years now for free mainly because I needed a place to take the kids hunting.
I wanted exclusive rights and I told him I didn't have much money but I would work like a fool.
We got together one day and as fast as he could cut it, I would load and deliver it to his splitter site.
Sure it was alot of work but one day of hard work for hunting rights? C'mon.
As far as the tops? I cut about 12-14 cord (still cutting) for $100.

I don't want anything for free because it always comes with strings. I would much rather pay you or trade you my labor.
Now how about that ash?

 

[flyboy553]

This guy is smarter than that. He knows. He values hardwork but he isn't gonna let anything go for free.

In order to hunt this property this year I had to load and haul and the unload about 10 cord of firewood from his other properties down the road. He cut it and I picked it out of the field.
He sells it for $50 a 1/3 cord.
He won't go after this because it isn't "easy getting" but he knows it's not worth free!
He is a tough cookie.

He sells firewood and won't go after it himself. That means it isn't worth any thing at all. Before you offer him anything, figure out how much wood is in each tree. Then use his prices to get a value of it, and then take money off because you are supplying all the labor to cut it up and remove it.

I personally would not offer him anything for it. If there are no live ash anymore in Mi, then surely there is easier stuff to scrounge. And for free.

Ted

 

[Mac88]

As far as the tops? I cut about 12-14 cord (still cutting) for $100.

What's your labor, equipment, and fuel costs worth?

 

[tld400]

I think its fine what your doing because you said you got 12 to 15 cords for a hundred. It would of cost you 1800 to 2250 for the wood you got already at the land owners price per cord. I say I would think you are way ahead of the game plus you get to hunt. If you can get at least half of that again I would offer him 100 bucks.

 

[stihl023/5]

There are still some ash. But they are too nice to cut.

 

[greendohn]

let 'em fall to the ground and stay there. Too hard to get for him but he wants you to pay him for it. tell him to go to hell.
if the whole state is done in with the bugs, there is bound to be a land owner out there who'll let you cut for reasonable terms, don't be beholden to some greedy jack wagon. tell him to go to hell.
Let you hunt "late season"?? for your time and labor, then hauling and delivering to "his splitting area",,you should have exclusive hunting rites for the entire season. or he can go to hell. he sounds like a greedy self serving bastard taking advantage of your good will.


don't get me started or i'll tell ya' how i really feel about these ass hats.

 

[Bushmans]

let 'em fall to the ground and stay there. Too hard to get for him but he wants you to pay him for it. tell him to go to hell.
if the whole state is done in with the bugs, there is bound to be a land owner out there who'll let you cut for reasonable terms, don't be beholden to some greedy jack wagon. tell him to go to hell.
Let you hunt "late season"?? for your time and labor, then hauling and delivering to "his splitting area",,you should have exclusive hunting rites for the entire season. or he can go to hell. he sounds like a greedy self serving bastard taking advantage of your good will.


don't get me started or i'll tell ya' how i really feel about these ass hats.

He let me take the kids out there bunny hunting in the late season and also let me muzzle load hunt during the late season all for nothing. I work with his nephew and his nephew told him I was a good guy.

I approached him about exclusive hunting but had no $ so I offered my back. (He may have let me hunt for free again.) I moved roughly 10 cord of wood that he cut down and bucked. All I did was load it in his tractor and trailer, haul it 200 yards through an open field and dump it next to his splitter. He split and stacked it. For that I gained hunting rights for the season. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. He also gave me some moose, salmon and halibut to take up north to deer camp.

As far as the ash trees, he has a ton of other properties that have very accesible ash trees to cut down. Those are his bread and butter and I wouldn't ask to cut those. However the ones in the lot where I cut are not "easy". They would fall and rot by the time he got all the other easy ash trees cut.
This is what I want to use for barganing leverage. I do not want to have them for free. I do not want to feel obligated if you know what I mean.
I plan on asking for hunting rights again this fall and want the guy to know that I'm not just another freeloader who wants to use his property.
I don't have any other places to hunt (except up north) and when this stash of wood runs out I don't have any others lined up.
I could burn this ash 2 years from now and the oak and hickory I cut down this summer I could burn three and four years from now.
I have already pulled last winters firewood and this years firewood and all of next years firewood from this lot. It may have been more than 10-15 cord. It's hard to tell because last year was my first burning year and I was burning it as I cut it.
I could even leave the standing ash until next winter and maybe by then some more limbs would fall off.

 

[Uncle John]

You don't pay someone to cut their trees down.
They pay you!
But if you want to be a nice guy and you feel obligated to him you might do it for free.

 

[Rockland Farm]

I think most of the guys are looking at this as just a firewood scrounge . If I understand you correctly you are trading labor and the few bucks you can afford for Hunting rights and any firewood you get is a bonus. If you were just to pay this guy for the right to hunt his property what would it be worth dollar wise ? Is it a great area ? Finding private property to hunt in my state is getting very difficult . I can get wood to cut alot easier than I can find a place to hunt . It seems like more work than the tops , maybe 1/2 or a little less than you paid for the tops . But if you feel you paid too much for the tops then it is time to renegotiate . To me it all comes down to how much the hunting rights are worth .

 

[greendohn]

Hunting and fishing with your children is an honest endeavour. To instill a love for the out of doors while passing along the time honored traditions of fair chase and properly handling a fire arm is a privilege many a man is denied. Good for you. The time spent with your children and the memories had by one and all are indeed, PRICELESS!

The working for those privileges, using your time and labor, to spend time with your kids speaks volumes for your character. You sound like a good man and great father. If you're okay with the terms you have with this guy on the fire wood it's all the better. If money is tight, maybe you could offer a split with the land owner for the fire wood instead of money? I have a couple guys who let me cut on their place who burn and I leave them a load every now and again and everybody's happy.