Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

I'm spoiled up here with scrounge everywhere. By my hunting cabin it's endless if you don't mind mid grade wood. I never make a special trip, it's always in conjunction with another visit.

But if I had to do it as dedicated project I'd probably rent a good sized utility trailer and plan to bring home a couple of good sized loads. Let's say if you find scrounge near a road way and even if it takes you all day to fill the trailer and truck with two cords, you only need to do that a couple of times to get a years worth of wood providing you aren't feeding a monster OWB.

 

[MustangMike]

More wood than I could burn in a lifetime up at my hunting cabin, but it is 2.5 hrs away, plus in NY you are not allowed to transport it over 50 miles!

It is just too long of a trip to make it worth while.

 

[svk]

More wood than I could burn in a lifetime up at my hunting cabin, but it is 2.5 hrs away, plus in NY you are not allowed to transport it over 50 miles!

It is just too long of a trip to make it worth while.

I remember those rules. Interesting that you aren't allowed to haul wood down the watershed as anything bug related is most certainly already there.

If they didn't have rules like that I'd be bringing ironwood and hickory home from my buddy's place in Rensselaer county.

 

[GL0B0TREE]

We always get scroungers on job sites looking to cut wood until they're run off the site. Some are as bad as panhandlers and refuse to leave.
i am starting up again, i got nothing to lose & something to gain


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[steved]

More wood than I could burn in a lifetime up at my hunting cabin, but it is 2.5 hrs away, plus in NY you are not allowed to transport it over 50 miles!

It is just too long of a trip to make it worth while.

That's what I'm doing...going to haul from my grandfather's place, nearly five hours away. That's why I'm rebuilding that trailer in the other thread.

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[mainewoods]

Up here there is a law to protect all landowners called "the land owner liability law". You "assume no responsibility and incur no liability for injuries to a person or that persons property who passes through or uses your property,( a host of examples are given), whether or not you gave permission to use or enter your land ". "There has not been a single reported successful case against a landowner where the Maine Landowner Liability law applied". The only exception to a possible lawsuit is if there is a "malicious" failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition. Maine encourages an "open land" policy for all land owners, to secure access for hunting, fishing, recreation, harvesting of natural products,etc. In fact there is a strong program to encourage landowners to participate, initiated by the Maine Game Warden Service. Hence the strong Landowner Liability Law to protect every landowner, whether they participate or not.

 

[Ambull01]

$15/cord...six cords a year, permit is good for a month.

I found one of the Pa forests where nobody else cuts, had some bigger trees right next to the road. The only thing about cutting on the forest is getting the most bang for the buck...got to be able to move on it in a month, and haul a decent amount at one shot. That's why I had that 18ft/10k trailer setup to haul a cord at a time. I only had a small window and it was a haul to the cutting spot from the house.

That's a great price for a full cord. They let you cut live trees? Thought they may limit the trees to ones already on the ground. May be the perfect way to practice felling.

 

[Ambull01]

I'm spoiled up here with scrounge everywhere. By my hunting cabin it's endless if you don't mind mid grade wood. I never make a special trip, it's always in conjunction with another visit.

But if I had to do it as dedicated project I'd probably rent a good sized utility trailer and plan to bring home a couple of good sized loads. Let's say if you find scrounge near a road way and even if it takes you all day to fill the trailer and truck with two cords, you only need to do that a couple of times to get a years worth of wood providing you aren't feeding a monster OWB.

Do you have a OWB? I was wondering about something. I've read people are able to shove in less than fully seasoned wood, often heard people putting in freshly cut green wood, into the OWB and it burns just fine. With EPA wood stoves/inserts, supposedly they don't burn right with wet wood. What makes the OWB a devourer of wet wood when more than 20% MC dramatically hinders EPA stoves?

 

[mainewoods]

Many places have a forester mark the trees to be cut and you are only allowed to cut those. Others require that you have a pick up truck, some require a 4 wheel drive truck, some require you cannot drive off the main roads.

 

[mainewoods]

When I go up north on a fishing trip I take my trailer along and chain it to a tree with logging chain. On the last day of the trip I load my truck and the trailer for the return trip. Doesn't take too many trips to get a years supply of wood. I was going up there anyway, so I make it worthwhile ( justification to the wife for going fishing) by bringing back a load every trip. She likes the fresh brook trout and the heat from the wood. Kill 2 birds with one stone.

 

[Marshy]

Go you your state DEC web site and find what region you are in. Then you have to find the section for firewood sales. Here is how NY does it...

Firewood Sales on State Forests in Region 7/Central New York
The Firewood Bid Program is Now Closed for the Season; Please Check Back in the Spring of 2015
General Information:
Periodically the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation accepts bids from homeowners to cut firewood on state forests in Central New York. The specific forests and areas within the forests that participate in this program vary from year-to-year. Due to the increased demand for firewood, sales are only offered through a sealed bid auction and not by lottery. There is no need to sign up in advance to participate in the bid process. Announcements, bid sheets and related information will be linked from this page when the program is active and accepting bid applications. If the firewood auction is active in any given year, it will occur in the spring, with cutting of wood being done by successful bidders over the summer.
All firewood for sale is standing, live trees located off-road and will require a chainsaw, tractor and cart or a 4-wheel drive truck for cutting, access and hauling. The trees available for cutting are marked by DEC foresters. This is done to ensure that the only wood removed is done for conservation and habitat reasons. Removal of marked trees improves forest health and the growing stock of understory trees and vegetation. Persons may bid on as many firewood lots as they wish; however, any person or group who is the high bidder on multiple lots will only be awarded one lot for firewood cutting purposes.
In an effort to prevent the spread of invasive insect species, such as the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Long-horned Beetle, state regulations prohibit moving firewood that has not been heat treated more than 50 miles. Persons completing bid sheets under this program may transport cut trees no more than 50 miles from where the wood is felled. They also must complete a "Self-Issued Certificate for Transport" (PDF) (125 KB) form and carry it with them when transporting the wood. For more information on firewood movement restrictions visit the DEC website or call 1-866-640-0652 or e-mail us.

 

[steved]

That's a great price for a full cord. They let you cut live trees? Thought they may limit the trees to ones already on the ground. May be the perfect way to practice felling.

Live standing trees are marked by the Forest Service (you only cut those trees that are marked), anything already down is fair game.

The first trip up, I pulled two 18"D Birch and a batch of 6"D Maple out...plus some Sassafras, downed pine, little oak, etc; all right off the roadway. Didn't even really touch what was there. However, on the other cutting areas closer to civilization, you're lucky to find a twig within 100 yards of the road. Point being, scout your site beforehand.

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[MustangMike]

Upstate always has more freedoms, I remember when NONE OF THE NYC-DEP PROPERTY DOWN HERE WAS OPEN TO HUNTING. That only changed when they realized the deer were decimating the habitat. (Note: NYC-DEP owns thousands and thousands of acres to facilitate the NYC watershed).

Most of it is in Westchester Cty, Putnam County and the Catskills.

 

[Ambull01]

Hmm, doesn't seem like MD offers a cutting permit. Looked through their DNR site. This kinda sucks.

 

[steved]

For PA, you basically go buy the permit...I'm sure they limit the number of people or keep tabs on the cutting area, but there was no issue getting our two permits.

I will probably get a couple permits this year, the two reasons I stopped was lack of time to cut and getting my truck and trailer combination into that area...neither one is a problem now.

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[steved]

Hmm, doesn't seem like MD offers a cutting permit. Looked through their DNR site. This kinda sucks.

Call them, PA's fuelwood cutting program is not apparent either. I only found out about it becauae I was in the forest and saw the signs hanging that designated the area.

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[SteveSS]

Do you have a OWB? I was wondering about something. I've read people are able to shove in less than fully seasoned wood, often heard people putting in freshly cut green wood, into the OWB and it burns just fine. With EPA wood stoves/inserts, supposedly they don't burn right with wet wood. What makes the OWB a devourer of wet wood when more than 20% MC dramatically hinders EPA stoves?

I'll say that just because its a different type of burner. I can't speak to EPA wood stoves and inserts because I don't own one, but I do use a OWB. Basically, once I get a real good base of coals, anything goes. In this picture, that wood pile has all been cut in the last 3-4 months, and all in varying stages of greenness. Some of it is pretty dry at this point, but it doesn't really matter because once I toss it in the fire pit, it's going to dry up real quick......and be really smoky and possibly really stinky while it's doing so depending on the days load.The wind blows predominantly in the direction that it's blowing in this pic and the closest neighbor is an 8 slab trailer park that is roughly 400 yards that direction, so it gives the smoke time to dissipate and it really doesn't bother anyone. But that's a lot of unnecessary info for why I can burn green wood. So I have a real good bed of coals and a load of wood in varying stages of seasoning. When the temp of the water in the boiler drops to 175 degrees, the flue on the front opens and kicks on the fan that forces air across the fire. Forced air across that bed of coals gets the fire going really hot and burns off any moisture that is still in the wood and it burns until the water gets up to around 190 degrees and the flue and the fan shut off, until the cycle repeats. I put in 9 big hunks of some really nice white oak this morning at 7:30, and with the temp at low to mid 30's today, it will still have around half of it in there when I go out to check on it and rake the coals tonight after dinner. Depending on how much is left, I'll add another log or two for over night, or just let it burn down when I need to take out some ash. We just bought this house in May, and this my first time using an OWB so I'm still learning how to get the best efficiency out of it and my wood, but that's it in a nut shell.

 

[svk]

I know our county offers limited firewood permits. For something like 25 bucks you get to cut up to 4 cords per year.

It's interesting that good wood like maple and birch have no value to the loggers as they only want aspen and pine.

 

[Ambull01]

I'll say that just because its a different type of burner. I can't speak to EPA wood stoves and inserts because I don't own one, but I do use a OWB. Basically, once I get a real good base of coals, anything goes. In this picture, that wood pile has all been cut in the last 3-4 months, and all in varying stages of greenness. Some of it is pretty dry at this point, but it doesn't really matter because once I toss it in the fire pit, it's going to dry up real quick......and be really smoky and possibly really stinky while it's doing so depending on the days load.The wind blows predominantly in the direction that it's blowing in this pic and the closest neighbor is an 8 slab trailer park that is roughly 400 yards that direction, so it gives the smoke time to dissipate and it really doesn't bother anyone. But that's a lot of unnecessary info for why I can burn green wood. So I have a real good bed of coals and a load of wood in varying stages of seasoning. When the temp of the water in the boiler drops to 175 degrees, the flue on the front opens and kicks on the fan that forces air across the fire. Forced air across that bed of coals gets the fire going really hot and burns off any moisture that is still in the wood and it burns until the water gets up to around 190 degrees and the flue and the fan shut off, until the cycle repeats. I put in 9 big hunks of some really nice white oak this morning at 7:30, and with the temp at low to mid 30's today, it will still have around half of it in there when I go out to check on it and rake the coals tonight after dinner. Depending on how much is left, I'll add another log or two for over night, or just let it burn down when I need to take out some ash. We just bought this house in May, and this my first time using an OWB so I'm still learning how to get the best efficiency out of it and my wood, but that's it in a nut shell.
View attachment 387894

I see, thanks. So basically with an OWB, smoke isn't a major concern. The flue or exit pipe is so short, creosote buildup isn't a major concern. Plus it's not actually in your house so if the flue catches fire, at worse it burns down the OWB not your house. I was thinking the OWB would burn through stuff faster than a stove which is the reason you could just toss in green stuff but that doesn't seem to be the case. Although, fitting in 9 hunks of oak means the firebox is massive so there's more room for coals hence possibly more heat to dry out stuff. Interesting.

 

[Ambull01]

Damn, I may have to look into upgrading into a OWB. Sounds like a major undertaking though with the water pipes. Also heard the EPA got involved with OWBs as well so the newer ones will have to meet some kind of air pollution regulation.