Douglas Fir Slab Value?

[Artemis]

I found a massive Doug Fir up here in Northern BC, and I have decided to mill it. I'll be buying a 3120xp and a 6' bar to do the job, and I've built a mill that can handle the bar. The tree is about 6' in diameter at the base, and quickly goes down to about 5' where it stays very straight and consistent the rest of the way up. The total height is somewhere between 80 or 90 feet. I've included a picture. I'm 5'-11" tall, to put the tree into perspective. What the picture doesn't show is that the tree is 100% dead all the way to the top, not a needle to be found. It is also free of any bird nests or holes/burrows, unlike the tree in the background.

Anyways my main question is what do you think an unfinished slab (only milled and dried) of this tree is worth? Just for a benchmark to start with, lets say the slab was 6' wide slab x 8' in length x 4 inches thick.
Keep in mind that a doug fir this size is extremely rare in my area as most trees this big have been logged a long time ago, so I think that could add some value, what do you think?
Also just as something fun, how old do you figure the tree is?

 

[Big_Wood]

for starters make sure you can legally cut that tree. looks to be a residual in a buncher cut block. you get caught in someone elses TFL milling a tree like that and your gonna be up **** creek without a paddle. licensees will usually sell you a salvage permit as long as they know what you will be salvaging. for a dead piece of **** that big you might get away with $150 which is alot cheaper then the fine they will give you if caught taking it. last one we milled like that was 5' straight high grade and we got $5000 for 5 10' long 3" thick boards. they were hell to move but we got'er done in a day so 5g wasn't to bad for the 2 of us lol. it's all about finding the buyer though. we are as west as it gets and our buyer was in ontario. we got it to the train in vancouver for an additional fee.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

You talking live edge boards? Slabs are the D shaped bark "skin" that comes off the mill to make a cant.

 

[7sleeper]

I see it similar like westcoaster, pissing into someone else's garden is usually not tollerated well...

7

 

[computeruser]

nevermind.

 

[cgraham1]

That looks like a lot of work.

 

[Big_Wood]

That looks like a lot of work.

on the ground and slabbed up by lunch if commited and get an early start. someone who likes to **** around might take a few days. i like to **** around but when there's money involved i like to get paid. i also prepare everything the night before so i'm not scrambling for tools or anything. mills setup so she's down and slabs are started right away.

 

[cus_deluxe]

I know next to nothing about the value of this stuff or the finer legal points but im subbed, hopin to learn something, and sound like a fun project

 

[Artemis]

for starters make sure you can legally cut that tree. looks to be a residual in a buncher cut block. you get caught in someone elses TFL milling a tree like that and your gonna be up **** creek without a paddle. licensees will usually sell you a salvage permit as long as they know what you will be salvaging. for a dead piece of **** that big you might get away with $150 which is alot cheaper then the fine they will give you if caught taking it. last one we milled like that was 5' straight high grade and we got $5000 for 5 10' long 3" thick boards. they were hell to move but we got'er done in a day so 5g wasn't to bad for the 2 of us lol. it's all about finding the buyer though. we are as west as it gets and our buyer was in ontario. we got it to the train in vancouver for an additional fee.

Theres no posted signs of what company owns the land, as far as I know its crown land, so I dont know where to even start with getting a permit. How do you find out, and where can I get a permit?

 

[Big_Wood]

Theres no posted signs of what company owns the land, as far as I know its crown land, so I dont know where to even start with getting a permit. How do you find out, and where can I get a permit?

you know more then me about your area. all i got is a pic and it looks like a buncher cutblock with the oversize left? if it was logged it was either a small timber sale or a cutblock within a licensee's TFL. if a Timber sale it is crown land but i'm not sure if you can lay claim to a piece like that without a salvage permit anyways. is it close to a district municipality? ask the district who owns the land.

 

[cgraham1]

as far as I know its crown land,

if a Timber sale it is crown land but i'm not sure if you can lay claim to a piece like that without a salvage permit

I asked the queen... she said go ahead and cut the ****er.

 

[Artemis]

you know more then me about your area. all i got is a pic and it looks like a buncher cutblock with the oversize left? if it was logged it was either a small timber sale or a cutblock within a licensee's TFL. if a Timber sale it is crown land but i'm not sure if you can lay claim to a piece like that without a salvage permit anyways. is it close to a district municipality? ask the district who owns the land.

It's nowhere near

you know more then me about your area. all i got is a pic and it looks like a buncher cutblock with the oversize left? if it was logged it was either a small timber sale or a cutblock within a licensee's TFL. if a Timber sale it is crown land but i'm not sure if you can lay claim to a piece like that without a salvage permit anyways. is it close to a district municipality? ask the district who owns the land.

Thanks

 

[heyduke]

I've used an alaskan mill to slab some big wood, redwood, doug fir and black acacia, just a heads up. first, that looks like old growth doug fir, hard as nails. be prepared to do a lot of sharpening. i'd use two power heads, if possible a pair of 3120's. after that, materials handling is going to be a challenge. do the math. the eight foot slabs you specified will weigh more than 600lbs (16 cubic feet at 38lbs per cubic foot) and that's if the wood is completely dry. i've used a pair of hand trucks strapped under each end to move some big wood, but eventually you have to get it onto the truck or trailer. good luck.

regarding permits, where i live permits are usually issued by the u.s. forest service or the state equivalent. dead peckers, like the one in your foto, are sacred, thought to be home to various endangered species and you can't drop them.

 

[Gypo Logger]

You may be able to obtain the tree legally by applying for a salvage or firewood permit.

 

[Artemis]

I've used an alaskan mill to slab some big wood, redwood, doug fir and black acacia, just a heads up. first, that looks like old growth doug fir, hard as nails. be prepared to do a lot of sharpening. i'd use two power heads, if possible a pair of 3120's. after that, materials handling is going to be a challenge. do the math. the eight foot slabs you specified will weigh more than 600lbs (16 cubic feet at 38lbs per cubic foot) and that's if the wood is completely dry. i've used a pair of hand trucks strapped under each end to move some big wood, but eventually you have to get it onto the truck or trailer. good luck.

regarding permits, where i live permits are usually issued by the u.s. forest service or the state equivalent. dead peckers, like the one in your foto, are sacred, thought to be home to various endangered species and you can't drop them.

Haha the sharpening is the daunting part, especially with a 6' bar! but I think I'll be using the dremel to speed things up. Also I will probably be able to back up my truck to the tree once it's fallen over (its right beside the road) so I'm hoping to slide it right off the tree and into my trailer. I'll have help of course. Thanks for the input!