Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[philoshop]

Get to know some guys with big OWB's for farms and such. I get a lot of 3-4" stuff from them that they don't want to bother with.
Perfect size for my stove and easy pickins in their 'yards' that are already torn up.
"Mind if I take some of that brushpile you're about to burn?" Not many say no once they see you're a standup guy.

 

[mainewoods]

Don't blame you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Timing, courtesy and common sense is a must when your " wood begging".

 

[KenJax Tree]

Its not even the asking part, they just don't seem to understand they can't be on the job site let alone being there running a chain saw on it. We give plenty of wood away to the ones that understand hell if its right in the neighborhood we even go dump it in their yard or driveway for them.



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[KenJax Tree]

Don't blame you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Timing, courtesy and common sense is a must when your " wood begging".

My point exactly.


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[cheeves]

Make friends with any nearby logging operations. If they aren't chipping they may let you clean up the tops and the skidder flattened trees. A lot of times they don't cut on weekends and it's perfect for the 9-5 guy.

Great thread my Friend!!
I've been scrounging firewood for 40 years! Some years are better than others! But still got some tips and a kick in the arse to knock on doors! Have a few spots left I can still cut on but the best are private lands and public parks and monuments where you get the permission! Lost a really good one when the Forefather's Moniment area was turned over to the State. Still trying to find out who to talk with.
But Scrounging for wood is an Art that takes practice! But key is " seek and yea shall find!" One of my ongoing enterprises!
Great Thread MW!!

 

[mainewoods]

Scrounging wood is certainly an art, and a lot of hard work. I give credit to anyone who is willing to work as hard for their firewood as a typical scrounger does.

 

[mainewoods]

I shudder to think of all the wood up here that is bulldozed into piles and left to rot by the paper companies. It is scrounger heaven!

 

[stihly dan]

Also be personable, and don't look like an ax murderer.

 

[Mike-M]

I live in the suburbs, there is no logging here, there is no such thing as land clearing here, we dont really even have any woods that arent parkland or owned by rich people. So firewood here is hard to find in large quantities, but there are lots of places to get a little here and there. I do a ton of craigslist scrounging, especially in the spring and summer when people are doing yard work. In the warm seasons, there is so much on craigslist that I can pick and choose which ones I go to. I usually just hit the ones that are on my way home from work.

Lately I got an even better method though. The dept of public works in my town does a ton of removals, all of which are right out at the street. They chip the branches, then leave the tree there for a day, when they can come back with their log truck. Most of the time when they come back, the logs are already gone, except for the big pieces. Most of the scroungers around here are meixcans in 1987 toyotas. They show up with a 16" saw, fill their trunks and go, almost nothing over 20" is ever touched. When its close, I wrap a chain around the trunk and drag it home with my truck, right on the street. I spoke to two of the guys on the town tree crew and gave them my number for any big stuff in my neighborhood. Ive only gotten a couple calls from them so far, but both were great hauls.

 

[mainewoods]

Where there is a will, there is a way. Nice going!

 

[Cheesecutter]

Almost every town and small city has a place the public works guys dump tree removals, storm damage, or town folks can take yard waste. Most small towns around here use use old gravel quarries and the wood is free for the asking. It never hurts to ask around.

 

[zogger]

I live in the suburbs, there is no logging here, there is no such thing as land clearing here, we dont really even have any woods that arent parkland or owned by rich people. So firewood here is hard to find in large quantities, but there are lots of places to get a little here and there. I do a ton of craigslist scrounging, especially in the spring and summer when people are doing yard work. In the warm seasons, there is so much on craigslist that I can pick and choose which ones I go to. I usually just hit the ones that are on my way home from work.

Lately I got an even better method though. The dept of public works in my town does a ton of removals, all of which are right out at the street. They chip the branches, then leave the tree there for a day, when they can come back with their log truck. Most of the time when they come back, the logs are already gone, except for the big pieces. Most of the scroungers around here are meixcans in 1987 toyotas. They show up with a 16" saw, fill their trunks and go, almost nothing over 20" is ever touched. When its close, I wrap a chain around the trunk and drag it home with my truck, right on the street. I spoke to two of the guys on the town tree crew and gave them my number for any big stuff in my neighborhood. Ive only gotten a couple calls from them so far, but both were great hauls.

Truck crane and a big saw sounds like what you need for those curbside scores..

Dragging the log home on the street is funny as heck!

Hope the bulls don't write ya a ticket though, but maybe..there ain't no law to cite!

~ three days in a row local heat is trying to figger this out~

Day 1 "road skidding without a...hmm..no tree license needed, no tree tag or insurance required...hmmm..drat citizen, you are free to go" !

Day 2 "Improper equipment"! hmm..chains are legal, get outta here..

Day 3 "No lights on 'wooden' trailer, gotcha now"!

 

[mainewoods]

Plum Creek timber co. allows firewood salvage, on their land, in many states. I believe it is $10 a cord with a 5-10 cord limit per year. Prices and limits may differ in some states. I think a saw and a pick up truck is all that is required to get a permit. Certainly worth researching if you are a scrounger.

 

[autoimage]

craigslist is different in certain areas but here in the suburbs it works great as was said. in the summer you can pick and choose cause the landscapers are busy and not scrounging. one thing I do is hand the homeowner a card and be courteious so they call you next time they have tree work done. like was said before is just talk wood, knock on doors. one thing that never worked for me was having tree companies drop in my yard, it was way to much work for the crap theywould drop there. heres an example of craigsist just last week

 

[mainewoods]

Many sawmills around here sell bundled slab wood - very cheap. Smaller mills are glad to get rid of it. Good source of cheap wood.

 

[muddstopper]

I usually just drive the roads in housing developments, someone always has a dead tree standing in their yard. Grading contractors are another good source for wood. Often they will be pusihng in a new road or driveway and need a tree or two removed. Sometimes they already have them pushed over and just want them gone. Got a house site to clear, not enought wood for a timber buyer, but enough for a season or two of burning at my house. Play your cards right, and they will often either load it for you in log lenghts, and I have just used their trackhoes to load with myself.

 

[hammerhead 5410]

That's hardly universal - depends on the jurisdiction so check state legislation or property records if uncertain. Here, the government owns a 66' wide strip of land centered on the centre of the travelled public roadway. In a town or city, the town or city owns it and it can be of varying width.

Same here...33' each way of centerline.

 

[Cheesecutter]

Many sawmills around here sell bundled slab wood - very cheap. Smaller mills are glad to get rid of it. Good source of cheap wood.

I had a chance to buy slab wood for $40 a cord or roughly a 6x12x2 feet deep trailer load. it was cut to 36" or less lengths. It was a mix of mostly walnut, red oak, and cherry. I wasn't sure how it would burn being mostly bark though, so I passed. It would stack nice, neat, and tight, but I figured then it wouldn't dry. I wish I would have tried a load to see.

 

[MountainHigh]

Also be personable, and don't look like an ax murderer.

good one!

Like others have said, I contact loggers and arborists/tree crews, follow hydro crews and watch for dead stands that need clearing. It helps to be semi-retired because early bird gets the worm.

.

 

[H-Ranch]

craigslist is different in certain areas but here in the suburbs it works great as was said. in the summer you can pick and choose cause the landscapers are busy and not scrounging.

If you're willing to be the "ant" you'll find that there's a lot of "grasshoppers" during the summer - not near as much competition as when the first frost hits in the fall. More than once I've had good scores when it's 100F in July and everyone is out vacationing, boating, golfing, or doing whatever it is that they do.