I finished the dead tree logging today. Here's three pics of removing the largest, which would have yielded ~1500 board feet or so, but I had climb it. I had to go up to take a 30 foot top, as there was no safe place to drop a larger one, which would have saved 50 board feet or so. Then, I dropped 10-12 feet, wasting 100 feet, Next was a 20-22 footer, which landed flat from close to 100 feet up, so it broke, that was 150 feet or so. Got a 18, 36 and 40 after that, about 1250 board feet. The tree, which was 32" at the butt, was about 160 feet tall. But most of the others, while much skinnier, were 130-150 feet!!
I'm pretty sure these were killed by beetles, but i dont know for sure, as I have little experience in the woods. I'm sure the wood wont bring much money. It looked like 3500 board feet from all 13.
Greg is a rookie, he bid the job for the wood, which included 1.5 hrs of chipping, the customer drug brush. It should have been bid at about $1600 or more, with proceeds to the customer. So now he owes me big time!!! I'll get to use his bucket truck a bunch in trade, I guess... and that will work!!! As I have several jobs for it.