# Idaho hardwood, does it exist?



## Old grizzly 708 (Nov 7, 2016)

*Since moving to north Idaho I have only seen various pine trees.
I am wanting to know if there is any areas where there are any places in state/national forests you can find hardwood ? 

Thanks , 
Bill*


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## waterman28 (Nov 8, 2016)

What are you looking for hardwood for? Lots of Red fir and Larch if your heating your house.


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## Old grizzly 708 (Nov 8, 2016)

waterman28 said:


> What are you looking for hardwood for? Lots of Red fir and Larch if your heating your house.


Yep, firewood for home. I moved here from Michigan so I am use to maple, oak , black cherry , ect.


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## waterman28 (Nov 14, 2016)

Yep for firewood in the northwet your going to be wanting fir and tamarack. I would suggest you find a wood cutting buddy and get learned on the local firewood. We have very little hardwood here, I'm not sure but I think black locust that grows around here is a hardwood. I doubt you will find any in any quantity to fill your wood pile. Best of luck and Im sure you will find wood to heat your place. I am a wood scrounge and if the tree is free and made out of wood it comes home with me. I burn lots of pine. It burns fine if it is good and dry. Its not the longest lasting fire but it makes heat.


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## Woos31 (Nov 14, 2016)

waterman28 said:


> Yep for firewood in the northwet your going to be wanting fir and tamarack. I would suggest you find a wood cutting buddy and get learned on the local firewood. We have very little hardwood here, I'm not sure but I think black locust that grows around here is a hardwood. I doubt you will find any in any quantity to fill your wood pile. Best of luck and Im sure you will find wood to heat your place. I am a wood scrounge and if the tree is free and made out of wood it comes home with me. I burn lots of pine. It burns fine if it is good and dry. Its not the longest lasting fire but it makes heat.


I grew up in eastern Oregon and currently reside in central Oregon, I too prefer the likes of red fir and tamarack (western larch) for firewood. However as those are getting harder to find additional everyone and their 3 dogs likes the same I've turned to pine also as it's abundant. Also as much as I hate the chain Killin stuff, juniper makes for good wood too except for the extra ash it leaves over the other 3 options listed.............it's heat. I just yesterday cut a cord an uh half off a 3' pondo, with a little bit more cure out that stuff will run ya clear outta the house


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## turnkey4099 (Nov 18, 2016)

Woos31 said:


> I grew up in eastern Oregon and currently reside in central Oregon, I too prefer the likes of red fir and tamarack (western larch) for firewood. However as those are getting harder to find additional everyone and their 3 dogs likes the same I've turned to pine also as it's abundant. Also as much as I hate the chain Killin stuff, juniper makes for good wood too except for the extra ash it leaves over the other 3 options listed.............it's heat. I just yesterday cut a cord an uh half off a 3' pondo, with a little bit more cure out that stuff will run ya clear outta the house



Yep. Here in eastern Washington even fir and tamarack are hard to come by. It would be a 100 mile or more roundtrip for me dto harvest either. I settled on willow as I can get all I want for free withing 15 miles of my house. Yep, feed the fire more often but idt heats a house. I have long time customers paying me $120/cord for it and they couldn't be happier.

One cannot be a "wood snob" in most areas of N America.


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## Woos31 (Nov 18, 2016)

turnkey4099 said:


> Yep. Here in eastern Washington even fir and tamarack are hard to come by. It would be a 100 mile or more roundtrip for me dto harvest either. I settled on willow as I can get all I want for free withing 15 miles of my house. Yep, feed the fire more often but idt heats a house. I have long time customers paying me $120/cord for it and they couldn't be happier.
> 
> One cannot be a "wood snob" in most areas of N America.


Yes sir that's a fact


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## ChoppyChoppy (Nov 18, 2016)

Woos31 said:


> Yes sir that's a fact



What's a fact?


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## slowp (Nov 18, 2016)

Let's get the species nailed down. Too many generic (local) names are being used and to a newcomer that can be confusing. Red Fir= Douglas fir. This time of year it will have pointy buds on the ends of the needles. Tamarack= Western Larch. It will most likely have no needles on it this time of year. 
Pine=Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Western White Pine. Your burning preference would be Western Larch, Douglas fir, Lodgepole Pine and the other two. 

Once again, talk to the LOCAL people. Towns have hardwoods, the woods do not. Ooops, Quaking Aspen might exist in places.


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## Woos31 (Nov 18, 2016)

ValleyFirewood said:


> What's a fact?


The fella mentioned he cuts willow for firewood because it's such a drive to get fir or tamarack, that it's not best but heats his house. My comment was regarding the fact it will produce heat in the home


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## ChoppyChoppy (Nov 18, 2016)

Woos31 said:


> The fella mentioned he cuts willow for firewood because it's such a drive to get fir or tamarack, that it's not best but heats his house. My comment was regarding the fact it will produce heat in the home



I don't see any posts talking about willow. We have willow here (even a town named willow). I've never burned it, usually is just "pecker brush", maybe 2-3" at the base.


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## turnkey4099 (Nov 18, 2016)

ValleyFirewood said:


> I don't see any posts talking about willow. We have willow here (even a town named willow). I've never burned it, usually is just "pecker brush", maybe 2-3" at the base.



See post #6

I heated my house for over 30 years with it. Occasionally lucked in to a real hardwood via tree removal in town. At a 'cost per btu' in this area, willow won hands down. Would I bother with it if better were available at the same cost/btu? No!


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## Woos31 (Nov 18, 2016)

ValleyFirewood said:


> I don't see any posts talking about willow. We have willow here (even a town named willow). I've never burned it, usually is just "pecker brush", maybe 2-3" at the base.


I really bad want to tourer-ize your country! It's very powerful and willow is on my list. We have mostly the small willow brush in my area too but once in awhile bump into a larger weeping willow tree


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## crotchclimber (Nov 18, 2016)

You're going to have to get hardwood from urban sources or farmers who have it planted for windbreaks, etc. Siberian elm, locust, cottonwood, poplars, willow are probably the most common. I know Russian olive is common in southern Idaho along rivers and ditch banks. If you find some on public land the managing agency should be happy to give you permission to cut it since it's an invasive species. It's one of my favorites for firewood (other than the cutting down the nasty tree part) since it's easy to split and high in btus like elm. Might try to get access from ditch companies and/or farmers. Calling urban tree services to see what they have is a good option.


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## Old grizzly 708 (Nov 18, 2016)

Old grizzly 708 said:


> *Since moving to north Idaho I have only seen various pine trees.
> I am wanting to know if there is any areas where there are any places in state/national forests you can find hardwood ?
> 
> Thanks ,
> Bill*


I guess I will burn what ever I find in the area.
Thanks for the input everyone .


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## crotchclimber (Nov 18, 2016)

ValleyFirewood said:


> I don't see any posts talking about willow. We have willow here (even a town named willow). I've never burned it, usually is just "pecker brush", maybe 2-3" at the base.


The alpine willow in Colorado is like that but down here in the valleys/plains there are big trees. There's one by my house on a ditch bank that is 8 feet at the base.


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## turnkey4099 (Nov 19, 2016)

crotchclimber said:


> The alpine willow in Colorado is like that but down here in the valleys/plains there are big trees. There's one by my house on a ditch bank that is 8 feet at the base.



Dunno what the common species here is but most I cut are in the 30-36" DBH range. I have done a few that were over 4'
At 81 I no longer like handling big rounds but really enjoy cutting them. Used to split them with wedge/sledge but anymore I noodle them.


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## Old grizzly 708 (Nov 19, 2016)

turnkey4099 said:


> Dunno what the common species here is but most I cut are in the 30-36" DBH range. I have done a few that were over 4'
> At 81 I no longer like handling big rounds but really enjoy cutting them. Used to split them with wedge/sledge but anymore I noodle them.


We had both black and weeping willow back in Michigan . one of blacks and the lady across from us had a black fall and took a huge maple with it. It took about 5 days to get it all cut and stacked. we used the willow as "day wood ". We lived within the Hiawatha national forest and had the fuel wood permits. I would cut as many 8-10" standing maple to use in the wood stove .


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## Hddnis (Jun 14, 2017)

Wondering what Bill (the OP) worked out for firewood?


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