Confronted by landowner today while cutting

[c5rulz]

Today I was out cutting and the landowner came out and confronted me. He asked why I was working on the pile of black walnut I was cutting. He then told me to drive through his yard because there were a whole bunch of black walnut logs that were much easier and bigger across the ditch. I was unaware it was there.

He also said the drive lane I was on has a low wet spot that is muddy. He has a contractor coming in to fix the grade and haul in some breaker rock.

This 120 acre parcel will get logged this Winter once it freezes, the loggers who started this are friends of mine. They cut the walnut last fall when prices were up.

Walnut isn't my choice to cut but it's what I have right now. 6 loads down, 24 more to go.

 

[Deleted member 135597]

 

[c5rulz]

I knew that was coming. Only got pics of load #1 that had some oak sprinkled in.

Long ways to go.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

When you said load I thought you meant log truck load, not one log worth of wood!

 

[Marshy]

I can't believe the land owner is letting g you cut black walnut logs for firewood. If they were tops then I could understand. Is there no value in the logs?

 

[c5rulz]

When you said load I thought you meant log truck load, not one log worth of wood!

There is not a lot, about 10 full cord of the log cut offs left. I've already hauled about 5 cord. But for a dottering little old retired guy, it will keep me busy until the real logging starts once the ground freezes.

I talked to my logger buddies today and they estimate 3 weeks for this job, and that is long time for them to be on one site.

FWIW, the low spot was fixed today and rock was hauled in and the muddy spot is gone.

Last: the landowner was right, there are a bunch of logs laying right in the weeds 6' from where it is mowed.

 

[c5rulz]

I can't believe the land owner is letting g you cut black walnut logs for firewood. If they were tops then I could understand. Is there no value in the logs?

This is the refuse of logging, log cut offs that do not have commercial value. Logging operations generate a lot of wood that is just pushed off in the woods since it doesn't make grade. I cut some tops as a last resort. Around here with the very steep terrain it is difficult to access tops unless one has a pretty good sized tractor with a 3 point logging winch. Log cut offs generate a lot of wood in a hurry with a minimum of cutting since it is often 20 - 30" diameter.

 

[Marshy]

This is the refuse of logging, log cut offs that do not have commercial value. Logging operations generate a lot of wood that is just pushed off in the woods since it doesn't make grade. I cut some tops as a last resort. Around here with the very steep terrain it is difficult to access tops unless one has a pretty good sized tractor with a 3 point logging winch. Log cut offs generate a lot of wood in a hurry with a minimum of cutting since it is often 20 - 30" diameter.

The east coast guys typically take it for firewood but I know what you mean by refuse. I know one outfit that are two brothers. One brother does just saw grade logs and the other does firewood. They run independent businesses but the firewood brother always comes behind the other brother cutting the logs. Guys I've worked for in the past would take the timber first then the firewood second.

 

[c5rulz]

The east coast guys typically take it for firewood but I know what you mean by refuse. I know one outfit that are two brothers. One brother does just saw grade logs and the other does firewood. They run independent businesses but the firewood brother always comes behind the other brother cutting the logs. Guys I've worked for in the past would take the timber first then the firewood second.

My logger buddies do NOTHING with firewood, it is a nuisance and the log cut off get in the way on the landing. When I first met them I attempted to give them $100 to pull some tops down when they were done but would have nothing of it. It wasn't worth the time and they are all production.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

We don't normally waste anything on our sites. If it's not saw log quality, it's firewood.

The only thing we leave behind are stumps, branches and completely rotten logs... and of course baby trees/seed trees.

The last job we did leave behind about 1/2 a load of poplar, it got too muddy before we could haul it out/wasn't worth the fuel. Had a guy come by and ask, he took it all for firewood, and tried to give money. In the end he brought us a big box of gloves, probably 50 pairs of nice leather ones and another 75 pairs of cloth ones.

 

[c5rulz]

Good point and good conservation on your jobs Valley Firewood.

The amount of waste in logging operations around here is appalling. However that is also why I have had very little problems getting access as I am cleaning things up.

 

[Deleted member 116684]

the only walnut I've ever burned was some scraps of flooring left over from a border I installed. How does it burn?

 

[muddstopper]

Loggers around here leave a ton of wood behind also. what they usually do is cut and skid the entire tree to the landing and run it thru a delimber, buck to logs and load/ The limbs get pushed to the side and is usually a very tangled mess to try and scrounge from. Things are changing slowly but surely. Some of the larger outfits, (the smaller outfits are going out of business), are buying chippers and chipping the brush. Seems some of the power companies are mixing those chips with coal to burn in their power plants. It seems the chip market isnt quite there yet so they chip what they can sell and leave the rest.

 

[Dogsout]

the only walnut I've ever burned was some scraps of flooring left over from a border I installed. How does it burn?

I have burned a fair amount of Walnut in my OWB and when dried it burns fine. In my opinion it does not burn very hot and it leaves a ton of ash. I know, I know, burn a snowball and all of that crap but the people that have access to better wood would probably pass over it and go for the better stuff.

 

[c5rulz]

I have burned a fair amount of Walnut in my OWB and when dried it burns fine. In my opinion it does not burn very hot and it leaves a ton of ash. I know, I know, burn a snowball and all of that crap but the people that have access to better wood would probably pass over it and go for the better stuff.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly. My logger friends are doing a different parcel right now, and I am cutting oak/hickory there, got 3 loads in the last 2 days. They are loading my trailer with a forwarder.

 

[Deleted member 116684]

I have burned a fair amount of Walnut in my OWB and when dried it burns fine. In my opinion it does not burn very hot and it leaves a ton of ash. I know, I know, burn a snowball and all of that crap but the people that have access to better wood would probably pass over it and go for the better stuff.

I burn oak mostly oak because there's so much of it around here. Cherry and hickory as well. The only walnut trees I see are people growing them in their yard for a few walnuts. But I'd take it for free!

 

[Full Chisel]

I'd take walnut any day. It splits easily and dries much quicker than oak. Don't get the long burn times and heavy coaling like oak but it's great shoulder wood. I started the first fire of the season last night and it was walnut and red oak mixed. Woke up to a 76* house!

 

[Gypo Logger]

Was wondering if you could make some blanks out of the crotch wood for rifle stocks?

 

[tnichols]

Rifles are supposed to have wood stocks...?

 

[c5rulz]

Was wondering if you could make some blanks out of the crotch wood for rifle stocks?

Well the thing is I just don't have the equipment to handle and saw logs. 16" rounds are easy to handle, longer logs not so much.