Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

Clint, looks a lot like my Catskill property, 2 mi in on a 4WD road overlooking the Cannonsville Reservoir.

Those are nice views, I never tire of them either, they change each season and each year. I built a 12' lifeguard style stand on top of a 6' rock to see it better. A Tornado took down all the big trees which also improved the view (but I lost a lot of timber).

That is MechanicMatt & his oldest daughter back in 2010. The Cannonsville Reservoir and Rte 10 are down below.

 

[svk]

Clint, looks a lot like my Catskill property, 2 mi in on a 4WD road overlooking the Cannonsville Reservoir.

Those are nice views, I never tire of them either, they change each season and each year. I built a 12' lifeguard style stand on top of a 6' rock to see it better. A Tornado took down all the big trees which also improved the view (but I lost a lot of timber).

That is MechanicMatt & his oldest daughter back in 2010. The Cannonsville Reservoir and Rte 10 are down below.

Beautiful view. We lived in Albany for a while and I loved the Catskills, Adirondack's, or heading into Vermont whenever we could.

 

[pricey106]

You guys are talking New York area....I used to work on all the Lowes stores up that way. I was there almost every week, someplace different all the time. Beautiful country it is. And I always had a good view from the roof being as I worked on the HVAC systems.
Today I picked up a tree I was eyeing for a week...about 3/4 a load of 10 to 15 inch black locust. should be about 100 piecesof good wood for the fire. In the pic its the top 10 logs to the right.

 

[Philbert]

Anybody found some surprise, like poison ivy on/in scrounged wood?

Philbert

 

[BillNole]

Anybody found some surprise, like poison ivy on/in scrounged wood?

Philbert

Sure have, but since I'm not overly sensitive to it, I haven't had too much trouble with it. Worse than that though was the yellow jackets that decided to wake up after my son and I'd loaded up a bunch of rounds into my suburban, one of which contained a small nest. I'm not allergic to them, but dadgum they hurt when they're pissed off! Not as bad as wasps or hornets, but they still hurt plenty enough for me to smoke the tires stopping and strip to my undies on the side of the road to be sure I got 'em all out!

 

[mainewoods]

That is a very good point to bring up. Scroungers can be subjected to any number of issues with the wood they find. Poison ivy, hornets nests, snakes in the wood pile, and insects, to name a few, can ruin a good scrounge quickly. Hurrying to load the wood you found is a natural tendency, when scrounging firewood. Pays to take a few minutes and look that wood over first.

 

[mainewoods]

Today I picked up a tree I was eyeing for a week...about 3/4 a load of 10 to 15 inch black locust. should be about 100 piecesof good wood for the fire. In the pic its the top 10 logs to the right.View attachment 349356

Nice score on the black locust. Excellent high BTU firewood.

 

[Philbert]

Pays to take a few minutes and look that wood over first.

I have seen some standing and fallen trees covered with poison ivy. I started thinking about that when I saw some of the 'scores that' were posted, and wondered if there might be a reason why some of the wood was left there.

Philbert

 

[MustangMike]

Around here, I am more worried about the ticks, but you can't stay inside worrying about them. They have diseases that can kill you, and worse! They have a new disease that is sometimes fatal that the doctors have no treatment for. Furthermore, some people that have "undetected" Lyme disease have horrible complications. Many times you will pull 2 or 3 ticks off the dog after you go for a walk or hike. You just have to live with it.

I try to cut poison ivy when it is not sappy, you are less likely to contract it, and if you know you have been in contact, wash the area as soon as possible. When I see those hairy vines, I try to spray the chips away from me (cut with the top of the bar). Wear gloves & sleeves, wash soon afterward, and it will likely be mild if you get it.

Luckily, at my upstate property, we don't encounter deer ticks (dog ticks don't carry Lyme).

 

[nomad_archer]

Anybody found some surprise, like poison ivy on/in scrounged wood?

Philbert

Ohhh yea I have twice this year but I aways get it. I removed a big cherry from my back yard that was absolutely entangled with poison ivy vines. 3 trailer loads of vines I had to haul to the back of the yard and lots that needed cut off the rounds. I got mild PI as I shower with fels-naptha soap after I am out cutting or anytime I am possibly exposed and I rarely get the PI anymore.

Yesterday I found a box turtle under a top I was about to cut up. Moved the little guy under a different piece of cover and continued on.

 

[BillNole]

Around here, I am more worried about the ticks, but you can't stay inside worrying about them. They have diseases that can kill you, and worse! They have a new disease that is sometimes fatal that the doctors have no treatment for. Furthermore, some people that have "undetected" Lyme disease have horrible complications. Many times you will pull 2 or 3 ticks off the dog after you go for a walk or hike. You just have to live with it.

...

Luckily, at my upstate property, we don't encounter deer ticks (dog ticks don't carry Lyme).

I haven't figured out why we seem to have so many more ticks now than in years past. Or does it just seem like it? I live in Northern IL now, but grew up in FL and hardly ever even saw a tick as a kid, in spite of being a wild child that basically lived in the bush all day and plenty of nights!

We went out on a community clean up a couple of weekends ago and in spite of being careful not to wonder off into the tall grass or brush, I still found a couple of deer ticks on me while driving home and my wife picked one off herself an hour after we got home as we were at the neighbors enjoying some nice conversation. We can very rarely ever visit any of our county parks or a local state park without finding ticks on ourselves. Funny thing is that we find more on ourselves than the dogs, even with them crawling into and through every sighted tree, bush, brush pile, or clump of grass.

We were hoping that after this Winter, the popluation would be diminished, but it seems to be just the opposite! Tough little buggers!

 

[PA Dan]

I made myself a promise a few years ago when I found out how easy it is to find free wood. Ya, it take a lot of work, but it sure is fun I think. The promise was that I will never buy firewood. Here is a few pics of what I got from one property in one day. And a pic of my 2003 Chevy trailblazer loaded with logs. Not even crouching.View attachment 349136View attachment 349139 View attachment 349142

I made the same promise three years ago when I first put my wood burner in. Three years later im at least three years ahead!

 

[peterc38]

Anybody found some surprise, like poison ivy on/in scrounged wood?

Philbert

Yep, last year I got a huge Score of Ash. A lot of it was 20-25" diameter stuff that had poison oak on it. I hacked it all off but me and my son both got slight reactions from it.

 

[stihly dan]

I was sent to do a furnace install this week and as I drove up the driveway, I realized that I had been there before. A few years ago I Got a few cords of oak logs all limbed and sitting beside the driveway. It was a great score. Well they remembered me, said they called me paul bunyon when they talked about it to there friends. They liked how quickly I removed the wood. So this time they asked me if I cut trees too, If I did, there where about 30-50 oaks in the back and 30-50 oak and beech in the front I could have if I wanted. Time is not an issue, I can nibble for the next year or so, as they are in no hurry. Most are 18-30 diam. I think my scrounging days are over, or on pause for 10 yrs or so.

 

[BillNole]

I haven't figured out why we seem to have so many more ticks now than in years past. Or does it just seem like it? I live in Northern IL now, but grew up in FL and hardly ever even saw a tick as a kid, in spite of being a wild child that basically lived in the bush all day and plenty of nights!
...
We were hoping that after this Winter, the popluation would be diminished, but it seems to be just the opposite! Tough little buggers!

OK... So what the @#$ is going on?!?!

I was just called to the kitchen by my daughter. While she was working on dinner, she noticed what she thought was a pebble on the kitchen floor, except that it had legs and was moving!

This is what I found... (I tried, but wasn't able to figure out how to add the picture.. It's a fully engorged tick that's about 3/8" long!) This fat little bugger has been feeding on somebody already and it's not likely one of us. Must have hitched a ride on somebody to get inside.

I'd move farther North if I though it might help get away from these guys. I'm beginning to think they're after ME!!! lol

 

[dancan]

I scored this and hoped it might pull a stick or two but nope , no pull power

I also scored one of these last year , if I unbolt the tiller and set the tiller drive up with quick connects .......

So I loaded it in the UTV

Even had room to throw a cut up scrounged pallet in there

 

[dancan]

I was sent... for 10 yrs or so.

tldr you suck

 

[mainewoods]

I like that tiller. I have a TroyBilt Horse and they have a lot of low torque power. I would imagine that Barreto has even more, especially if it has the variable ground speed control. Hydraulic tillers are very sweet.

 

[MustangMike]

I have the Troy Built Pony, not as strong as the Horse, but I have done my garden with it for ..... I'm not sure .... 30+ years? I built this house in 1987, and I had it at my previous house.

In NY, the dangerous ticks disappear as you go further North. I grew up 25 miles from here, and never remember one as a kid, and we often had a dog and all of us kids played in the woods, built tree forts, etc. Don't know why the ticks invaded, and the Grouse down here have all but disappeared (still got plenty of them upstate).

 

[zogger]

OK... So what the @#$ is going on?!?!

I was just called to the kitchen by my daughter. While she was working on dinner, she noticed what she thought was a pebble on the kitchen floor, except that it had legs and was moving!

This is what I found... (I tried, but wasn't able to figure out how to add the picture.. It's a fully engorged tick that's about 3/8" long!) This fat little bugger has been feeding on somebody already and it's not likely one of us. Must have hitched a ride on somebody to get inside.

I'd move farther North if I though it might help get away from these guys. I'm beginning to think they're after ME!!! lol

It's been gradual over the years, but..I think there are much less birds then 20-40 years ago. Less birds eating ticks. Also less amphibians.