Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

I sent my Cousin and email regarding where he got that deer. The 125 acre farm always has some nice ones, but that is not where he hunted ... he worked for this one!

He kayaked into a remote area near Utica and had to go back and get his canoe to get it out!

More power to him!

I’ve always wanted to do something like that. I know an area that used to be a great spot to go but now with the over abundance of wolves, you’re best bet is to hunt farms nearer to civilization.

 

[Chilidawg]

Introduction: I'm Chilidawg and live near the Lake Michigan shoreline in the NW lower peninsula of Michigan. I've read through the first hundred or so pages of this thread and I'm firmly convinced that you folks are like taking a class in firewood gathering. I'm on around 3.5 acres, most of which is wooded with ash, maple, cottonwood and a few oak. Some white pine, too.

I have a buddy about 5 miles away that has been teaching me the fine art of wood scrounging but truthfully it never sounded like a whole lot of fun at first. Now, I have 2 saws, double-bitted axe, and a Truper splitting maul.

Being retired, I probably won't be around long enough to match your average experience but the increased activity may just keep me vertical a little while longer.

Thanks again and keep educating this newbie

 

[MustangMike]

Welcome to this thread! Lots of good friendly folks on here with knowledge in many areas.

Most of us did not know much when we first came on here, but folks from across the nation and around the world will provide good advice on a wide range of subjects.

Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Chilidawg]

Thanks for the welcome. In previous years, we've purchased firewood, but finding it this year at a reasonable price has been difficult. Burning wood saves about a third on our winter utility bills and with downed trees on my property and nearby, it just makes sense to salvage the burnable stuff. Now after buying a new MS-291 I just have to convince myself I'm actually saving money. Daughter tells me I'm just practicing good forestry management.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

OK guys, this is what I started with,

And this is what I ended up with,

With the exception of two white pine logs on the load, the cherry tally is 324.3 bd ft...

All the pine that was with it in this second load,

has been milled and is gone too.

SR

 

[djg james]

Thanks for the welcome. In previous years, we've purchased firewood, but finding it this year at a reasonable price has been difficult. Burning wood saves about a third on our winter utility bills and with downed trees on my property and nearby, it just makes sense to salvage the burnable stuff. Now after buying a new MS-291 I just have to convince myself I'm actually saving money. Daughter tells me I'm just practicing good forestry management.

Welcome. I'm just a homeowner too and was kind of drawn in. Being retired, just tell your daughter that you're getting exercise that will lend you to being around a long time. But I would get a log splitter. Just a basic model. Splitting by hand will kill you (lol). And as far as cottonwood, leave it standing. Hard to split and dry. Just my opinion.

 

[H-Ranch]

I'm Chilidawg and live near the Lake Michigan shoreline in the NW lower peninsula of Michigan. I've read through the first hundred or so pages of this thread and I'm firmly convinced that you folks are like taking a class in firewood gathering.

Welcome to the thread. If you're planning to read it all, I hope you have a lot of time on your hands. Maybe you can get @Cowboy254 to give you a summary to date - when the thread was a lot shorter he read it all before posting. LOL. Oh, by the way, there may a few posts that are not related to scrounging firewood. But if you pay attention you will see everything from hand tools to the biggest equipment making firewood too. Post your methods and we like pics.

 

[djg james]

OK guys, this is what I started with,

And this is what I ended up with,

With the exception of two white pine logs on the load, the cherry tally is 324.3 bd ft...

All the pine that was with it in this second load,

has been milled and is gone too.

SR

If I had run across that Cherry, I'd had cut it into firewood for smoking wood, which I can sell. I don't have an outlet for lumber like you. I will keep A1 logs of Cherry to mill for my own use. Good save.

 

[Chilidawg]

Welcome to the thread. If you're planning to read it all, I hope you have a lot of time on your hands. Maybe you can get @Cowboy254 to give you a summary to date - when the thread was a lot shorter he read it all before posting. LOL. Oh, by the way, there may a few posts that are not related to scrounging firewood. But if you pay attention you will see everything from hand tools to the biggest equipment making firewood too. Post your methods and we like pics.

Every forum I've been involved with has threads that meander all over the subject matter. No worries. Deer hunting? No problem. Fishing? Cabin building? Fine by me. It's all part of my education

 

[MustangMike]

Every forum I've been involved with has threads that meander all over the subject matter. No worries. Deer hunting? No problem. Fishing? Cabin building? Fine by me. It's all part of my education

You will fit right in! I consider the Fiskar X-27 invaluable for firewood splitting, especially for straight grained Ash, Cherry and Oak.

However, I did get a hydraulic splitter after I developed tennis elbow from splitting to much by hand. I provide firewood to my daughter and a few others and process about 20 cord/year.

Even if you use a hydraulic splitter, the X-27 is great for finishing off stringy pieces.

Just always be careful. I won't split w/o long paints and boots on, and always make sure the splitting axe will go in the chopping block or between your legs.

 

[chipper1]

Every forum I've been involved with has threads that meander all over the subject matter. No worries. Deer hunting? No problem. Fishing? Cabin building? Fine by me. It's all part of my education

Welcome from Michigan sir.
Just have to ask, what's the story behind the username lol.

 

[Chilidawg]

Welcome from Michigan sir.
Just have to ask, what's the story behind the username lol.

Nothing really special, I just like chili dogs. BTW, I'm located near the base of the pinky finger of your hand.

 

[chipper1]

Nothing really special, I just like chili dogs. BTW, I'm located near the base of the pinky finger of your hand.

Funny.
I don't know Michigan like the back of my hand lol. I'm just east of GR.

 

[Chilidawg]

I'm about an hour SW of Traverse City

 

[chipper1]

I'm about an hour SW of Traverse City

I did some work on the north side of silver lake Beach this spring.

 

[JimR]

View attachment 1031288

Probably the only one I will get this year. I usually try to take 2 per season but, I just found out I have Kidney cancer and will be having surgery in a few weeks. I have 4 more similar size deer coming to my feeder, not counting the does. I also found out my firewood scrounger makes a great deer hauler.

Good luck with the surgery.

Doc says I will be in and out same day and wont need any chemo. I started passing blood about 6 months ago. Local doc blamed it on kidney stones. Which the CT scan did show a large stone. Any ways, I kept having back pain and everytime I mowed the grass or did any lifting, I would start peeing blood again. I passed a stone which hurt so bad it had me puking. I went back and told the doc about it and again got the normal, that happens with kidney stones. A couple weeks later I was peeing blood again and so I called the doc and said, Look we got to do something, so they set up the CTscan. Next day they called and told me they wanted to do another ct scan with contrast. Thats when they make you drink the dye before the scan. Next day they call and told me to go to a urologist. He looked at the scan and sent me straight to another doctor, which I seen today. Right now he says I have a mass on the side of my kidney, but he can do robotic surgery and remove it. He also said I had another kidney stone that was to large to pass. Plan is to put in a stint and remove the stone and do the surgery at the same time. He sees no reason he cant get the entire mass in one operation. Operate in the morning and have me home the same day. I have already told the wife to pick up a bag of depends and pee pads. I have had a stint in before and as long as you have the stint, you cant control your bladder.

All the best with your procedure. Those Golden Years really suck.

 

[MustangMike]

My Grandmother, who lived to 98, always told me "These are not the golden years".

But my Mom, who lived to be 92, had a sign on her table that said "Don't complain about getting old ... Not everyone gets the opportunity".

Ironically, I think they were both right!

 

[chipper1]

My Grandmother, who lived to 98, always told me "These are not the golden years".

But my Mom, who lived to be 92, had a sign on her table that said "Don't complain about getting old ... Not everyone gets the opportunity".

Ironically, I think they were both right!

That's a good way to look at it.
I liked when I was turning 50 and people said your almost over the hill, I'd let them know I figured I had already went over the hill long before, I never figured I'd see 100 .

 

[Brufab]

What county? I may be due east as I am in ogemaw county now

 

[Squareground3691]

That's a good way to look at it.
I liked when I was turning 50 and people said your almost over the hill, I'd let them know I figured I had already went over the hill long before, I never figured I'd see 100 .

I’m a big believer in taking care of ur body and ur body will take care of you , age is just a number to me .