Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[ChoppyChoppy]

You're right svk, quite a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were almost at 120" of snowfall. This winter I don't believe we ever had over 1' at a time on the ground. Just about bare now and spring cuttin' has begun, in MARCH! Almost unheard of up here. Town road crews had plenty of time to cut up fallen tree's and limbs and there are piles of wood along the road everywhere. A scroungers paradise!

Yeah I went sled riding back in Maine feb-March 2015. Was pretty good riding. One spot I walked off the trail to use the bathroom and the 1st step I was up to my armpits with 1 leg pointed down, and the other pinned to my back. Good thing I wasn't alone, I had to get help getting out!

 

[nomad_archer]

what do I think? I don't think I know...

feral hogs are quite dangerous, besides tearing up so much land for just a bug, or grub here and there... i have seen them walking on side of FM road... just taking a stroll... or in tall grasses flying low and slow... 50-60 ft below... seen them on my place, but I don't shoot them for heck of it, too big to move afterwards. but, i will send a round down to play with them... fun to see them scatter. they may be slow eating, but sure and heck can run when hot lead zipping by! i have eaten BBQ'd feral hog, not bad, but I don't care for it. so then, what do I think? better be careful! that is what I think... and one reason when I am out in the woodlots at my ranch walking about... I have my semi-auto .45 in my R hand! ... in my hand! one in chamber, mag full... hollow points, hammer back and action on safety... any need arises, then safety - click, trigger - BANG!

"click - BANG!!"

what no farmer, rancher wants to see... as feral hogs are very destructive to pasture land....
View attachment 492478

I have seen skunks over by me do that to pasture, golf courses and my back yard a time or too.

 

[hardpan]

I have seen skunks over by me do that to pasture, golf courses and my back yard a time or too.

I have skunk holes in my yard almost constantly, about the size of a chicken egg standing on end. I really wish my dogs would look a little closer before the chase. LOL. Not perfect but the best I've found is 1 quart peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, teaspoon of Dawn soap.

 

[hardpan]

what do I think? I don't think I know...

feral hogs are quite dangerous, besides tearing up so much land for just a bug, or grub here and there... i have seen them walking on side of FM road... just taking a stroll... or in tall grasses flying low and slow... 50-60 ft below... seen them on my place, but I don't shoot them for heck of it, too big to move afterwards. but, i will send a round down to play with them... fun to see them scatter. they may be slow eating, but sure and heck can run when hot lead zipping by! i have eaten BBQ'd feral hog, not bad, but I don't care for it. so then, what do I think? better be careful! that is what I think... and one reason when I am out in the woodlots at my ranch walking about... I have my semi-auto .45 in my R hand! ... in my hand! one in chamber, mag full... hollow points, hammer back and action on safety... any need arises, then safety - click, trigger - BANG!

"click - BANG!!"

what no farmer, rancher wants to see... as feral hogs are very destructive to pasture land....
View attachment 492478

You and cantoo are experienced with wild pigs and seem to share the same idea about being "cocked and locked" while in pig territory. I almost always "carry" when in the woods anyway. What interests me the most is illustrated in cantoo's encounter, the pig's instant reaction to the sight of a person was to attack. I don't suppose it matters if the pig's response is learned or instinct. Same result.

 

[svk]

thanks for posting duck eggs pix... and imagine that... right there on the shoreline... great pix! I wonder if u will sneak by from time to time... see when the chicks hatch... and momma duck and her lil brood of ducklings are swimming about? some pix would be nice, a vid link even better.... interesting pix, the next... nice pile, too... I enjoyed seeing the wild duck eggs in their nest foto... some of nature at it's best....

momma duck and her duckling brood...

View attachment 492483

That is a GREAT photo!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I have skunk holes in my yard almost constantly, about the size of a chicken egg standing on end. I really wish my dogs would look a little closer before the chase. LOL. Not perfect but the best I've found is 1 quart peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, teaspoon of Dawn soap.

know just what you mean!! don't ask me how I know...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

You and cantoo are experienced with wild pigs and seem to share the same idea about being "cocked and locked" while in pig territory. I almost always "carry" when in the woods anyway. What interests me the most is illustrated in cantoo's encounter, the pig's instant reaction to the sight of a person was to attack. I don't suppose it matters if the pig's response is learned or instinct. Same result.

as ugly as they are in the head... it would be my thinking that... instinct. doubt they have so many run-ins with people as to learn it... just hope I don't run into one and have to prove my own theories... iukwim!!

 

[Philbert]

I scrounged in some free oak other day... I just packed it in under my arm...

That's what most of my scrounges look like. I don't burn much, or have much vacant storage capacity, but it is hard for me to look the other way when I see something like that.

Philbert

 

[benp]

Well, now that I am back being able to split a little, making some progress, just chipping away at it a little every day or so. That stack is just barely a dent in one of the piles. Bonus pic is wild duck nest.

That's awesome Zog!!!!!

If that duck nest is on your property I would be keeping watch with a rifle to run off any 4 legged predators that might want those.

Every spring/early summer there are a bunch of painted turtles that lay eggs along the driveway. And sure enough there are always a couple that get dug up.

I even put orange cones near them so the neighbor knows to avoid them with the heavy equipment or loaded dump truck and low boy.

 

[zogger]

That's awesome Zog!!!!!

If that duck nest is on your property I would be keeping watch with a rifle to run off any 4 legged predators that might want those.

Every spring/early summer there are a bunch of painted turtles that lay eggs along the driveway. And sure enough there are always a couple that get dug up.

I even put orange cones near them so the neighbor knows to avoid them with the heavy equipment or loaded dump truck and low boy.

Ya, wild. I didn't see them this morning though, maybe I missed them or they hatched out or something ate them. I'll look again tomorrow. Most likely there are quite a few nests all around the lake.

 

[Khntr85]

Well before work I got 2 big loads today using just my ol trusty ms250.... Got some walnut, locust, and Osage.....

 

[benp]

Dang you guys and your hardwood scrounges.

Awesome score @Khntr85!!!!!

 

[cantoo]

Hardpan, these were "farmed" pigs we don't have any here unless they have escaped and they very seldom last more than a few months before someone shoots them. Only predators the "farmed" ones have is coyotes so I would assume as soon as they noticed my son's buddy he just did what was natural and charged. If he was farther away I would bet the boar would have just high tailed it to the fenceline but there was nowhere for his to hide in the middle of the field. Any time I seen them in their field as soon as they seen you they high tailed to the bush.

 

[zogger]

I've worked about ten foot into this pile and some off the top. Trying to cut it in half to get more airflow to the rounds. I have to strip them of bark and punky wood first, stack them for a day, then split and final stack. Slow going, real slow. Getting wheelbarrow loads (working out around 4 loads stacked wood to one load mulch wood..) of what I slice or chip off rotten stuff, all going to muddy areas in the yard.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I've worked about ten foot into this pile and some off the top. Trying to cut it in half to get more airflow to the rounds. I have to strip them of bark and punky wood first, stack them for a day, then split and final stack. Slow going, real slow. Getting wheelbarrow loads (working out around 4 loads stacked wood to one load mulch wood..) of what I slice or chip off rotten stuff, all going to muddy areas in the yard.

that is a lot of punky wood, to be sure. I got into some punky wood today, too. down at bottom of one of my woodpiles... stacked firewood... I thought of you guys today as I reached in to get an armful... putting some of the punky stuff on top... reminded me of the poster who said other day here on the AS... he din't care how punky the wood was at times, since his boiler din't care either... besides I like punky wood... have lil use for it but to burn it, and glad I don't have too much, but it does make for some good smoke trails up... up... up up and away!! in the end I cull it all down to burn or compost.

leaving it outside does take its toll on smaller pces of firewood, even if hard oak to start with... example I can get 4-5 years exposed uncovered at bottom of pile... but covered and raised up with good air circulation... still hard and dry after 25 years! a bit lighter, but still good dry very perfectly useable firewood (oak). lights easily too.

 

[Jere39]

Short run pick up:
My neighbor whose property backs up to my driveway had a large Black Locust taken down a couple years ago by a Tree Service. I guess my neighbor chose the cheap price, and the service just pushed 3-4' blocks to the edge of her lawn. She offered them to me for the removal.
I recently added a small grapple to the front of my JD x728.

Here is a GoPro video of my first retrieve, a high-speed run up my driveway and into the woods where I am currently processing another tree, and a drop.



I went back about 12 times today and finished up the short blocks. There is still a 20' log there, but I didn't want to saw there today without warning them I would be doing it. I think one of them works night shift and was probably asleep there.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Short run pick up:
My neighbor whose property backs up to my driveway had a large Black Locust taken down a couple years ago by a Tree Service. I guess my neighbor chose the cheap price, and the service just pushed 3-4' blocks to the edge of her lawn. She offered them to me for the removal.
I recently added a small grapple to the front of my JD x728.

Here is a GoPro video of my first retrieve, a high-speed run up my driveway and into the woods where I am currently processing another tree, and a drop.



I went back about 12 times today and finished up the short blocks. There is still a 20' log there, but I didn't want to saw there today without warning them I would be doing it. I think one of them works night shift and was probably asleep there.

View attachment 492679

nice lil piece of equipment as evidenced by its shiny new green and that claw! even more impressive, imo... is it has a cat 1, 3-pt in rear... nice! but, imo... the real treat is in the music... nice vid! enjoyed it... especially the surprise concerto! ~

ya'll definitely got a woodcutter's camp there...

 

[JustJeff]

Short run pick up:
My neighbor whose property backs up to my driveway had a large Black Locust taken down a couple years ago by a Tree Service. I guess my neighbor chose the cheap price, and the service just pushed 3-4' blocks to the edge of her lawn. She offered them to me for the removal.
I recently added a small grapple to the front of my JD x728.

Here is a GoPro video of my first retrieve, a high-speed run up my driveway and into the woods where I am currently processing another tree, and a drop.



I went back about 12 times today and finished up the short blocks. There is still a 20' log there, but I didn't want to saw there today without warning them I would be doing it. I think one of them works night shift and was probably asleep there.

View attachment 492679

That thing really hauls the mail. My kubota will only go about 8 mph but when the music started, you had to be doing at least 35-40...maybe I should put a radio on the kubota...... Lol

Nice tractor, like the grapple. Now I want one.

 

[Jere39]

nice lil piece of equipment as evidenced by its shiny new green and that claw! even more impressive, imo... is it has a cat 1, 3-pt in rear... nice! but, imo... the real treat is in the music... nice vid! enjoyed it... especially the surprise concerto! ~

ya'll definitely got a woodcutter's camp there...

Shiny and New are relative terms. Tractor is 6 years and 500 hours old now. Cart is quite a bit older, but the grapple is only about a month old. I'm still training myself to use it. So, my technique is a little sloppy, and yet I'm still exposing myself via video. I like to think this old dog is still able to learn a few tricks.

 

[Khntr85]

Wow jere39 I tell ya I love this site but dammit if I don't see a new toy I "need" everyday..... I have built a nice bit of equipment up over the years, I used to do construction work..... I really want a small tractor like a John Deere/kubota with loader and obviously pto because I need a tiller for my garden.... I have always loved to have a big garden and I till it with the old school front tine tiller..... Way to much work for the tiller and me, just have to much of an area for it.....anyway I am rambling now, one day I will have me a tractor!!!!!!!!kyle