"Shelf Life" of Standing Dead Trees by Species

[Boot Jack]

I have a unique situation but my question may be helpful for others: I have approximately 1000 trees that were killed in 2018 by beaver flooding. The mix is Ash (also infected by EAB), Red Maple, and Swamp White Oak.

I am hoping to harvest firewood for my home from this area for as many years as possible. I wondered which species I should harvest first. My sense is the dead standing Ash has the shortest "shelf life" and should be my priority. It also has a higher BTU than the Maple. The Red Maple though a lower BTU should have a longer standing shelf life. The Oak, is very branchy (work intensive), higher BTU, and my guess the longest shelf life. There is likely no way I'll get it all before rot makes it unuseable.

Any opinions based on experience?

 

[Trapper_Pete]

I cut almost entirely dead , dying or storm damaged trees there never really seems to be any shortage of them.

I would just work as efficiently as I could start at a place easy to access and take all the easy to get trees all 3 species burn well when dry

rather than trying to get one species out first

they get dangerous to cut before they stop being good firewood.

 

[cantoo]

I mainly cut ash and we are getting in a bad spot with ash borer damage. Right now I'm dropping trees and at the top when it gets to 6 to 8" diameter they are flying apart when they hit the ground. I think this means that the ash should likely be removed first. Ash will also be ready to burn faster than the other two. Cut it down get it onto bunks so it's up off the ground and you will have chance of getting something out of it. I had a surplus of logs last year so I sold 5 or 6 loads just to make a few dollars off it. I'm trying to cut it as fast as I can because 20% of the tree is shattering and is unusable when it hits the ground.

 

[NSMaple1]

What about hiring someone to get them all down and into piles of logs, all at once? 1000 trees is a lot, they will deteriorate in place a lot faster than you'd ever get them cut. Then you could sell what you don't want.

 

[Woody912]

I have a unique situation but my question may be helpful for others: I have approximately 1000 trees that were killed in 2018 by beaver flooding. The mix is Ash (also infected by EAB), Red Maple, and Swamp White Oak.

I am hoping to harvest firewood for my home from this area for as many years as possible. I wondered which species I should harvest first. My sense is the dead standing Ash has the shortest "shelf life" and should be my priority. It also has a higher BTU than the Maple. The Red Maple though a lower BTU should have a longer standing shelf life. The Oak, is very branchy (work intensive), higher BTU, and my guess the longest shelf life. There is likely no way I'll get it all before rot makes it unuseable.

Any opinions based on experience?

I would think red maple would go bad first, white oaks last a lot longer than red oaks around here. Standing ash lasts a long time around here

 

[Streblerm]

Standing dead or even after they fall as long as the logs aren’t laying horizontally in direct contact with the ground then they should last for many many years. If you wait long enough Mother Nature will take care of a lot of the limbing for you.

 

[NSMaple1]

I hate felling standing dead trees. There are always dead limbs up there just waiting to fall on you.

Or the top is ready to break off & fall on you.

 

[Oldmaple]

Red Maple will deteriorate the fastest but has the lowest btus to start with. Ash tend to rot off at the base rather than breaking off in chunks from above. In all species I would emphasize what NSMaple1 said. Dead branches breaking off and heading for your noggin, both straight gravity and rebounds.

 

[woodhounder]

I would take the best stuff first, because you'll never get it all.

 

[Woody912]

I would take the best stuff first, because you'll never get it all.

Best and easiest. I sometimes go for the one with the most challenge but I don't recommend it.

 

[Marley5]

1000 trees is quite the inventory.

Getting it cut up and under roof will give it infinite shelf life.
I'd consider one of those affordable sheds, as big as possible and keep cutting......yes, easy stuff first.

 

[panolo]

Cut 'em down and stack them off the ground if you have the equip and space. I store mine in 8 lengths and rows with a couple junkers as runners so they are off the ground.

 

[Woody912]

Is any of this stuff big enough to be merchantable timber and is it still in good enough shape? 1,000 trees can represent a significant amount of stumpage $$

 

[bbxlr8]

That is a lot of wood!! If they are for your use only, I like to leave them up in "waiting" but have nowhere near that many standing dead. Remember to use ALL PPE - the threat from falling branches is real...

My order would be maple, ash, oak. Personally, I love standing ash as they are very dry. W/ Maple & oak your mileage may vary, but I have had some long-standing oak that was down to burnable moisture % w/minimum drying time.

I have many downed that I can't get to as well. If they are off the surface they last a lot longer. Yours is a great problem to have.

 

[cantoo]

I decided to cut the smaller ash first thinking that they would be the most time consuming and being the smallest they would likely fall over first. It seems to be holding true and soon in one section there will only be 20" plus stuff left and I expect I can make great time dropping them and getting them home and piled up. If yours are big trees I would look for some table slab guys and try to make a few deals if you can. That will be worth more than firewood.

 

[sb47]

The best most solid one will have the bark falling off or already fallen off. Bark traps moisture and gives bugs a nice cozy place to live and thrive.

 

[Boot Jack]

Thanks all. Big response for a first time poster. All species are equally accessible as long as the ice is thick enough for my ATV. I thought about skidding with the wheeler to get it to high ground but didn't have chains and figured it wasn't the greatest for the machine. This is a river flood plain so it is flat. About 1 1/2 foot of standing water when not frozen. I'm afraid I'll be out of business very soon until next winter since the only way to haul from this area is over the ice. I actually had my Kubota out there one year but I was sweat'n bullets the whole time.

So the opinions are split between taking the Ash first of Maple. The BTU issue seems to sway it toward Ash. Seems there is agreement on Oak last even though it wins the BTU argument.

Off topic a little but Woody912 suggested this in his response: Do you you think I need to put down some bunk material to stack the wood on since I have a shed roof with gravel floor with weather exposure on only one side?

 

[Trapper_Pete]

if it is in standing water it will be gone fast , I had though this was killed by beavers but that they had been trapped and the dam busted up as it should have been.

if I were you and I could afford it I would invest in a long cable or winch line and use that kabota off ice and pull out everything you can fall and top to dry ground .

if you can't get close enough with the bota then cut rounds load quad and trailer and better yet get help to make trips while you cut , just getting it to a good loading area

wouldn't even worry about the tops just get all the logs I could out. even better if you can get help


I would put pallets or something down in your wood shed , I have pallets down in my 3 sided shed and can still detect a moisture difference between the top and bottom of the stack the ground is just always giving off moisture here. it all gets burnable but I will be about 3-4% higher on the bottom than the top same wood put in the shed at the same time.

 

[Boot Jack]

Pete, beavers built a dam and flooded acreage. That's what killed the trees. I'll put something down in my shed as you advise. Will try to find an ATV operator (I tried my GF but it didn't work out) on my next attack. Anyhow, good thing I like ducks to. Thanks

 

[Trapper_Pete]

have you trapped the beaver out and broke the dam or do you not want to?