The cost of logging

[pinemartin]

I was contracted to cut up a 20 cord load of logs for a guys fire wood. While cutting and splitting I found these two animals in two separate hollow logs. One is a common fox squirrel and the other is a unknown type of owl. The logs come out of a development site they were clearing in grand rapids Michigan which is a highly populated city. This is not the first time I have found a squirrel in a tree that was being cut up but the owl was a first and a little sad to see. On a good note I contacted the local DNR and they are going to pick up the owl have it stuffed and put it on display in there regional office. I am not against any type of logging or fire wood cutting but in the future when I cut a hollow tree I will be a little more careful cause you never know what is in there.

 

[sILlogger]

i'm not real keen on my owls but i think that is a screech owl.

 

[Ohiowoodguy]

yeah, he probably screamed like a girly as his tree was falling.

 

[STLfirewood]

Where those things on your counter top when the picture was taken? Just wondering GF would kill me if I did that.

Scott

 

[forestryworks]

the landowners i cut snags for, i always tell them: "if i see a snag that shows any sign of it being a wildlife snag, or bird of prey snag, i'm not cutting it."

then i go onto explain a little about what i mean.

they play along.

i even had two squirrels poke their heads out of one snag just as i dogged in... they went nuts and threw nuts at me right on my tin hat.

i thought that was pretty funny - laughed my way to the next tree.

 

[GASoline71]

If you would have called the DNR here they would have shut you down, and had an "inquiry" as to the habitat for the owl.

Then word would have got around, and all the long haired, hippie, birkenstock wearin', tree huggin', bunny lovers would have been there en'masse to protest.

Gary

 

[Jacob J.]

I keep the manure cannon ready for when the hippies come around.

A few years ago I was cutting on an older side and there was a couple of punky downed logs. I feel a greenie on one and it mushed it up pretty good. In the ruins I saw a couple of dark, furry things. Turns out they were chipmunks hibernating. I wrapped them in some gloves and threw them in my lunchbox, brought them home and put them in a duff log behind the house. I don't know if they made it but they were gone come the first of March or so.

 

[yooper]

i'm not real keen on my owls but i think that is a screech owl.

I would have to agree Eastern Screech Owl.......as long as there on the counter skin em both up and make a stew out of em, just add some taters carrots and onions and 2 cans of beer yum yum! ....discard the bones somewhere the DNR wont find them

 

[oldirty]

but in the future when I cut a hollow tree I will be a little more careful cause you never know what is in there.

nothing like cutting the resident of said hollow in half, or seeing said resident come flying out the hole without a tail.

also cleaning squirrel fur and guts out of your saw isnt all that much fun either.

 

[Gologit]

nothing like cutting the resident of said hollow in half, or seeing said resident come flying out the hole without a tail.

also cleaning squirrel fur and guts out of your saw isnt all that much fun either.

We had a guy last year that bucked into a squirrel nest. He came staggering down to the creek and we all thought he'd cut his face off...squirrel blood and guts ALL over the guy.

 

[pinemartin]

Where those things on your counter top when the picture was taken? Just wondering GF would kill me if I did that.

Scott

No, it's all right. That just happened to be the counter that I process deer and clean fish on. Although I did make her clean it when they were moved.

 

[joesawer]

That is a little unusual to have two dead critters in only twenty cords. Most of the critters inside of hollow trees I have cut have faired pretty well as long as they stay inside the hollow. Once they got out is a different story. Skidding seems much harder on them.