Anyone cutting firewood/
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Eddie cutting up a tree.
Eddie cutting up a tree.
A tree had fallen across one of my woods roads. I was going to get my chainsaw but a logger friend was going by and I got him to cut the log in firewood lengths. Now I can get my front end loader and take it to the house. I will then be able to drive my gator through the road.
I just finish putting the last of it away for this winter, I have a dozen or so logs on the ground to cut up and split next year.
That tree was a maple that blew down. Eddie has hauled several loads of 80,000 pounds of oak that have blown down. There is more when it dries out enough to get in the swampy areas. There is some kind of blight getting in the red oaks so I am going to have him cut them too.
As a matter of fact..............:-)
A wateroak fell across the paved road last weekend. Grabbed the saw to clear the road for traffic. Could hardly move around, there was so many acorns. Was like walking on marbles. :-)
Went ahead an cut it up as to prep for splitting. Loaded it on the trailer and hauled to covered area of my splitter. Split and stacked. Started splitting the stack I already had cut to length through the summer, too. Have close to two chords split and stacked. Probably another chord waiting for splitting. Should finish up by Halloween.
The good news is that acorn crop looks healthy and plentiful. :-)
Working firewood heats you up a few times before it's ever lit.
The bad news is that heat often comes at the hottest times of the year. ;-)
Splitting is a lot easier in the Winter when the wood is frozen. I have two splitting mauls and bunches of felling wedges and splitting wedges. I don't burn firewood for house heat anymore but still use some for bonfire wood. You can split red oak with an axe and don't even need a maul. I once had a bunch of gum trees but a friend let me use his gasoline powered splitter for that.
I do most of my splitting after it gets colder. I have a bunch cut and ready for the machine when I get a few hours.
Plan on selling 20 huge white oak for timber and veneer logs. Also 2 great walnut veneer logs. Add those tops to all the ash that died and I will have a bunch of firewood to cut. Hope my son in laws are up to it, I'm not allowed because of health problems, too old I guess.
I like to cut what I can in March. Easier before things green up. Then let it dry, covered. Then split during rainy days of summer. Splitting is easier with dry wood. Then have everything done by Halloween.
After that, it's all hunting until the end of February. :-)
I got all my cutting for the year out of the way already. I have my woodshed filled. I burn about 4-5 cord a year. I haven't burned any oil in several years.... Something about enriching the Saudis that I am opposed to. I would rather take wood off of my property. I have about 10 big, 24"-28" dia trees already dropped for next years firewood. I get out there cutting them when it's frozen and if the snow isn't too deep, can get them out through the frozen areas, whereas in the Spring/Summer, the ground is swampy.
I have plenty of wood split already for this winter. I will start cutting for next winter after most of my bowhunting is finished.
Used to cut firewood to sell when I was younger. Made a lot of payments on the 10 acres of timber I own by selling firewood. Even picked up the nickname "Firewood" and people still call me that.
I prefer to cut and split when it is cold. Would rather work to stay warm, then sweat.
Archery season ends here in Missouri on Jan 15. We start cutting Jan 16. We had cut and split 5 cords, and stacked it in the lean to by the end of Feb. That will get us thru the winter, and then we do it all over again. Although this year is will be easier, as I retire Dec 31.
Greg, when you retire you will wonder how you ever had time to work.
"when you retire you will wonder how you ever had time to work."
Hope so. :-)
I usually split my alder.maple and fir with a splitting ax, this year I am fighting some shoulder issues and rented a gas splitter, sweet!
I have next years wood split and curing, out here it takes a couple years.
I can go to where I had logging done and find plenty of dry wood. That would have been great when I used to use a wood stove in the house. Back then the kids helped me haul and stack the wood. I always kept a year ahead. My daughter has at least two years of split and dry wood . Her husband always keeps a year ahead.
If any of you ever watch the Alaska series it has to be driven by the film makers. They are always running out of firewood. You would think to survive in that kind of cold firewood would be a major project. But no, they run out and it is a matter of life or death to get more and of course it is way below zero and snowing. The hunters are the world's worst shots too. Those native women do know how to handle field dressing stuff though.
Firewood cutting is reserved for the dead of winter...that awful time between the end of hunting and the beginning of open water fishing.
