Sacrificed a hickory this morning

sherwood, we must be close, tons of sugar and rock maple, hickory and beech and butternut I try to keep for variety.

 

Yeah, that's under rated. Most charts list shagbark hickory at 27.9 to 29 mbtu per cord. Whatever the chart, sugar maple is always 2-3 mbtu less than the shag.

Regardless of which chart you use, about the only wood with more BTUs is Osage orange. But there's none of that anywhere in my state.

 

Yes, Canadian Border VT, sugar-beech-hickory is the climax hardwood forest in this region. Bet you have some nice old trees on your land.

 

sadly no, had a tornado 8 or 9 years back a little one but went right gown middle of my lot. lots on the edges. but tree weakened by ice storm you must remember. too many widow makers.. trees will re grow kids are not replaceable so loggers came in. on plus side lots of firewood so I put in a wood stove and great trails (loggers did a great job cleaning up) for go carts 4 wheelers and snowmobiles. and berry picking is phenomenal. .

 

Yes, the raspberries will come in when you open the forest to light. Treasure those butternuts. They are at risk. Our local conservation authority will give ten free butternut seedling a year to anyone who will plant them.

 

Need a bit more hickory for the stacks (mostly oak) but also need some maple. The maple will get its chance to become a victim.

 

I live in Blaine, About 14 miles from Knoxville...

 

Know Blaine fairly well. We are not far apart. I lived in Powell most of my life.

 

ya same here about that cost on 3/4 acre + all the xyz stuff they charge for on top of that

 

I wish ours would I would plant 50 more anyway. good deer food such a nice tree.

 

Nice set up
hydraulic assist is a back saver
feel a little spoiled ? LOL

Hickory is top of the food chain for firewood. IMO

 

Hydraulics is your friend. I have been blessed....but spoiled. My back likes the horizontal splitting better than the vertical, for the larger rounds. I just ease the round onto the splitter, halve it, then place the closest half back onto the loader. I do it by myself, but it is easier when my brother helps. We stack as the splits come off the splitter. If splitting vertical, I have to toss them in a pile and stack later. Last summer I grabbed a snake with one of those piled up splits shown in the pic below. Split most of that vertically, from large Chestnut Oak rounds.




Dry hickory is primo, for me, but I love it all.

 

Hah. not spoiled, work smarter
Yea , hydraulics make it much easier.
No snakes here
Grew up in WV, love the woods.