Atv is the only way to this spot. Approximately 60-70’ climb, Trail is a muddy mess. If it wasn’t BL I wouldn’t mess with it. I don’t need the wood, it’s the only BL I have access to and I want some!!
Nice BL score. Seems like more and more is popping up for scrounging in my area over the past couple years. Right now I'm burning 3 year old honey locust, which is leaps and bounds better than 2 year split, and I'm amazed at how little ash it produces. Hopefully 3 year old black locust acts the same. Not sure I've ever burned it after 3 years. I'd imagine the thick bark would end up producing more ash than honey locust. That's the beauty of all the bark being gone though
I had some 3 year old honey locust this year. The bigger splits still sizzled some moisture out of the ends. I went through my stacks and pulled the smaller splits out and I’m leaving the bigger splits to dry another year. When I burnt the smaller 3 year splits I was IMPRESSED! Like you said no ash and it coaled for ever. Once dried good I enjoy burning it. I’ll have a good 4 cord 4 years css next year.
I just read the beginning of the thread and didnt realize it was. How much have you retrieved from there? Kind of a PITA to get but worth it. IME most BL scores are not "easy" whether dead or alive.
Was this your first time burning HL? I have a cord of it i accumulated over the last year and have no experience with it. These were the hybrid yard trees with no thorns.
I tried to burn it at 2 years css. It was still wet, I thought then it was like oak. But I’m going to give it 4 years total.
The majority of this stack is from two separate yard trees scored in May and September. It was a thornless variety. Ive never seen a wild thorned HL around here. I can spot the hybrid yard trees with ease thanks to FHC. Cant say ive seen any borer activity in yet. 5x10 stack double row. Guess ive got a couple years for this. Being a wood i seldom scrounge ill take more of it. My main source would be the dump. I dont like the wait. Reason i wont intentionally take oak anymore.
Is it possible the area was farmed or pastured. Many old farms reverted to forest and locust is one of those trees that takes off first in a field or pasture that is idle, especially with the old practice of fence rows. Fence rows where as far as you wanted to carry the rocks out of the field.
That’s possible, I have a small 3 acre patch in my woods that’s mostly honey locust, It’s the only flat ground in my woods. Figured it was pasture or field at some point.
I've actually passed up honey locust in the past due to not wanting to deal with the mess the bugs make over the course of the 3-4 year seasoning time the stuff requires. And yes that's definitely the biggest downfall to the stuff im currently burning. Whatever those bugs are that get into it and make piles of talcum powder style dust all over the splits, sure cause a mess. Then the powdery dust will just cake onto the splits in clumps.
They are hickory borers from what I know. I found if I put it in a tote and store inside my barn till May then carry it outside they don’t get in it. After It dries a season they leave it alone.
