I had cut some locust and skidded over to the sawmill to make some fence posts and ended up with a few other trees that just got in the way. So I skidded some Honey Locust limbs and tops over to the firewood area along with a Sugar Maple, Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood), and Ash. These were small, all 10" and under. I cut them all up to 22" lengths, split everything I can't easily palm one handed, and got it all stacked... This stack is all needing split... I'm running a little behind this year as this stack is slated for the '22/'23 heating season. The 362 with a few mods makes short work of bucking these small trees. I can't wait to get it into some bigger stuff.
I went down to the pasture we're fencing in and was gonna cut a few EAB kills in the woods next to it that could possibly fall on the fence. After dropping those and a couple Honey Locust that I had girdled a few years ago that were within range of the fence, I was looking around and noticed several Chinkapin Oak in the area. A couple years ago when our state forester was here, he had noticed a couple back over on the other side of the creek. He was surprised to find them here as we are right on the edge of their range. He hadn't noticed this grouping of them. This part of the woods had been kind of overrun with honeysuckle, multi-floral rose, and HL. I had already cleared the rampant Grapevine... Anyway, I decided to open up the canopy for the Chinkapins and cull away some of the other trees so they can get more sky and nutrients. I ended up dropping over a dozen trees, a couple HL that we'll get a few fence posts from and some firewood, a few dead ash for firewood, and a bunch of Sugar Maple that were crowding the Chinkapins. out of all the Maple only 1 10' saw log and the rest will go for heating... I got plenty of practice aiming and dropping a few between the fence posts. a few pix: Between the posts, right where I want it. That's a grove of Black Walnut in the background behind the truck. We have to keep the cattle out of there... One saw log at the bottom and the rest is BTUs. Sugar Maple Sugar Maple, Humbolt notch and hinge. I'm always trying to get better at felling to ensure when I have to do some felling near the house or barns that I'm not a YouTube zero instead of a hero... LOL 16" DBH EAB killed Ash near the fence line. I had to putz around a little getting the notch aimed where I wanted it. I'm still a rookie and practicing. I alway wear my PPE felling, especially the dead ash that can have punky spots and throw stuff all over on their way down out here in the woods. One of the Chinkapin Oaks is in the center of this pic. There were several tall Maple trees crowding the canopy of the Chinkapins so the Maples got turned into stumps. I think the larger one on the ground is one of the Ash that I had dropped and then I noticed the Chinkapins. This maple wasn't gonna be much other than BTUs anyway with the damage that it healed over many years ago. I ended up with a bunch of trees down. I'll have to spend an evening or two skidding them over to the firewood processing area. The rest of the weekend was spent putting in some drainage ditches with the neighbors skid steer, working on the tractor, and mowing... This time of year I'm always behind... LOL but I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm liking this 362 a lot for these small to medium trees. We don't have much here over 20" DBH so it fits just right.
Gee, couldn't you wait until it warmed up a bit to do all that? Man working in the woods is tough in this weather, but it looks like you did just fine.
My wife and I just went for a walk in our woods. We both commented on how much cooler it was. Being in the woods is like being in Ma Natures air conditioner
It wasn't too bad. Usually as long as I stay out of the sun and pace myself, I can keep pluggin' away. Playing with a saw and dropping trees is fun stuff. The chaps get a little warm, but that's OK. Mowing on the tractor Sunday was a little more brutal out in the sun, but I put on a boonie hat and that helps too.
My normal MO if i work in it. I was going to cut the day but it was in full sun. Changed my mind rather quickly.
I went down to the pasture area this evening to finish limbing and prep everything to skid it out to the processing area. I was out there for about 2-1/2 hours and the sun was shining in there because it's on the west side of the woods where the pasture is. It must have been pretty humid because I was totally soaked when I came up to the house at 8:15.
