Does your UTV help with firewood...

Another one in the ATV camp.

 

Between the transition from snow to an early mud season and now to 'Spring', the weather (and terrain) has not been conducive to scrounging. I finally caught a decent day and headed out. Dropped two standing dead (red maple and white birch) this morning to start the day. Still have to go back out to get the rest of the birch but stopped for a quick lunch after unloading the second load. Considering the last time I was scrounging was in early February on snowmobile, it felt good to get out.

 

Good job EODMSgt unzipping the birch.

 

Last weekends wheeler action

 

My saw is on the front of my quad all the time.

 

Been doing that for years with birch, especially if I know I won't get to splitting the rounds for a while. It definitely makes a big difference in letting some of the moisture out and slows the decomp process. These are from the tree I felled yesterday, and the bark is already drying and pulling away. Without unzipping them, most of the moisture would be trapped by the bark. (I need to redo a few where I didn't make a deep enough incision.)

 

While I enjoy scrounging firewood with the snowmobile, it is easier in some regards using the ATV (no snowshoes for one thing). I had good intentions to go back out today and scrounge but wasn't able to head out until late. The area I wanted to go was blocked by a large hemlock blowdown that I just didn't want to deal with today (didn't know about it until I was already heading up the trail). Luckily there was a standing dead red maple in close proximity so at least the trip wasn't wasted. Too late to really do much else so I just wandered around and marked a few more standing dead for future scrounges.

The early snowmelt has me feeling like I'm behind the power curve on scrounging however they haven't even opened up the forest service roads yet (my primary scrounging sites). So in actuality, I'm ahead.

 

Not a UTV, but it helps me none-the-less.





Everything you see below is what's kept on board the ATV above. I've actually added to it since this was taken.

 

I think you need 2 more saws and you'll have it all.

Were/ are you a boy scout/ Eagle scout?
You sure are prepared

 

The saws do no good sitting in the garage.

nope, was a cub scout for a very short time when I was in grade school. I just don't like needing something when I am out in the woods and not having it.

 

I haul all my wood with the Gator…