First time scrounge, not the first time I’ve been stumped.

I picked up this small roadside log today and I’m not too sure what I got. At first I thought it was some kind of hickory with the color and tight growth rings. I got it home and processed and now I’m not sure. Bark reminds me of elm with that layered look. I can flake pieces off without too much grief. It split really easily so I thought maybe red elm if anything, which I’ve never gotten before. There’s not much here but still it would be nice to know. What do you guys think?





Got lucky and missed this nail too

 

I was going to guess red oak, but the exposed wood doesn't seem to be lightening when the air gets to it.

 

It split easily just like red oak too. Plenty of oaks in the area as well. No medullary rays on the end though.

 

I’m thinking walnut….

 

I wondered that myself but the center pith isn’t chambered like BW is.

 

My guess is Hemlock

 

I’ve got a little hemlock in my stacks and this is different. Much denser than green hemlock and no knots running along the trunk. I hadn’t considered softwoods at all though. Unfortunately I have no leaf samples that I could definitively say belong to this tree.

 

Looks walnutty to me as well, center pith or not

 

Center pith is something I just recently learned about here, so not something I’m used to looking for to help with ID. But you’re right I don’t see it on these samples. I have only felt with walnut once and it definitely had it. Oh!…& it was highly valuable

 

My first thought was walnut..

 

Looking at the splits stacked on your tailboard, the half round one upper right, the end "shape" resembles elm after its been split. Impact end straight and clean and the other not so much. Just my observation.
Seeing that i say elm even though it has me stumped.

 

Black walnut!!

 

I think not walnut.....but maybe... to me it looks more like some kinda oak.
You guys have blackjack oak in your area?
Does it stink?

 

I see what you did there!

I said walnut, even though I think I'm barking up the wrong tree.

 

No blackjack oak that I’m aware of. Looks like the native range comes close to me though. There could be exclave populations around. I don’t think it’s oak. It’s got a smell that I can’t place. I’m leaning towards elm.

 

Nice score though brother.
Even if it turns out to be shoulder season wood, it'll still keep you warm.
Sca

 

The very first picture almost looks like it has orangeish underbark? I know black oak has orange underbark, but the wood of black oak is more of a red oak look. Black oak is in the red oak family.

edit- black oak, not to be confused with blackjack oak

 

Does it smell like hospital bandages???

 

Kind of… but also reminiscent of pungent urine, so like nursing home bedsheets I guess

 

Who sniffs hospital bandages? Lol