How far ahead are you…?

….On lining up future scores? I know many of you have places where you regularly do your wood gathering. Whether it be your own property or an acquaintance or family place where you have cut for years. Some of us do some tree work for hire. But many of us live in more suburban areas or places that make it otherwise necessary to “scrounge for wood”
So how far ahead are you folks on lining up scores of firewood. By that I mean how many different trees or areas or piles of logs/slash or properties to cut on, do you usually have lined up or permission to go get.
As I sit currently I have at least 4 scores that I need to get after and a couple others that I haven’t really sealed the deal on but shouldn’t be a problem.
The first is an ash that I have never laid eyes on. But the guy offered it to me after he pushed it over with his loader this spring. I’m thinking it’s Goldilocks size and good access. Then some more ash is down in the same little grove I got a couple pickup loads out of last November. I’m going to try to use my new young helper on these two and see how we get along. And then there’s this
Fireworks = firewood
Most of the bark is falling off in sheets, and earlier this fall one of the big branches came down in a wind. I think the guy that lives next door and rents some of the ground got that. But that was just cherry picking. The tree is large and up a pretty good slope. But that’s what big saws and tracked skid steers are for.
And then the one that I’ve been wishing about for a couple years came in on last Sunday. We had a large forest fire 3(?) years ago. And it burned a strip of private property between the forest and river. Lots of cedars, some pine, but also some hackberry and more importantly there should be a bunch of ash in there. The bark is falling off the hardwoods so it will be a little less messy. I ran into the property owner on Sunday and asked, he said go for it. He even said that it would be okay if I wanted to take a machine over there and bring it out in logs. I haven’t been up close to check it out, only what I can see from the highway and across the river. But if’n it is as good as I think it could be, it’ll be a productive long term score.

let’s hear about something that you have lined up

 

I still have plenty to cut and clear on my place, but have some small operation tree services nearby where I can get logs from in the future.

 

I’ve got 10 cord split and drying.

got another 25ish waiting to buck and split.

got another 40ish to still fell.

I think I’m good

 

I have 2 main scrounging areas that are full of standing dead trees which are close to the road. Every time there's a significant storm, more come down and I swoop in. Then there's the easiest score of all for me, 2-3 cords worth of red oak logs right next door to my house that have been down since 2020. I'll start working that again soon enough. My other neighbor 2 houses down also has all sorts of downed trees and told me to take whatever I want (it's mostly sugar maple with some oak) So quantity-wise, it's hard to say. But I know I won't be scraping the bottom of the barrel anytime soon.

 

The backyard where I scored my last two honey locust scores is talking of having the rest of one, the other should come down as well, dropped in 2025. Should be an easy cord in one plus 1.5 cord in the other. On top of that there is a lot of white oak and others out at Bunny's place that need cleaned up. Should product 4+ cords easy. On top of that my tree fairy will let me in on scores from time to time. I'm pretty sure it could be much more, but I've been overloaded with wood the past few years. I have 3-5 years' worth of wood split and sleeping in the backyard as well.

 

I get the bulk of my wood at work. Probably have 15-20 cords of logs stockpiled in my yard currently for spring processing. It’s a log jam rn. Logs are collected and stored at work throughout the year. When I get my log jam cleared up at home more will get transferred from work to my place. We estimated the last transfer saved my employer $800 in dump fees. I’d say 80% of my current log pile is oak. On Monday a 40” Willow Oak will be cut down and the log will be stored until it can be hauled to me. There’s boat loads of wood in those big Willow Oaks.
When I retire in 6yrs I hope the guys will continue to help a brother out.

 

I’ve got more than I could ever need at my place. Just need to work on making more woods roads to access the back of the property. Had some strong winds and a good rain storm that I figured would uproot a tree or two, and to my surprise not a single downed tree. Just means I get to fell more trees now. Actually heading out today to work on the woods roads.

Need to find a pine tree and basswood tree on the property to make kindling from for next yr. I had a big supply of it, but gave most of it to my in laws who were not prepared for this season.

 

Im mainly a scrounger but I do have 2 lined up, well 3 if you add the cutting I have on the property.
I haven't seen the 2. I know 1 is several large HVBW and the other is a mix of hardwoods. Hope to get to them very soon now that hunting is basically done for me. Im ashamed to say, I haven't touched a saw since spring. Too many projects going on.

 

I have about 3 years worth of wood css and most is dry. About 6.5 to 7 cords total. I am allowed to cut dead on my neighbor's property, which usually yields a few trees each year. I check CL regularly, and thin in my small woods now and then. Lumber cutoffs help too. Once I got to the 3 year plan, I seem to be able to stay there so far.

 

Boy, I dunno...I think your cuttin it kinda close...

 

Have a BL score lined up from a wood seller. Checked it out and he ended up hiring me to cut for him and I was there last week already. Headed there today to cut the BL and more for him. Thread to follow. Half cord maybe.

I have a call in to the Asplundh boss seeing if they are cutting fairly close by this Winter.

Lots of my scores are by pure chance as I find the by accident in my random travels. My most recent thread. There has to be 2-3 cords yet there. Ill take at least another two PU fulls and Hopefully buzz-saw takes a load of oak.

I have connections that know I'm the wood guy and get in touch with me. Never know when I'll be getting a text.

Im currently ready to process all the red maple at a recent cut which turns out to be one of my storage areas. There are more red maples I can take down should a wish. There are also many standing dead white oaks in back there should I wish to fell.

So there's always wood somewhere to work on.

FBM is a last resort and one score I'm still working is from there. Close to a cord yet there. the nuggets are going to my friend.

 

I've got about 16 cords on hand (~8 CSS and ~8 in rounds/logs waiting to be processed). I have somewhere around 50 trees on my property that are standing dead thanks to the caterpillar apocalypse, so I won't have to go far to scrounge for quite a while. However, I will still keep a dead & down permit in the truck from the forest service because scrounging is in the blood. The majority of the standing dead on my property are red oak, so I'll keep scrounging some softer hardwoods to have some faster drying splits in the mix. The forest service road where I get most of my scrounges washed out last December and they did not repair it this year. Hoping they will fix it next year.

 

Pretty much my situation , Have a friend that has plenty to cut off his property , the occasional roadside scrounge or maybe craigslist on occasion plus lots of slab wood from the sawmill. I just need to sort of stay where I am at as far as what I have on hand.
Always keeping an eye out and come spring I will hit it hard to replace what I burned this season.

 

There are 8 red oak and 1 black cherry on the ground in my 40. Courtesy of our July 16th storm. And my neighbor (not really he lives 40 miles away) who owns the abandoned 40 acre junkyard one mile from me has said “cut anything once it hits the ground”.
Since deer hunting ended 3 more reds hit the ground in his woods one is close to 36” DBH. There is so much wood on the ground in this junkyard most of it will rot away no doubt.

So I’m good for a long time. I’m 66 and this firewood gathering isn’t getting any easier but I still enjoy it.

 

I have a little over 20 cords s/s for me, probably 5-7 s/s for my parents and 1-2 needing split.
I too scrounge. My oak honey hole is accessible should I need it. And dad's friend lives just a couple miles away from him and has lots of dead standing available. I've been watching fbmp to cherry pick the best/easiest scores. Being able to park the truck/trailer right next to the wood has become somewhat of a priority.

 

I cut anything that dies on my 16 acres, with 8 trees lined up to cut this winter. All oak, but can only access 1/3 of that acreage. Can also cut dead ash off the old homestead about 50 miles away, 20 acres of woods loaded with dead ash, however access there is also an issue. My main source is State Forest Land where my cabin is located, public land, $20 a cord permit but there is standing dead oak there for those willing to work for it. I'm 3 years ahead so just maintaining that lead every year.
I'll also scrounge and take anything anywhere if it is reasonably easy access and good species.

 

I have 120 acres to cut anything dead or down, it's rotting faster than this old man can cut.
I have 3 year's worth under roof and a good pile going to replace what I burn this winter.

 

Downed oak near the road does not last so I take what I want as soon as possible. Sugar maple is less popular but rots quicker depending on when the borer shows. Road side bark free slippery elm is quickly taken in the fall by those who carry no inventory, so you have to take it before then or take green. The supply of hickory is not large so roadside downed lingers for a few months. The mediums, hackberry/black walnut..., are rarely ever taken and even white ash is not popular. Carrying 3-5 years of cut/split/stacked allows me to be picky and not rushed. Meanwhile, wood more than 20 feet off the road is rarely taken.