did a firewood survey today

Walked around my woods today scouting for potential firewood trees. I have several already chosen in some easily accesible areas, but I went way down in the back looking for areas that would be easy to clear some trails for my tractor or four wheeler so I could haul some out.

Came across this maple that was a storm victim.



I was on the back property line and came across this monster. It is 32" diameter dead maple. Looks like a lot of punkiness in places, but I would bet there is 3/4 cord of firewood in it. I have only had my property for 2 years now, and have been back here before, but I dont know how I have missed this guy. My biggest problem now is that it is nowhere near any of the old logging roads. I could clear enough of a trail to get my tractor to it, but there are springs everywhere down in the bottom and I may not get the tractor out. So it is gonna be a lot of trips with the four wheeler, once I find a small trailer. Wish that I had quads set up, and all his trails too.


Another dead maple. This time right next to an old logging road. Can drag it out with the tractor and boom.


I find these nests all the time. They are always 6'-8' off the ground. It was 26 degrees and light snow, so nothing swarming.


And I never go out into the woods without my friend. We have lots of coyotes, and it is still deer season until Jan 1.

Yes. They wreak havoc around here on newborn calfs and pets. Although I dont think that they get a deer to often, they do run them off. When I say we have a lot, it is a very conservative statement.

Yes. When a cow is calving they will sit inside the tree line and as soon as the calf drops they will run out and attack it. The mother cow will always try to protect it, but at that point she can't do much. I have seen a coyote trying to get at a two week old calf and the mother was "dancing" between them keeping the coyote from getting it and eventually ran off when it saw me. I have also lost a pet cat to a coyote, and have recently seen them in my backyard. With three old dogs and a three year old daughter running around, I prefer not to have predators near them.

Redhawk .41 magnum

I understand and respect your thougts and ideas on this Kathleen, and I am pretty well educated on Wiley. I was looking at some coyote scat today, and as is usual, it was largely composed of rodent hair. It was also about 15 yards behind my daughters playset. 99% of the time when they see a human, they will run away. But I have walked out my back door to see one in the cattle pen, and when the screen door slammed shut, he looked up at me for a minute then continued to mingle amongst the cows looking for??? Whatever it was, he never found it. I am not one to kill something for the sake of killing. They are a pretty serious problem here. 20 years ago they were not even found in these parts. A few years back the local US Forest Service representative came out to look at some old long leaf pines as a part of a study that they were doing. He shared a story with me of being in the woods with several of them following about 35 yards behind him. All he had was a cell phone. He called the landowner who luckily was on site with a four wheeler and hauled butt to where he was.

As for my cat, he stays outside. The dogs have it made. I sold the last head of cattle in 05'.

I do know of several farmers that use some very nasty tactics for catching coyotes, including large treble hooks with chunks of meat. I don't have the soul, or lack of, to go to those extremes.

Anyway, the reason for my post and my pics was to share a great day in the woods, with the cold air and snow blowing.

Nah man. Those nests are like paper, all it would do is poke a hole in it. I just make a mental note of where it is and dont disturb it. I have two giant ones in my barn that my wife and her mother (both teachers) use for lessons in their classrooms. If I want to have fun with the .41, or any other weapon for that matter, I fill milk and coke bottles with water, or even better, jello, and shoot at them on my range. A milk jug with gelatin in it will split in two when hit dead center with the .41.