Lock up your wood.

Fuel prices have rocketed in the UK over the last couple of years and wood stoves are selling like hot cakes over here, unfortunately this has pushed the price of wood up as the demand is getting bigger. We have a new problem in the UK.....wood thieves....police are teling us to lock up our wood and not display it on the front of our yards, you got this problem in the USA and Canada.?

Sorry to hear that Neil. No doubt this will only get worse as the economy falters. Desperate people do desperate things.

No problem here but have heard of some folks getting small amounts stolen. Fortunately out wood piles are not in the open for public view.

Nope we have the right to

I've worried about this - many of my stacks are very near the road, but you'd have to load real quick - vehicles could come around the corner pretty quick and you'd have nowhere to hide. No problems yet - but not sure how that hell I'd lock up my wood. Cheers!

yep. you can steal our wives, drink our berr...but don't yas step on my new wood stack.

Mine is in my backyard enclosed in a 6 ft. privacy fence. Locked gates, and a great, retired, snoopy neighbor, friend of mine that lives by me are also utilized.

Cheers.

Oh no don't drink my beer either I stacked some by the road this yr. and it's probably 100yards up there so will see, by the way this is all wood free on c/l I had fence post but no fence.

Sorry to hear that. I think I know who did it. Caliban!
What is playing at the RSC?

King Lear...very good.

No problem in these woods.

If the economy tanks, so will fuel prices and most likely heating oil because the demand for oil will decrease significantly. Just like when we had $1.70 gas back in 2009. Gas is already headed downward because of the economic uncertainty. That means more people will be able to afford to heat their homes this winter.

Hopefully, wood theft will not become a problem. I am probably going to have 6+ cords of wood stacked by the time winter gets here, and I would hate to find any of it missing. Not quite ready to put a fence in yet because I need to get the tractor first to do so.

Hi Neil,
No problem here, my stacks are out of sight. I'm wondering, is England different than here. Don't you have trees that grow everywhere? And don't people just go cut them up for their firewood like we do here? I know something has to be different there, can you fill in on what you think it is. I'm really curious about this one. Thanks.

Crude took a dip this week on worries of a recession. Wood's still cheap here so I dont think we'll come to wood thieves just yet.

I don't think it will become a big problem where I live. Most theft here is driven by the desire to get money for drugs. They would have to steal a lot of firewood and then find some place to sell it. Way to much work.

Dangerous also. Even my 88 year old mother has a gun and knows how to use it.

I got a small lot so it's tough to hide but hopefully if they try to steal my wood they do it overnight on a new moon; they'd be greeted with all the crap I'm too lazy to pick up and curse at every time I trip over the stuff and I know where it is. It isn't all my fault I got some tree roots growing up for some reason, every time I trip I say I'm going to get the sawzall and cut them but get sidetracked and don't.

Stealing wood in the United States could be hazardous to your health. I own a Mossberg 12 gauge, loaded w/ 00 buckshot...courtesy of the 2nd Amendment. Around here, most people who would be heating with wood, also own firearms....

You better cut those roots - these days if they steal your wood and hurt themselves in the process, you get sued and still lose your wood.... :-S

Haha a few here know how I reacted when a lowlife POS neighbor behind me stole 2 wheelbarrows worth over my east fence in Aug. 2009.It was still smoldering in his outdoor firepit the next morning.I jumped the fence,run up on his steps then practically ripped the screen door off its hinges, screaming 'GET OUT HERE YOU F-ING THIEF or I'll drag your ass out! "Others heard me screaming 2 blocks over. I called the cops,his GF finally answered the door, she literally begged me NOT to call the cops.Once he finally woke up & staggered outside he denied it,said "uhmmmuhhh it was our roommate,he's staying with us a few days,but is leaving tommorow blah blah...." the cops showed up & asked him "Who's wood is this burning illegally inside city limits? ;-) " They got a warning,the complaint was to be on file 1 yr from that date.They eventually moved away to Washington State in May 2010,they're someone else's problem now.

I detest thieves,no matter what their stealing.Try that again & you'll probably get a beating or maybe even worse,depending on my mood that day.

I remember that post. I'm sure he never bothered a pile of wood again that wasn't his. Luckily so far we have good neighbors.

You cannot just chop trees down over here, most forests are owned or in trusts, you might get a neighbour who wants a tree down or a friendly tree surgeon who will give you a tree now and again.

Ok, I should clarify a little bit. I don't mean just go cut any tree down that looks good. I mean aren't there trees always being cut down and someone has to get them. Some tree services will split them and sell the firewood but anymore most of the services I've talked to won't put the money in the labor to process the trees. I've found some places that you can call or just take your trailer and they'll fill it up-free! Around here it like, what else can you do with all these trees that come down. A little networking goes a long way. I wonder if it's the same there. Or do trees there not die so fast? Are the trees spoken for already? Or, is there something else they do with them? I'm just curious.

Most are still lazy here...... :lol:

MAK 90=dead wood thief!

Around here it seems like most of the thiefs are lazy and going for the easy pickings -- pharmacies, unoccupied homes (for the copper -- that's the more enterprising thief), credit unions, gas stations and banks.

We don't see too much wood being stolen . . . and if it is . . . it will not be until Fall begins and the would-be thief realizes that he has no heating oil or wood to keep warm with all Fall and Winter.