Possibly the holy grail of wood scores ***Edit in OP, Got 4 truckloads of Osage Orange

[CountryBoy19]

Talked to a guy that has a pasture he wants the trees cleared out of (drive right up to the trees). He said he isn't a tree guy so he isn't sure what kind they are. I asked him, do you have any Osage Orange? Those are the trees that drop the large, softball sized, wrinkled green fruits. I have been trying to find some of that. He said, "Yes, I have a bunch of them, can you get rid of them for me?"

I think I'm in heaven. We have yet to set a meeting time/place to go check it out, but I just couldn't contain my excitement.

That's not to mention the guy just a couple miles down the road that is clearing his whole lot and wants somebody to take the wood. I think my wife is going to kill me because I can't stop getting free firewood. I'm probably going to have to start selling some just so I can keep up my obsession and keep myself from literally building a wood barricade around my house.

ETA, for those of you that know where I live, stay off my score... this one is mine! I've always wanted to burn some Osage (haven't had that pleasure yet) so now is the time.


***Edit
After cutting Wednesday, Thursday, and All day yesterday (went camping Friday, Saturday, Sunday) I have 4 truck loads of Osage Orange. I couldn't get a buyer willing to make it worth-while for the Osage log so it's now firewood length. There is a TON of Black locust at the same place but it's a long (16 mile) drive.
I called the guy 4 miles down the road to try to go back and cut black locust there and he said somebody else already came and got it all for now. The good news is that the 3 acres he is clearing still has a lot of locust on it, I just can't cut there until he gets a gate put in so I can get back to it. Hopefully I can get a lot cut and out of there before anybody else moves in on the score. Otherwise I guess I'll be driving 16 miles to cut black locust.

 

[maplewood]

I'm lucky that I've got acres to store wood on. If I got too far ahead, it would rot before I could burn it all.
And I've never heard of your osage orange - I hope it lives up to your expectations!
But I've never turned down wood, and I agree with you - keep others at bay, get a hand shake from him ASAP, and start into this project before you find out that he's let his BIL or some other goof into this garden of Eden!
Happiest of burning for you!

 

[thewoodlands]

Talked to a guy that has a pasture he wants the trees cleared out of (drive right up to the trees). He said he isn't a tree guy so he isn't sure what kind they are. I asked him, do you have any Osage Orange? Those are the trees that drop the large, softball sized, wrinkled green fruits. I have been trying to find some of that. He said, "Yes, I have a bunch of them, can you get rid of them for me?"

I think I'm in heaven. We have yet to set a meeting time/place to go check it out, but I just couldn't contain my excitement.

That's not to mention the guy just a couple miles down the road that is clearing his whole lot and wants somebody to take the wood. I think my wife is going to kill me because I can't stop getting free firewood. I'm probably going to have to start selling some just so I can keep up my obsession and keep myself from literally building a wood barricade around my house.

ETA, for those of you that know where I live, stay off my score... this one is mine! I've always wanted to burn some Osage (haven't had that pleasure yet) so now is the time.

CountryBoy19 nice score but I think your wife is on the phone calling all the other scroungers, good luck. :zip:



zap

 

[CountryBoy19]

And I've never heard of your osage orange - I hope it live up to your expectations!
But I've never turned down wood, and I agree with you - keep others at bay, get a hand shake from him ASAP, and start into this project before you find out that he's let his BIL or some other goof into this garden of Eden!
Happiest of burning for you!

Oh no, a fellow burner that hasn't heard of Osage Orange? I'm truly sorry for you northerners that aren't blessed with true hardwoods. Osage Orange is normally around 31-34 MBtu/cord. That's compared with Oak and Hickory (typically considered premium woods) that are only mid to high 20's on the BTU scale. Then you get down to the softwoods (that's what you probably mostly burn seeing where you're from) in the mid to high teens on the BTU scale. So this Osage Orange (or Hedgeapple) is right around double the Btu content of softwoods, and it's still quite a bit higher in BTU's than most woods that are considered premium.

I've never burned it so I can't say for sure, but many say is the BEST high Btu wood you can lay your hands on (Live Oak would be it's only rival that I know of). I plan to use this wood for the extremely cold days right in the heart of winter for my overnight burns. It should burn all night and heat the house very well.

Oh, and depending on how many he has I certainly plan to have the trees cut and out of there asap. I can normally haul at least 1 load (normally just shy of a cord) per day after work so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get it out asap. Hopefully I can get at least 3-4 cords of Osage, that will be enough overnight, winter wood for the next several years. I'll just have to use my Ash, Hard Maple, and Oak in the shoulder season then.

CountryBoy19 nice score but I think your wife is on the phone calling all the other scroungers, good luck. :zip:
zap

Nah, she's still at work, and she doesn't know the other wood scroungers yet. I'm sure I can haul at least 7-8 loads before she asks if I have enough yet. But I don't think I'll ever have enough Osage, I'll cut every last tree that the guy has if I feel that I can safely drop them.

 

[bsearcey]

Nice. I'm searching for osage too. It's not common in the piedmont of VA, but it does grow in the mountains. Unfortunately I don't have any connections in the mountains. There is one osage that I pass everyday to work though. It's growing right off the side of the road I think on county property. I'm trying to figure out a way of getting it. The upper branches hang out a little over the road and the fruit can drop off onto the road. I think I might pick one up an throw it at the hood of my car, then tell the county it was from this tree and happened while I was driving. Just to be a good samaritan I'll let them know I'll cut it down and haul the wood away so that it doesn't do any more damage or cause an accident.

Nice score on the hedge. I'm sure you know to bring extra chains with you. Also, don't forget about the lumber value of it too. If you've got as much as it sounds like you could, save as many of the straight pieces as you can to sell. Wood workers love that stuff in particular bow makers. You could get you some new toys with a few decent size pieces.

 

[lukem]

We typically call it hedge apple around here.

 

[midwestcoast]

[quote author="CountryBoy19" date="1286314818"]

...I'm truly sorry for you northerners that aren't blessed with true hardwoods. Osage Orange is normally around 31-34 MBtu/cord. That's compared with Oak and Hickory (typically considered premium woods) that are only mid to high 20's on the BTU scale. Then you get down to the softwoods (that's what you probably mostly burn seeing where you're from)...

Except that the guys I.D. is maplewood. LOL, he's not from the Yukon or something. :lol:

 

[CountryBoy19]

Except that the guys I.D. is maplewood. LOL, he's not from the Yukon or something. :lol:

Sorry, I'm not all that familiar with NB, but I just assumed that being as for north as he was they didn't have much in the way of hardwoods. Even then, I'll bet Oak, Hickory and the like is scarce up his way and most of what he burns is lower BTU stuff.

Supposed to be meeting the guy at the pasture tomorrow or Thursday, he didn't specify a time so I responded back for clarification.

 

[Shipper50]

I got a call from countryboy's wife and told her I would leave the hard cutting for him. Make sure you have plenty of sharp chains before you start on your part. ;-P

Shipper

 

[CountryBoy19]

I got a call from countryboy's wife and told her I would leave the hard cutting for him. Make sure you have plenty of sharp chains before you start on your part. ;-P

Shipper

Yeah, I've got plenty... I don't mind a little touch up on the chains here and there to get some good wood.

 

[loon]

sounds like a great score countryboy ;-)

http://hedgeapple.com/

 

[fire_man]

Talked to a guy that has a pasture he wants the trees cleared out of (drive right up to the trees). He said he isn't a tree guy so he isn't sure what kind they are. I asked him, do you have any Osage Orange? Those are the trees that drop the large, softball sized, wrinkled green fruits. I have been trying to find some of that. He said, "Yes, I have a bunch of them, can you get rid of them for me?"

I think I'm in heaven. We have yet to set a meeting time/place to go check it out, but I just couldn't contain my excitement.

That's not to mention the guy just a couple miles down the road that is clearing his whole lot and wants somebody to take the wood. I think my wife is going to kill me because I can't stop getting free firewood. I'm probably going to have to start selling some just so I can keep up my obsession and keep myself from literally building a wood barricade around my house.

ETA, for those of you that know where I live, stay off my score... this one is mine! I've always wanted to burn some Osage (haven't had that pleasure yet) so now is the time.

CountryBoy19 nice score but I think your wife is on the phone calling all the other scroungers, good luck. :zip:


zap

Yup I just got the phone call. Be there in a few.

 

[Beowulf]

Congratulations on the hedge apple! You will enjoy the btu's, but you'll earn them!

I used to love the stuff, on the rare occaision that we could get it. Hell on saws and "entertaining" to split.

 

[PapaDave]

Talked to a guy that has a pasture he wants the trees cleared out of (drive right up to the trees). He said he isn't a tree guy so he isn't sure what kind they are. I asked him, do you have any Osage Orange? Those are the trees that drop the large, softball sized, wrinkled green fruits. I have been trying to find some of that. He said, "Yes, I have a bunch of them, can you get rid of them for me?"

I think I'm in heaven. We have yet to set a meeting time/place to go check it out, but I just couldn't contain my excitement.

That's not to mention the guy just a couple miles down the road that is clearing his whole lot and wants somebody to take the wood. I think my wife is going to kill me because I can't stop getting free firewood. I'm probably going to have to start selling some just so I can keep up my obsession and keep myself from literally building a wood barricade around my house.

ETA, for those of you that know where I live, stay off my score... this one is mine! I've always wanted to burn some Osage (haven't had that pleasure yet) so now is the time.

Where again did you say you live? Just askin'. :cheese:

 

[ShenValSteve]

I've never burned it. I can only think of the exact location of one of these trees here in Augusta County. The ''oranges" get flattened in the road. But if it comes down, I'll be there quickly.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Ok, now I have a conundrum....

Finally met up with the guy just 4 miles from my house that said he had a few trees. It turns out that he has 85 acres of pasture/woods. He is clearing 3 acres for a building site and he wants all the locust trees removed from the pasture.

So, do I go get all the locust trees I could ever want from a pasture 4 miles away, or go get osage orange from a pasture 14 miles away? I've always wanted to try osage, but if it's really hard on saws and you guys think it better to get the black locust then I think I will.

 

[SolarAndWood]

feelin for ya man, thats a tough one

 

[iceman]

ARE YOU A DIE HARD BURNER PRIVATE?
NO WOOD GETS LEFT BEHIND!

I say suck it up and get it all! Sell some wood for next year now ifyou have to make space! A cord of osage is like a cord and a quarter of oak....
But you better hurry cause I am packing up as I type! Lol

 

[CountryBoy19]

ARE YOU A DIE HARD BURNER PRIVATE?
NO WOOD GETS LEFT BEHIND!

I say suck it up and get it all! Sell some wood for next year now ifyou have to make space! A cord of osage is like a cord and a quarter of oak....
But you better hurry cause I am packing up as I type! Lol

I live on .4 acres and most of my yard is in the front. It would be a little tacky if I started stacking wood in the front.

I would sell wood, but this is my first year burning at this house and I only have enough seasoned wood for this year.

I guess I'll leave it in the hands of the guy with the Osage; he still hasn't responded to clarify when he wanted me to come. If he doesn't respond then I'll just work on the locust a little and maybe try him again later.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Call Smokingjay and he will help you out.

 

[midwestcoast]

Man you are killin me here with the "Oh should I go pick-up the giant load of Osage that's a few miles away? or just take this several years worth of Locust that's just down the street?"
I scrounged & split a cord of green Elm by hand this summer, would die for either. Seriously take all of it if you can. Personally I'd start with the Locust & move to the Osage when I got bored :lol: Just be sure to take what you say you'll take.
I hear ya trying to store wood on a small lot, but you really can fit a lot if you stack tall, use double rows, or build a Holtz Hausen. I built a HH on 4 pallets & figure it's holding about 2 cords for 2011/12. You might even get away with one in the front yard, they look pretty cool. Any chance you could stack some of that Locust on another part of the guys land to season for a year?

I can just see it, tomorrow you'll be posting how a whole load of seasoned, split hickory just fell into your truck as you drove home from work.

 

[Jeff S]

Locust will be the fastest drying of the 2.The nice thing about both locust and osage are that both are highly rot resistant so your you could store both of them out in the elements for years with no worry of rot.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Man you are killin me here ...

Sorry, it doesn't normally work this way. As of last week I had no place to cut wood and I really wanted to get at least another years supply. Then I found the guy 4 miles down the road but hadn't met with him yet to know exactly what he had. Then I found the other ad and figured I'd give it a try just to see if he had the good stuff (I was planning to be more picky with him because he is farther away). So I figured I'd just contact them both. When I found out the 2nd guy had Osage I couldn't back down, so I said I could come cut it, but now that I actually met with the guy 4 miles away I just don't know which one is better.

I know it would be best to get them both, and if thats the case I would go get the Osage first because the guy with the Locust says his pasture clearing is going to be about a 2 year project. I have plenty of time to cut wood at his place, I just don't want somebody else to get in there and grab all the locust (he's letting multiple people cut AFAIK).

 

[Tony H]

it sounds like you need to look for a buddy with a bit of land that wants to share in the take and maybe you can get out a whole bunch of the wood

 

[yanksforever]

Ok, now I have a conundrum....

Finally met up with the guy just 4 miles from my house that said he had a few trees. It turns out that he has 85 acres of pasture/woods. He is clearing 3 acres for a building site and he wants all the locust trees removed from the pasture.

So, do I go get all the locust trees I could ever want from a pasture 4 miles away, or go get osage orange from a pasture 14 miles away? I've always wanted to try osage, but if it's really hard on saws and you guys think it better to get the black locust then I think I will.

If you can't get it all...you better give up the Osage to a fellow Hearth.com Member...it's part of the membership rules!