scrounging season?

[basswidow]

Why is it that now (fall) is peak scrounging time? Is it because the cold snap in the air gets people thinking about their wood piles? Maybe the leaves are off the trees and it's easier to see good trees to scrounge?

I'm sure everyone else does this - but as I drive to work, I see trees I would like to get. Mentally - they are mine and I have plans to get them. These trees have sat for 2 years now and suddenly it's fall, others have beat me to them. Shame on me for not acting earlier. I've had no competition for scrounging until the past week and NOW it seems all the stuff I had my eye on has been carted off by a fellow scrouger and guys are all over the countryside gathering wood. You snooze - you lose. I guess I should be happy that someone will be putting it to use - and maybe they need it worse then I do.

Why did I wait? For these - I wanted to research who owned the property to ask permission (do the right thing)

I like to scrounge all times of the year. Why is it that NOW is the time when most others scrounge?

I am making plans to get a few truck loads this weekend to stroke my psyche. I hate feeling pressured to get wood - because if I don't -someone else will. I like a more leisurely pace.

My construction site which has provided me with about 8 cords - has slowed and now I am looking around for a new Mother Load. It simply amazing that as soon as I see a good tree - it's gone by the weekend. I guess I'm not the only scrounger with Tree Eye's on.

 

[smokinj]

leaves off is the biggest reason you have a good 5 months that you dont have to deal with them! Cool out sure helps as well.

 

[Got Wood]

For me, wood processing season is October -> April. The weather is cooler - work wamrs you and you wear long sleaves which helps the wear and tear on skin, there isn't much other reason to be outside and active, leaves are down.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think the reasons others have given are good ones, plus in the summer, there are lots of other outdoor things to do. In the winter, there are fewer things competing for my time. Still many, but fewer.

 

[quads]

For me it's just the opposite; this is the only time of the year that I don't cut wood, October and November. It's hunting season, and even though I don't hunt anymore, I don't mess around much in the woods and take a chance of scaring the deer away for the hunters. They say they wouldn't mind if I was cutting wood while they are hunting, but I won't do it anyway. After Thanksgiving weekend, then I'll be out there again unless the snow is too deep.

 

[billb3]

Summer's too hot.
Fall the skeeters slow down.
Winter is too cold for some.
Spring is the end of burning. Who wants to start then ?

I'd like to cut just in Fall. Then I know the seasoned age of everything.
I cut when I need to year round so I either have to date everything or it's Fall 2009 plus a bit.
(and it's on top or that end.
Or more than likely stilll a log. Until Fall, when it need to be cut and split.

 

[Danno77]

I do wood processing starting in the fall for the reasons most others said. PLUS, winter is so dry that It almost seems a waste to cut it all up in the rainy and humid seasons. I dunno. Basically I hate getting all hot and sweaty in the summer because I have to wear pants and a long sleeved shirt to work with firewood. That's the biggest reason.

 

[Skier76]

How do you guys find the scrounging opportunities are in the winter? I noticed that things slowed down in September...but there seems to be a decent amount of "Free" wood ads up now. I'm interested in seeing how things have been over the winter in years past.

 

[smokinj]

How do you guys find the scrounging opportunities are in the winter? I noticed that things slowed down in September...but there seems to be a decent amount of "Free" wood ads up now. I'm interested in seeing how things have been over the winter in years past.

i have been keeping a list all summer on people wanting trees down and just call them back to see if its still there and they are.I have more than I can get to this fall and winter! One guy want every tree he has down and gone hates trees I guess walnut,ash maple oak apple and peach cant remember how many there but its a lot.His qoute to me was "I dont want anybody hideing behind a tree when I go and shot"

 

[JeffRey30747]

I'll cut anytime but I do prefer the fall and winter because of the cooler weather. As a plus, you don't have to worry about the snakes and yellow jackets either. It doesn't hurt that the "sap is down" in the tree but I'm not sure if there is any evidence that it is a true benefit. However, it has been my experience that some of the scrounging that happens in the fall is because these folks wouldn't have anything to burn this winter if they didn't scrounge something. ;-)

 

[SolarAndWood]

How do you guys find the scrounging opportunities are in the winter?

The only thing I've scored in the winter is from lot clearing projects. Although we haven't had a good ice storm here since I've been scrounging.

 

[matt701]

I scrounge because I bust my butt all summer and fall and have a nice wood pile built. When I start burning in the fall, it kills me to take from it until I absolutely have to after the snow falls. I've been revisiting areas I cut this summer and have been trying to keep my stove going with that. Once the snow comes I know I have all the wood I'm going to have until spring. I ended up burning for 6 months last winter and ran out and had to scrounge again in March. This is probably some sort of disorder not liking to see my woodpile get used haha.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I ended up burning for 6 months last winter

Get used to that Matt. I have fired up early to mid October and burned through early May the last 4 years.

 

[stejus]

Now that most of the leaves are down, you can actually see the trees and limbs that have come down from a distance. In full foliage, it's impossible to see. Another reason is what else is there to do on weekends in the months (Nov-Mar) to work up and appitite and toss a few cold ones down? Life is good!

 

[JotulOwner]

Why is it that now (fall) is peak scrounging time? Is it because the cold snap in the air gets people thinking about their wood piles? Maybe the leaves are off the trees and it's easier to see good trees to scrounge?

Fall and Winter are good seasons to acquire next year's wood. It's cooler and nicer to work outside and the moisture level in trees is lower than when the sap runs. But, I can also imagine that there are some people that are looking for wood to burn this year as well (whether or not it is dry). There are probably many reasons.

The stores advertise wood splitting tools this time of year, and they know what people want every year and when.

 

[firefighterjake]

Why does it seem like more folks are scrounging now?

I suspect no one has really hit the real reason . . . it's getting cold out and now the grasshoppers are suddenly realizing that they better get some firewood to heat their house this fall and winter.

As for me, I prefer working the wood this time of year . . . it's cooler, fewer bugs, I enjoy the smell and quite honestly it's ingrained in my psyche that come Fall it's time to do the firewood . . . as a kid this was the time of year when we would always "put up" the wood in the shed having cut and split it in the Spring. Now, of course, this year's wood has already been stashed away so I'm free to start cutting, bucking, splitting and stacking next year's wood . . . although I suspect many a neighbor that I hear sawing while outside is cutting, bucking, splitting and stacking this coming winter's wood.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Why is it that now (fall) is peak scrounging time? Is it because the cold snap in the air gets people thinking about their wood piles? Maybe the leaves are off the trees and it's easier to see good trees to scrounge?

I'm sure everyone else does this - but as I drive to work, I see trees I would like to get. Mentally - they are mine and I have plans to get them. These trees have sat for 2 years now and suddenly it's fall, others have beat me to them. Shame on me for not acting earlier. I've had no competition for scrounging until the past week and NOW it seems all the stuff I had my eye on has been carted off by a fellow scrouger and guys are all over the countryside gathering wood. You snooze - you lose. I guess I should be happy that someone will be putting it to use - and maybe they need it worse then I do.

Why did I wait? For these - I wanted to research who owned the property to ask permission (do the right thing)

I like to scrounge all times of the year. Why is it that NOW is the time when most others scrounge?

I am making plans to get a few truck loads this weekend to stroke my psyche. I hate feeling pressured to get wood - because if I don't -someone else will. I like a more leisurely pace.

My construction site which has provided me with about 8 cords - has slowed and now I am looking around for a new Mother Load. It simply amazing that as soon as I see a good tree - it's gone by the weekend. I guess I'm not the only scrounger with Tree Eye's on.

Dec-March is my peak season for opportunistic wood gathering simply because of the increased wind falls due to our lovely winter storms.

 

[Flatbedford]

Being a scrounger, my wood season is roughly January thru December. If its there, and I have time, I get it. It sure is nicer to work in the cooler months when I can. I have a couple (hopefully) secret scrounges that I will be collecting now that it is cooler outside and the low brush has died off.

 

[sapratt]

Mine is just the opposite, Spring is scrounge season. The city has brush pick up perfect time for cutting trees.
I was more agressive this past spring then I was the spring before. I learned if it's there for the taking then
jump on it or else someone else will. I lost out on some good wood because I didn't stop right a way and
take it.