wood retrieval question

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gap050

New Member
Nov 12, 2010
2
Delaware
hello folks, I've been a lurker on the site for while but haven't posted. I have a question about wood retrieval. I have a few acres of trees, mostly poplar, black walnut & malpe, that I use to feed my Napolean 1402. (I also scrounce as much as possible). I recently had a walnut tree fall(about 18" in dia at the base, maybe 60-70 feet tall) in the woods. just missed my tree stand!(unoccupied) anyway, I would like to get the wood into a better area for processing. the tree is laying about 50 yards into the woods on the opposite side of a small (like 2' wide)creek that flows though a gulley that is about 6 ' deep and 15' wide. I cant get a tractor to it and to get it out I would have to hand carry each round or pull out sections with the winch on my jeep. if I pull sections (maybe 10' long) out of the woods with the winch, how concerned do i need to be about the dirt collected in the bark when I run my saw through it? any ideas or suggestions are welcome, even if its just to tell me to stop worrying and buck it! thanks in advance, this is a wonderful site. GAP
 
I don't worry too much about the dirt . . . if there are large clumps of dirt or rocks I brush them off.
 
If you can, buck the logs "out of the dirt". Cut them so the saw passes through the dirty side last. Don't pull the dirt into the kerf.
I suppose you could also take a broom or brush to the dirty side before cutting.

Cheers
 
Ive seen some photos of guys who live further north who have made sleds out of 4x4's and used those to pull logs out, that would keep them out of the dirt and maybe make it easier to pull with your winch. Maybe theyll come along and post a pic or two.
 
gap050 said:
hello folks, I've been a lurker on the site for while but haven't posted. I have a question about wood retrieval. I have a few acres of trees, mostly poplar, black walnut & malpe, that I use to feed my Napolean 1402. (I also scrounce as much as possible). I recently had a walnut tree fall(about 18" in dia at the base, maybe 60-70 feet tall) in the woods. just missed my tree stand!(unoccupied) anyway, I would like to get the wood into a better area for processing. the tree is laying about 50 yards into the woods on the opposite side of a small (like 2' wide)creek that flows though a gulley that is about 6 ' deep and 15' wide. I cant get a tractor to it and to get it out I would have to hand carry each round or pull out sections with the winch on my jeep. if I pull sections (maybe 10' long) out of the woods with the winch, how concerned do i need to be about the dirt collected in the bark when I run my saw through it? any ideas or suggestions are welcome, even if its just to tell me to stop worrying and buck it! thanks in advance, this is a wonderful site. GAP


Welcome to the forum gap.

Best would be to drag them when the ground is frozen but you can do it now too. But you do have to be concerned with the dirt for sure. One cut through the dirt will dull that saw fast. We've wire brushed some with good luck. You only have to clean where the cut will be and leave the rest on. When it dries a lot will fall off all by itself.

Another possibility is to build yourself a small dray. Not only could you use it now but you'll then have it for years to come. This is a dray I threw together and don't think I have even $10 into it. It works really nice when you load some logs and strap or chain them on. That will keep the log out of the dirt and you can pull the dray much easier than you can drag a log.

Dray-1.jpg


Haulinglogs4.jpg
 
Can you buck it where it lies and wheelbarow it out round by round? Wheelbarrows get around pretty well in the woods.
 
I appreciate the suggestions and think that maybe I'll wait till the ground freezes. I probably wouldn't get to bucking/splitting before winter anyway. the dray is a possibility also. I would use a wheel barrow but the ditch/gulley is too big. I'll post up when it gets worked out. thanks again.
 
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