How do you get yours?

[jkbemdavis]

For me.... it's trips out to the woods, driving my 1968 Allis Chalmers D15 tractor, and pulling a New Idea Manure Spreader converted to a wood wagon. It squeaks and isn't pretty, but it's effective. While it's wet like it has been so far this winter, I drive the 1984 Yamaha 225dx three wheeler out, cut and pile up rounds or lengths, then when the ground freezes, it'll be more trips with the tractor and wagon.

 

[barmstrong2]

Mostly scrounges locally. If I see a blowdown, I'll check with the landowner. And, I work with a small town public works department, so, I get a lot from our roadside cutting activities.

 

[Firefighter938]

My family and my wife's family own acreage so I clean up dead trees and problem trees. I also have friends who farm and clean up fence rows occasionally. I clean up some tree tops from a recent logging on a friends property, and I cut up trees in my neighborhood when they fall or get trimmed.

Sometimes I can drive right to my cutting site. Other times I cut/split/wheelbarrow out of thick nasty woods that I cut trails into.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

All my wood has come from scrounges. Last years wood all came from dead standing elm on 1 property. Found an add in the local electric co-op news letter and responded (2 springs ago). Burning some oak from that property this year that was cut at the same time. All my other wood has come from craigslist, adds I responded to, and adds I ran for free removal of dead, blow downs, etc. And simply asking when I see a fallen tree which generally leads to more. Some I can drive the truck right up to. Others were thankfully on hilly property that I could roll the rounds down to the truck, and others involved some wheelbarrow transport. I like all the different challenges I've come across. It makes heating with it all that more enjoyable!

 

[Wood Duck]

I don't own acreage, so I have to scrounge wood from other people. I haul it with an SUV and trailer, so I can't get out into the woods unless there is a good road.

 

[ZZ Tom]

I've put the word out to family and friends that we are on the scrounge. My FIL is the maintenance manager at a condo complex, so when they have trees being removed he will try to save it for us. Scored about a cord of pine and half cord of elm and boxelder earlier this year, got a truck load of apple from SIL mother, wife's work removed some elm, got about a cord from that. My wife saw a lot being cleared for development and asked the foreman, he said to come on out and take what we wanted, our Valentines Day date this year was cutting and hauling wood. I haven't purchased firewood in I don't know how many years.

 

[Oldman47]

My new home is on 40 acres of mostly timber so dead and down is easy to find but, and it is a big but, another small woodlot that I planted about 25 years ago is around 20% ash so I know where my next few years of firewood will come from. EAB has already arrived in the county so it is a matter of time before I have lots of straight grained ash to cut and burn.

 

[Poindexter]

Given the value of my time, this is worth it to me.

 

[Seanm]

I purchase a yearly harvesting license that I print off each year. I sign it and date it. The cost is the ink from my printer and a sheet of paper. From there I head out to crown land which is all around and harvest what I find (within the restrictions listed on my license). Those who are keen and know where to find the wood its a good system. I hear some people complain to me that they dont know where to go. I spend lots of time all over the valley and in the sub alpine walking the dog and also going for bush cruises so I spot opportunities. I enjoy walking the forest and climbing over blow downs and looking at the plants, mushrooms, trees, animal signs, berries... you get the idea. When its time to head out with the chainsaw I already know where to go.

 

[PDXpyro]

Must admit that we purchase about 50% of our wood pre-split, but I'm obsessive about getting a good deal and usually favor wood that isn't advertised as "seasoned" for the best bargains. We have just enough space to store and season the wood ourselves for that three-year plan, and I'm not much of a lumberjack considering my age and previous lack of chainsaw experience.

Splitting, sure: the other 50% comes from Craigslist scrounges and just keeping an eye out for opportunities. Stove-length cut rounds from tree-company leavings are the prime source -- I'll cut up some of the smaller stuff, but anything much over 6-8" diameter is left to the pros.

--Hey, I've admitted to being a wimp here before. It works for us!

 

[firefighterjake]

Mostly scrounging these days.

 

[TedyOH]

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Polaris XP 800 and a trip to the forest.

 

[Stinkpickle]

Lately, I've been buying it already split. I tell the sellers i don't mind buying green wood and seasoning it myself. They often let me pick up a truckload for under $50 in the spring and early summer. It saves me a lot of time.

 

[Hasufel]

I've got 5 acres of mostly hardwoods so there's always something to harvest, even if it's just a big limb. Lately, however, it seems like Mother Nature has gone out of her way to provide firewood. Over the last year or so I've gotten a couple each of hickory, maple, and tulip poplar along with a few red oaks--all diseased, dead, or knocked over by storms. No ash here so EAB isn't an issue, but I wonder if the crazy weather has been stressing the trees more than usual.

 

[melloyello]

Craigslist ads, Facebook yardsale ads, logging decks, occasional friend in need, my yard is full of poplar, gum and oak that I have been thinning for 2 years now.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

My family and my wife's family own acreage so I clean up dead trees and problem trees. I also have friends who farm and clean up fence rows occasionally. I clean up some tree tops from a recent logging on a friends property, and I cut up trees in my neighborhood when they fall or get trimmed.

Sometimes I can drive right to my cutting site. Other times I cut/split/wheelbarrow out of thick nasty woods that I cut trails into.

I second that. Our friends own wineries and are always clearing and cutting. Last year we scored over two cords of locust posts that they had used to stake up the wires for vines. I also have friends who are excavators and who bring me trucks of firewood like you would bring someone a bottle of wine at a dinner party haha. I would rather have the firewood.

 

[TheBigIron]

For me it's...... If I can pull the fallen tree to a landing spot then it's my 1993 chevy 3/4t truck and 250' steel cable.. Or if it is back in the woods then I use my 4x4 polaris and my Yutrax utility cart. Mowed and maintained trails make it easy to pull up next to the trees and cut to size and load into cart....

 

[Riff]

It's a mix here. Some of it is bought, some is scrounged off Craigslist, and some of it comes from fallen trees on our property.

 

[warno]

By putting my truck in 4WD drive, or at least I'm confident that my next load will require it. My dad and I have our wood lot on another property that dad owns it's down the beginning of a dirt road then it's a grass lot that holds water pretty well. And with our 4-5"of rain which I doubt is going to freeze anytime soon, it will be interesting to get at it. I didn't think it was going to rain like it has, I should have gotten my next load out sooner.

As far as getting the wood to the lot though. We have scrounge areas and people that ask to get rid of their trees. I also just talked to a local tree guy who said that he could dump logs in my driveway for nothing.

 

[English BoB]

1998 Ranger 4x4, no longer road worthy, frame rusted out. Still hauls splits from my woods 1/4 cord at a time . I do all work in the woods, leave the mess there.

bob

 

[jkbemdavis]

I'm loving all of these replies. It's interesting seeing all of the different ways people find and/or get their fuel.

 

[DaveH]

Friends and Family know I'll take a tree down for them or clean something up. I also have a few acres to cut off of. Polaris Sportman, Ohio Steel dump cart, Chevy 1500, takes more trips but I never buy wood.

 

[Starstuff]

I have a densely wooded acre that has provided the bulk of my wood as the property had been neglected for years before I bought the house. Lots of standing dead and thinning to clean up. Usually haul stuff around with my Gorilla Cart or the Tacoma if near the driveway. I've also scored a few cords from Craigslist, but I find driving back and forth is a pain and not usually worth my time. Until I get a firewood hauling trailer together so I can take a cord or two at a time, I haven't been bothering lately, especially now that I've got about 10 cords c/s/s. Have been lucky to get a tree cutting company dump a couple loads when they work in the area.

And next door to my property is a 3 acre wooded lot. I don't know who owns it, but when a tree falls in it, I cut it up and haul it away. it has lots of fallen, rotted trees, so clearly nobody is taking care of the property or cares about the wood. I figure I'm doing the owner, whoever he/she is, a favor.

 

[billb3]

I get all I want pine and maple and a blow down oak here and there from family acreage.
I've gotten a 4 cord dump filled on a Saturday that I've paid 2 guys a hundred bucks to help load into the dump truck.
I've paid $40-$80/cord to have dead and down oak pulled out of private property and I've done it myself hauling 3/4 cord 15/20 miles C&S.
I haven't seen log loads for sale around here for two years. I'd pay $100 cord for a log load dumped in the yard for the convenience.
I like free or close to it though when I can find it.

 

[RIDGERUNNER30]

I go out in the woods and get all dead falls and wood left behind on the sides of the road around here. I don't buy wood right now ,maybe one day when i'm old i might have to.