Is scoutenscroungitis a new wood burners disease?

[saskwoodburner]

As a relatively new wood burner, I'm wondering does this affect anyone else? We live in the country, and have access to dead fall everywhere around here. I'll be driving to town, and I make a mental note of bunches of dead fall or standing dead in the area. Out for a walk in the back forty, and I'm taking mental notes of how much I think I can get....

Anyone else with this sickness?

 

[Applesister]

I question the fact that Im female and have these issues. I suspect others may see something off about it. But I hang around with guys who like to hunt avidly and one guy expressed the opinion that males were generally the 'hunters' and females are the 'berry gatherers'. So for quite some time now I have linked squirreling firewood...or hoarding firewood with the whole berry gathering theme.
It may have historically been a female chore. And its like squirrels gathering nuts. That image pops into my mind all the time.

 

[Mettlemickey]

I'm coming up to my first anniversary of burning. Its definitely an addiction. Once you tune into possible scrounges that's it.

My wife keeps telling me off for pointing out piles of logs on TV! Now its Christmas every chef our chat show host has a roaring fire in the back ground with a pulse of logs next to it.

Better get out the house ba bit more I think!

 

[j7art2]

I too started burning with wood again this year after doing so for 20 some years growing up. This is my first year burning alone, and not because the parents did so.

Every single tree I see, I think about the best way to fell it, etc. I also make a mental note to identify every type of tree I can, and those that I don't recognize, I make a note to find out what it is and its BTU value. I use mine for more educational purposes, but also for fun.

 

[Mettlemickey]

There's probably a clinical name for this condition!

 

[saskwoodburner]

There's probably a clinical name for this condition!

Yeah, but cheap bugger doesn't sound as nice!

 

[XJcacher]

And its like squirrels gathering nuts.

So does that make us squirrelly?

 

[Seanm]

Im the same way. I live very close to the bush and when I take the dog for a hike Im always looking for firewood even if I dont plan on grabbing it for 6 months. I already have next years harvesting all figured out, down to the tree. I remember coming back to town from showing houses and detoured into the bush to look for firewood. A couple good old boys pulled up next to me to say hi and said I looked like a city slicker dressed in slacks, dress shoes and an ironed shirt. I chuckled and said Id lived here for 17 years. I had just been climbing up a mossy slope looking at a larch that I plan to harvest in the spring. I was concerned about my shoes so told myself I should have my boots and gators with me when im working for those side adventures during the work day!

 

[Roundgunner]

The tree trimmers are working hard around here and every time I see wood on the ground I want to stop and pick it up. Today I picked up about a third of a cord about a quarter mile down the road with the Kubota, never even had to break a sweat or start the saw.

 

[blades]

It is called FAD for short, Firewood Acquisition Disease

 

[Knots]

When driving around I barely notice the architecture of people's houses and glaze over at the landscaping. That one piece of cut-to-length wood in the back corner of the lot however...

 

[razerface]

I guess i dont have the desease. When i walk thru my woods, i am mad about all the downed trees and wood that needs cut and split. Too much work! I will be glad when all those logged tree tops are gone!

 

[saskwoodburner]

When I think back to my early years, I think it's possible that my father had the same problem. I always wondered why he'd use the snowmobile and a sled and go cut in areas you couldn't reach with a truck. He'd pull me around in the sled and then it was "better go for a jag of wood" And off we went.

 

[lindnova]

Same problem here. I thought I was nearly caught up and running out of the dead elms and oaks I had, then while deer hunting I walked thru an area with some dead oaks and lots of dead elm. Next weekend I cleared a path up to them. I have 30 cords in back NOT including this years.

I have sold some and might sell more. The stuff I sold was good oak and I am burning a mix of wood myself, but it works for me.


Every chance I get I am cutting and hauling. Once the snow gets deep I will be splitting. Good exercise, but also kind of a sickness my wife thinks.

 

[weatherguy]

Its not just taking mental notes its actually gathering all the firewood and bringing it home to your stacks. I noticed a nice black locust the other day, I'll be back to get it soon.

 

[Mettlemickey]

Can you chaps in America & Canada just take trees that have fallen then? Do you need a permit or can you just turn up? Are there any limits as to how much you can take?

Id probably get thrown in jail if i rocked up with a chain saw in a British wood and started loading my car up

 

[saskwoodburner]

So hard just seeing that "fuel" sitting there. I gotta say I'm jealous of all you guys that have access to hardwood, as all we really have is poplar, some pine about 10 minutes away, and a few birch here and there. But I won't complain too much though, free wood is free wood. For our needs, poplar and pine work well, can blast us out of the shack with heat now, and we don't run the stove overnight.

Any reason why poplar burns with such a blue flame?

 

[saskwoodburner]

Can you chaps in America & Canada just take trees that have fallen then? Do you need a permit or can you just turn up? Are there any limits as to how much you can take?

Id probably get thrown in jail if i rocked up with a chain saw in a British wood and started loading my car up

Where I am here in Canada, on your own land, you can harvest all dead fall or live trees without a permit. In our provincial forests, you can harvest standing dead or dead fall with no permit. You can get a permit I believe for a nominal fee, to cut certain amounts of green/live trees. And also you'd need some other permit to sell I think. From asking around and a bit of internet looking this is what I know to be true around here.

 

[lindnova]

I cut on my own land or some clearing sites occasionally. No permits for me not now or never.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

My name is Chris, and I am also scrounge addict.

Keep coming back. The program works if you work it.

 

[Coach B]

Can you chaps in America & Canada just take trees that have fallen then? Do you need a permit or can you just turn up? Are there any limits as to how much you can take?

Id probably get thrown in jail if i rocked up with a chain saw in a British wood and started loading my car up

Most of the populated areas in the states are privately owned. Generally, as long as we own it or have permission from the owner we cut away. State and National Forests would be a different matter.

 

[rudysmallfry]

My last score was made in slippers and pajamas. I am indeed a scrounge addict which was made much worse once I owned my own pickup truck and chain saw.

 

[D8Chumley]

I've been working 2nd shift for about 5 weeks now and it has me all screwed up for scrounging. I did cut an ash blowdown at Thanksgiving that has been laying across the creek bed in front of my property about 3/4 cord. I can't leave ash lay it's too good of wood. There's one that blew down about 30-40 yards in the woods along my driveway I look at every time I come home, I think I'm going to go spend some more time breaking in the Echo 590 in a few minutes, even just to buck it up. I'll drag the splitter to it and load it in the cart when I have time soon, right now I have over 3 cord of rounds piled in my staging area that I need to make room for before I split and stack it. It's good to be ahead

 

[bebop]

I live in the city and don't have dead fall nearby, but I have an ongoing search on Craigslist for free wood, trees or firewood. Got a few cords this year and its burning nicely. Haven't had to head to the mountains since we started burning 2 years ago.

 

[Mettlemickey]

Sounds like I need to buy my own wood then Coach B! I reckon 20 acres would be enough for me