Scored some shagbark hickory today

[Rangerbait]

I overheard a co-worker yesterday saying that he had a tree crew taking down a huge Ash next to his house, and asked if he needed any other trees dropped. He jumped at my offer and we headed over at lunch so he could show me his property. He said I was welcome to the remaining bit of Ash that the crew didn't take, a Black Walnut, and several Shagbark Hickorys. I had never cut Shagbark before, so had to look it up...turns out this stuff has huge BTU numbers! Stoked.

I had already decided to take today off to cut some more Poplar at my buddy's homesite that he's clearing, but diverted my plans to this alternate site. Man, is that stuff some hard, heavy wood cloaked in kevlar armor! Needless to say I'll be back to this place many more times...between these folks and their neighbor, they have 11 heavily wooded acres full of Oak, Shagbark, Ash, Black Walnut, and Sycamore (pass).

 

[ohlongarm]

Great score,great amount of btu's that stuff sure works a sawblade.Takes about 18 months in sun to get its maximum btu extraction.If not kept in sun the beetles will ruin it. West Va great state was just through there short time ago. Good work.

 

[firestorm]

You certainly got to jump when opportunity knocks, primo stuff, great score.

 

[Blazing]

Great score! Thanks for the pictures

 

[Rangerbait]

Great score,great amount of btu's that stuff sure works a sawblade.Takes about 18 months in sun to get its maximum btu extraction.If not kept in sun the beetles will ruin it. West Va great state was just through there short time ago. Good work.

I killed two chains on the second tree...I "found" two nails that must've been driven more than 20 years ago because they were in pretty deep. One was a brand new chain.

 

[Rangerbait]

You certainly got to jump when opportunity knocks, primo stuff, great score.

I figured I needed to make this one a priority for sure...gonna go back soon and grab that Ash for sure.

 

[Rangerbait]

Great score! Thanks for the pictures

Thanks!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Great score and great pictures, Hickory is excellent fuelwood ! Those rounds look damn heavy.....

 

[Rangerbait]

Great score and great pictures, Hickory is excellent fuelwood ! Those rounds look damn heavy.....

Unbelievably heavy...I met my match on that base round, hence the noodle job. My F350 was feeling it too, so I know that hickory is substantially heavier than anything I've harvested to date. I plan to let this stuff season until the winter of 18/19.

 

[pernox]

Beautiful pile of btus there! Great wood, and looks like you had a great day to be working it up. I have a 6' bed half ton with a couple extra leaf springs, and a full load of hickory had it just about riding on the bump stops. Heavy stuff indeed!

 

[Rangerbait]

Beautiful pile of btus there! Great wood, and looks like you had a great day to be working it up. I have a 6' bed half ton with a couple extra leaf springs, and a full load of hickory had it just about riding on the bump stops. Heavy stuff indeed!

Man...the F350's squatting like a prerunner truck right now in the driveway sincee I had a bunch of family errands and an HOA meeting to attend to tonight. Poor thing will get relieved in the am though, but now have to figure out how to split this stuff. I've been reading nothing but horror stories about splitting Shagbark; may have to take my friend up on his offer of lending his splitter.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

If not kept in sun the beetles will ruin it.

Anybody else have that issue. I got a cord of it a month ago that had sat for over a year in the woods. Really no punk or any bug issue from out of the normal. Mine will be in the open but in-between two other runs. And I just found a huge shagbark down at the fairgrounds riding the bike with the fam tonight and plan on calling to get it. Nice score!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Yeah the bugs love it too just as much as we do, they have good taste too I guess lol ! I'll be picking up splits from inside the garage to bring into the house and I'll see holes and sawdust powder all over the place, and I always say "if you don't get out now you're gonna get roasted" ha!

 

[Firefighter938]

I have about two cord I split last winter. The beetles have drilled holes in every single split. It is stacked in a mostly sunny location also. I plan on burning it next winter, so I hope there is something left after this summer.

 

[Blazing]

Man...the F350's squatting like a prerunner truck right now in the driveway sincee I had a bunch of family errands and an HOA meeting to attend to tonight. Poor thing will get relieved in the am though, but now have to figure out how to split this stuff. I've been reading nothing but horror stories about splitting Shagbark; may have to take my friend up on his offer of lending his splitter.

The ones I've messed with was splitter only type wood. I mean with a sledge and wedge you can split most anything but who want to do that all day.

 

[Rangerbait]

The ones I've messed with was splitter only type wood. I mean with a sledge and wedge you can split most anything but who want to do that all day.View attachment 195260

My maul was bouncing off of these rounds, but a few quick shots from the x27 and they split right open.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

View attachment 195267

My maul was bouncing off of these rounds, but a few quick shots from the x27 and they split right open.

View attachment 195267

Man that is gorgeous wood !

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

My friend in VA had a big shagbark fall sometime last year. I helped them buck and split about 1/3 chord. That stuff was tough. The only way to get it to split with a maul was to get a few inches in from the sides until it was broken up. Some would even bounce at the edges.

That will be some nice heat! That must be at least 1/2 chord.

 

[Rangerbait]

My friend in VA had a big shagbark fall sometime last year. I helped them buck and split about 1/3 chord. That stuff was tough. The only way to get it to split with a maul was to get a few inches in from the sides until it was broken up. Some would even bounce at the edges.

That will be some nice heat! That must be at least 1/2 chord.

Yeah, anything without perfectly straight grain is a challenge, that's for sure.

I'm hoping a good 3/4 cord, minus the bug-eaten parts that I am going to cut out.

 

[heavy hammer]

My brother has a chunk of property with nothing but 100 foot plus shag bark hickory on them. He has been clearing to get ready to build and the results are great. Shag bark when wet is a very heavy dense wood but once dry is a great heat source. Get all you can and get ready to enjoy in a few years!

 

[Archer285]

Congrats on the score. Don't forget it's a great BBq wood also I'm always tore between burning in the stove or loading up the smoker for some whole venison inner loins...... my opinion a win-win

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[HisTreeNut]

Congrats on the score. Don't forget it's a great BBq wood also I'm always tore between burning in the stove or loading up the smoker for some whole venison inner loins...... my opinion a win-win

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I'd do both...

 

[TedyOH]

Anybody else have that issue.

From what I've found the beetles usually just bore into the sap wood (if the sap wood gets punky), which I find in hickory is very narrow.

 

[chris5150]

The stuff is great. I had some that was seasoned and for eight years and it burned nucular in my stove. Put the needle on my thermometer further then I'd ever seen it before, made it kind of scary.

 

[Rangerbait]

The stuff is great. I had some that was seasoned and for eight years and it burned nucular in my stove. Put the needle on my thermometer further then I'd ever seen it before, made it kind of scary.

Holy crap, 8 years? No issues with beetles or carpenter ants that whole time?