Scoring AND storing wood.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

CHeath

Feeling the Heat
Feb 18, 2013
273
Northwest NorthCarolina Mtns
This is a 2 part question lol. I've got a couple of issues. 1. Scoring of the wood. A few years ago my wood was free. My dad burns wood and had a few boys on the business owe him money. Apparently it was a lot because I had wood delivered every week. Well that's all dried up. I'm not a fan of the "well seasoned wood" on Craigslist either. It's a crapshoot mostly and everyone has a bad Craigslist story. I have the equipment to cut but it's like fishing around here. Folks don't want you fishing in their ponds or cutting their trees. No matter if it's 100 acres of pure forest. Hard to get way ahead when wood is not so readily available.

2. I live in the city limits. It's a super small farm town. 4 total stop lights but still it's the limits. I have an acre of land with really no where to stack any But I do have a few wooded spots around a 6 acre corn field that backs up to my subdivision. The owner of the corn field is 86 and lives 3 hours away. Be leases the field to farmers and they do corn one year and soybeans the next. It would be 100% out of their way.

I don't think that the owner would not ever see it if even he came up if I put a cord or 6 out there lol but I'm not sure that someone wouldn't call him and rat me out. I have no enemies and all of my neighbors are good people but that doesn't hold a lot of water.

If I stacked a few cords down In the woods, it would be easily accessible by truck and 4 wheeler. I would have to c/s/s it at the stacks and then trailer them to the house (maybe 200 yards) Again, when I get a delivery the truck can back right up to the stacks.


You can see my issue with #1 but what about #2? I would hate to put in the work and be asked to move it when I have no where to move it but on the other hand, theres no where else to put it off site. Should I let it rip and keep it well hid or not burn wood? That's a tough one. I have not burned since 2013 and plan on starting back in the fall of this year.


Just a lot to think about. Oh and ps, If I called and asked him, I truly think he would say no. I don't know him well, he doesn't owe me anything and has no gain by letting me clutter up his land with wood stacks. That's my thinking.

Thanks in advance.
 
This is a 2 part question lol. I've got a couple of issues. 1. Scoring of the wood. A few years ago my wood was free. My dad burns wood and had a few boys on the business owe him money. Apparently it was a lot because I had wood delivered every week. Well that's all dried up. I'm not a fan of the "well seasoned wood" on Craigslist either. It's a crapshoot mostly and everyone has a bad Craigslist story. I have the equipment to cut but it's like fishing around here. Folks don't want you fishing in their ponds or cutting their trees. No matter if it's 100 acres of pure forest. Hard to get way ahead when wood is not so readily available.

2. I live in the city limits. It's a super small farm town. 4 total stop lights but still it's the limits. I have an acre of land with really no where to stack any But I do have a few wooded spots around a 6 acre corn field that backs up to my subdivision. The owner of the corn field is 86 and lives 3 hours away. Be leases the field to farmers and they do corn one year and soybeans the next. It would be 100% out of their way.

I don't think that the owner would not ever see it if even he came up if I put a cord or 6 out there lol but I'm not sure that someone wouldn't call him and rat me out. I have no enemies and all of my neighbors are good people but that doesn't hold a lot of water.

If I stacked a few cords down In the woods, it would be easily accessible by truck and 4 wheeler. I would have to c/s/s it at the stacks and then trailer them to the house (maybe 200 yards) Again, when I get a delivery the truck can back right up to the stacks.


You can see my issue with #1 but what about #2? I would hate to put in the work and be asked to move it when I have no where to move it but on the other hand, theres no where else to put it off site. Should I let it rip and keep it well hid or not burn wood? That's a tough one. I have not burned since 2013 and plan on starting back in the fall of this year.


Just a lot to think about. Oh and ps, If I called and asked him, I truly think he would say no. I don't know him well, he doesn't owe me anything and has no gain by letting me clutter up his land with wood stacks. That's my thinking.

Thanks in advance.
You might be surprised, sometimes older folk put a lot of value in a conversation. You should call him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CHeath
This is a 2 part question lol. I've got a couple of issues. 1. Scoring of the wood. A few years ago my wood was free. My dad burns wood and had a few boys on the business owe him money. Apparently it was a lot because I had wood delivered every week. Well that's all dried up. I'm not a fan of the "well seasoned wood" on Craigslist either. It's a crapshoot mostly and everyone has a bad Craigslist story. I have the equipment to cut but it's like fishing around here. Folks don't want you fishing in their ponds or cutting their trees. No matter if it's 100 acres of pure forest. Hard to get way ahead when wood is not so readily available.

2. I live in the city limits. It's a super small farm town. 4 total stop lights but still it's the limits. I have an acre of land with really no where to stack any But I do have a few wooded spots around a 6 acre corn field that backs up to my subdivision. The owner of the corn field is 86 and lives 3 hours away. Be leases the field to farmers and they do corn one year and soybeans the next. It would be 100% out of their way.

I don't think that the owner would not ever see it if even he came up if I put a cord or 6 out there lol but I'm not sure that someone wouldn't call him and rat me out. I have no enemies and all of my neighbors are good people but that doesn't hold a lot of water.

If I stacked a few cords down In the woods, it would be easily accessible by truck and 4 wheeler. I would have to c/s/s it at the stacks and then trailer them to the house (maybe 200 yards) Again, when I get a delivery the truck can back right up to the stacks.


You can see my issue with #1 but what about #2? I would hate to put in the work and be asked to move it when I have no where to move it but on the other hand, theres no where else to put it off site. Should I let it rip and keep it well hid or not burn wood? That's a tough one. I have not burned since 2013 and plan on starting back in the fall of this year.


Just a lot to think about. Oh and ps, If I called and asked him, I truly think he would say no. I don't know him well, he doesn't owe me anything and has no gain by letting me clutter up his land with wood stacks. That's my thinking.

Thanks in advance.
Call him, ask him how he's been, compliment him on something that you know about him, then ask him your question. You've lost the game before ever setting foot on the field with your preconceived notion that he's going to say no. Believe me when I tell you that I have been told no many times, but I've also been told yes many times. Don't defeat yourself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CHeath
I'm not sure the owner, the Lessor, has the right to say yes or no, but that the Lessee does. My dad leased hundreds of acres as a farmer for decades and pretty much had total control of the land. There is no way somebody could show up and stack wood wherever they please. It would have had to, at least, been approved by him, the Lessee. You might talk to the old gent first, he'd probably okay it, then tell the farmer you were talking to the owner recently and you asked if he thought it would be okay and he said to call you (the Lessee). And ASK the farmer if you could do it. You could also extend some kind of favor to the farmer, take him something as a gift each year. Like, if you fish, take him some freshly cleaned fish, etc.

P.S. Alot of this depends on if the farmer has a written lease. It may or may not be recorded in the courthouse, it might be private only to the parties.
 
Call and talk to the man.You could be pleasantly surprised! I inquired as to who owned some land here as there was several dead trees I had been looking at. I was told the man who owned it was a pompous ass and there was no way he would allow access to his property....guess what?We have been steadfast friends ever since and I have free reign of his property.
 
If you go stacking wood on someone else's property without their permission, they are completely within their rights to clean it up and haul it off.

There's a lot of good advice in the thread on how to make the phone call and who to call. Call either the landlord or the renter, whichever you prefer. If you need to call the other, they will let you know.

But thinking you can trespass onto someone's property and use it for your own person benefit is a problem. Make the call.

And don't think it wouldn't be seen. The 78 year old absentee landlord that I rent a field from lives 2 hours away and comes out twice a year to drive completely around the field. Spends most of the day out there each time, checking everything over. He'd see it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maple1 and CHeath
My wife had major issues talking to the executive secretary of our neighbors who handles all of their affairs. I gave her a call, had a great chat..turns out we have a ton in common... and now there is nothing we can't talk through.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CHeath
I think if you stack wood on someone else's property without permission and they find it it's their wood now, not yours. With an acre lot you should have plenty of room to stack on your own property unless it's all garden or something.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TedyOH and CHeath
I live in the city limits. It's a super small farm town. 4 total stop lights but still it's the limits. I have an acre of land with really no where to stack any

Are you prohibited from stacking wood because you're in the city limits? If not I find it hard to believe you can't find a place to stack some wood. Take some extra time to keep it straight and even. Done neatly a wood stack looks attractive and doesn't take away from the view. Use a stack like a fence to screen something you don't want to look at. Build a shed, which is always the best way to store wood. Lots of options.
 
Are you prohibited from stacking wood because you're in the city limits? If not I find it hard to believe you can't find a place to stack some wood. Take some extra time to keep it straight and even. Done neatly a wood stack looks attractive and doesn't take away from the view. Use a stack like a fence to screen something you don't want to look at. Build a shed, which is always the best way to store wood. Lots of options.

a stack fence would be a good idea. Thanks for sharing.
 
Using someone elses land for anything without permission should be a non-starter.

You should be able to stack all kinds of wood on 1 acre. That's about what I'm on and I have 2 winters wood out there under the snow, with room for lots more. I have it double stacked along 2 side lines - looks pretty good, I think. Sort of fence-like.
 
i have been thinking about the stack fence idea. i need to clear out a few more giant rose bushes first, then i can build my fence :)
 
If you go stacking wood on someone else's property without their permission, they are completely within their rights to clean it up and haul it off.

And he would be with in his rights to press trespassing charges and bill you for the cleanup.
 
I guess the part one isnt getting any attention lol. I did BUY some pecan earlier though. So I guess it was a score.
 
We are not sure if you found a place to store it yet...

Look up local tree removal services, then call them and ask if they have any wood you can take for free. I have had luck with Craigslist, so not sure what the trouble is there. You do have to sift through the garbage to find the hidden gems. You could also make your own post offering free tree removal and then sift through the responses for the ones that are easy enough for you to handle. Last but not least, drive around and look for it. I pass several downed trees on the way to work each day.
 
Some municipalities and counties have programs that allow you to harvest/cut in their parks and other gov't owned land.
 
I second the idea that one acre is more than enough to have your wood supply. At any given time I have at least 7 or at 8 cords on my half acre.
 
I have 5 acres, but most of it is hill, so I have a very tough time finding wood storage area.
 
Mama always told me to always ask permission first when something wasn't mine.

And yeah . . . if you have an acre you can store a lot of wood on that acre. I have a two acre lot and most of the structures (house, two sheds, woodshed/sled shed, swimming pool) and my wood processing/stacking area is on one acre. Depending on how hilly the area is, the lay out, etc. you may need to get creative with the location of the stacks/processing area.
 
I have 5 acres, but most of it is hill, so I have a very tough time finding wood storage area.
Can you dig and set treated 4x4 post in that hillside? I have seen it done and it works well . String 2x4 or 2x6s along the bottom and tie them together with decking. It will last for years
 
Can you dig and set treated 4x4 post in that hillside? I have seen it done and it works well . String 2x4 or 2x6s along the bottom and tie them together with decking. It will last for years

Digging is tough because you hit solid rock real fast. What I have been doing is building a haiseholden and then resting a line of stack against it going up the hill.


[Hearth.com] Scoring AND storing wood.
 
Digging is tough because you hit solid rock real fast. What I have been doing is building a haiseholden and then resting a line of stack against it going up the hill.


View attachment 194730
Solid rock is a issue! Looks like that's the best you can do...short of dynamite lol
 
As far as scoring wood my advice is always CL but I assume it's a little different in your area. How far is the nearest city or decent sized town? If it's worth the trek for free wood then just search those cities on CL, daily. Quite honestly I search my area every few hours on my phone, it takes 2 seconds.

If you have a town dump/drop off site you could always call them to see if they'll let you take wood. There's a ton at my town dump but they won't let anyone take it. It has to be ground into wood chips instead. Not that anyone can have those either...

As far as stacking wood on someone else's property, that is a bit sketchy in my opinion. It's worth it to at least ask - the worst they can do is say NO.