Scroungable wood not so prevelant here in my area this year so far

[PA. Woodsman]

I haven't been on full wood alert lately because I thankfully am ahead of the game as usual, but I still look. I have noticed that there doesn't seem to be an abundance of good fuelwood around, be it in the compost sites or whatnot, and was wondering how much of that is a result of the bad Winter that we had. But like I posted awhile ago, the guys in my neighborhood that used to go gangbusters with it have really slacked off; I wonder if people just aren't trimming trees or cutting them down or if it is being snapped up quickly, but I just don't see the obvious stuff so far this year.

Is it the same in your areas?

 

[Snigg]

There definitely seems to be less scrounge opportunities in my area, just south of Pittsburgh, so far this spring/summer compared to last year. I watch Craigslist regularly and don't see as much around. The ones I do see seem to be getting grabbed up pretty quick.

 

[Roundgunner]

I think the writing is on the wall, fuel prices will be going up (a lot) so more able bodies will be burning wood. I don't think I will be passing on anything this summer.

 

[Charles1981]

There never has and never will be free wood scores in my area. I live in a rural area and 75% of my neighbors all burn with wood. The only ads that pop up in our area are goofballs that think people want to take down trees next to their house, power-line, or major roadway for free or worse will pay the tree owner for the courtesy of obtaining the wood.

The only luck I have had is just driving by houses and asking about downed trees but even then most of the time when I knock on the door 5 people have already tried to claim it lol.

If I wanted to travel into detroit or lansing I could score more wood, but 90 minutes in either direction is pretty much not my idea of any kind of score given gas prices.

 

[Jon1270]

I hadn't noticed a shortage, but I'm stocked up and probably not seeing things in quite the same way. Consistent lengths really help with my smallish stove, so I prefer trees that aren't bucked yet, rather than ones that have been chunked up by tree services. Right now I know of a big red oak trunk and a good-sized storm-downed cherry that are both nearby, but I just have nowhere to put any more. I'm a little anxious that a neighbor will take down his dead ash tree before I can find a place to put it.

 

[Hickorynut]

Not too many scrounge opportunities in my area either over the last couple years. No tornadoes or bad straight line winds to speak of. However, it is going to break loose like gangbusters later this summer and the next couple years. There are tons of huge oaks going through the dying process. Mostly big yard pin oaks that have got that gall wasp parasite were there are the hard balls on the twigs. Some red oaks dying too. I wouldn't want a planted pin oak in a yard right now for a zillion bucks until this wasp parasite is under control........

 

[Ricky8443]

Just drive off off of the main roads and you'll see more free curbside wood then you'll ever see on craigslist. seriously try it. You probably mostly drive main roads for time purposes.

In Emmaus, Allentown, Bethlehem they grind so much of it up into mulch at the compost sites. It will be difficult to believe for some members, but in most of southeastern PA firewood burning for heat is generally thought of as 'silly' bc of te abundance of gas lines. Downed trees are a nuisance an the desire is to remove it quickly and compost or chip into wood mulch. The thought of a township cutting 16'' and leaving for others is non-existent bc most ppl don't burn firewood. In addition, coal is abundant 75 miles to the north (cheaper, easier, and hotter than wood).

I have found that the best luck is in heavily wooded neighborhoods that are middle income with gas lines and off the main road. Ppl often opt out of wood removal in order to save money or because they have a friend or cabin/ property in the Poconos. But then they realize how much there is and they give it away.

 

[TreePointer]

Wood scrounges often get a bump around here during hurricane season. The remnants of these storms will blow through and knock down enough wood. The only problem (in terms of firewood only) is that the past couple years have been relatively calm in terms of these larger storms.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Yep. Last year was better. This year if a tree goes down it's cut up and gone in a few days. The tree guys know the good stuff too.

 

[slayer7]

It's been tough pickins around here. The last few years, there were plenty of CL scores close by so I didn't have to worry about it too much. This year, I've noticed there seems to be more competition, less scores, or they are gone within seconds of the posting. I've ended up having to travel farther (15-25 miles) to get the last few truckloads that will fill 15's stacks but thankfully I just finished the other day and am now in splitting/stacking mode.

 

[dakjd03]

Haven't had a lot of luck scrounging in the Lehigh Valley area, got lucky and got a few loads from a guy at work when his tree came down in a storm, and a load of maple I found on Craigslist. I'll have to try taking the long way home off the main roads, thanks Ricky8443 for the tip.

 

[WiscWoody]

And up here theres more than I need like most years. It is a national forest so I guess that helps and its just down the road.

 

[pricey106]

I found a decent amount this year, about 3 or four cords worth. I only use firewood for camping and an outdoor fire pit. I usually go through a cord camping and another in the backyard.
My first haul for the year was a lot clearing job. Second was highway dept roadside clearing. The roadside haul was pretty good, except when I went back last Saturday and saw that someone else had taken the 3 huge trees I specifically went to work on. Each one being 30" plus and 30 to 40 feet long. They must have had heavy equipment cause they didnt even cut them there. And there was very little in the amount of drag marks going out. I wanted to cry when I saw they were gone. But I still managed to cut up enough of the smaller logs to get 2 truckloads that day. A mix of red oak, white oak and maple. That pile is 4 rounds deep by the way.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I'm finding it to be in a dry spell here in nj. There is pine every where you look from last winter, but nothing else. You need to be in the right place at the right time These days, i guess.....but you never know what tomorrow brings, keep your eyes open......

 

[woodsman416]

We've had so much storm damage in the last couple of years, I can go to dozens of properties and cut all the wood I want. I agreed to go with a friend of mine on Sunday to cut and remove about a dozen ash trees from a property. I'm doing it to help him out and maybe I'll take a truck load home but I still have 7 or 8 hickories and oaks down on my own property that I haven't gotten to yet.

 

[woodking]

It seems that the big tree trimmers are chipping everything lately. I would think it hasto do with liability...

 

[WiscWoody]

I found a decent amount this year, about 3 or four cords worth. I only use firewood for camping and an outdoor fire pit. I usually go through a cord camping and another in the backyard.
My first haul for the year was a lot clearing job. Second was highway dept roadside clearing. The roadside haul was pretty good, except when I went back last Saturday and saw that someone else had taken the 3 huge trees I specifically went to work on. Each one being 30" plus and 30 to 40 feet long. They must have had heavy equipment cause they didnt even cut them there. And there was very little in the amount of drag marks going out. I wanted to cry when I saw they were gone. But I still managed to cut up enough of the smaller logs to get 2 truckloads that day.View attachment 134662View attachment 134662 A mix of red oak, white oak and maple. That pile is 4 rounds deep by the way.

That's funny, once again both piles look astonishingly similar!

 

[pricey106]

Sorry, the internet reception here at work sucks. Sometimes it does not let me upload, then it repeats.

 

[TreePointer]

Big storm went through yesterday (Tuesday). Lots of wind with saturated ground made for downed limbs and some uprooted trees. It's a bummer for the homeowner but a small bonanza for local firewooders.

EAB was first reported in my county in 2007, but I hadn't seen its more advanced stages in my immediate area until now. I haven't had time to perform a comprehensive survey, but all the ash trees I've seen on our farm are showing clear signs of infestation. It's going to be A LOT of firewood production over the next year plus, but I'd rather not get it this way.

 

[WiscWoody]

Sorry, the internet reception here at work sucks. Sometimes it does not let me upload, then it repeats.

I just figured you were trying to get twice the wood.

 

[WiscWoody]

We had a storm go through here last week taking down trees. Here's one at the end of a neighbors driveway that's been there since the storm, they haven't been to their cabin in a few weeks now. I thought about cutting it up for them but the Mosquitos are unreal now and I can hardly get my own stuff done.

 

[pricey106]

I just figured you were trying to get twice the wood.

It would be nice to have twice the wood....but I am running out of room on my borrowed woodlot. Its on my buddy's land and I don't want to stack too much. I only use firewood for camping and my backyard fire pit. I use about 2 cords a year.

I just figured you were trying to get twice the wood.

 

[Z33]

Come to think of if freebies have been a little slow down here also. I have plenty for the next two years but its really putting a dent in my 3 year plan aspirations. Maybe we can get some good summer storms.

 

[D8Chumley]

PA Woodsman, I'm going to a new job on Monday the 7th, and the Superintendent I'm working for now is the same for the next job also. I asked him if there's any firewood there. He told me yesterday the owner of the job also owns the property across the street with some blowdowns the owner wants taken care of. I'll check it out and let you know if its cool to "share" my upcoming score when I get there. I'll probably cut up a pickup load hopefully each day since I have a company truck and there's nothing better than NOT having to spend my gas to haul home a firewood score in my truck. The job is somewhere around Fort Washington, if you are interested. I have no idea what kind of wood it is until I get there, the Super isn't a "firewood guy"