State land not worth it.

[Bad Wolf]

I've put my name in the hat for the State firewood lottery program for 4 years and finally got selected. Its for 2 cords for $60 and they assign you an area and mark the trees you are allowed to take down.
Being a wood whore I jumped on it. I got to inspect it first, none of the trees were very large, the biggest maybe 10" and most 6"- 8" and it was beach, maple and some oak. I figured I'd go for it any way, I needed the wood.
Its turning out to be way more work per cord than getting a nice 18-20" oak. If I hadn't already paid for it I wouldn't bother with it. Next year I'll take my chances on Craigslist where I can pick and choose.
I'll still put my name in for next year but unless its some good size oaks I'll pass and let someone else sweat over it.

 

[midwestcoast]

We cut a lot of wood that size out of our bush growing up. More legwork in the woods for sure, but without branches those trunks go quick & you can get away without splitting. If they are fairly close together I say it comes out pretty even.
$60/cord sure isn't free though...

 

[Tinder]

$60/cord sure isn't free though...

The post read $60 for 2 cords.

What do they expect you to do with the tops? Hopefully leave them?

 

[ethanhudson]

I've put my name in the hat for the State firewood lottery program for 4 years and finally got selected. Its for 2 cords for $60 and they assign you an area and mark the trees you are allowed to take down.
Being a wood whore I jumped on it. I got to inspect it first, none of the trees were very large, the biggest maybe 10" and most 6"- 8" and it was beach, maple and some oak. I figured I'd go for it any way, I needed the wood.
Its turning out to be way more work per cord than getting a nice 18-20" oak. If I hadn't already paid for it I wouldn't bother with it. Next year I'll take my chances on Craigslist where I can pick and choose.
I'll still put my name in for next year but unless its some good size oaks I'll pass and let someone else sweat over it.

Granted we are in different parts of the country, but that sounds like a ripoff to me. Where I live you can get permits for free to take any down dead, or $5 per cord for dead standing basically anywhere in the Black Hills National Forest.

 

[ScotO]

Here in central PA, there are literally CHITLOADS of dead stuff on state game lands, a lot of it already down. Big stuff too. Lots of chestnut and white oak. Lots.of ways to access it (old logging roads and tram roads). They won't open it up to people to use! I understand there are liability issues, but there are also waivers for that. It just disgusts me that we pay for a hunting license here, in a state where the deer population has been decimated recently, and we cannot use the land for anything else. Meanwhile, the PGC logs acres and acres for profit, leases off acres and acres for these damm windmills (for profit), and that land is supposed to be owned by the hunters who've paid for it since the PGC's inception........OK, rant is over.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I've put my name in the hat for the State firewood lottery program for 4 years and finally got selected. Its for 2 cords for $60 and they assign you an area and mark the trees you are allowed to take down.
Being a wood whore I jumped on it. I got to inspect it first, none of the trees were very large, the biggest maybe 10" and most 6"- 8" and it was beach, maple and some oak. I figured I'd go for it any way, I needed the wood.
Its turning out to be way more work per cord than getting a nice 18-20" oak. If I hadn't already paid for it I wouldn't bother with it. Next year I'll take my chances on Craigslist where I can pick and choose.
I'll still put my name in for next year but unless its some good size oaks I'll pass and let someone else sweat over it.

 

[Ashful]

It just disgusts me that we pay for a hunting license here, in a state where the deer population has been decimated recently, and we cannot use the land for anything else.

Someone forgot to tell my deer. Had lots of them standing in the back yard watching me work outside last weekend.

Hoping my wife doesn't manage to hit two of them 6 days apart again this year.

 

[firefighterjake]

Guessing the reason they tag certain trees is for optimum growth . . . perhaps they're "weeding" out the area -- letting the bigger stuff grow longer to disperse more seeds and allowing the smaller stuff time to grow more and replace the older stuff when it begins to die off? Just a guess on my part.

More work -- to be sure. But it all adds up.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Here in central PA, there are literally CHITLOADS of dead stuff on state game lands, a lot of it already down. Big stuff too. Lots of chestnut and white oak. Lots.of ways to access it (old logging roads and tram roads). They won't open it up to people to use! I understand there are liability issues, but there are also waivers for that. It just disgusts me that we pay for a hunting license here, in a state where the deer population has been decimated recently, and we cannot use the land for anything else. Meanwhile, the PGC logs acres and acres for profit, leases off acres and acres for these damm windmills (for profit), and that land is supposed to be owned by the hunters who've paid for it since the PGC's inception........OK, rant is over.

That sucks Scott. Here in MI permits are still given but are no longer free. Last I knew they were $10 but I don't recall how much one can get. Bad part is they want you to get only what is already down. Sometimes one lucks out though. Many moons ago I got a permit (still free at that time) to cut standing maple. Best part is that it was less than 2 miles from home. But it has been 35 years or so since I've cut on state land.

 

[PapaDave]

"Its for 2 cords for $60" Uh, my limited math skills tell me that's $30/cord.
Around here, you pay $20 for 5 cord/yr...personal use only. They tell you where to cut, and I'm pretty sure you can only take stuff that's already down. Thought about it, but haven't done it yet.

 

[red oak]

I'm lucky enough to live close to the George Washington National Forest. $20 for 4 cords, which is enough for me for a winter. No one tells me where to cut, I can go anywhere in the forest. I can cut dead standing or anything that's down. Usually I can find something close to the road that is pretty easy cutting. I round out the woodpile with stuff from my own land and whatever I can scrounge. My experience is that state land is much more expensive/restrictive than National Forest, not sure why though.

Some logging goes on in the National Forest also, and usually they leave the tops behind. I also look for trees that have blown down across the road. Twice in the past year I've found trees like that and the Forest Service had already not only moved it but cut it into pieces also! Love it when the work is already done for me!

 

[bogydave]

Alaska $10/cord up to 10 cords per year.
Clear cutting basically, making moose browse areas.
Allowed ATVs , personal use only & most all the wood close to the road is gone quick.
Lots of work but I'm getting some good quality wood.

 

[Wood Duck]

Here in central PA, there are literally CHITLOADS of dead stuff on state game lands, a lot of it already down. Big stuff too. Lots of chestnut and white oak. Lots.of ways to access it (old logging roads and tram roads). They won't open it up to people to use! I understand there are liability issues, but there are also waivers for that. It just disgusts me that we pay for a hunting license here, in a state where the deer population has been decimated recently, and we cannot use the land for anything else. Meanwhile, the PGC logs acres and acres for profit, leases off acres and acres for these damm windmills (for profit), and that land is supposed to be owned by the hunters who've paid for it since the PGC's inception........OK, rant is over.

Scotty,
In Rothrock State Forest (central PA, not to far from Scotty) you can get a permit to cut downed wood. I think the permit is $10 for a couple of cords, you cannot take a vehicle off the roads, and you are restricted to down wood. It looks to me like most of the easy stuff near road is already gone, but if you find some newly fallen trees you could end up with an easy cord or two. There is a ton of wood available but most is too far from the road to make it practical. I have considered trying it but I don't really need the wood and I haven't found the time. I don't know about other state forests, and I think most state gamelands (land bought by the PA Game Comission and maintainted primarily for hunting) do not allow any wood cutting. The gamelands near my house were partially logged recently and there are hundreds of cords of easy wood on the ground but nobody can cut it.

 

[Bad Wolf]

Here in CT they are trying to squeeze every nickle out of us.
For hunting its $38 for small game and fishing, then another $41 for archery, then another $19 EACH for state land shotgun, state land muzzle loader, private land rifle and private land muzzle loader. You even need a fishing lic. for SALTWATER! Thats $155 for hunting season, and dosen't include turkey or waterfowl, and thats for residents. Non resident would pay $527 for the same thing.
Then they turn around and give it all away, so don't get me started.

I am definatly not retiring here.

 

[fahmahbob]

Here in CT they are trying to squeeze every nickle out of us.
For hunting its $38 for small game and fishing, then another $41 for archery, then another $19 EACH for state land shotgun, state land muzzle loader, prinvate land rifle and private land muzzle loader. You even need a fishing lic. for SALTWATER! Thats $155 for hunting season, and dosen't include turkey or waterfowl, and thats for residents. Non resident would pay $527 for the same thing.
Then they turn around and give it all away, so don't get me started.

I am definatly not retiring here.

Wow. And I complain about having to spend about $60/year for my Mass hunting/fishing license (with archery and primitive arms stamps). Oh, and $5 for the doe permit. That really puts it in perspective.

 

[basod]

Sorry to hear the hunting license woes.
They raised ours to $25.05 this year, still wondering what the nickel is for? That is everything - Turkey(I get a fall and spring in my county), deer-1 doe/day, 4 bucks(Oct 15-Jan 31st), small game, and priviledges at any shooting range.

In the Nat'l forest here you can anything on the ground/blow overs free of charge. There isn't as much demand as up north obviously.

 

[ailanthus]

Someone forgot to tell my deer. Had lots of them standing in the back yard watching me work outside last weekend.

Hoping my wife doesn't manage to hit two of them 6 days apart again this year.

It's ironic - my in-laws live in Doylestown, too & see deer in their front yard almost daily. Of course my F-I-L still goes up to Sullivan county to the old hunting cabin & never sees a thing.

 

[osagebow]

Here in VA it's $20 for 6 cords down / dead -here's the link if anyone is into it.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gwj/passes-permits#fuel.
Access from end of my driveway probably about $60 or so for all the hunting stuff - usually don't get muzzleloader, as it's buck only in NForest.
Deer have been scarce in the past, but seeing lots of fawns this year, and see bear very often. There's one I keep chasing off my neighbor's porch at night. (dog and cat food...ugh!)
He's probably 350lbs - big for here. I won't whack him, but someone will.

 

[Wood Duck]

Here in CT they are trying to squeeze every nickle out of us.
For hunting its $38 for small game and fishing, then another $41 for archery, then another $19 EACH for state land shotgun, state land muzzle loader, private land rifle and private land muzzle loader. You even need a fishing lic. for SALTWATER! Thats $155 for hunting season, and dosen't include turkey or waterfowl, and thats for residents. Non resident would pay $527 for the same thing.
Then they turn around and give it all away, so don't get me started.

I am definatly not retiring here.

Has CT ever sold an out-of state hunting license? What state would I have to live in to want to travel to CT for hunting opportunities? I can understand how Wyoming or Texas mightentice people to pay high out-of-state fees, but I don't understand Connecticut.

 

[Ashful]

see bear very often. There's one I keep chasing off my neighbor's porch at night. (dog and cat food...ugh!) He's probably 350lbs - big for here.

For the uninitiated, how does one "chase" a bear off their porch?

We have semi-frequent bear sightings in our neighborhood, but I haven't seen one myself, yet. Not sure I'd be chasing him at night if I did!

 

[Bad Wolf]

I doubt very many folks come from out of state, just another case of "get what you can" by the State. We do have a lot of deer abeit not many big ones. I usually take 3-4 each year. Last year I got two in rifle and two in muzzle loader. Three come in, only one leaves. Did that twice.

 

[clemsonfor]

Here in CT they are trying to squeeze every nickle out of us.
For hunting its $38 for small game and fishing, then another $41 for archery, then another $19 EACH for state land shotgun, state land muzzle loader, private land rifle and private land muzzle loader. You even need a fishing lic. for SALTWATER! Thats $155 for hunting season, and dosen't include turkey or waterfowl, and thats for residents. Non resident would pay $527 for the same thing.
Then they turn around and give it all away, so don't get me started.

I am definatly not retiring here.

OUCH!! Our big game licence with public land sticker is about $50/yr oh and that is fishing too, not salt but freshwater. I can kill between 5 and 10 bucks per county in the state unless is a coastal county with no daily or season limit. Other counties are 2 deer per day.

As far as wood, i cut on federal Army lands (some of you may have seen my posts). A permit is $10, i think it limits you to truck loads, but no one cares since i work there and i have never been asked by a game warden or anyone to see my permit. All areas are for down or dead trees, but as a forester i take liberty to cut "sick" or dieing trees, really they will die. Or undesirable species if im near them. Or i just have my loggers drag up tops near where i live when near by!!

 

[osagebow]

For the uninitiated, how does one "chase" a bear off their porch?

We have semi-frequent bear sightings in our neighborhood, but I haven't seen one myself, yet. Not sure I'd be chasing him at night if I did!

This guy, yelling and screaming while chasing on a 4-wheeler, then throwing rocks, logs etc into the woods as he runs off. Little yearling guys can just be yelled at or scared with banging pans.(golf club backup ) Pepper spray is up next. Actually trying to keep them from being illegally baited and shot. Common here, unfortunately. I work with a little old lady math teacher that pepper sprayed one last month thru her kitchen window.