Cutting down trees in winter

[ADK_XJ]

If you want to get into old wives tails, I have heard that cutting in the dark of the moon facilitates drying. Never tried it myself.

What might the dark of the moon be exactly? Or cutting on the dark side of the moon, perhaps - bet there's low moisture content out there...

 

[firefighterjake]

Another advantage of cutting in the winter is that its easier to see the trees that should be taken out without the leaf canopy.

I don't often cut my woodlot in the winter but I will "X" the trunk at eye level with my saw so I can just start cutting in the warmer months

Although playing Devil's Advocate here . . . cutting in the summer lets you see which trees are truly dead if there are no leafs on the branches vs. in the winter when most deciduous trees are leaf-less.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Although playing Devil's Advocate here . . . cutting in the summer lets you see which trees are truly dead if there are no leafs on the branches vs. in the winter when most deciduous trees are leaf-less.

True, which is why I mark them for removal with marking paint. I have had to cut in the warmer seasons to get ahead, but now that I am, most of my cutting will happen in Jan/Feb. Ground is normally frozen, no bugs/briars, and everything is easy to see. Mostly I cut in the dead of winter because not much else can get done outside and I have a little more time, any moisture loss that may or may not happen is a perk.

 

[BoiledOver]

Add me to the list of cold weather loggers, for many reasons. Hard ground, snow cover, no skidding though mud, and less water in the tree. Also, splitting in the coldest temps is best and it is way easier for the Fiskars. A busy firewood processor (human) will appreciate the cold of the winter as opposed to hot summer any day. Brush pile burning in the snow is less likely to cause wildfires.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I cut trees in fall and winter just to avoid the weight of the leaves and the mess of the leaves. I burn all my tops and burning leaves just makes a smokey mess and sends ash all over.

 

[ADK_XJ]

I cut trees in fall and winter just to avoid the weight of the leaves and the mess of the leaves. I burn all my tops and burning leaves just makes a smokey mess and sends ash all over.

second that. Among all the other reasons mentioned, my biggest motivation for cutting in winter is that the foliage is already on the ground and off the trees. Couldn't give evidence but I feel like it saves me TONS of extra time.

 

[xman23]

Cutting when the tree is not pushing water up the tree is what I do. I haven't tested the seasoning time, but it only makes sense that it helps,

 

[JR4AL]

Interesting read...I am new to using a stove, not so new to heating with wood (open fireplace). My grandfather who heated his home for 90+ years,primarily with wood, told me the best way to harvest firewood was to fell the tree in June and leave it alone until the first frost. Then saw, split and stack it for the following winter. He never told me why but I assumed the summer heat and intact leaves reduced the moisture between felling and sawing. One thing was certain, the sawing after the frost was much easier to handle due to the temps but the bucks were considerably lighter, too. Either way, when he died he was 4 years ahead on his firewood. A hero of mine and he would have fit in nicely here but, he never owned a computer!

 

[kennyp2339]

While my grandpa never had any seasoning / felling tricks up his sleeve, I do remember watching him help my dad in the late 80's split a ton of logs by hand, his weapon of choice was a double head axe on a 350" hickory handle, he would take a medium split and get one side of the axe head stuck in it, then he would flip it over and split a huge round, usually both logs would explode on impact, it was cool watching him.

 

[Vikestand]

Add me to the list of people who cut whenever I can. I hate cutting in summer but sometimes that is what it takes!

One thing about winter, my beer stays colder longer!

 

[Pat32rf]

My first experience with "organized woodcutting" was at my Dad's fly in hunt camp. They would arrive on Saturday, then on Sunday they would cut and split a bunch of 6-10" white birch. Burn it for the rest of the week. Been doing this for years because anything left after the hunt would disappear within a week after the hunt...Truly a case of cut when you can.
I cut whenever I can get the tractor up the hill (whenever the snow is not too deep) to the bush and have the help to fell the trees. Skid them out then block at our leisure.
My helper/tennant/woodburning neighbour feels that if we block, then the exposed ends absorb rain so he will not help block until the snow comes. Like I say, its free help and I am 70 with next years wood in the shed so we do things his way.....

 

[Poindexter]

I try to do all my wood processing when the stove is running. Summer is too short up here to be fooling around with a splitter when I could be hunting or camping or boating or fishing. No mosquitoes to deal with either, processing while there is snow on the ground.

According to the local university foresters, felling in winter with "sap down" cuts two weeks off the seasoning time compared to felling "sap up" in the other three seasons. With our local birch and spruce anyway. Dunno about oaks and etc.

 

[ADK_XJ]

...his weapon of choice was a double head axe on a 350" hickory handle...

A 350" axe?! Was your grandpa Paul Bunyan?

 

[D8Chumley]

Add me to the list of people who cut whenever I can. I hate cutting in summer but sometimes that is what it takes!

One thing about winter, my beer stays colder longer!

X2 or 3? If I can, I wait until cooler weather but if I can score some wood from a job I suck it up. I've split in August to get ahead, and I now know I need to avoid such silliness

 

[peakbagger]

I also like to cut in the winter as I think its easier on the chainsaw then cutting in the summer.

I usually look over potential white birches for cutting in the summer and if I see any crown die back, I try to cut them that winter or just after leaf drop as they will start rotting standing even when there are still some growth. I have few picked out that I may cut next week.

 

[Dobish]

we had the local power company send out a crew and started chopping things left and right that were close to the lines. i told them to leave anything that they thought was burnable, so they left me a pretty good pile. they also may have cut down a bit more than they would have if i hadn't told them that! The nice thing about having it cut in the winter was it was easier to drag the brush out, and i could hear every profanity they said since the air was so clear and crisp!

 

[heavy hammer]

I prefer to split and stack my wood when it is sunny and dry. I like running the saws when it is a little cooler, but working in the rain or mud are a thing of the past. Being two to three years ahead has made that possible. But don't get me wrong for the right score you have to do what you have to do. This past spring we had cold and very rainy weather, and I had a black locust tree come available. I didn't want to do it but to good of wood to turn down. It seems like my father waits for the worst weather to then go play in the woods, and it's always an adventure then.

 

[peakbagger]

Some winters I end up cutting trees with snowshoes on. Last winter I was cutting with about 4' on the ground. The trees make a swoosh and a thump when I drop them. If the snow is right it makes bucking the wood up quick as I don't need to worry about hitting dirt with my bar. I do need to be careful that I don't catch the tips of my snowshoes.

My brother had me leave the stumps high so he can get them out with his bulldozer. I usually leave them high but with 4' on the ground they end up real high.

 

[gerry100]

Although playing Devil's Advocate here . . . cutting in the summer lets you see which trees are truly dead if there are no leafs on the branches vs. in the winter when most deciduous trees are leaf-less.

I cut live trees as part of a thinning/wood lot mgt approach, look at the bare crowns shows which trees are growing into and around each other

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I prefer to cut when the sap is down. Even if the drying time is no shorter, the wood is much drier to work with. Last year a white birch fell in the spring, so I cut it up, and there was literally water pumping out of the layers between the wood and the bark. It made a mess of wet sawdust. I also did not get it split and stacked until December this year, and there was already a good deal of rot and fungus in the wood. Tulip poplar has also been wet when cut at times other than winter.

 

[gerry100]

I prefer to cut when the sap is down. Even if the drying time is no shorter, the wood is much drier to work with. Last year a white birch fell in the spring, so I cut it up, and there was literally water pumping out of the layers between the wood and the bark. It made a mess of wet sawdust. I also did not get it split and stacked until December this year, and there was already a good deal of rot and fungus in the wood. Tulip poplar has also been wet when cut at times other than winter.

Must split birch right away as it cannot dry thru the bark.

reason why Indians made canoes from the bark

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Must split birch right away as it cannot dry thru the bark.

reason why Indians made canoes form the bark

nks Kerry

Must split birch right away as it cannot dry thru the bark.

reason why Indians made canoes form the bark

Thanks gerry100. I assume this applies to white and black birch? I'm down to my last white birch, and it is about to go as well. The previous owner threw sticks and leaves into the middle of the three old beautiful white birches that were planted together at the entrance to the driveway, and over time the bugs and rot damaged the trees to the point of no return. I cleaned it out when we arrived, but too late. The first one fell two years ago, the second last year, and the last one, any day now. Once that is done, I'm out of the white birch business, but my woods are full of black birch, and it'll be my main wood (along with tulip poplar) for years to come.

 

[peakbagger]

Must split birch right away as it cannot dry thru the bark.

Really no need to split white birch right away. Its a good thing to do but just run your saw blade lengthwise along the trunk before bucking it , twice in two places if its big and it will be fine as the cuts let the moisture out even if you don't buck it . Make sure you cut down to white wood as the underlying red bark is also waterproof. It can sit for a couple of years this way. Frequently when you come back, the bark will have mostly peeled off the tree. I box the bark and use if for a fire starter. Once its split its as good as maple. The problem most folks have with white birch is its rots on the stump and most wait until its completely dead to cut it. If you keep and eye on the crown and see any significant dieback its time to cut it. Let it set until the crown is fully dead and it sometimes is half rotted and hazardous to cut.

I sometimes split large birch rounds and use them for the bottom of a temporary wood pile in the woods with the bark facing down. It keeps a lot of the moisture from coming up through the ground and the bottom row wood is usually solid for at least 6 months which is about the time it takes me to get it back to my property and stacked for good.

I dropped four birches last week, I ran the saw blade down all four and they will sit until spring that way unless we have an early thaw. I expect to be dropping a few more in the next few months. The are 2018 wood so I am not in major rush to get them processed.

 

[gerry100]

Really no need to split white birch right away. Its a good thing to do but just run your saw blade lengthwise along the trunk before bucking it , twice in two places if its big and it will be fine as the cuts let the moisture out even if you don't buck it . Make sure you cut down to white wood as the underlying red bark is also waterproof. It can sit for a couple of years this way. Frequently when you come back, the bark will have mostly peeled off the tree. I box the bark and use if for a fire starter. Once its split its as good as maple. The problem most folks have with white birch is its rots on the stump and most wait until its completely dead to cut it. If you keep and eye on the crown and see any significant dieback its time to cut it. Let it set until the crown is fully dead and it sometimes is half rotted and hazardous to cut.

I sometimes split large birch rounds and use them for the bottom of a temporary wood pile in the woods with the bark facing down. It keeps a lot of the moisture from coming up through the ground and the bottom row wood is usually solid for at least 6 months which is about the time it takes me to get it back to my property and stacked for good.

I dropped four birches last week, I ran the saw blade down all four and they will sit until spring that way unless we have an early thaw. I expect to be dropping a few more in the next few months. The are 2018 wood so I am not in major rush to get them processed.

You're right about this but my first hand experience is that it doesn't work nearly as well as splitting

 

[peakbagger]

I agree entirely bucked and split is the way to go , but I would rather drop a birch if its looks marginal and score it with saw, then let it sit over the winter standing. If there is any rot to speak of the scoring method doesn't work as well but I generally write off partially rotted birch