Stone Branch, build it, they will come.

[George]

A week ago I was ready to dive into the area where I was planning on expanding a potential food plot area.



Inside this area deer already stage, rub, and scrape so I changed my mind.



I'm now planning on killing trees with my hack hammer, sawing down the dead wood, and flicking my Bic.





Last June I started picking up sticks and the first log that I picked up



had a copperhead underneath where I had put my hands. I like the little ankle biters but I don't want to be bitten.



So I decided that I will be picking up sticks this habitat season.







I have been burning some of this pile this past week. Sugar maple makes for pretty good firewood.



G

 

[George]

on the other side, north side of the ridge top I spent an afternoon with the hack hammer. A similar prescription here, if it isn't a choice sugar maple or an oak tree it is getting kilt. I would like to turn this area into herbs and grass with fire.





It started raining Wednesday evening, it was 30 degrees. I was out cutting weight off my entrance cable at 2 am. My cable had some built in slack to spend. The guy wire and internet cable were destroyed. The area power was out till Friday.



At about the same time, 2 am, the rain started to switch to ice then snow. Tree damage was not extensive.



I had a bit of cutting and a lot of branch shaking to clear a path out to the blacktop. None of ice has melted as of yet and luckily last evening's precipitation was about 1/2 frozen. There are too many bent over trees in my trail up so I've been stuck down in the crack. My electricity is blinking as I type.



G

 

[Native Hunter]

on the other side, north side of the ridge top I spent an afternoon with the hack hammer. A similar prescription here, if it isn't a choice sugar maple or an oak tree it is getting kilt. I would like to turn this area into herbs and grass with fire.

View attachment 21169

View attachment 21170

It started raining Wednesday evening, it was 30 degrees. I was out cutting weight off my entrance cable at 2 am. My cable had some built in slack to spend. The guy wire and internet cable were destroyed. The area power was out till Friday.

View attachment 21171

At about the same time, 2 am, the rain started to switch to ice then snow. Tree damage was not extensive.

View attachment 21172

I had a bit of cutting and a lot of branch shaking to clear a path out to the blacktop. None of ice has melted as of yet and luckily last evening's precipitation was about 1/2 frozen. There are too many bent over trees in my trail up so I've been stuck down in the crack. My electricity is blinking as I type.

View attachment 21173

G

Wishing you the best through the ice G. We are in the same situation here. Our power is still on but around 20% of the coop members are currently out. My conifer trees in the yard are hanging low with ice.

 

[dogghr]

Be safe G. Been Siberia here since wk before Christmas. Dang global warming. If we still had strong unions I’d be all about pulling the power plant plugs from select cities across this country and let them enjoy their non fossil heat. Revenge is sweet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[George]

Wishing you the best through the ice G. We are in the same situation here. Our power is still on but around 20% of the coop members are currently out. My conifer trees in the yard are hanging low with ice.

Thanks Steve, with the warm front over top of me last evening I was real close to getting more rain to freeze. Grayson power customers just east and south have yet to get power from last week. I'm just chill'in.

Be safe G. Been Siberia here since wk before Christmas. Dang global warming. If we still had strong unions I’d be all about pulling the power plant plugs from select cities across this country and let them enjoy their non fossil heat. Revenge is sweet.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm looking forward to some global warming next week. Had an equipment walk out, Grayson sub station fried, word is don't expect power soon.



Lost a hickory.



I have some more sticks to pick up in the drive out.





These two should make a convincing duo.



39.4lbs today, 16 weeks.

 

[George]

It was determined that I could fit under the stick



but I decided to make hay while the sun was shining.



Kind of heavy to pick up



and kind of heavy to drag so I'm going to mill a couple of pieces down in the road today.



I do like my new saw.



G

 

[Mennoniteman]

New Stihl like x2

 

[lakngolf]

WOW. What is the length of that chain?

 

[Native Hunter]

I suddenly have chainsaw envy.......

 

[George]

WOW. What is the length of that chain?

I'm thinking right about 7'.

I suddenly have chainsaw envy.......

With a stable like yourn, ya know, just saying.

Nothing short of the 40 degree temperatures next week are going to ruin our wintertime fun. It is snap, crackle, pop around here today, major tree pruning.





I didn't sharpen my chain after using it yesterday. I made 8 cuts to make 6 5/4 boards. Just shy of 3 tanks of gas, 2 tanks of oil.











G

 

[George]

The second chunk I broke when I cut up the log.



I took one board off the top then split the center of the log into 2 3" slabs. I'm liking sugar maple.





G

 

[Mennoniteman]

I'm thinking right about 7'.



With a stable like yourn, ya know, just saying.

Nothing short of the 40 degree temperatures next week are going to ruin our wintertime fun. It is snap, crackle, pop around here today, major tree pruning.

View attachment 21204

View attachment 21205

I didn't sharpen my chain after using it yesterday. I made 8 cuts to make 6 5/4 boards. Just shy of 3 tanks of gas, 2 tanks of oil.

View attachment 21206

View attachment 21207

View attachment 21208

View attachment 21209

View attachment 21210

G

Is that a 661CM? What length bar do you have on it? What are you planning on doing with those sugar maple planks?

 

[George]

Is that a 661CM? What length bar do you have on it? What are you planning on doing with those sugar maple planks?

Yes, 36". Plan is to coat the ends, sticker stack, and dry here in my living space with plans to market or make furniture. I'm hoping to get after that big beech stick over the drive today.



G

 

[Mennoniteman]

Yes, 36". Plan is to coat the ends, sticker stack, and dry here in my living space with plans to market or make furniture. I'm hoping to get after that big beech stick over the drive today.

View attachment 21216

G

The market for beech around here is limited, especially since wooden airplane propellers and tool handles are an endangered species. But nice maple, such as curly maple and bird's-eye maple are in high demand. I have a cousin here in PA that is doing kindof what you are doing, but in a bigger way. He buys big trees and slabs them to 2" and kilns them, then sells them to table makers etc. If you ever get by this way you need to stop in and look at his stuff, you might get some ideas. He's a two man operation but has a kiln and wide belt sander.

 

[George]

The sun came out yesterday and made it kind of feel like Colorado. But it didn't get warm enough to melt ice.

The market for beech around here is limited, especially since wooden airplane propellers and tool handles are an endangered species. But nice maple, such as curly maple and bird's-eye maple are in high demand. I have a cousin here in PA that is doing kindof what you are doing, but in a bigger way. He buys big trees and slabs them to 2" and kilns them, then sells them to table makers etc. If you ever get by this way you need to stop in and look at his stuff, you might get some ideas. He's a two man operation but has a kiln and wide belt sander.

I went down yesterday with the saws.



and fortunately I came to my senses. It is not a little tree stuck up there and as it sits it is a can of worms that I'll let the county boys open up.



I decided to go with the 9/4 table top idea for my last two chunks.







G

 

[Mennoniteman]

Going underneath the treetop of that beech to cut it down would be potential suicide. But I wouldn't be afraid to stand in the creek and cut the stump off, then cut a length of log at a time off the bottom until the whole thing is down. However, careful evaluation would need to be given on how it will drop off the stump while doing so.

 

[George]

Going underneath the treetop of that beech to cut it down would be potential suicide. But I wouldn't be afraid to stand in the creek and cut the stump off, then cut a length of log at a time off the bottom until the whole thing is down. However, careful evaluation would need to be given on how it will drop off the stump while doing so.

That was my evaluation as well, but how well it would come down and the amount of work removing the tree top from the road, lead me to believe that my time would be better spent working up the maple chunks already on the ground. The beech log will still be there after the county boys come through.

The ice came out of the trees yesterday morning so me and the boys headed up on foot to make evaluation.



The white oak that I released last year



didn't lose a stick that I could see. I didn't see any oak damage.



No major damage other than to some maples and red buds.





Tiny was confronted with his first river crossing



there was some debate but one bound and he was through.



In the afternoon I just had to kill something



so the old lady's hideous rows of shrubs took a hit. Now I can enjoy my hemlock woods.



A test case for triclopyr.




G

 

[Mennoniteman]

That was my evaluation as well, but how well it would come down and the amount of work removing the tree top from the road, lead me to believe that my time would be better spent working up the maple chunks already on the ground. The beech log will still be there after the county boys come through.

The ice came out of the trees yesterday morning so me and the boys headed up on foot to make evaluation.

View attachment 21258

The white oak that I released last year

View attachment 21259

didn't lose a stick that I could see. I didn't see any oak damage.

View attachment 21260

No major damage other than to some maples and red buds.

View attachment 21261

View attachment 21262

Tiny was confronted with his first river crossing

View attachment 21263

there was some debate but one bound and he was through.

View attachment 21264

In the afternoon I just had to kill something

View attachment 21265

so the old lady's hideous rows of shrubs took a hit. Now I can enjoy my hemlock woods.

View attachment 21266

A test case for triclopyr.

View attachment 21267


G

What's up with tinys ear?

 

[George]

What's up with tinys ear?

It is just flipped back. People that breed these dogs on purpose usually dock tails and cut their ears off. Tank does the same thing.



Tank often flips his ears back when he is going forward on a trail as in this Colorado photo.



G

 

[Mennoniteman]

It is just flipped back. People that breed these dogs on purpose usually dock tails and cut their ears off. Tank does the same thing.

View attachment 21292

Tank often flips his ears back when he is going forward on a trail as in this Colorado photo.

View attachment 21293

G

It looked a bit odd in that picture by the creek, but I see it now. Nice family, I'm sure you have a lot of fun with those two guys.