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Post by Sandbur on Nov 22, 2018 5:35:31 GMT -6
First....I don't have much birch.....and I like it. Mixes well with my oaks....does not shade too badly around food plots. Also the buds are ok for grouse and deer.....and it makes great firewood. I agree with all those things except the firewood. I haven't used it for firewood. I am slowly trying to build up my birch stockpile. I've never seen something so popular once it's cut down. That might be the ticket to a December bow kill. Would it be unethical to make a pile of cut birch tops within bow range of a blind? Couple years back, I knocked a few down that were in the way or progress and I piled them up and put a cam on them. Deer worked them every day for a month. During the deep snow years of the late ‘60’s the state of Minnesota gave us permission to cut birch trees on state land to feed the deer. They were eaten down to 1/4 inch size. We did it on county and state lands. We also distributed ear corn along snowmobile trails through the woods. One of my high school buddies would pack the trail with snowshoes and then we could run a snowmobile over it and not get bogged down.
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 7:29:16 GMT -6
Post by nhmountains on Nov 22, 2018 7:29:16 GMT -6
First....I don't have much birch.....and I like it. Mixes well with my oaks....does not shade too badly around food plots. Also the buds are ok for grouse and deer.....and it makes great firewood. I agree with all those things except the firewood. I haven't used it for firewood. I am slowly trying to build up my birch stockpile. I've never seen something so popular once it's cut down. That might be the ticket to a December bow kill. Would it be unethical to make a pile of cut birch tops within bow range of a blind? Couple years back, I knocked a few down that were in the way or progress and I piled them up and put a cam on them. Deer worked them every day for a month. Does sugar maple grow there? Hands down the deer here prefer sugar maple to browse over birch and poplar. I can get you lots of seeds if you want them. Spread them next year and you'll have lots of young Browse in a few years.
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 9:14:27 GMT -6
Post by Foggy on Nov 22, 2018 9:14:27 GMT -6
^. The birch logs are the best for fireplace wood. Starts easily and makes a great flame. Relatively good BTU's but it's biggest attraction is a nice flame and decorative looks in your log rack. Birch will not last long after a tree falls.....as the logs get "punky" and decompose pretty quickly. But if you have freshly fallen trees.....its my favorite for a fireplace cord. Quick to cut up with few lateral branches, dries ok in the smaller rounds......and can be burned almost any time after they are cut. What's not to like?
Also sells for a pretty price if you want to sell some split cords of birch.
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 9:15:17 GMT -6
Post by Freeborn on Nov 22, 2018 9:15:17 GMT -6
I agree with all those things except the firewood. I haven't used it for firewood. I am slowly trying to build up my birch stockpile. I've never seen something so popular once it's cut down. That might be the ticket to a December bow kill. Would it be unethical to make a pile of cut birch tops within bow range of a blind? Couple years back, I knocked a few down that were in the way or progress and I piled them up and put a cam on them. Deer worked them every day for a month. Does sugar maple grow there? Hands down the deer here prefer sugar maple to browse over birch and poplar. I can get you lots of seeds if you want them. Spread them next year and you'll have lots of young Browse in a few years. How does sugar maple grow in shady areas and does it sucker? Deer in Minnesota like poplar buds and when you hinge them they sucker.
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Post by batman on Nov 22, 2018 9:16:29 GMT -6
^. The birch logs are the best for fireplace wood. Starts easily and makes a great flame. Relatively good BTU's but it's biggest attraction is a nice flame and decorative looks in your log rack. Birch will not last long after a tree falls.....as the logs get "punky" and decompose pretty quickly. But if you have freshly fallen trees.....its my favorite for a fireplace cord. Quick to cut up with few lateral branches, dries ok in the smaller rounds......and can be burned almost any time after they are cut. What's not to like? Also sells for a pretty price if you want to sell some split cords of birch. And here I thought a grid guy like foggy would use natural gas or propane for his heat source.
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 9:26:27 GMT -6
Post by Foggy on Nov 22, 2018 9:26:27 GMT -6
^. The birch logs are the best for fireplace wood. Starts easily and makes a great flame. Relatively good BTU's but it's biggest attraction is a nice flame and decorative looks in your log rack. Birch will not last long after a tree falls.....as the logs get "punky" and decompose pretty quickly. But if you have freshly fallen trees.....its my favorite for a fireplace cord. Quick to cut up with few lateral branches, dries ok in the smaller rounds......and can be burned almost any time after they are cut. What's not to like? Also sells for a pretty price if you want to sell some split cords of birch. And here I thought a grid guy like foggy would use natural gas or propane for his heat source. ^^^ Yep.....I do heat with natural gas, and have a gas fireplace inside. But I do have an outdoor fireplace under a roof on the patio - in Minnesota. We do allot of hanging out on that patio....and the fireplace gets well used. I did consider putting a gas log into that fireplace when we built the house (and had a NG line run to the back of the fireplace in case I later changed my mind)......but I'm glad we left it as a wood burner. At one time I did burn allot of wood.......and spent allot of time each year making wood for an add-on central heating system. .....and I was even in the wood burning stove / furnace / boiler manufacturing business back in the 80's. I hate making fire wood......and my body won't allow me to do much of that work any more. So many better ways to spend your time.....IMO. I love natural gas. . FORE!
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 22, 2018 9:57:25 GMT -6
^. The birch logs are the best for fireplace wood. Starts easily and makes a great flame. Relatively good BTU's but it's biggest attraction is a nice flame and decorative looks in your log rack. Birch will not last long after a tree falls.....as the logs get "punky" and decompose pretty quickly. But if you have freshly fallen trees.....its my favorite for a fireplace cord. Quick to cut up with few lateral branches, dries ok in the smaller rounds......and can be burned almost any time after they are cut. What's not to like? Also sells for a pretty price if you want to sell some split cords of birch. Birch firewood paid for a good share of my college. I could sell it back then in the cities without a license.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 22, 2018 9:59:30 GMT -6
I agree with all those things except the firewood. I haven't used it for firewood. I am slowly trying to build up my birch stockpile. I've never seen something so popular once it's cut down. That might be the ticket to a December bow kill. Would it be unethical to make a pile of cut birch tops within bow range of a blind? Couple years back, I knocked a few down that were in the way or progress and I piled them up and put a cam on them. Deer worked them every day for a month. Does sugar maple grow there? Hands down the deer here prefer sugar maple to browse over birch and poplar. I can get you lots of seeds if you want them. Spread them next year and you'll have lots of young Browse in a few years. My soil is similar to foggy’s and I have a few maples just above the edges of wetlands. All maples do better on soils to the east of foggy and I that tend to be heavier.
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 10:05:34 GMT -6
Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 22, 2018 10:05:34 GMT -6
I’d love to mill some sugar maple for my future man cave... beautiful wood
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 10:12:40 GMT -6
Post by Foggy on Nov 22, 2018 10:12:40 GMT -6
^. The birch logs are the best for fireplace wood. Starts easily and makes a great flame. Relatively good BTU's but it's biggest attraction is a nice flame and decorative looks in your log rack. Birch will not last long after a tree falls.....as the logs get "punky" and decompose pretty quickly. But if you have freshly fallen trees.....its my favorite for a fireplace cord. Quick to cut up with few lateral branches, dries ok in the smaller rounds......and can be burned almost any time after they are cut. What's not to like? Also sells for a pretty price if you want to sell some split cords of birch. Birch firewood paid for a good share of my college. I could sell it back then in the cities without a license. Do you now need a license to sell firewood???
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Logging
Nov 22, 2018 10:27:06 GMT -6
Post by sd51555 on Nov 22, 2018 10:27:06 GMT -6
I agree with all those things except the firewood. I haven't used it for firewood. I am slowly trying to build up my birch stockpile. I've never seen something so popular once it's cut down. That might be the ticket to a December bow kill. Would it be unethical to make a pile of cut birch tops within bow range of a blind? Couple years back, I knocked a few down that were in the way or progress and I piled them up and put a cam on them. Deer worked them every day for a month. Does sugar maple grow there? Hands down the deer here prefer sugar maple to browse over birch and poplar. I can get you lots of seeds if you want them. Spread them next year and you'll have lots of young Browse in a few years. Maple is one of the top 5 species (Poplar, birch, red oak, basswood, maple) on the joint property. Is it sugar? I'm not sure. It is hard as hell, and the stumps sucker like crazy. The deer also eat the leaves after they've fallen.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 22, 2018 11:14:07 GMT -6
Birch firewood paid for a good share of my college. I could sell it back then in the cities without a license. Do you now need a license to sell firewood??? I think it is needed in the metro area. Plus we now have rules on moving wood because of the emerald ash borer.
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Post by Foggy on Nov 22, 2018 11:28:14 GMT -6
I'm always amazed at how much folks will pay for a small bundle of wood at gas stations and supermarkets......or around good campgrounds. I guess if you need a fire....you need a fire. Not sure what those prices would work out to be by the cord......but they gotta be high. OTOH.....those little bundles of wood are all labor and transportation.....and a bit of profit I suppose.
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Post by benmnwi on Jan 20, 2021 18:54:36 GMT -6
It has been 2 years since I had the foresters out and there wasn't enough value to really interest them apparently. I found a logger recommended by my neighbor who used him and I'm hopeful it will work out. I walked my place with them 2 weeks ago and he said my black oaks and cottonwoods aren't of much value, but j already knew that.
He made some calls to a new sawmill and found one interested in these trees. I won't get too much money, but the work will hopefully turn a cottonwood dead zone into a bedding area and also take out oaks that will die from oak wilt regardless. Logging isn't too common around here, so I think this could really improve my deer hunting. I'm hoping this works out late this winter.
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Logging
Jan 20, 2021 20:17:49 GMT -6
Post by sd51555 on Jan 20, 2021 20:17:49 GMT -6
It has been 2 years since I had the foresters out and there wasn't enough value to really interest them apparently. I found a logger recommended by my neighbor who used him and I'm hopeful it will work out. I walked my place with them 2 weeks ago and he said my black oaks and cottonwoods aren't of much value, but j already knew that. He made some calls to a new sawmill and found one interested in these trees. I won't get too much money, but the work will hopefully turn a cottonwood dead zone into a bedding area and also take out oaks that will die from oak wilt regardless. Logging isn't too common around here, so I think this could really improve my deer hunting. I'm hoping this works out late this winter. Will they even take the cottonwood? If so, any idea what they'll do with it? Pallets?
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