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White Cedar

Started by Jake Bell, April 16, 2014, 08:06:46 PM

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Jake Bell

Hello all, Im new to the site and am looking for a little help about getting some white cedar logs out of the woods. Im not new to chainsaws or dropping trees, but I sure as heck am no pro, I've been trying to do a little thinning at my grandma's farm, she has about 55 acres of mainly white cedar with some poplar, balsam fir and the odd spruce on a river bottom here in central ontario. I'm only doing a little bit right now as I need some logs to build a new cabin but im trying to get myself a team of horses and a sawmill rounded up, more for a hobby than anything else. My question is, is there any trick or technique to get cedars down without patch cutting? its a thick stand with really good cedar for around here, most of it is straight and sound with very few branches for the first 40' but *DanG do they ever hang up, I have no heavy equipment, even if i did it would be stuck as soon as you dropped into the bush. Ropes and pullies just seem to make me frustrated as the butts catch on every hummock, and cutting the butts down to drop the tops out of the canopy seems like treason since they are good sound logs (although it makes for excellent kindling and easy splitting) so I've been hand bombing them, one heave at a time until they start to come down a bit (not the safest thing, I know..). my next question is, is patch cutting better then strip cutting for regenerating future cedar? all the info I have read so far is the exact opposite of one another. any tips or advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Jake.

thecfarm

I have a hard time with my cedar too. Sometimes they don't even break the hinge on the stump.But I have a tractor and 3 pt winch to bring them to the ground. Seem like with me I cut one here and than another over there and so on. I never really open up one area.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Jake Bell

Im trying to avoid patch cutting them but it seems to be about the only way for me to get the ball rolling, I'd like to just selective cut them so in a couple years i dont have patches grown up in berry canes, im working on buying the place and I'd really like to manage it properly without making a mess like I've seen done in many places around here. It's looking like I need to buy a helicopter  :o lol

easyEric

I have been cutting White Cedar for about 15 years to supply my Sawmill with the smaller sizes sold to post buyers. It is not easy to cut which explains the usual arrangement around here, typically 1/3 to the land owner, 2/3's to the harvester. With mechanical harvesters the percentage or cost can be a bit different. The first error people usually make before cutting cedar is the assumption that if you cut a tree it falls down. I describe Cedar as having a velcro effect. To get them down after cutting you often have to unzip them by moving the butt away and letting the tree slide down away from adjacent cedars. If the tree is small enough you put the trunk between your neck and shoulder, lean in and push to your open area. Bigger trees require winching or pulling. Small 12V winchs can work fairly well powered by small tractor or atv especially if you redirect the cable (off another tree) to pull upwards and out.
   Selective cutting in cedar is really hard without a good cable winch. Generaly the idea is that cedar won't reseed very far so large clearcuts won't reseed. If you have a large growth of mature cedar any strip cutting will probally result in major blowdown anyway, so keep that in mind. Enjoy!

beenthere

easyEric
Good to see you back. So welcome back to the Forestry Forum.

Pls fill out your bio in your profile (click on your name) so we can relate better.

QuoteTo get them down after cutting you often have to unzip them by moving the butt away and letting the tree slide down away from adjacent cedars. If the tree is small enough you put the trunk between your neck and shoulder, lean in and push to your open area. Bigger trees require winching or pulling. Small 12V winchs can work fairly well powered by small tractor or atv especially if you redirect the cable (off another tree) to pull upwards and out.

Often have to do this when getting tall white ash trees to break through the canopy. Often thought about how handy a capstan winch would be to aid in this problem. But usually just manage to hook up to the small tractor I have and pull them down. Here are the three stages after the felling cut.



Sometimes they roll through the tops of other trees, and sometimes not
 

 
Chained up for a pull.
 

 
Down on the ground.
south central Wisconsin
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Fedge

I mainly cut white cedar and I know exactly what you are talking about. Sometimes I think I am more shocked when a tree actually falls to the ground than when it gets hung up. I purchased a gas powered capstan winch by Portable Winch Company (There are a couple of other manufacturers out there). I got the bigger of the two models. It really helps a lot and you will be surprised by how much you can pull when you add a snatch block. There are a couple of other manufacturers out there. I know that Baileys, northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company, and a bunch of others sell them. I got mine from Windy Ridge Corp and the price was nice.

Geoff
A smart man knows a lot, a smarter man knows what he doesn't know.

LittleJohn

Ever have a tree fall up on you ??? 

Was cutting some swamp (white) cedar a few years back and I about half way thru the day I cut one and instead of falling or hanging up; it jumped off the stump about 3" (the top of the tree was being pulled/held up byt the canopy) and stayed there.  Had to winch the stupid tree, down and out

DonT

Masdam rope puller would work.Available from Baileys with some three strand .5inch rope.

Jeff

Logrite's junior arch I think would be a good answer using its function of lifting the tree on the stump and walking it forward.

Look for that in this video at about 2 minutes 5 seconds in
http://youtu.be/N0XL9-jTP4E
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WmFritz

That's a great demonstration... I really need one.
~Bill

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SwampDonkey

My experience on the farm cutting cedar was with skidder. We only thinned it and never opened it much. But I can imagine the frustration getting that thick stuff down without a good skidder or other method. Where we cut mostly was on firmer cedar ground. It was still a little wet, but not the mucky stuff except small pockets maybe. The same ground was later cleared and I have not had regen trouble with cedar. All kinds of it and thick. No deer, except maybe 3 that walk through, but never stay. I had one edge of a plantation that I had to cut thousands out of the spruce.

This area will be mainly cedar. I have a few spruce I stuck in. ;D

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1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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