Newbie looking for best method on large leaning veneer alders

[Chriz]

Hi all,

First post here. I am not a logger and have limited experience in the woods. I have set chokers, limbed, cut firewood and that sort of thing but have only fell a handful of trees.
We just bought 5 timbered acres next to us that has a lot of large alders that are aging past their prime. The timber cruiser guessed the stand to be around 80 years old. Some of these alders are quite large but I would say the majority are 14 inches at stump height, many are leaners as well.
I would like to hear some opinions on the following topics.

1. What is the best method to take these down without breaking them?
- One guy said excavator, one guy said excavator would crack them
- I have a backhoe here and a farm tractor with small backhoe attachment.
- I have lots of time as I do not work currently and try to do things very clean, was thinking of some rope and pulley system to pull them over but clueless here.
- I also have access to a man lift possibly (the kind you tow behind your truck)

2. How long can they sit on the ground before they would not be sellable to the veneer / slicer buyer and what lengths should I keep each log to be safe?
- Some have fallen recently, should I try to save them for the slicer guy or just firewood now?

3. Does the weather / season matter on these?

Thank you for your time

[nativewolf]

Welcome, don't know anything about veneer Alder.  You'll want to talk to a buyer to understand what they want.  I'd start there.  Here on the east coast a 14" tree is not veneer.  Unless it is black walnut.   

@quilbilly or @Skeans1 or some of our other west coast members might have greater insight.  

[mike_belben]

Hire a hand cutter to put them on the ground for you once you figure out who will buy them and how youll get them out. 

[PoginyHill]

Welcome, don't know anything about veneer Alder.  You'll want to talk to a buyer to understand what they want.  I'd start there.  Here on the east coast a 14" tree is not veneer.  Unless it is black walnut.  

@quilbilly or @Skeans1 or some of our other west coast members might have greater insight.  

I beg your pardon :D. 14" is plenty suitable for rotary veneer. In fact a 14" clear oak is much better than an 18" clear oak. Speaking for rotary. Those exporters and slicers like big logs. They can have them. Similar for maple. Birch - size doesn't matter so much.
My limited knowledge of alder is that is it sliced via a lumber slicer (Marunaka is the dominant machine for that). So logs for this veneer are cut into 8/4 or 4/4 lumber mostly. There may be some some on conventional slicers - but I don't know that.

[nativewolf]

 :D Yes , corrected by a master.  Ok a bit small for slicing veneer.  How embarrassing, I have plans to sell rotary yp this winter.  Should have know better.   :D

[stavebuyer]

We sell quite a bit of hickory and Hard Maple as well as oak to the rotary market. Occasionally can move a real nice 12" log but 13"-15" is the spec. 16-18" is flat cut veneer and 19"+goes in Rift/Qtr sliced market. Price climbs with diameter.

[Skeans1]

Hi all,

First post here. I am not a logger and have limited experience in the woods. I have set chokers, limbed, cut firewood and that sort of thing but have only fell a handful of trees.
We just bought 5 timbered acres next to us that has a lot of large alders that are aging past their prime. The timber cruiser guessed the stand to be around 80 years old. Some of these alders are quite large but I would say the majority are 14 inches at stump height, many are leaners as well.
I would like to hear some opinions on the following topics.

1. What is the best method to take these down without breaking them?
- One guy said excavator, one guy said excavator would crack them
- I have a backhoe here and a farm tractor with small backhoe attachment.
- I have lots of time as I do not work currently and try to do things very clean, was thinking of some rope and pulley system to pull them over but clueless here.
- I also have access to a man lift possibly (the kind you tow behind your truck)

2. How long can they sit on the ground before they would not be sellable to the veneer / slicer buyer and what lengths should I keep each log to be safe?
- Some have fallen recently, should I try to save them for the slicer guy or just firewood now?

3. Does the weather / season matter on these?

Thank you for your time

14" on the stump is still small for alder most of the mills will do down to 5 some are 6" top diameter, but don't pay very well. Normally our best paying alder logs are 12" plus top stuff that's straight which alder normally isn't. As far as getting them down two options hand cut it or mechanically cut it, pushing them out will damage the wood making it possible to reject a load of it. Time of year is going to greatly depend on what you have for access as well as markets in the local area.

[quilbilly]

Depending where you are I could stop by and help, update the profile info! We buy veneer down to 12". No matter what you do, make sure you have a fast saw. That will help out immensely, other than that we'd need to see the tree and where it has a good lay.