Trouble winching logs out of tornado flattened woods(need ideas)

[Ianab]

Yes, hard to predict the damage  If trees are pushed over due to saturated soils, chances are the log will be intact. If a solidly rooted tree gets ripped apart it could be cracked into kindling. You often can't tell unlil you buck the logs.

Second a 20ton excavator / thumb for the initial jenga game. Haul out the likely looking stuff and stack the limbs and rubbish in the other direction. You  can do in 30 mins what would take all day with a chainsaw and winch and safer.

One wind blown tree can be a tricky puzzle to take apart, 10 trees in a mess is just so much worse 

[kantuckid]

Storm trees are just not all the same as stated above. If the mill buys them is based on the basics like grade, species, etc., plus length of time on ground, season in which they fell and quality of logging job to select & buck them properly. 
 It's a mixed bag. Small landowners like me with many trees down from uprooted wet ground, ice, snow, winds it's still not enough to justify a rental nor will any local loggers move their stuff for my trees as might be serious money trees but too few for under a hundred acres. Either they cut it all or go elsewhere.  

[mike_belben]

Thats true.  We get little blow overs all the time.  Pillbillies are the only ones who will "log" that.  But they usually fetch a few standing trees to pad the deal when no one is looking.  Often from your neighbor. 

[treemuncher]

I'll be sure to add some pics to this thread in the next few weeks. I just looked at a job yesterday for a farmer that got hit by the Mayfield twister on 12/10/2021. The storm damage was over a mile wide in his area. Not much left standing but top snapped stubs and lots of lay overs in every direction. It's a mess. Numerous trees well over 2' dbh and he does not plan to salvage any of it. 

This won't be a cake walk as most of the work area will be in swampy conditions and there are lots of really big trees. I would rather work a job like this in the winter months before the critters start to slither about and the bugs begin to bite. This will be a Komatsu job and it will be set up with the Samuri Knives for faster cutting. I'll be making the beavers jealous.