Logging Leftovers!

[damselfish]

Hello to all, I have just joined the forum after reading a bit.  Looks like a lot of great information here!

My husband and I bought 40 acres here in SW Missouri earlier this year.  About 3/4 of it is wooded.  The previous owner did some logging.  Good news is, it was selective logging.  Bad news is, whoever did it left everything lying wherever it fell, except of course the first log from each tree.

So we have the tops of about a dozen red and white oak trees lying around.  We're guessing they were logged in 2006 sometime.  The biggest diameter of trunk remaining is maybe 16", and it's not clear trunk, but has branches.  There is checking (right word, cracking?) on the cut ends, and tons of firewood and bigger sized branches still to be cut off before we could even think of dragging the logs out.  Plus, we're not really prepared to drag them out right now.

I have two questions:
1)  Do you think logs like this might be useful ...not as in salable, but as in something we could saw ourselves after we buy the mill we want in a year or so.  
2)  If they might be useful, can we do anything at all to protect them where they are? For instance I know there's something people paint the ends of logs with.

Thank you in advance.  I tried to search, but I don't think I knew the right words!

[Sprucegum]

Welcome to the Forum. Make yourself at home  8)

1) Yes they are useful ; when you get your mill you can practice on the low quality stuff first, then be amazed and delighted at the beautiful wood you have discovered  You will need to build furniture for your cabin or decking for you holiday trailer or a roof over the mill or.......

2) It may be too late for the end-log preservative, its best applied right after cutting. The first foot or so will likely be firewood. If the ground is low and wet you should try to set the logs up on blocks. If they are high and dry they will keep several years.

Someone from that area will no doubt chime in soon with more specific advice.

[Ed_K]

 Welcome Damselfish, If there are some straight 7' or 8' logs you may have some useable wood. It won't be clear lumber but will have some pretty figuring,crotches are hard to saw tho theres some nice lumber there also. You can paint the ends with www.anchorseal.com cut a little of the open ends off 1"or so to paint. Cut up what can't be sawn into lumber for firewood and stack off the ground sawlogs too.The smaller branches that you don't use for firewood cut this to lay flat on the ground,it'll rot faster and give a little back to the forest.

[damselfish]

Hi EdK and Sprucegum, and thanks for the welcome.

Your replies definitely helped.  So, we will trim a little off the big ends and try to seal.  The bigger upper branches we'll trim out for firewood, and leave the small stuff to the forest.  Then we'll leave the big logs lay until we have equipment to move them, and hope for the best.  Meanwhile, we'll start saving for a used mill.

Sounds like a plan, thank you!

[Ron Wenrich]

You can cut the logs and paint the ends, but you can't leave them lay around for years, especially in the woods.  They should be taken someplace and yarded, preferably off the ground.

Since you have a "selectively logged" woodlot, that means you'll have lots of low grade stuff that is still standing that should be cut to allow your good quality trees to grow.  Think of it as weeding a garden.  Some of this will probably be firewood quality, but you might get some good logs from that.

My advice would be to get a forester to take a look at your woodlot.  If possible, get a management plan of some type written so that you can have a direction to go with any cuttings.  An extension agent can give you some direction which way to go, as well.  30 acres worth of timber stand improvement can keep you pretty busy.   ;)

[LeeB]

Just going by your location, I would hazard to guess that most of what you have is probably red oak and like everyone else has suggested, it really needs to be off the ground. If it was logged two years ago, a lot of it may already be only fire wood.