Is there a right time to cut logs to mill?

[Shaggy]

Merry Christmas ya'll
My question is, Is there a right and wrong time to cut logs before you mill them ?
I would think that winter would be best because the trees (hardwood) is dormant in the winter so I would think the moisture would be lower allowing less dry time after milling. VS. spring when it rains allot and they are starting to grow and make leaves. Am I wrong ? would summer in mississippi be better when you wish it would rain (so I don't have to irrigate the garden) but it 100 degrees out??? Though it feels like 90% humidity almost all year down here (so the summer is hot n sticky n winter even though its not freezing your wet n cold so it never is nice weather it seems here :-\

[Magicman]

I would think that winter would be best because the trees (hardwood) is dormant in the winter so I would think the moisture would be lower allowing less dry time after milling.

The sap being "down" in the Winter is not really true.  There is more moisture during wet weather regardless of the season, but that difference would not make me fell trees during any particular season.  I would concentrate on felling them when it was dry enough to skid them out.  I do not mind sawing logs that are not fresh felled.  Actually, I would rather that SYP not be fresh felled because of the drippy/sticky sap.

[Cedarman]

The best time for us to cut trees to mill, is when you can.

[bandmiller2]

I always liked to cut in the winter, no ticks, skeeters or black flies. A lot easier with no leaves and frozen ground to make tractor hauling easier. If I needed something in warmer weather I wouldn't hesitate to cut it though. Pretty much when its handy for you, some don't have any choice. Frank C.

[Chuck White]

I'd rather that my customers cut on snow, less mud!

[Ianab]

There is usually a "Best" time, but it's seldom anything to do with the moisture or conditions inside the tree.

It's more to do with the harvesting and drying conditions.  Some places it's easier to harvest on snow than mud, so it's winter. Here, it's better to harvest on dry summer ground than winter mud.

Same with drying. It may be better to start the wood drying in the winter when it's too cold for mould and fungus, and you get a slower drying process with less degrade. Again, reverse here as winters are mild but wet, and pine will mould for sure over winter. Wood dries better in summer when you can get it dry much faster.

So you may get better results depending on the season. Which season depends on where you are and what species of tree you are cutting.

[hacknchop]

Where I am we prefer to harvest  wp in the winter as it greatly reduces blue stain in the sapwood the timbers are espescially  subceptable  some timberframers don t care others specify winter cut only.l also noticed that spruce saws better frozen it seems to have something to do with sawdust expansion exceeding gullet capacity during summer months.