Hate WASTING beautiful trees

Boeing · Sep 30, 2013

Fellas, I have about 3 acres on top of a hill top. In the winter the views are breathtaking. In the summer with leaves out I can't see anything other than the field. Everyone, realtor, wife, daughter, friends say take down some trees. The rest of the 70 acres is forest with a few trails for deer food plots. (haven't killed anything yet)
I LOVE trees......anyway, I have approx (10) 60' tall red oaks, (20) 60' POPLARS, (150) 50' pines all around this field/hilltop. These first four photos were taken 3 years ago in winter, the last shot was this summer.
I have had THREE timber guys out.....they all look around....then tell me there isn't enough for them to fool with.
IF I took the oaks and poplars down is there an inexpensive way to make lumber and save it? I don't want to pay to have it hauled to a sawmill....then I guess it would have to be dried someway????
If I cut it into rough boards with my chainsaw.....then what?
Am I better off selling the wood for FIREWOOD? I don't have a splitter so I would be marketing "round" wood up to 20" in diameter. hmmmm, that might not be an option either....who can lift it?
I'm not a young feller anymore and usually alone so make your suggestions based on that too.
Thanks

dave1949 · Sep 30, 2013

There is no easy way. Trees have it in for people. :laughing: they do tend to close in on an open area.

The pines can be trimmed up from the bottom to 1/3 of their height if that would help. Makes better logs too. You might need a pole saw though.

You could girdle and leave standing some of the larger trees to create habitat and open the view. Wasted wood, but useful over all.

You could pick on the easy small trees, that will make a difference if you can mow in between the big ones. It is a waste, but pile them up and bring your hot dogs and beer.

bigtiller · Sep 30, 2013

I would be highly selective about which trees to cut down.

I live on top of a knoll in the middle of a corn field. I planted 187 trees on 5 acres in the past 17 years trying to slow down the wind. They are all 15 to 20 foot tall now and it is still very windy.

deezler · Sep 30, 2013

^ what big tiller says. Especially being up in cold, cold Vermont, I would be wary of losing all windbreak.

I dunno, but it looks to me like, with leaves, you still have amazing views. I don't see any structures in your pictures. What do you want the view for, a future home or cabin?

If you decide to take down trees, start slow! Even just one or two gone in the exact right spot could prove pretty satisfying for view improvement.

BeezFun · Sep 30, 2013

Photos don't appear to be taken looking the same direction so it's hard to make a suggestion. The first photo looks out and down onto a large valley and landscape, the next three seem to look up a small hill into the sky. I'm in your camp, I am reluctant to cut down anything. Cutting down pines can't change anything from season to season so there's no point cutting them down. Poplars grow fast , could you take some of those down and leave the oaks?

Boeing · Sep 30, 2013

Beez, you're right. The photos are in different directions and there are magnificent views in ALL directions. East, a close mountain ridge....3/4 obscurred by pines. South, Peaks of OTTER....a famous attraction, blocked by pines and poplars. West, Orbeck Mtn, rugged fairly close hidden by pines, and North....the long range views of the first photo. Take a close (distant) look at photo 2. To the right in the blueish haze is "House Mountain" 40 miles away.
I doubt that I'll ever build there, wife doesn't want to be there more than a few hours (boring) but I love it. I have a large steel building now with wood stove, solar lights, tanked water and a shower. It's my have fun with tractor, plant deer food plots, tend trail cameras and man cave. Everybody ELSE who comes up wants the VIEWS. (this photo is north-west and when the leaves fill in you can't see anything)

Stick895 · Sep 30, 2013

You could try thinning the trees on the knoll, especially if the pines are close together. The state forester in Chesterfield recommended thining some I have @ 16' between the trees. As far as logging goes, maybe add in aas many of the other 70 acres as it takes to make it worth the timber guys while. Depending on the layout of the land maybe clear cut 20-30 acres, or do a select cut on all 70? Get a consulting forester to work the deal.

pnhd65 · Sep 30, 2013

Might I suggest having someone come in with a portable sawmill. You'd get the trees out like you want and get some useful lumber in the process. There are several manufacturers of portable mills, some have lists of owners who mill on site. There are some sawmilling forums you could look at also. Might I suggest the Forestry Forum and Woodmizer as a start. Anyway, good luck.

SPIKER · Sep 30, 2013

pnhd65 said:
Might I suggest having someone come in with a portable sawmill. You'd get the trees out like you want and get some useful lumber in the process. There are several manufacturers of portable mills, some have lists of owners who mill on site. There are some sawmilling forums you could look at also. Might I suggest the Forestry Forum and Woodmizer as a start. Anyway, good luck.

PNHD beat me to it. http://www.forestryforum.com/ is great site and has many people who saw wood on contract for small jobs like you have.

#1 Why cut trees for OTHERS do something for yourself. If you decide to thin some out & have it milled into lumber then you should buy and use "End Sealer." (real watery elmers glue that seals the end of cut logs so they do not dry and crack so bad.)

#2 get a plan together and stick to it. When cutting be sure to have someone with you at all times, easy to be hit on head when dropping trees.

#3 Know that once you take out some trees the grasses will fill in fast and the wind will blow much harder.

#4 make a plan for any lumber you are going to have milled so you can get that cut correctly while mill owner is there and be prepaired to Sticker the lumber out of the weather. You CAN build with green wood and I would suggest a nice pavilion with a steel roof placed in a nice spot so when wood is cut it can be put under roof to air dry for a while. Some lumber builds the pavilion (used for later entertaining with porch swings etc.) In mean time for a few months on that windy hill your other wood will dry quickly when a roof open on all sides lets the air blow.

Then Enjoy...

Mark

TractorGuy · Sep 30, 2013

I can't imagine why a lumber or pulpwood harvester would not be interested in 150 pine trees. Is there no place nearby for them to sell them? Back in the early 80s I was paid over $600 for the pines off two acres here in FL. They got one load of lumber and 2-1/2 loads of pulpwood if I remember correctly. We do have a lumber company just a few miles up the road though. If you have any lumber companies or sawmills nearby call them and ask for numbers of people they buy from.