If it's cold where you live, what are you heating with and what is it costing?

[ovrszd]

When I say bias it wasn't personal. Firewood is a wildcard. Because there are so many variables.

A gallon of propane in California is a gallon of propane in Maine. A kwh is the same in Texas ad it is in PA.

Wood.....totally different. We can only estimate btu per cord and furnace efficiency. Variables like moisture content, wood species, etc.

Then costs vary widely. So inserting your numbers and think they are accurate for someone a few states away is the bias I refer to.

And in the great state of Missouri there are trees that won't generate enough BTUs to replace the fuel used to process them.

 

[lman]

And in the great state of Missouri there are trees that won't generate enough BTUs to replace the fuel used to process them.

Pine or Cottonwood?

 

[ovrszd]

Pine or Cottonwood?

Or Elm or Walnut.

 

[lman]

I remember when I was a kid, we used a lot of elm trees that had died from Dutch elm disease. My dad gave us the job of splitting it with a sledge and wedges(not many hydraulic splitters back then). Not much elm around now.
Maybe that's why I use geothermal, plus I don't have any kids to do the grunt work.

 

[MossRoad]

Unless you plan on butchering the deer yourself, you won't save money

Yes, I plan on doing it myself. Paying for deer processing is costly.

 

[ovrszd]

I remember when I was a kid, we used a lot of elm trees that had died from Dutch elm disease. My dad gave us the job of splitting it with a sledge and wedges(not many hydraulic splitters back then). Not much elm around now.
Maybe that's why I use geothermal, plus I don't have any kids to do the grunt work.

I have a dozen or so Elm trees scattered in my yard. They were isolated from timber so elm disease didn't get to them. Rare to find an older elm in the timber. I know them as Chinese Elm. Horrible firewood. Green it won't burn. Cured it burns like paper. Same with Walnut.

Here Maple is worthless as firewood also.

 

[jjeff]

I have a dozen or so Elm trees scattered in my yard. They were isolated from timber so elm disease didn't get to them. Rare to find an older elm in the timber. I know them as Chinese Elm. Horrible firewood. Green it won't burn. Cured it burns like paper. Same with Walnut.

Here Maple is worthless as firewood also.

Curious as to why maple is worthless? I like burning it, I usually drop a dying one, yellow birch, or beech trees, to burn, seasoned maple seems to burn best though. The key I've found is seasoning the wood. In any case I burn what's available on my property, always trying to find diseased or dying trees.

 

[ovrszd]

Curious as to why maple is worthless? I like burning it, I usually drop a dying one, yellow birch, or beech trees, to burn, seasoned maple seems to burn best though. The key I've found is seasoning the wood. In any case I burn what's available on my property, always trying to find diseased or dying trees.

I'm sure there are many varieties of maple trees. I'm not sure what variety is prevalent here. They are a soft wood, sappy when fresh cut, light weight and heatless when cured.

I'm very Blessed with excellent choices here so maple, elm, cottonwood, walnut, go to the bottom of the list.

An example of choices, my good friend lives in Colorado. His choices are pine or aspen. I wouldn't even bother to cut them here. More than once he has hauled a pickup load of good firewood home when he visits here.

 

[Oaktree]

I was surprised by the price difference between CT and NH which are relatively close together geographically and share the same forested topography.

It seems a bit odd to me as well, 'most everything is more expensive in Conn. You seem to be getting an exceptionally good deal.

I can't tell you how much money i've saved on meat when i was hunting.

Most game meat is an acquired taste. I've had venison a couple times and didn't particularly care for it.
Then you have to take into account the amount of time you spend traipsing around the woods lugging a gun, the cost of the license and the hassle of getting your catch out. Fine if you enjoy that, but to me it doesn't sound like fun at all.

 

[ovrszd]

It seems a bit odd to me as well, 'most everything is more expensive in Conn. You seem to be getting an exceptionally good deal.

Most game meat is an acquired taste. I've had venison a couple times and didn't particularly care for it.
Then you have to take into account the amount of time you spend traipsing around the woods lugging a gun, the cost of the license and the hassle of getting your catch out. Fine if you enjoy that, but to me it doesn't sound like fun at all.

I grew up hunting. Hunted into middle age. Never got to the point of buying expensive gear including a "stand" to sit in with heat going....

My youngest Son (43) hunts. He really enjoys it. He hunts here on the farm. I can look out my living room window and see the location of one of his favorite spots. Couple weeks ago I texted him and said "hey I just saw a nice 8 point buck and a doe come from the direction of your spot aren't you there?" He replied "yeah I'm here, I just didn't think it was fair to shoot a horny buck, I'll let him get some".

So he's calls and watches way more game than he kills. Last year he was in a tree stand using antlers to try to call bucks. Had a Bobcat come up in the tree with him investigating what that noise was??? Might be something to eat!!!