Project for tomorrow!!-Moving Very Large Red Oak Logs With Horses

The tree is Northern Red Oak. It went down during last summer. There is plenty of rot in several of the limbs, so I have serious questions about the quality of the logs. There are several large limbs that basically set up the bucking pattern that I mentioned above.

I plan to clean up the top first, working back down the trunk, mixing in the big logs. The butt log, being 10′ long, and probably at least 30″ will scale around 300-325bf, which at 11000#/MBF for NRO, should put it near 3500#, which should not be too hard to manage.

The only problem is where the log rests on the slope. I am not inclined to leave it up to pure power alone, as if it doesn’t come easy, or rolls back down slope, then it will be more difficult.

I expect my horses to be able to move it, but I take extra time to make sure I am making the situation as easy on them as possible, employing some mechanical advantage, or equipment, to ensure success.

The tree is not on my land. We are cleaning it up for a friend who runs a small farm on land she rents. The LO don’t want machines to clean it up. Jason I wish we had some of your snow. Their fancy driveway could definitely use a few inches. They will use the wood for heat, and if there is any usable lumber they will likely use it for some special projects in the old farm house.

Carl

We used 1″ nylon rope to a block in a tree upslope. Rolled the logs up onto the “level”. Then we rolled them onto the bobsled and took them out that way.

The top-wood all went out behind the log cart, as well as the smallest of the logs. The lay of the land is still uphill from where we loaded the sled, through a swale, between rocks and trees, then on a moderate grade down to where we landed them. That log dragged so hard, cut in, and snubbed up so many times, even with a cradle hitch, that the time we took to load these big boys onto the sled was well worth it.

Once loaded, the team could handle them with confidence, putting them right where I wanted them. They did have to scramble a few times with the butt, pulling on knees etc., but we were logging right?

The 10′ butt measured 41″ across the big end long ways, and 38″ the short way, and 31″ across the small end long ways, and 28″ the short way. It was definitley a stout piece of wood. I figure 325 bf international 1/4″ rule. All logs were sound, by the way, and even with some large limbs, they will make good lumber.

I did have some help. A good man who came to “apprentice” with me this fall. Lots of experience with a saw, and woods work, Kevin keeps his cool, and can think on his feet. We broke the sled the first time(!!!) that we loaded the butt. We positioned it so that we could park the sed down hill from it, to make it easier for the horses to roll it on. Well it rolled pretty easily….right off the other side…even with a stake in the pocket. The log was so heavy that it snapped the end off of the bunk where I attached the rolling chain. Usually a log will stop once it gets on the sled becuase the chain snubs it, as that end it hooked into the stake pocket, but this log just hesitated and snapped a 4×8 pieace of hard maple. Anyway…. arrogant trees…. we just rolled it back on the other way… this time uphill so that it would get gravity on its side.

I got up at 4:30am with a splitting headache and nasea. Had the horses loaded by 7:30, arrived forty miles away by 9:00, and came out of the wood at 6:00pm (It stays light almost that late!), and had the horses back in the paddock by 7:30.

I’m going to bed.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Carl