Land of big hardwoods

[livemusic]

I would love to buy some land in a cooler climate, it's too dang hot here. What U.S. state has more tall/big hardwoods than others? I *love* big woods. I have 'only' 50 acres of woods but I'm lucky I have nice hardwoods. Nothing like they have back east, my largest are, I dunno, maybe 30" - 36" DBH. Red oak, white oak. I'd guess 80', maybe 100' tall. Of course, the whole place is not graced with big uns like that. I do have a few acre spot where they are. Oddly, atop a hill. Usually big hardwoods seem to be along the creeks.

When I hobnob on these forums and firewood forums, guys are always posting pictures of HUGE trees and often, it's like it's routine stuff to them. I wonder what state still has big hardwoods more so than other states? If I had to guess, I would say PA. And maybe NY. OH? But these are just guesses. I look forward to responses!

My guess for the biggest woods in the deep south is Mississippi along the Big River. I have not seen these woods but I know of guys who have deer leases and they tell me stories of giant trees. TIA!

 

[mdavlee]

The mountains of TN, VA, and NC still have some patches of huge timber. Some poplar 150’ tall and 30-50”. Other than that I’ve never seen any of it myself that’s still pretty well virgin timber.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Spotty here in sNJ mostly big yard trees around here. North of us or if you head over in the PA and up in to New York. Was at Longwood Gardens this month. Some big Ash there 70" DBH other hardwoods and west coast bigguns there. Few redwoods east and west.
Big Poplar in nDE 70-80+ DBH Sycamores to.

 

[Nutball]

I don't think it's too common for the woods to be filled with mostly huge trees, at least not nowadays since most of the country has been logged. My dad has some land that is getting ripe for logging, but that means trees are only 18-24", and that's only about 10% of the hardwoods. A few truck fulls. We only have less than 5 3ft and larger. Huge trees tend to be found in yards where they grow faster from more available light, and more lower branches helping to swell the trunk to feed them, and are not logged. So, take 50 firewood cutters getting wood from residential areas, and you will see a steady stream of big trees all in one spot... online, and who cares about seeing what tree you cut unless it is uncommon or difficult (huge).

I'd agree with TN, VA and NC. Just avoid the logged areas obviously. There's some super cheap land in the middle of nowhere TN that is just plain ugly from being stripped of any old and medium growth. In certain places on hill sides and valleys at least around the Nashville area, they can grow very straight and tall quickly. It could be the lack of light and nutrients getting washed down hill that makes them shoot up.

A yard tree I recently found: White oak, biggest tree I've ever seen. Could be an easy 60" DBH

 

[rogue60]

Land of big hardwoods? that would be Australia.

 

[Dub11]

Land of big hardwoods? that would be Australia.

Yeah but its hot as hell there lol.

 

[mdavlee]

Yeah but its hot as hell there lol.

And all the snakes and bugs try to kill you constantly.

 

[Dub11]

And all the snakes and bugs try to kill you constantly.

Exactly.

 

[justoldsaws]

And all the snakes and bugs try to kill you constantly.

It makes us tougher

 

[Deets066]

Missouri is mostly all hardwood

 

[deye223]

Land of big hardwoods? that would be Australia.

Haha yep

Yeah but its hot as hell there lol.

Not at the bloody moment .

And all the snakes and bugs try to kill you constantly.

You get used to it at least we don't have brown bears and mountain lions but we do have salt water crocs they make alligators look small and tame .

It makes us tougher

Yep

 

[rogue60]

And all the snakes and bugs try to kill you constantly.

They only worry the city people lol
As long as you don't go trying to pickup and play with things that can bite and kill you it's fine you are safe in the bush
nothing is trying to kill you as long as you leave them be as they will you.
But yeah don't swim in rivers with crocs in them but that's a no brainer.

 

[Coltont]

PA Hardwoods

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I'm voting PA/NY as well. The trick is to find the right place. Many properties are logged on a cycle, so there isn't as much big timber there. But, if you find the right place that hasn't been logged since the last lumber boom (early 1900's), you're getting into a good patch of 100 year old trees, and a good many of them have some size to them.

One gas company that I build well pads for owns their own land in Elk County. They were originally a timber company until the Titusville oil boom. They manage their forests on a 100 year cycle, focusing on veneer grade cherry. A lot of their land is coming due for another cycle of logging, and there are some real beauties out there.

 

[Coltont]

I'm voting PA/NY as well. The trick is to find the right place. Many properties are logged on a cycle, so there isn't as much big timber there. But, if you find the right place that hasn't been logged since the last lumber boom (early 1900's), you're getting into a good patch of 100 year old trees, and a good many of them have some size to them.

One gas company that I build well pads for owns their own land in Elk County. They were originally a timber company until the Titusville oil boom. They manage their forests on a 100 year cycle, focusing on veneer grade cherry. A lot of their land is coming due for another cycle of logging, and there are some real beauties out there.

It's a shame cherry isnt worth much. That area grows the best black cherry in the world they say. No gum and no red rot. Can be scaled in a high form class as well.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

It's a shame cherry isnt worth much. That area grows the best black cherry in the world they say. No gum and no red rot. Can be scaled in a high form class as well.

Seneca doesn't care about timber prices all that much anymore, but they are patient. They will wait till prices are up, and go in there and cut it all. Meanwhile, they own the natural gas from the ground to the pipeline to the distribution network in the Rochester NY area, so they aren't hurting for money.

 

[Coltont]

Seneca doesn't care about timber prices all that much anymore, but they are patient. They will wait till prices are up, and go in there and cut it all. Meanwhile, they own the natural gas from the ground to the pipeline to the distribution network in the Rochester NY area, so they aren't hurting for money.

Allot of ground like that in that part of the state.

 

[5155]

Allegheny National Forest in Forest County Pa is my favorite big woods. It is managed for timber but there are places like,
small parcels (camps),
buffers near water,
steep hill terrain,
and others that have some beuts.
Hemlock, oak, cherry, maple, beechnut, ash and others.

There are other LARGE tracts privately owned and also managed.

I know of a remote stand of white or red pine that are huge.
Near water, remote, and steep saved them.
The big tornado of 85 got some of them.
Dark thick and spooky it became in there. Love it.

I have an acre and 1/2 nearby that could be had, but me thinks OP is looking bigger.

After that big blow down, (6 miles x 2 miles), I shot ten buck in a row in there.
The "hunters" said,
Too thick,
no feed,
too lazy,
bla bla.
I said ok lol.
The deer in that thick stuff didn't know season was on.
A still hunters dream.
Then came Dr. Alt.

A Forester could speak more accurate of this.
I'm just a regular guy.

 

[Al Smith]

I've got some fairly large oaks ,over 100 feet and 31/2 feet at the cut but we're only talking 5 acres .The east in Holmes county Ohio and the Amish area there is still an abundance of large oaks .It's furniture and fine quality trim stuff ,some veneer of which most gets shipped to the Pacific rim .

 

[Al Smith]

My Aunt has some where in excess of 800 acres of timber tracts plus I don't know how much farmable land .180 acres of that timber has never been cut, true old growth with ferns etc that take centuries to establish themselves .The other 600 has been selectively logged since the civil war and other than the stumps looks like it has never been cut .It's on slopes too steep to farm and the only thing it can be used for is growing timber .It's in Knox county Ohio .
Those white oaks are a treasure .100-120 feet tall 3-31/2 feet in diameter and the first limb is like 60 feet up and straight as a pool cue .They were saplings during the war of 1812 .
I'd hate to try and figure how much firewood we cut from the tops after a logging crew hauled the logs out , a bunch. On veneer they only cut to the first limb .Many had a nice lumber log above that .That was like 30-40 years ago when I wore a younger mans clothes .