This has been rampant. I know of 4 majestic old maple trees that were cut down within 1000’ of my workshop by one of these tree thieves. Very little wood was taken - they don’t know if the wood is “good” until they cut these down. Left behind were 4 big messes. There have been several such incidents.
I rarely use cut wood, preferring to get my wood from a reliable and convenient wood supplier. I did cut a chocke cherry on my property and the wood was all fiddleback. I had no choice - it fell over my driveway in a windstorm!
I lost a 110-year-old tuliptree the same way a few months ago. No good for instruments, not even great for heating, but we’ll give it a go.
I have several dogwood trees that are not long for this world. They’ll yield some useful turning wood; it’s nice to be able to cut my teeth with free wood.
Many years ago in Cincinnati there was a Mental Institution called “Longview”. They have some really beautiful Walnut tree going up the drive. One day some folks came in a claimed they had orders from Columbus to cut the trees down. Everyone was bummed out about the trees but orders are order.
After the trees were gone some folks came down from Columbus later and it turned out that no such order was given. The ones who made off with those beautiful Walnut trees had pulled a fast one on the Mental Hospital.
Back in 2007, the drought took out a Fir Tree that we had many years growing up. I saved one of the branches and made a Native American Flute from it to remember it by.
