Hunting, Scouting, Free range tree collection

[ForThemWhatCare]

I live in Northern Virginia on the boarder of Maryland and WV and was wondering if there are legal places one can explore in the wild to dig up material on land that you do not own? How does one go about getting permission and what types of areas are best to look?

 

[Rivian]

what types of areas are best to look?

The ones where you dont get seen

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[ForThemWhatCare]

The ones where you dont get seen

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ROFL! There is that...

 

[BrianBay9]

National forests have a process for issuing permits to collect trees, but it seems they're way stingier about it east of the Mississippi than in the west. You pretty much have to stop in person at a ranger station and talk them into it. I've had farmers grant permission for collecting trees from their fence lines. I've had private property owners grant permission for a small fee. I had a Rotarian grant permission as long as I sold half the trees as a donation to his Rotary club. Mostly it's about finding who owns the land - sometimes easy, sometimes not - then having the courage to approach a stranger and ask what to them is a strange request.

Then there's this: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/bonsai-expeditions.47455/#post-816412 . Land owners with initiative.

 

[JBP_85]

From what I understand you can collect material at national forests with an FS-2400-1 from USDA & National Forest Service. I haven't tried this though but I'd be interested in hearing from others who have.

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[ForThemWhatCare]

Then there's this: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/bonsai-expeditions.47455/#post-816412 . Land owners with initiative.

Wow, wish I could get to Atlanta. That seems perfect.

 

[ForThemWhatCare]

From what I understand you can collect material at national forests with an FS-2400-1 from USDA & National Forest Service. I haven't tried this though but I'd be interested in hearing from others who have.

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This link is great. I have several national parks/forests near by.

 

[JBP_85]

This link is great. I have several national parks/forests near by.

Ya, there are several nearby for us. Let me know if you have any luck. I'm kind of full up on trees for the moment but would definitely like to know what success you have.

 

[Forsoothe!]

The right-of-way that is taken care of by the road agencies often has Brush-Hog pruned stock. Out in the country along a dirt road with low traffic you can park next to what you see, dig it with a fork (I also carry a two-handed lopping shears that I can plunge into the dirt to chop roots) and throw it in a big garbage bag and be off in five minutes. That, verses spending two hours and getting less in a forest with competing roots ruining the process.

I value higher priced, older nursery stock these days for what I consider all the obvious reasons: 1. It's all legal. 2. Quick or leasurely purusal, your choice. I can look at a thousand Mughos in a day at ten nurseries if I choose to do so. 3. You can pick-and-choose size, (4.) species, (5) variety, (6) season, and (7) you decide cost-effectiveness before you take possession. 8. Compact root system ready for further reduction now. 9. Excellent survivability of stock. 10. You can shop near your home or anywhere you travel by car. Outside of those 10 reasons, I can't think of any reason to buy instead of collecting from the wilds.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Oh, yeah! Spur-of-the-moment, #11. Any time I have nothing better to do, or maybe especially if I have something that I want to ignore...

 

[BrianBay9]

Most of the fun is having an excuse to get out in the woods and scout for trees. Worst case, you get a hike and don't find trees to dig. Not a bad day in any event.

 

[Gabler]

Go to a canal levee. The only other people there are there to go mudding. Plenty of young trees growing in rich silt likely to be burried anyway the next time the channel gets dredged. I can't say whether it's technically legal, but no one will bat an eye if you grab one tree sapling. At least, that's how it works up here on the C&D Canal. In fact, a DNR guy might even help you out if you're rooting out invasive species.