Japanese maple from the wild

[jjpotts]

Will this bonsai with a few yrs of work, pulled from the wild.it was stuck under some pine branches looking for light

 

[Shibui]

Will this bonsai with a few yrs of work,

Almost anything will make a bonsai with a few year's work (or maybe a few more than a few years)
How long depends where you start and what you expect the end result to look like. I've often developed trees for 10-15 years before considering them ready for a bonsai pot.

Leaves are the only obvious scale so it's hard to judge the real size of that trunk. I'd probably be planting a tree that size back in the ground for 5 or more years so it will thicken faster but I know that's not for everyone.
What sort of bonsai - shape, size, etc - do you think you want to develop? If you will be happy to have a thin looking trunk with just a few branches you could probably achieve that in a year or 2.

 

[jjpotts]

Thank you for the guidance , the trunk is about an inch . Pad style if possible. I was worried it was unhealthy as the branches are dark purple, and I know that's a lack of I think magnesium or potassium in some plants. Don't quote me. Medium size if need be.

 

[TCEvan]

I was worried it was unhealthy as the branches are dark purple, and I know that's a lack of I think magnesium or potassium in some plants.

Deep reddish purple coloring is normal for new growth branches on Japanese maples. It's a little tough to tell from photos, but the coloring in yours looks pretty typical. On my trees that have those deep red/purple leaves, the color of the leaves almost perfectly matches the color of the new branches.

 

[jjpotts]

When I found them there wasn't really a deep root.. not sure if it was because it was living in the pine needle littered ground or what..but I did get the feeder roots and a what looks to be a tap root but not to long maybe two inch, hopefully it lives

 

[Shibui]

When I found them there wasn't really a deep root.. not sure if it was because it was living in the pine needle littered ground or what..but I did get the feeder roots and a what looks to be a tap root but not to long maybe two inch, hopefully it lives

Contrary to popular opinion most trees do not have a 'tap root'.
Lateral roots are dominant and develop very quickly. In some soils and some conditions lateral roots develop even more strongly and there's almost no deeper roots.
Japanese maples recover very well from root reduction. When I transplant JM I cut all down roots very short and chop laterals hard if the tree is dormant. A few lateral roots that are a few times longer than trunk thickness is enough. Branches can also be cut back hard when transplanting JM.