Had a fair size paulonia tree in a fence row at the far end of the property. Was thinking about cutting it for turning blanks. Went up to that end of the property this am and found that paulonia tree and a large cherry had been cut. The cherry was probably about 28 inches in diameter chest high. The branches were still laying but the trunks were gone. There is a seldom used dirt road there about 20 feet the other side of the fence row. I could see by the tracks in the weeds that whoever took it had a trailer, but probably 10% of the folks around here have flat bed trailers. No heavy machine evidence so they had some way to lift the logs onto the trailer. Must have been a week ago. heavy rains washed away all evidence of tire tread. Found a couple cigarette butts. Cops pretty much said without a witness and tag number, they would not even do a report. That area is a half mile from the house and over a hill where we can not see. I have a suspicion who it may have been and know he is cagey enough not to store any logs at his property. Checked with neighbors, Regular Sgt Schultz they are. With the storm last week taking out hundreds of trees, Nobody is paying attention to logs being hauled around.

I'm sure it happens more often than not ... but I've never directly heard of someone doing it.

My sympathies with your loss.

Heard of burls being cut out and snitched by wood rustlers.

Man it sucks when they get down to stealing trees

When i was a kid I helped my shop teacher legally cut down and sticker about 12-15,000 Bd ft of black walnut, he stored them in a couple old semi stock trailers about a mile from his house on his farm, he was always checking on the wood to see how it was drying but a couple years later he wasn't watching it as close and somebody had come in a stole the whole shebang

Never did find out who did it but he was sure sad about it as was I because my pay for helping was to get to use free walnut

We get a spate of tree rustlers around here. Depends on the economy and timber prices. Some woods go for insane amounts. I understand Paulownia is something that many saw mills will not touch because it gets stolen frequently. Hear recently of a black cherry that went missing while the property owner was in the hospital for a stroke. A few years ago, a neighbor had his baler stolen right out of the field and it showed up at a scrap yard 5 miles away. Some folks here will steal anything.

A lot of illegal cutting goes on in NW Wa. Good market for maple used to make guitars. Also a lot of wood cut illegally for firewood and some cedar for shakes.