# How to find and harvest legal burls!



## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

*How to find and harvest legal burls!*

Hey everyone, 
It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.



I don't deal with straight grain that often. I cut and sell burls for a living so here is what I know.

It is illegal to harvest a burl without permission. of course if it is on your own property you can give yourself permission. What I do is put an ad on Craig's list saying I want your burls. Most people don't know what burls are. So you don't get that many calls. Burls are almost everywhere there are trees. I see them a lot of the times in cities where they have been damaged and contiually healed over. If you live close to BLM land you can get a permit to harvest. I dont harvest on BLM. I get my burls from people how are clearing land for building. You must get a note from the place of harvest for you to be legel (That is you need the Name, address, Phone # and Date). Sometimes the police will pull you over if they see it and you need documentation.



If you live in maple country, the maple burls like to grow in seasonal creek side or brooks. They like lots of water. So if you are walking thru the woods you need to keep an eye out for them.

They grow at the base of the tree like a big onion or up on the trunk. Don't mistake a healed over broken branch as a burl. It will also look like a burl. However there is still good figure there.


Normally I have found that if you find one burl there are more. They seem to grow in pocket of the forest. I have found Pine burls, Maple burls, Madrone burls, Black walnut burls; English walnut burls oak burls, Manzanita burls and others I can't remember. One thing though I live in burl country so I am blessed.
But even if you don't live in a burl area, when you put an ad in the paper or Craig's list, people have them in the form of tables or some other form. I bought a red wood burl table at a garage sale that was 6' long and 24" wide by 3" for $75.00. So you don't have to always find them in the forests.
I would be happen answer your question if you have any.
Thanks
Greg Dahl
Oregonburls.com
541-450-9499


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


I have just networked with local tree services for the last several years…burls grow in town too. They bring me all the ones they have to remove.


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Yes Tree services are a great resorce.


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Nice blog. I look forward to more photos of your finds. Do you know how the spiney maple burl above came out in a project? I spied that earlier when you were selling it, but it looked like it had too many voids for my needs.

I've seen some trees locally that have some awesome burls and have a friend who's on a neighborhood committee to replace the aging cherry trees and may be able to acquire some when they cut them down.

So Hey, do you find burls at a Burlesque? I like them burled, burley guys. }~


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Hey Greg
Interesting Blog .Looks like we are both in the southern Oregon area.


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


i dont think the police would pull someone over for having a burl in their truck around here lol


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


It is a federal offence for the illegel harvest of burl. I have know 2 burlers who have been pulled over and arrested. Poaching is a big deal here in Oregon. I would imagine because we have so meny of them. They are easy to steal.


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## KentS (May 27, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Gee, I wish we had trees in West Texas. I am envious of the access you have to all that wonderfull burl.
Do you ship to Texas?
Great to have you on Lumberjocks.


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## nmkidd (Sep 18, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Interesting….....I've seen these but didn't realize they were useful. Good post.

I'm going to go and put on some water to burl to make burled eggs.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Thanks for the post, Greg. This has been an informative blog.


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## cabinetmaster (Aug 28, 2008)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Man I wish I could find some of that burl around here. Guess I need to contact a tree service and see if they can get me some. I'm with Kent. Can you ship to NC?


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


You bet. I ship to the East Coast all the time. It is pretty economical also.


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## cstrang (Sep 22, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Thanks for posting, im gettideas rushing through my head now haha, no sleep for me tonight.


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## tinnman65 (Jan 19, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Great post, how do you pay for the burls you buy, I would think that "board feet" doesn't always cut it when sizing small burls. Is there a going rate for them in your area?


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


What's the process for drying burls?


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


It is different with each speice. Madrone is a pretty intense process. Maple fairly easy. If you are turning a bowl with maple you just need to rough turn it and let is sit in a cool place for a few months.


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## scrappy (Jan 3, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


I live in Pheonix, AZ and down one road for an entire mile, 3 out of 4 tres along the road have burls on them.

TOO bad they are not on private land. At least then I might be able to get purmission.

Scrappy


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## Indiana_Parrothead (Oct 5, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Greg, very cool blog. I didn't realize that burls are that common, they are not around here in southern IN.


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


what other uses do burls serve besides making turnings and other woodworking related items?

i mean WHY is it a federal offence? surely a handful of woodworkers out there cutting trees down to get the burls cant be enough reason for a federal law


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


My Understanding of the reason is back in the 80 and 90 and even up into 1 year ago there was a hay day for veneer burls. A lot of the burls were being shipped over seas to veneer plants that were cutting for the European car market. Sometime a burl could be worth $12,000-$15,000. Now that was a large one but never the less. Lots of money. So that encouraged the dishonest people to go onto public lands and harvest them illegally.


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## baller (Nov 14, 2008)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


like everything else, very few mess it up for the rest of us =/....anyways, kinda hard to find big burls down here (although i have not looked that hard i admit, but in general not many big trees come down in mission viejo that aren't eucalyptus)...i'm not looking for more wood at the moment, as my side and backyards are nearly full lol…just wondering though, what are the shipping rates usually like? u sell per pound wet i assume? i'd be interested in the future for some select gifts/projects…


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Very Interesting blog. We have a lot of burls here in Norway, but I haven't gotten any.


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## kwaller (Sep 20, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Nice pix of nice burls, Greg. Here in Ontario there a lot of burls, especially maple. Other species include spruce, birch and oak. My favourites include big-leaf maple from the west coast (especially Oregon). I really like turning caps (the first or second slices cut from a large burl) that allow me to leave a natural edge on my turnings. There are a couple on my project page. Sources of big-leaf maple burls seem to be deminishing in Canada especially for caps. Do you ship across the border? Fumigation required?
I have very little luck finding burls, personally, but I do have a lot of people that know I turn them. Spread the word and you'll be surprised. Give back a turned piece once in a while and you'll have a dedicated searcher for life.


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


I am sure that you have tree service companies. You should call them as see if you can get some from them or offer to pay for them.


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## Bothus (Sep 14, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Thanks for posting this. I'm gonna start paying attention when I see trees getting cut down around town.

Bothus


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## cabinetmaster (Aug 28, 2008)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


What are some of the going rates for burls?


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


It depends on your area. Weather you are purchasing retail or off your neigbor. Where there are lots of burls and poeple know about them you have to pay more.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Great post! Thanks for the information. I'm 20 miles from the Cherokee National Forest and there are 640,000 acres of public land. Permits are available to remove firewood. I wonder if any of that firewood is damaged enough to form burls… I might have to check it out soon. Permits are usually available after an area is logged and the loggers always leave crotches, stumps and gnarly wood behind.


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


That is a great time to get burls…


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Some beautiful looking wood.


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


I thought that I would put more pics on. Burls are fun!!!~ This is where I use to work. Glad I dont do that any more.
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy21/OregonBurls/?action=view&current=Picture1037.jpg" target="_blank">







htt


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## OregonBurls (Oct 12, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Another Great place to look for burls or good figured wood is on the Beach!


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## purplily (Nov 24, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Can't wait to get the wood I ordered from you Greg. What AWESOME pictures of burled wood. I imagine we have some burls in Florida, but never really paid attention….I will now!


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## Dean10 (Feb 7, 2010)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Very neat post, after having my first burl I can see the trippy grain pattern and I love it. Ill be using them alot more in the future, and if I can get some free thatd be great. Good info


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## stockmaker (Feb 23, 2011)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Thats a huge burl, Im getting ready to unearth one up here in the seattle area its about 8ft across and 9 ft tall before it branches out into more burl got to be 25 ft tall of burl. will post pics soon.


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## rtriplett (Nov 25, 2009)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Greg, great post. I am starting to use some of the wood I got from you when my son and I visited. I turned a Walnut bowl a few days ago and have sliced some Walnut Burl for a box. It sure is fun wood to play with!


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## burlbeginner (Jan 11, 2012)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


Great post and pictures. I am new to hunting burl but would appreciate some tips on finding Madrone burls in Oregon…characteristics, things to look for etc. any tips would be awesome. they are just such a beautiful piece of wood. I really want to make my mother a nice end table or something out of one i find. nothing cooler than finding, harvesting and making a finished product . thanks for any tips.


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## machoo (Aug 19, 2012)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...


I just had a customer of mine take down a couple of oaktrees and one had a big burl growing out of it. Can you tell me the process I need to go through now. Do I let it sit for a while, or should I slice it up now. Any information would be helpful. Thanks.


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## AJS1 (Mar 8, 2015)

OregonBurls said:


> *How to find and harvest legal burls!*
> 
> Hey everyone,
> It was suggested that I start a discussion on how to find and harvest burls. Please give your input also.
> ...












Is this a burl?


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