In some locations, living trees are more valuable than the wood that could be obtained by felling them. For example, windbreak, stream-bank, and hillside forests are essential to soil and water conservation. Consult your state forester before you thin trees in such areas. It seasons most quickly during the hot, dry days of summer, and only after it has been cut from the stump. The wood that you plan to use in late fall should therefore be cut no later than the previous spring.
Wet wood is heavier and thus more difficult and expensive to haul than seasoned wood.
A standard cord of green wood will lose almost half a ton of water over the summer. If possible, cut the wood in the early spring, stack it at the woodlot to season over the summer, and haul it home in the fall. You will save yourself and your truck unnecessary work. The growth rate of trees varies for many reasons. A decrease in the growth rate of a stand may result from a problem that is only temporary, such as insufficient rainfall.