WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
Now is the time–from Memorial Day to mid-August or so—to peel hemlock logs. As a hobby, I like to use hemlock bark to tan deerskins into leather. Seeing these “naked” logs was once a common thing in the forest back in the early 19th century when the tanning industry was in full swing. The bark was peeled in the summer and stacked. Later in the winter, it was apparently hauled out using oxen. Supposedly, Sullivan County–which had a significant tanning industry–had the most oxen in the State during this time for hauling bark.
May the Forest Be with You,
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association