The key is to let folks know that you want logs. The more people that you tell and share your phone number with, the more opportunities you will have to get some logs.   

Have a way to pick up logs. I started out with a tilt-bed trailer with a hand-crank winch mounted to the front. Now I have a compact tractor and 18-foot trailer, so things are easier now, but I still picked up a lot of logs with my initial setup.  

Every city and small town in my area has a place to take yard debris and fallen trees. This is where I get most of my logs to put on the sawmill. If your city has a place like this, ask if it is OK to take logs from there and explain what you are going to use them for.   

Every log I save from being burned at the tree dump is well worth my time to get them. It is such a waste to just let them be lost to a fire without purpose.    

Speaking with your local tree service business is another way to get logs to put on your mill. You can give your contact information to them and let them know what kind of logs you are interested in.  

Just be ready to get the logs when they call. You are saving them time and effort taking the logs, instead of them having to pay to dump them, but be timely if you want them to call you often.  

The last way to get logs is to remove trees for people who want trees removed. This takes certain skills to prevent property damage, so this is an avenue I do not use very often, unless the tree is far from anything that could be damaged.   

If you are skilled enough, you could get paid to remove trees, then have the logs to use on your sawmill. I personally am not at that skill level, and this should be left to the professionals who are trained and insured for such tasks.  

So, if you are like me and want free logs for your sawmill these few ways have worked well for me in the last four years of acquiring logs for milling and firewood. I hope these options will be useful for folks reading this article and help them gain the free logs needed to pursue their milling passion.