Storms knock fences down, or neighbors might be renovating theirs with new material. Be ready to stop and ask if they are willing to donate their waste lumber, or even pay you to tear down the fence and haul it away.
 Insect damage, rot, and weathering are conditions that might render the lumber useless. Determine the type of lumber, rot resistant material like cedar and redwood may weather and grow fungus and mold, but generally, they stay sound for many years, even exposed to weather extremes.
 Be careful of nails, screws, splinters, and other hazards. Wearing gloves and a sleeved shirt, as well as sturdy work boots is suggested., A six foot board might be too damaged or deteriorated to use for a fence, but even a few feet of sound lumber can be used for other projects. If you notice that one end or the other of a majority of your boards is in poor condition, stack them with the bad end the same direction to make work dealing with this easier., Keep a bucket handy to toss these objects into to make cleanup easier when you are finished., Some attached lichens or fungus might be acceptable, but these will continue to grow and spread if you reuse the material, so keep them to a minimum., Depending on the amount of material you have been fortunate enough to gather, every useful piece might be needed to complete your project., Many fence boards will be rotted or deteriorated at the bottom, especially if debris has been stacked against them or if they were in contact with the ground., If both ends are damaged, square up one end before measuring your final cut., Cut your boards with a circular saw., If you have a flat, dry storage area, you might prefer to stack your boards flat. Store your harvest until you have gathered enough material for your planned project.,
Find a source for your project lumber.
Check the condition of the wood.
Load the lumber carefully on a truck or trailer to haul it to your work area.

Sort the lumber according to size/type and condition.

Remove any remaining nails or screws as you sort and stack the lumber.

Clean off any fungus growth and mold that can easily be removed.

Sand or scrap other mold or debris off the boards, checking them for hidden damage, large knots, and splits that might preclude reusing them.

Get a general idea of how much you will need to trim your boards to make the most use of them.

Measure each board to cut them if trimming is required.

Mark the angles for dog-earring your boards if this is desired, being careful to make them uniform.

Stack your new used lumber vertically to allow air to circulate around them and to help decrease warping.

Keep your work area clean, picking up scraps of wood with remaining fasteners, or make a scrap pile where there is no danger of anyone stepping on them.
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