Since you are looking at your own property, selecting your best hardwood is not a bad idea.

Knowing all the types of trees you have could be important. Particularly oak. There are more types of oak in North America than there are types of trees in Europe. There are literally hundreds of verities. There are some 60 major varieties in three major groups but they will crossbreed and form new types easily. They are not so uniform in properties that you can just say oak is oak. Verities of white oak have tighter grain than red oak verities and are less likely to split apart. Splitting green woods can be problematic though.

Coppicing is a good way to insure you have a supply on hand but it will take some years to establish.

It would be best just to top a larger tree rather than depend on shoots just from a stump. You may get fewer shoots, but those you get will tend to be straighter. You know the tree will live and it is not so hit and miss.

Crooked shafts can be straightened by steaming or boiling the wood and forming it to the shape you want with clamps.

If it is a long term project planting and coppicing are good ways to begin, setting up your lathe, and building a steamer for the follow-on of production but if you just want a couple of good shafts I would be temped to just buy some 7 foot ash staves to get started. Once you have the head and perhaps butt spikes mounted you will be getting close to 8 feet anyway.

I looked up the tree varieties for WI and it lists 32 broad-leaf and 10 conifers that are native. That is not to say that those are the only types you may have on your property and likely you don‘t have all of the native trees, either. About a quarter of those types would make decent staves. Just stay away from the softer or wetter types.

If you have tamarack (larch), that also makes good poles and staves. It is much tougher than fir and pine or many of the broad-leaf trees for that matter. As it is a deciduous conifer, it shouldn’t be too hard to find this time of year.

Keep us posted when you can get back to it.