Doing your on logging?

[Rio_Grande]

We have a small property that is rough and there is little access. Aparently our soils are poor and the whit oaks we have are the wrong wood color. Basicly I have heard every excuse on earth why nobody wants to log our property except on poor margins.

BUt I have the equiptment to get the logs out myself and the equiptment to move it to the mills. What I am lacking is the knowledge as to cut lengths and the relationship with the mill not to do all that work and get hosed when I deliver.

Have any of you undertook this task? Any words of wisdom or recomendations?

I have 4 oaks that got defoliated last year and need to go before the end of the year. I figure I would take them first in an effort to minimize my education costs. they are not dead but they may not recover from the moths that got ahold of them. Better to risk them than a big red oak.

 

[foreman Etexas]

We have a small property that is rough and there is little access. Aparently our soils are poor and the whit oaks we have are the wrong wood color. Basicly I have heard every excuse on earth why nobody wants to log our property except on poor margins.

BUt I have the equiptment to get the logs out myself and the equiptment to move it to the mills. What I am lacking is the knowledge as to cut lengths and the relationship with the mill not to do all that work and get hosed when I deliver.

Have any of you undertook this task? Any words of wisdom or recomendations?

I have 4 oaks that got defoliated last year and need to go before the end of the year. I figure I would take them first in an effort to minimize my education costs. they are not dead but they may not recover from the moths that got ahold of them. Better to risk them than a big red oak.

I would say start with going to Mill and talk with them. They will let you know how/what trees and log length they are taking. Example:8in.minimum tops,16in.max bottums,lengths 8'4in.,10'4in,& 12'4in. Also make sure your loads consist of same type logs all hardwood,or pulpwood,or cedar,or pine you get the point.They wont seperate every log for you,just send it threw as all the lowest grade wood thats on trailer(then they will seperate for themselfs)..

 

[whistlepig]

They are cut in lengths to fill the length of a flat bed semi trailer. Two logs long. Hauling them to the mill is a considerable part of the cost of the project. I am pretty sure these were 53' trailers. I hunted a land lease a few years ago and part of it was being logged. I took a break one day, drove the ATV over, and watched them log. One guy felled the trees and topped them. There were three log skidders. The skidders would cinch three to four logs about 18" to 24" in diameter with a cable and drag them to a cradle. Next to the cradle was a crane with a claw. The crane would lift the logs and butt one end of them to a stop on the cradle. There was a hydraulically powered chain saw operated by the crane operator that cut them to length and then swung 180 degrees and loaded them on a trailer. What was left over was firewood. This was brutally hard work. The stuff you see now on TV isn't even close. These logs were going to a paper mill.

 

[trailbuilder]

The buyer determines specs as mentioned before. Oaks here up North are saw logs: veneer to #3 saw logs, then the rough ones are bolts, hardwood pulp and then firewood in that order. Mills here pay $700/thousand (BF) board feet to $80 a cord. Trucking is around $14/cord.

Cutting to grade is very important as you can see by the prices. For example if you cut up one tree that has Veneer logs for pulp or firewood you could loose several hundred dollars. It is best to educate yourself before bucking the tree, maybe a forester or log buyer will help you with this process.

Our first loggin job was my Dad and I with a chainsaw and JD 350C. We logged about 5 acres and cut about 20-30 red oak trees. We split $10,000 after 3 weeks of work and that was 25 years ago. The log buyer helped us to show us where to buck the stringers. This was a very select cut and we made 100 face cord of firewood from the tops and limbs. The woods still looked pretty when we were done, no skidder ruts and huge slash piles.

The professionals want a larger volume to make it worth their while to move their big equipment; if you are talking about 20-50 trees they are most likely not interested. Many will make a mess as well.

 

[Rio_Grande]

We are exactly in the middle of the 20-50 tree deal as we come in around 30 that I think are ready. We have a whole crop of Walnut coming in behind these that it is important to us do not recieve unnnecessary dammage as they still have around 20 more years before their harvest.

It has been frustrating but i compleetly understand all but a few who have just been trying to steal the tree value from us. While my back is still good and we have the equiptment why not do it. But as mentioned I got to learn first.

I dont know any mills here who deal in firewood or pulp wood. They all saw boards. But I am learning I may find that that is compleetly inaccurate. I discussed with my dad paying a cutter to come in drop and buck the logs for sale, the only problem with that is it would put us on an imeadiate time line which could be a bad thing depending on weather and the like.

I wouldnt be opposed to getting help in for the specialized parts of this.

 

[whistlepig]

We are exactly in the middle of the 20-50 tree deal as we come in around 30 that I think are ready. We have a whole crop of Walnut coming in behind these that it is important to us do not recieve unnnecessary dammage as they still have around 20 more years before their harvest.

It has been frustrating but i compleetly understand all but a few who have just been trying to steal the tree value from us. While my back is still good and we have the equiptment why not do it. But as mentioned I got to learn first.

I dont know any mills here who deal in firewood or pulp wood. They all saw boards. But I am learning I may find that that is compleetly inaccurate. I discussed with my dad paying a cutter to come in drop and buck the logs for sale, the only problem with that is it would put us on an imeadiate time line which could be a bad thing depending on weather and the like.

I wouldnt be opposed to getting help in for the specialized parts of this.

Have some one you can trust come and grade the trees and their value. There are folks that do this. Not the logger. That would be the fox watching the hen house.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Check to see if your local community college offers a class in log scaling. That would give you several hours in contact with a professional who knows what kind of logs the mills want you to manufacture. Yes, log length can make a difference. You can also much increase your return with judicious bucking, for instance one 18' log with 4 defects, vs. one 9' log with no defects and one 9' log with 4 defects. It all depends on what your mills are looking for.

There is a huge ignorance tax in timber. Get educated.

 

[trailbuilder]

The other factor to consider, now knowing you have other Harvest trees on site is can you or your father drop these trees without damaging the Walnut trees? The professionals have (HS's) Hot Saws, (FB's) Feller Bunchers and Processors which can drop the trees in the correct direction.

 

[Rio_Grande]

I agree trailbuilder, Problem is I cant get any intrest in doing the job. between preconcieved ideas of loggers who have never seen the site and at least one forester who says the white oaks are not worth cutting, Again without looking at them, we are so far reduced to doing it ourself. If I could get a standing buy with a reasonable agreement we would go for it. I dont really mind them making money on them for their work but i cant get anyone to look. The terrain turns everyone off and I can understand that, but I can get all over my place with the track loader and most of it with the tractor. I just think that for the amount of trees and the terrain nobody is interested.

 

[Egon]

As mentioned go talk to the mill and get all the information you can. You may also find there is a time limit after cutting which the mill adhere's to.