OT. but who has havested timber (logged)

Thinking about harvesting some logs off the farm, I dont plan on clear cuting, what should i expect? will wild rose try to take the ground over after i am done? I would like to replant some seedlings as well etc.. whats been your expiences?

I have a 120 acre tree farm and log it as the need arises.. Work with a county forester or get help. It depends on the age and type forest you have. It can be cut to promote growth of certain species and certain species require clear cutting to promote sprouting. The time I spend with consulting foresters is well spent.

Depending on just how little you have done, first and foremost educate yourself on not getting killed while doing it. Many folks are unaware of the dangers until they have an accident...

In short - remember that the trees will try to kill you back.

Folks that don't know better will cut a tree and stand by the stump as it falls, not realizing that it can jump up and crush you as you stand there. Or cut all the way through a tree making it utterly uncontrolled, rather than leaving a hinge.

I make a lot of use of plastic saw wedges to help keep things predictable and going the way I intend them to. I also don't try to fight what the tree wants to do over-much.

As to what will try to take over the ground, that's going to be a local variable, and can be ascertained to some extent by observing what happens around a natural blow-down, etc. You may also want to influence it by use of goats or sprays.

I wont be personally be the one falling trees, i think i am gonna go throuh the states stewardship program. just really want to hear some advice from you guys, if any regrets doin it etc...

If you are in the stewardship program then you are already working with a forester so it's probably best to seek his advise.
I took out 152 manure trees, maybe 30/40 were already felled by hurricane sandy, last year.
Anytime you remove that many trees it opens up the canopy for new grow. In my case bitter sweet, Atlantis, Russian olive, barrey rose. A program has to be put in place to control them or they will just take over.
Your forester will have a list of reputable loggers and I would not sign a contract without going over it with him so it doesn't affect your stewardship program.

Good luck,
Kirk

I just had a logging company cut trees on my place.
It's the skidder that does the most damage, woods looks like a major storm hit it.

I know some say in 5 years you will not be able to tell it was cut, but that is little comfort now.

Go look at some one else's woods that have been logged so you will be fully aware what is going to happen to your woods.

If you could find someone who logs with horses, that might be a better option.

I just finished up a select cut in a small 8 acre walnut stand......I had the county forester out to walk some MFL land that was scheduled for a commercial thinning next year and he had some extra time, so he helped ID some walnut that if harvested, would open up the canopy and increase the yield for the next harvest....

Timing was everything....logger was finishing up in the neighbors woods and we just drove the skidder across the road into mine, walnut prices are up, and I was able to skid enough tops up to the tractor path for easy firewood gathering.

I may plant some trail mix seed this next Spring on the skid roads....the Forestry Dept. will help with the mix.

JJ gave you some good advice about the consulting forester....won't do anything but help with the end result.

Tim

Very true about the skidsteer......if possible, walk the ground with the logger and identify where the best place to bring in the skidder would be to do the least damage and increase your end result goals....

The logging "roads" we put in can now be used for recreation, and future timber harvesting.

Most loggers get paid by the amount of board feet they get to the landing. The faster they get it there, the more "per hour" they make.....choice of logger, in my opinion, is very critical....

Don't worry about your woods.....even if it looks like a moonscape, Ma Nature will heal your woods very quickly.

Tim

I would completely agree with having someone qualified to assess the parcel to be harvested check out the site, if at all possible. I know its not all that complicated, but for thinning and harvesting, its a bad move to leave that to the logger or whomever will be doing the work.

Other concern, damage to trees that will remain, along any and all skid paths, or where equipment will travel, compaction of root systems, or whatever may be specific to the site. Soil disturbance, ruts, and or restoration of same may be applicable to find a common ground on too.

Loggers can be sloppy and careless, as I have noticed, not all, but those that are I would avoid if possible.

Tops and any other wood that may be good for firewood, central piles or some agreement is desirable, at least make it accessible. When "wringing" out a scope of work for something like this, sure you don't want to choke the contractor/logger with so many details about the work, it will make them walk away, yet you may be able to work it out so that its best for all involved.

I've never believed that a little restoration on the way out, with some consideration for organization, for the tops and other wood cut that will remain, would be any significant additional cost if its planned ahead and done periodically as the job progresses if done in a manner that's efficient for the logger.

I think the worst thing is not dealing with these things up front. If you can't do it, paying the logger an agreeable amount, for say fixing ruts, drainage and any major soil disturbances from their work, would be well worth it, same with tops and other wood, I've seen where that would have paid off, pay them for a day to restore whats been disturbed, stockpile wood that remains, nothing fancy. Logger made a mess at a friends farm, and they had quite the stand of pine and such, still do, but this logger left all the hardwood that had to be cut or was damaged everywhere, one day with the skidder and all that would have been headed up, the waste and the efforts we made to gather all of that up, far exceeded the value of paying them while still on site.

One thing I dislike the most is the damage done to trees that remain, what in heck is the point of thinning when you take half the bark off those trees skidding the other logs out ??? That happened here unfortunately and most of those damaged trees have broken off or will die off soon, and its been less than 20 years.

It took years for the canopy to cover up the holes and the under growth that came in was thick, undesirable vegetation that made the woods impassable for quite some time, it eventually died out, as the canopy filled in, but it took more than 5 years as I recall, maybe 7.

To minimize damage, try to get the logging done when everything is frozen solid. Of course, everyone else that gives a fleep about their land does the same, and if mother nature does not cooperate with freezing on schedule, you get a mudhole mess.

See if you can find a horse logger, yes.

The problem you have to assume with commercial logging is that they are sitting on loans for expensive equipment and huge insurance payments - so speed is everything. A friend had a forester mark out some land for cutting, and despite the involvement of the forester (but I think not "daily oversight") trees were yarded on top of his seedling area, things got cut that should not have, etc. Others I've seen all the trees "left" beside the haul roads were damaged beyond any use by being bashed into with the skidders, and skid roads were run up and down hills (making erosion problems) rather than following an existing network of cross-slope roads (not fast enough for them.)

Ask to inspect & speak with the landowners of the last 5 or so jobs they have done before signing a contract - try not to settle for the one guy they did a nice job for and send everybody else to see.

Good luck with it. You may want to see what it will cost you to have your forester on-site the whole time they are working (and you can see, and not regret over-much, which choose not to bid if that's a condition...)

Depends on what you're cutting... If you're talking about an even aged stand of soft wood... probably better to just mow it down and recover what you can because the rest is going to blow over anyway. Leave some patches to supply cones for reseeding and call it good. If you're into hardwood then selective cutting may be practical if you want to go that way. Likewise with an uneven aged stand of softwood or a mixed stand..
As far as the equipment goes... you can expect that to travel straight up and down steep grades... or even modest grades. Anything else is suicide...

Rod

I would suggest hiring a forester to mark it out for you. They can mark it selectively so as to maintain your canopy and limit the amount of brush growth.
Many of them will also write contracts for you, and some will even bid it out.
Pete