Looking for Northern Michigan Logger

[Woulde]

I'm looking for a logger to clear 3 to 5 acres for home site and view of lake in the Boyne City, MI area.

Would like to keep some select mature hardwoods standing, but most everything else removed.

The 23 acre site is on top of a ridgeline about 300 feet above and less than one mile away from Lake Charlevoix.  My desire is to get best view of Lake Charlevoix and hopefully a peak at Lake Michigan which is 13 miles away.  Don't know how much clearing this will take.

An access drive to the top of the hill is nearly complete.  A few pictures can be seen below.

Looking for suggestions on the best way to go about having the land cleared without too much damage.

Comments welcome!

[Ron Scott]

The road is looking good. Have you got the home site selected?

How about having your road contractor clear the home site? It appears that they might be capable of doing it.

[Woulde]

Hi Ron,

I'm very satisfied with the excavator.  He's done a fantastic job so far.  He's had to move a significant amount of earth to meet the 10% max slope requirement of the township.  The photos don't show the culverts he's put in, but they seem to be well thought out and professionally done.

Randy operates a local excavating firm in Boyne City, MI and does much of the work himself.  However, I believe he had an outside crew cut and remove the timber.  When I spoke with him about the timber clearing I wanted done, his advice to me was to be cautious.  He said there's a lot of people that can cut and remove timber, but not many without tearing up the ground.  I took that to mean he didn't want to recommend anyone.

I'm planning on building the home near the southern edge of the property, which is where the 1,500 foot drive comes to an end. I think that will lend itself to the best views.

Hope you're doing well.  Good to hear from you!

[JohnG28]

I can't help you with the logger aspect of your question, sorry.  But that's a fine looking piece of land and surely will be a sweet view once cleared.  If you plan on having a fireplace or wood stove you would surely have enough to heat your future house for a long time with all that wood.

[CX3]

Nice property.  Pretty place. Good Luck.

[timberjake]

don't know your timeline, but to reduce or eliminate tearing up the ground, have it cut in the winter once the ground freezes.  Most loggers can do a good job at preserving the trees you want left, but there is always some collateral damage.  Also depending on the quality and quantity of the timber you are planning on removing from the site you may have either give the timber away or even pay someone to to it.  3-5 acres is a very small cutting and usually not economically feasable unless there is some outstanding timber.

[Jeff]

In that area there is always the potential for some outstanding timber.  I am reminded of a thread that I started several years ago.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,4567.0.html

[northwoods1]

The road is looking good. Have you got the home site selected?

How about having your road contractor clear the home site? It appears that they might be capable of doing it.

No this has not been my experience. I think your on the right track in looking for a logger to clear the 3-5 acre site. Problem is most loggers with the required equipment to not take on 3-5 acre jobs unless there is some special reason like Jeff said maybe there is some particularly good wood there. As others have said you might have to give the wood away and in some cases even pay to have the land cleared it's just a matter of figuring out the mathematics of it $. But from judging by your photos I see it looks like an average sized run of hardwood. I know a number of loggers including myself who also do tree removal/lot clearing. What I would do for a site like yours is to bring in a rubber tired 3 wheeled feller buncher outfitted with a 28" cut sawhead. Having a buncher to mechanically fell the trees makes clearing right of ways/ building sites, general land clearing a real easy and efficient matter. On a 3-5 acre size piece of ground all of the trees to be removed could be carried to, cut up and processed on just a few small areas reducing or eliminating any damage to remaining trees or ground and removing tops. Then a short wood skidder to move wood to deck for truck. Basically it would look like a park if you just were to leave some mature trees. But I would get someone who has equipment to handle wood not someone who does excavating work. The way most guys like that clear land is to push all the trees and stumps in to a pile with the dozer then haul it away, they are not exactly set up for felling and tree removal. A logger could remove all of the wood and debris do it very quickly and efficiently and utilize everything. The side of the hill where you want to improve the view you would need a cable machine. I did that for one landowner on a moderately steep hill, went down 150' all of the cable on the machine. Improved the view greatly

[thecfarm]

I had some wood cut on my land.Watched this guy cut for 20 years.He did a super job.Not saying he could do it,too far to go anyways,but what I'm saying it takes a special person to do what you want and the right equipment.I have no idea what amount of wood you would need removed,but you might end up just giving them the wood for the job.You just have a nice view when you get done.Than again you could go in with a chain saw and cut down the tops too,3 acres would be a lot of cutting.But from the looks,you want a nice job done and I don't blame you any and hope you don't get a bad wind storm for a year.
And one more thing,here in Maine we might even be in a watershed a mile from a body of water. If you had a logger come in and rut up the land,you could be in a big mess.

[Woulde]

This is exactly the kind of information I need.  Thank you.

I'm not expecting to make money selling the timber. 

I plan on keeping as many healthy mature trees as possible, but won't know how much clearing will be required to get the view I want until after the clearing starts. 

If I made my living as a logger, that ain't what I would want to hear, so I understand that shelling out some dough and giving away the trees is probably the only way to get what I want.  I want to be fair, but not taken to the cleaners either.

That 3 wheeled rubber tire feller sounds like the animal that will do the job.  If it needs to be done in the winter, that's fine, but I can't tell a dead tree from a live tree when the leaves are down.   

If anybody is interested in looking at the property, please let me know.  The drive should be done in a week or two and the logging could start anytime.

[barbender]

I'm doing a clearing job soon that is all Red Pine, nice trees sorrounding a paved parking lot. The owners wanted all the tops cleaned up and hauled off site, so I am doing it in exchange for the wood. If I could have just cut the trees like they were in the forest, I probably would have bought the wood. I might wish I had charged them by the time I get done with all the clean up. :