One of my failures

[Texas Ranger]

I have had a client since 1968, starting with the father, then the sons.  Beautiful track of some 300 acres of southern yellow pines.  Have made several harvests on it timed to the highs in the timber markets.  Planted pastures and did some TSI.

Then along came Rita and Ike, with some, but not devastating, damage, we did damage appraisal and tried to get some salvage, but, with a years crop destroyed we could not get a logger on the small amount we had.

Clients voiced their disappointment, and I walked them through the reality of trying to salvage 10 percent of Texas as opposed to less than 10 acres damage on their land, and seemed to placate  them.

Two years after Ike the timber market is in the tank, then two years later devastating fires in east Texas, and the market tanks again.

My clients wanted a harvest, and I tried to convince them that it is not the time.  Medium to large SYP.  Again they seemed happy with my reasoning that we would literally be giving away much of the timber.

Yesterday a neighbor to the land, and an old friend, asked me why I clear cut the 300 acres and explained I had no idea of what he was talking about.  So I went and looked at a clear cut with tops left, logs on the ground unclaimed, roads a mess, and generally not what you would like to see in a clients land.  Or, as it is, an ex-clients land.

Talked to the neighbor and found out that a local logger had done a salesman job on them, hit it quick and hard, and left without full payment.

I hope they will not ask me to do the theft work up.  I hate to pass, but some how loyalty got lost in the process.

[Autocar]

Your right , they made there bed now let them lay in it !

[fishpharmer]

TR, seems the clients failed you. You did your best for them and that's all a man can do.

[Ron Scott]

I've experienced a few like that with clients of quality hardwood stands who just went ahead and overcut their stands without listening to the professional forester's advice.

One client had a logger cut their grade northern hardwood stand twice when I said that it wasn't ready so soon after we had just did a selection thinning on it. Their potential quality hardwood stand is now a rasperry patch and they don't realize how much grade logs and veneer value they lost with the exessive cuts made too soon.

I talked to the logger who cut it twice and he said that he knew that it was wrong and not good forestry and he wouldn't cut it again. There isn't anything of value left to cut now in our lifetime. :

Some clients just see $$$ signs now and don't realize what they have lost or don't care about the real future timber values.

[customsawyer]

TR I don't see where the failure was on your side of the deal. Your job was to look after the land owners and the timber land. This is what you tried to do. What they do with your professional advice is in their hands. I feel sure you will get a call wanting you to come help clean up the mess.

[lumberjack48]

I had this happen to me a couple times. First it makes a feel like you been hit in the stomach, then you get mad [why] There were some guys around here you could see-em coming and they could still take your under ware and you didn't even know it.

I knew this one guy that did it over and over to people. He didn't pay, made a mess, ect, he was well known for his crooked practices. People STILL bought his story, usually his wife was sick, or a kid in the Hospital, he needed work. He even got caught stealing wood off other logging jobs. If this would have been me i would have been Black balled, big fine and jail. They told him not to do it again.

The thing is if these people needed money or for what reason they wanted to cut it  Why couldn't they have give you a call and let you have first bids. This what really makes a guy mad, your straight up honest, turn around and get stabbed in the back.
I had quit logging private stumpage, i found life to be much easier.

[treefarmer87]

Alot of people dont care about anything but the money today. I dont like to do clearcuts. I have only done 1 and it was all pulpwood for chicken houses to be built. I always tell landowners to check with a forester for the best results and i always tell them to leave plenty of trees for the future too

[Ed_K]

You can tell them a growing tree is better interest than any bank will ever pay,but most don't listen.
TR you did your best,too bad the owner's didn't think the same as their elders.

[WDH]

That is a shame.

[Silver_Eagle]

It is obvious you care about your client's property and looking out for them financially.

Look's like to me, the failure was the client not to listening to a knowledgeable/experienced/respectful/caring forester. 

[lumberjack48]

This is a good example why a person has to charge for estimating what a piece of timbers worth. You might not get payed for your time by logging it.

[Woodhauler]

I have had a client since 1968, starting with the father, then the sons.  Beautiful track of some 300 acres of southern yellow pines.  Have made several harvests on it timed to the highs in the timber markets.  Planted pastures and did some TSI.

Then along came Rita and Ike, with some, but not devastating, damage, we did damage appraisal and tried to get some salvage, but, with a years crop destroyed we could not get a logger on the small amount we had.

Clients voiced their disappointment, and I walked them through the reality of trying to salvage 10 percent of Texas as opposed to less than 10 acres damage on their land, and seemed to placate  them.

Two years after Ike the timber market is in the tank, then two years later devastating fires in east Texas, and the market tanks again.

My clients wanted a harvest, and I tried to convince them that it is not the time.  Medium to large SYP.  Again they seemed happy with my reasoning that we would literally be giving away much of the timber.

Yesterday a neighbor to the land, and an old friend, asked me why I clear cut the 300 acres and explained I had no idea of what he was talking about.  So I went and looked at a clear cut with tops left, logs on the ground unclaimed, roads a mess, and generally not what you would like to see in a clients land.  Or, as it is, an ex-clients land.

Talked to the neighbor and found out that a local logger had done a salesman job on them, hit it quick and hard, and left without full payment.

I hope they will not ask me to do the theft work up.  I hate to pass, but some how loyalty got lost in the process.

No failure on your part! Can't win them all!

[thecfarm]

That is what give loggers a bad name.

[Mooseherder]

Pretty sad story TR.  To bad they didn't follow your plan.
If they didn't realize what they had, they sure will know now.
Sorry for your loss.  It would bother me too.

[Tramp Bushler]

Yup . . People are funny , about the money .

They want it now .

Sounds like the father understood about leaving a legacy . But the ckild did not .

[Texas Ranger]

That is what give loggers a bad name.

Yep, and you never hear of the good ones, except by word of mouth.  There are far more good ones, than these.

[Bobus2003]

Have Had similar things happen, Then the landowner comes asking me to clean up the mess and is *pithed when I quote them the same cost as what i woulda done it for originally.. And always the same argument, Half the works done.. yeah but Its a PITA to clean up what others start..

[Phorester]

Always amazing to me how shortsighted people are.  Practice good forest management for decades, then screw it up for the next 100 years by letting in some joker who tells them what they want to hear, even thought he cannot produce it.  Takes their money, butchers the woods, then runs.

[Ron Wenrich]

One of the reasons I went back to working in the mill.  I had several clients that sold timber out shortly after a thinning.  Those were all done by foresters from working mills.  They needed the timber.  Not only do loggers get a bad name, but so do foresters.  Most folks don't know the difference.

[roquevalente]

in Bolivia we have forest management imposed upon us by law. This ensures sustainable harvesting, no just green talking, good for now but also for the future of the timber. See more on the principles of certified logging on this link: http://www.roquevalente.com/certified-ipe-deck.htm
I know Bolivia may sound corrupt etc., but believe me, it is still pretty corrupt but it is safer, cheaper and more piece of mind working along the rules!