Horse logging

[David_c]

Tillaway i was just reading in my timer harvesting mag alc section work comp $84.84 and they want to raise it 12.5 percent by january 2004 unbelievable

[hosslog]

Tillaway, What is involved and how difficult is it to get licensed? I don't think he is to serious but it would be nice to cut trees that have 2 40 ft logs in them.we don't get many that size back thisaway.

[Woodhog]

I read an article last spring in the local Forestry Magazine where a fellow was using a single horse and a John Deere 4WD (looked like about a 60-70 HP) with a forestry trailer and
a loader attached.

He was a retired math teacher (so his figures should be right?).
They were being used in the same woodlot in the winter.
After all the figures were in, depreciation etc etc etc the horse
came out ahead on the balance sheet....I cant find the article or I could quote the actual figures.
This was not a big commercial operation of course but I find
sometimes the small operators with little investment in equipment come out ahead and have less headaches at the
end of the month etc...
It used to be fun in the woods with a horse, you had someone to talk with over lunch or curse at during work when they got
balky, but it was more physical which probably didnt really hurt us any..
Last summer I was talking to a harvestor operator near the end of his day, he got out and started to walk about 1/2 mile to his truck, I asked him why he didnt drive it out, he laughed and said "I have to get some exercise somehow after sitting in this da**** thing all day, with the horse he would have got lots of walking (good for his heart)....

[OneWithWood]

Till,

Please excuse my ignorance but what is an 'a jack'?  Got a pic of one in action?

[David_c]

here you are one.    www.madsens1.com/siljacks.htm

[AtLast]

PICTURES!!!!...WE NEED PICTURES!!!!!!!

[David_c]

atlast your thinking right. pictures  8) 8) 8) come on guys pictures.

[Gus]

I just gotta put in my 2 cents worth here.

Tillway Comp. has apparently kept on the rise since I was in business. Last I paid was around $75, I think that was around1989 in MN.

As a kid my dad horse logged, but I'm sure that old horse had been doing it for a number of years by the time I came along.  It was broke to death and needed no one on the lines, BUT I do remember that old Fly would stop from time to time half way betwixt the landing and the woods to rest and someone would have to go jump start her to get her  moving again.  ;)That is one advantage of a skidder . . . .they can't think ;D

Now if a fella was to take a farm broke team to the woods I think there'd be a rodeo eventually.  8)Farm broke teams are not used to all the brush and sticks and things that a skidding horse is used to. There are some exceptions of course.
I used to have an old 1/4 horse mare that was broke to death that I used around the farm for skidding a little and she did pretty good. Did it mostly for giggles. It's hard work. Gotta be nimble and very good on your feet to stay out of the way of them logs. 8)

Gus

[Corley5]

I watched a show on RFDTV a while back on horse logging in B.C.  The way they made it sound it was catching on for selective cuts.  Looked like a lot of work to me.  A logger I know uses a team in combo with a forwarder.  The horses drag the logs to a looped skidder trail where the forwarder picks them up on hauls them to the landing.  He recently bought a forwarding trailer with a clam that's setup to pull with a team also.  I haven't talked to him in while to find out how it's working out.  I think horses have there place but I also believe that a GOOD skidder operator can do as little damage to a forest as a horse.  BAD skidder operators give them all a bad reputation.

[Gus]

Corely5, you made a real valid point there about skidder operators
Gus