iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Female Fallers

Started by jwhitaker1375, January 24, 2019, 05:36:15 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jwhitaker1375

Just wondering if there are any other female loggers out there? Seem to be on my own out here lol.

mike_belben

I have yet to meet either, but apparently the quarry has a female mechanic and a female class A driver.  
Praise The Lord

ironmule4501

My grandma ran the forwarder for 38 years! Now I took her job lol
Don't ya cut timber on a windy day!

John Mc

I know plenty of women who operate a chainsaw and fell trees, but none who are professional loggers. I do know one woman who is a professional arborist. She certainly has the skills to be a logger, but she is as busy as she wants to be climbing trees. However, as far as I know, she is not here on the forestry forum.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Riwaka

Think 'Logger girl' is one of the most widely known loggers.

Women in Logging - LOGGER GIRL | Between the Branches

Few in here
http://www.myloggermag.com/magazines/october2017.pdf

Locally a few on the skid a few years back because they were took more care at log making and qc than some of the guys.

Logger RK

We had a female Skidder operator years ago. One of the better operators I seen. My daughter ran my Skidder for me also. Then got a job as a operator at a coal dock running Dozer's much much bigger then anything I have. She was the first female operator hired there. 

longtime lurker

My ex wife was capable enough in a dozer or loader, could drive a truck etc. Also use a saw but not in a logging capacity but ive no doubt she'd have been capable enough had the need arose
 
Same with my eldest daughter, but I'm trying to keep the kids away from this business.
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

rjwoelk

My 29 year old dughter is doing some wood woking projects. I think i got her interested in trying her hand at the sawmill this summer.
Lt15 palax wood processor,3020 JD 7120 CIH 36x72 hay shed for workshop coop tractor with a duetz for power plant

chevytaHOE5674

My wife ran forwarder for me a few times and knows enough of a chainsaw to start it and cut wood should something fall across the driveway or road.

She is very good at mowing, raking, loading, and stacking hay though. One of these years I'm going to teach her to run baler so I can take a day off during the summer. 

sawguy21

Good luck with that! :D I don't know any female loggers but have encountered some driving trucks, they don't seem to be as hard on equipment. I did meet a young and very attractive lady, half my age and in a relationship DanG it, running a track hoe. She is as good as I have ever seen, the foreman said she is one of their best operators.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

quilbilly

I think there is a gal cutting up in SE Alaska. Big timber and supposed to be a good cutter too. A number of ladies have their CDL here and I know of one shovel operater about ten minutes from my house.
a man is strongest on his knees

47sawdust

Quote from: ironmule4501 on January 24, 2019, 08:15:01 PM
My grandma ran the forwarder for 38 years! Now I took her job lol
You must be her favorite Grandson.
I've seen some female "fellers". around but no female fallers.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

Autocar

I us to cut for a fellow that his wife drove the skidder , it always amazed me when we came to the end of the day I would ask her how many board feet we cut and she could tell you with in a few hundred feet. And later in years my wife drove skidder for me but I was young with know patiences and It wasn't long I was by myself again in the woods  ;).
Bill

lxskllr

I got in an argument online about how women don't work construction. The other guy said he's seen lots of women. He was a retired crane operator. I think it might be regional. He was from California. I've seen the rare truck driver, and once saw a female welder, but that's about it. One the carpenter foreman for one of our clients had his daughter working as laborer last summer before she went to college to do IT. I liked seeing that. No reason women can't do that kind of work. I don't like hearing "I can't". That's just a lame excuse. Everyone should be able to do everything. You may not be the best, but there's no excuse for not trying, and eventually doing an acceptable, if not exceptional job at whatever you set your mind to.

Old Greenhorn

You know when jwhitaker1375 posted this I had a feeling it would go in one of three directions and I kept my mouth shut and watched. Some of the comments, which have since been cleaned up (thanks Jeff) made me cringe with discomfort. That was one way it could go and it did (but it could have been worse). The next way was conversation about how women do in the field, which is being lightly danced upon now, with respect. The third is that this gal would be flooded with responses from other women wondering the same thing. I was pulling for the latter response. Sad to say that hasn't happened...... yet, but I have hope. The days, I think are gone when we entertain that battle between the sexes, and I think we  can stop trying to justify the occasional courageous and competent woman who has the salt to carry her own and endure any friction that may come her way. I don't want to look like I am trying to defend or support someone who does not need my help, but I do want to say I wish we had more women out in the woods doing the work because frankly I think they are better at it and carry less of an attitude. Women have spent way too much time and effort trying to prove themselves and they should be able, by now, to stop doing that and just work like the rest of us. Yes, I could add in here the women I have met who can split wood with a maul just as fast as any man I know and could outwork them on a long day, but that's not my point. I wish there were more women in the field is all I am saying and there is little reason these days that there aren't, except perhaps for young gals getting encouragement and acceptance.
 I have met women cutters in chainsaw classes, some come with their husbands, and most of the women, who have never run a saw before actually do a better job felling trees with good instruction than the men do. In one class I watched a husband and wife cut and frankly, the husband scared the heck out of me, but the wife was cool and thoughtful and did wonderful work. I heard the instructor remark to the husband at the end of the day "now just remember, when you get back to the farm, if you have any real big trees to drop, let her do it, OK?'
 I did a little looking around for jwhitaker1375 and found that she works a family operation that is pretty impressive. I can't pick out a lot of details, but they have nice equipment and work some really nice trees (geez! that black walnut you had!). I wish we had more like her in the field is all I am saying. Nicole (I think that's your name) I wish you had gotten a ton of responses from other women. But I suspect you knew the response you would get. I just wanted to thank you for throwing the rope out there in case somebody could grab it. I hope you will encourage other young women to look into the field. Looks to me like you and your family have it all going on. Good on ya'
 Tom
 
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Old Greenhorn

Nice little thread there Jeff. Thanks. I ran into a woman a few years ago who was the facilities manager at an outdoor education facility. She was a blessing to the place, there wasn't a thing she didn't know about heavy equipment and how to use it. She could log too. She re-did all their roads, not just re-grading, but tore them up and re-bedded them correctly, engineered the drainage, and relaid them. She could run anything, and I worked side by side with her for three days during a large event and we had fun seeing who could come up with a solution to the next 'problem' fastest. It was all about the work and getting the job done, with maybe a little bit of fun and a LOT of sarcasm on the side (she and I shared the same sense of humor with a lot of sarcasm, and a modicum of disdain throw in for flavor).  We never had a chance to talk about anything personal, we were so busy during this event working 18 hour days handling parking, roads, camping and 'special needs' for about 500 folks from the general public.
About 2 weeks later, during a debriefing of the event, the question was asked about how she interacted (she was new to this group) with others and got her job done. I remarked that if I weren't married for 40 years plus, I would want her contact info, yeah, she was that good. Everybody at the table looked at me like a sexist pig, they didn't understand that I was so impressed by her skills, ability, and attitude. I learned a bunch from her. I have never worked with anyone so versatile, man or woman and she had a great sense of humor, what a joy to work with.  That's why I wish there were more women out in the field. If she is out there, there must be more like her somewhere, probably everywhere if we just open the door.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Stoneyacrefarm

Great post greenhorn. 
I've been following along with this post to see where it went as well. 
I have a daughter that is 26 now. 
She's been my right hand man since she was old enough to walk. 
Coonhunting. Cruising timber. 
Working on the farm. 
Delivering firewood. 
Her vehicle to drive to school was a 2003 Chevy 1 ton dually with a flat bed on it.
She was blonde haired and blue eyed. A real charmer. 
I'd be driving the truck and get cat called at. (Sure wasn't my ugly mug they was looking at)
She had a following.  😂
When she was 10 years old she could run my excavator by herself. 
When I showed her something she would listen. 
Ask questions. 
And comprehended as good or better than any of the young kids I would have work with me on the farm. 
Many Girls/women given the chance will do as good as we do or better. 
They seem to put aside the ego thing better than we men do. 
I hope the op gets many responses. 
We can all learn a thing or two by just listening to each other's different points of views. 
Work hard. Be rewarded.

BargeMonkey

My cousin manages some state program that handles logging / clearing work in Sacramento CA, part of it involves 2 sawmills and I believe they have a kiln now, she was out a few weeks ago and we got talking, the rate in the county is 325.00 per INCH -DBH on certain species trees to cut them down, the money they collect goes to replanting. 
 Very few females out here in trucks or iron, we have helped 2x get their Cdl but I dont know if they ever used it much after. 

quilbilly

I forgot to add one of my best friends set chokers for her dad when they would log the family property. Although it's rare usually everyone out here knows a lady doing some sort of job that isn't bookkeeping, maybe driving truck, running a machine etc.
a man is strongest on his knees

Lumberjohn

Its my understanding some places have to hire so many females for their workplaces. Probably a union thing. No female loggers around here that I know of, mostly sign changers at road work, etc. I do recall a woman ironworker and a few that work construction.

woodmaker

The wife of one of my friends used to log. She was pretty good with a saw,but could run skidder as well as,if not better than ,most men. She didnt seem to break as much as the men either. She could cuss as well as any man also. Her husband was a logger also, but they worked for different companies.
 I have another female friend who is a union heavy equipment operator down around Boston. 
franklin q80,builtrite 40,husky 372,sachs dolmar 123, dozers,excavators,loaders,tri-axle dump trucks ,autocar tractor with dump,flatbed and detachable trailers, and 8  f350 diesels

Brian w

We have a good logger in the area and for as long as I can remember his right hand (man) has been his wife. I don't think that she does any cutting but I think she can do about anything else. I see her all the time at the wood mill and on the road driving their log truck. My own business hasn't had a woman working in the woods but my 15 soon to be 16 year old daughter is determined that I teach her to run a skidder this summer.

Ed_K

 Before I was made to retire we worked together on different logging jobs on week ends.


 

When we lived in Tx. Rita got a job running dozer, for my boss on a dozer service. She is good on pushing dirt, but we found out she was great on an earth mover. Cuts and fills were right on the mark.
Ed K

Ron Scott

Have worked with several over the years as fallers, buckers, skidder operators, and semi-drivers. All did the job very well. I experienced one being cut bad by a chain saw on a job back in the late 1960's but she continued working in the woods with her husband to skid and drive semi. 

The new Chief of the Forest Service, Vicki Christiansen, is a female with a wealth of on line firefighting experience.
~Ron

Thank You Sponsors!