ok if a women can relocate and learN (which you do everyday)would you hire a female skidder operator and would you teach her how to cut? cmon guys i wanna hear this!
Depends on the woman. You aint any different then the guys. We had a woman lumber piler a couple three years ago that was one of the best workers we ever had. She fell in love and quit. :-/ Question has nothing to do with weather you are a woman or not, its weather you can do the job. I find that women who tend to complain about being treated like a woman are simply using thier sex as an excuse for thier personal failure. Our board piler never suggested we treat her any different, in fact, take it the way you want, would never have even posed such a question as this. Either would either of the gals that haul logs into the mill. THey aint "Woman Log truck Drivers" They are simply "Log haulers", just like the rest. They can do the job. I reckon if they ever decided not to, they would stop without fanfare and not claim "its because I am a woman".
Not sure I could hire a female skidder operator. I dont have any problem with it, but my main loggin team is a pair of geldings, and they just dont seem to have the time of day for the female hand. They would just as soon stand on em as next to em. :o My oldest daughter can get em to listen, but she has to get after em a bit ;)I think they must be chauvanists ;D
Sure, I would! But she would have to bring her own skidder....and I suppose some trees too. ;)
We have a female truck mechanic who works in the shop. She does a good job. About twenty years ago I worked with a women mechanic and she wasn't worth a crap. Not because she was a women but because she was a pith poor mechanic and very sloppy. We have some men that are the same way.
Sure,why not? How much do you know about horses?
oh my jeff i wasnt implying that i need special treatment just cuz im female where i live its a do or die situation. i was just wondering if any of you males would teach a female all about logging? thats it, sorry i guess i didnt make myself clear...i still want to learn how to cut tho!
TammyJo runs the skidder for Watts Logging here. She does a fine job and is about fearless in there. Since the controls are all power it does not take any real strenght to run one. Had a gal work for me last summer but when it got hot she quit. Seemed unable to handle the sweat and sawdust. Come to Arkansas and I will let you run the sawmill and teach you how to fell trees. I don't have a skidder but I do have a tractor and timber tongs.
ARKANSAWYER
Down at the shop in my department, the bosses have a problem with a woman worker. Dont matter to them if they are a good worker or not, sooner or later they will be fired. I trained a woman couple years ago to run the furnace, caught on real quick and did a fine job. The bosses were on her chase all the time, many times had her crying. She went to the union and they told to just do her job right, no help there. After about 6 months of abuse she quit. Really felt bad for her, cant beleave they can get away with crap like this down there.
EZ
I would have to agree with Jeff. It depends on the women, There's allot of women
out there that can out work a man !! And then there's some when the going get's
tough they quit !! But I have also seen men like that . It just depends on the person !
I probably shouldn't post this, but, I call 'em like I see 'em.
Babylogger, your questions seem to indicate that you have a chip on your shoulder. I can definitely relate to how women are treated in the workplace. I don't think it's right, either. However, take up Arkansawyers offer and go see him.
I knew several loggers out there. One killed 2 drunks that was throwing rocks at him. He has 4 sons, last I knew. They would rather fight than eat. One got clocked with a Coke bottle and laid unconscious on the dirt floor of a shop the entire night. Next day they looked and he was gone. Said, "well, guess he aint dead". Work with them and get in their face and they will beat the snot outta you, and go back to work. I got along REALLY well with them. We were FRIENDS. Bought their logs. I was a *DanG Yankee outsider and new-comer. VERY hard to become friends with them hard-headed types. I DID it.
If ya wanna learn how to cut, go buy a saw and walk up to a tree. If yer brother or Dad is there, ask 'em 1 time to start teaching you how to do it. If they won't, tell 'em that you may kill yourself, and start the saw. If they really care about you, they will show you. If not, move away and find another place to live. Sorry, but, that attitude made me type this. Hope you can lighten up a little. Sounds like you have had a bad deal for quite a while and have developed a shell so things bounce off. It AIN'T becoming of a female type lady.
Of course, I need help diving for logs and would give you a try-out, as soon as you get here. Betcha them Men-folk would NEVER try this. ;) ;) ;D ;D C'mon down. Really.
The way I see it, if you do your job well, the "being a woman" thing should never come up in the conversation. Just like the folks here are saying, it all comes down to the person, can they do the job, and can they do it well without an attitude...that is all that matters.
If someone else makes a big deal about the "being a woman" thing, then they are the one with the problem.
With that said, I see alot of women who want the extra attention, they want to look weak and stupid, they must think it makes them more attractive or something. ::)
It seems odd to me that in this day and age, you would even have to ask the question....
When you really want to learn about something because it genuinely interests you.....you find a way to learn. If one person doesn't give you the information you need, you find someone else. It doesn't have anything to do with male or female. It is no longer an issue that "men" won't give you a chance. You make your own chances and you find your own way.
You phrased your question in the form of a challenge, and Florida DH and Patty are correct. You're just coming at this from the confrontation side. If you want to learn a skill and ask the forum folks how to go about it, then just rephrase your question to something like "I'd like to try running a skidder...what do I need to know to get started?" There isn't a person on this forum that wouldn't like to see you suceed, male or female! Keep trying and don't lose patience!
I was reading a physiology study a ways back and the conclusion was that women are far better at hand & eye co-ordination than men as an overall group. They are statistically, when experience levels are equal, better pilots, equipment operators, and believe it or not, better aims with a gun.
As Horselogger metioned can you handle a team? Have you considered moving to Canada? ::)
We had a milk hauler with a real attitude :-/ Was always griping about people making it hard on short people with ear rings. The inspector insisted on a hairnet because of the long hair. I avoided being at the barn during pickup because of all the tantrums. I sure was glad when HE quit ;D
As we speak, my edgerperson/chop sawyer is Vannessa, my Daughter in law(sorta, they aint really married). The odd time she cant lift a big flitch onto the edger table...so I help her and call her names(incompetant panti waist). :D :D When I miscut, she dont stop scorning me for hours :D :D.
Seriously, after three months, she runs the bobcat quite well,can edge with the best of them, chops clears outta boards Ida thrown away, and has run the LT70 a few times BUT I kinda put the kybosh on that, (dont wanna lose my job0 :D :D :D
I agree with Patty- it should simply boil down to "if you can do the work and do it well"
I have worked in the sawmill business for quite a few years with Fred, and we worked as a couple for another sawmill before that. Were there things I couldn't do? Yup, fraid so but my boss knew that, and the guys I worked with knew and more importantly.... I knew it so I took the jobs that I could do with little or no help (off bearing and skinnin' bark off ties)
Would I help cut? Nope, but not because I am female, simply because I'm real bad with sharp things haha and would surely lose a finger- :o or worse!
I got a chuckle out of Bro. Nobles post because I am back in dairy (it suits me much better as a person than sawing) and while it is quite literally a "crappy job" I do NOT do "crappy work" Once in awhile, one of the cows decides they are bigger than me and we go round and round, but I deal with it and go on......... til the next milking :D
Babylogger,
If you want to learn to cut the most correct and best way find a game of logging or cutter training course close to you. Often times the state lumber association sponsors these classes. There are four classes for cutting and two for skidding, I think. I have taken the first three cutting classes and I have learned a ton. It is also a good way to make contacts with other loggers.
To hire a woman or not to hire a women......... That´s the qestion? ???
If she looks too ugly: No she´ll frighten the customers and the neighbors cat.
If she have bad habits: No she´ll get drunk, frighten the good customers and entertain the bad.
If she looks very (very, very) good: No she´ll be in love, quit and move.
If she looks rather good, and don´t have too many bad habits: No I´ll marry her.
Swede.
Swede - that was good humor. :)
Seems to me that 'babylogger' or 'love logger' (not sure why those names were picked-but can make some guesses) can read the responses and pick her course of action. If she'll re-read all her messages so far on this forum, I think she can come to some agreement within herself whether she is a whiner, on the defensive, or has the 'get up and get goin' to go after what it is that she wants.
There are handouts, via a lot of govt. programs for the minorities, that are available. I personally don't vote that way, because I don't see it making strong people. But, sometimes I am in the 'minority' in the voting booth. ;)
Mrs. Fred,
My son gets into a conflict with a cow now and then (he much prefers sawmilling) I tell him you can't out physical them, you gotta out mental em. :D
Taint true Bro. Noble. We had a wild one that kicked my wife in the face and cut her bad. We ATE that one, small bites at a time. ;) :)
Sure, why not ;).
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/Rita.jpg)
I've worked with my a woman for going on six years now and she's better than many of the men I've worked with. She can now do just about anything that's required as part of being a Wildlife Assistant in the Pigeon River State Forest. She'd never driven a tractor before but within a couple weeks was proficient. It took her a bit longer to get the front end loader figured out but she's good with it now. She can disk, plow seed, mow, you name it but I always give her a raft of $h** whenever there's something that's too heavy etc that requires my attention and it irritates her when I make it look easy ;D :D ;) 8) :). We get along great and the only problem we've ever had was when she took 2 months off this summer for maternity leave and I had to work with an idiot college kid for the summer who was only good at breaking things >:( >:( I told her she's owes me really big for that one ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D Chainsaw operation is the one thing she's not comfortable with yet. I've given her the basic pointers and she's cut some firewood on the pile but that's about it.
Just to add a bit more about Linnae. I wouldn't have a problem at all with her doing anything out there by herself as long as she has a line of communication which is basic for everyone who works in the sticks but the supervision still doesn't get it. If I'm gone a day they will as a rule pen her up in the office unless she can get away before they catch her. They still haven't figured out that she's perfectly capable. It not only irks her but me too. I trained her and she's good but they don't trust her >:(
Harold,
When we first talked about building a dairy barn and going into the milking business, a friend gave me two suggestions. I wish I had believed him and followed his advice. It would have samed me a lot of time and pain and suffering.
One was: If a cow kicks you, take a 2X4 and beat her to the ground. She has to learn who's boss.
Bro. Noble, the 2/4 trick won't work with a ole goat. ::)
Referenced from the story of ole Bob, the meanest goat what ever lived.
Also don't want to try it with a old Bramha cow, unless you got a fence you can go over real quick like.
My wife helps me a lot, do about everything. Roofing, business, working on stuff, building our house, everything. Last Saturday all by our lonesome we was under the house putting together some 3/4 pipe for a gas line. I'd bought the pipe form T.........Hardware. Come to find out they'd cut the threads too deep. We'd come off of the pipe from the water heater which we'd already installed and run it to where the gas stove, (been cooking out on the grill all summer) and from there to a gas log heater we'd bought, and form there to a permanant gas line for the grill on the front porch. . Had to make several connections working our way around concrete blocks. One of em was a couple a inches too long to turn back up and go through the floor where it was supposed to. So here we was under that house pulling on them pipes. One of em broke off, at the threads, and hit her in the face and about knocked her out. Scared me, and hurt her pretty bad.
Later we took ALL that pipe back loose and replaced it with some threaded from somewhere else.
Anyways..........
Monday evening we took our trailer to the dump. Hershel, who drives the trackhoe, saw her face and asked her what happened and she told him. He ALWAYS cuts it off and talks to us. He told her it was a good thing I hadn't done it on purpose and it was an accident. (He really knew it had to have been some kinda accident as he's a good friend of ours). Hershel's a good guy but he likes her better than me. I usually take her with me so's he won't tear up my trailer with that trackhoe. Me and him's buddys but I have seen him slam it pretty hard with that track hoe even to the point of warping the sides, or bending an Axel. Had a devil of a time keeping a floor in it until we finally gave up and put a steel plate floor in it. (For yall chevy guys we regularly overload that trailer with 50 to 60 squares of tore off shingles, pull it with a Ford F250). Ya don't really say nothing you just go home and fix it. Cause his job don't require him to drag them shingles off anyways.
He NEVER makes a mistake if I've got her with me. Cause she told him if he tore up that trailer, (we just made some new steel fenders and a new tailgate and some wings for the sides and put on it ) she was gonna make him come to our house and help rebuild it! I couldn't dare get away with saying something like that.
He's about 70 or so, and flirts with her shamelessly. Calls her Sister. Me, I'm sitting there squirming. She told him if I hada she'd done have my dead body in that trailer under them shingles for him to bury.
He told her NO PROBLEM. If I ever gave her any trouble just knock me off and bring my cold dead body on up there and he'd make sure I had a decent burial, NO CHARGE!
Patty, it'd be a dangerous situation for someone to make a mistake and call her something like 'baby roofer'. Including me if it was out in public!
it dont make much differance to me what or who you are if you got the makings and i can help then i do
iain
CK, you just get smarter everyday. :) "baby roofer" :D :D
It would be like Norm calling me "love sawyer" when I have a chainsaw in my hand. :D
i think that it may a sad reflection on me but i do have to make a point of looking beyond the chainsaw every time patty posts ;D :) ;D
and all you other posters
its nice to see the face behind the typing finger ;)
CK:
Was the wife looking over the shoulder as you typed that? :D :D ;)
My mom always worked on the farm, from day one. Was better and more dependable than hired help. She never sawed wood with a chainsaw, but she run tractors with various attachments and drove potato trucks. One day when my brother and I were real young, she went to fetch father from the field as they was moving equipment. We were left in the house for short time alone. Well, brother and I was always into stuff when no one was around. SO, this one time we decided to get out the rice crispies and the margarin. One of us was toss'n the cereal and the other was slingin the margine on the couch and tramp'n it all in real good like. When mother came back and seen what we done we almost made the trip to the river. :o My brother and I don't remember this episode, but every once in awhile we get teasin mother and remind her, she shoulda took us to the river long ago. She says, no wonder I'm grey haired. :D :D :D
:D :D :D
What a riot!
Bro. Noble the first thing I was told about cows, was that each one had it's own personality. Since that time, I've seen heifer's that acted like bulls and bulls that acted like heifers! We had one in particular that a fella upstate wanted to buy and we told him that she was headed for the feeder sale because she liked to charge. Even the 2 x 4 method didn't stop her hateful ways. He insisted that he could work with her and he'd be careful. I think he thought that we were making it up, or something. He bought her and a few months ago we ran into him, and he said that he ended up sending her for slaughter. Seems she charged him, rammed him good and broke a couple of ribs. Dah!
As for women running tractors.....poor Cowboy Bob was just a mite sorry that he taught me last week. I out pulled him at the Cochranville Harverfest by 54 feet! I pulled 155' on the '57 Case 400 and he pulled 101. :) That was sweet! He did get some revenge however, when I had to use the porta pottie. Him and a few of his cohorts took me for a little ride! :D
QuoteMrs. Fred,
My son gets into a conflict with a cow now and then (he much prefers sawmilling) I tell him you can't out physical them, you gotta out mental em. :D
you know cows are not exactly the smartes creatures, if you can't out mental them, wellllllll
:D :D :D :D
As for hiring women, I had one work for me as a mechanic once and outside of the fact that she couldn't lift heavy stufff she was a champ. She could look at a hydraulic schematic one time on a new machine and have right at fixing it.
I also have a friend who is an owner operater, hauls steel local. Gail is like 4 foot 11 and may weigh 90 pounds soaking wet with a big overcoat on. But she tarps and chains with the best of them!!!
Well, I'm not real sure about the 2X4 either as I'm too chicken hearted to be that rough on them.
I do wish I'd taken my friends other suggestion ,however. It would really have saved me a lot of pain and time and suffering. :-/
What was your friend's other suggestion? Don't get in the dairy business? :D
Speaking of female help, and hardheaded cows, and chickenheartedness, I reminded myself of an amusing incident ::)
My wife (who is a wonderful helper on the farm and the most tenderhearted person that ever walked) was helping me move some cows one time. The cows were ignoring her and wouldn't leave their grazing. I tolder to get a stick. When she picked up a stick, the cows considered her for a moment and then went back to grazing. I told her to hit them with the stick. She says I should know that she wasn't going to do that. "Yell at them , give them a good cussing", says I.
"Have you ever heard me swear?" was her reply. So I tells her to just holler go on STUPID. She hollers "GO ON SST-------GO ON ST------oh I just can't do that" :D :D
Roxie,
He said If I didn't put a bathroom in the barn when I built it that I'd one day regret it :D :D --------boy was he correct ::)
That's just a pail isn't it?
Geeze thanks Kevin,
I was hoping if I hung around here long enough, I'd pick up some useful ideas ;D
Roxie
that kind of ride could be DEADLY if you hit a bump!!! :o :D :D
I was screaming and hanging on for dear life itself!! :D I had to go home and soak in the tub to get the blue dye off my bottom. :D :D :D When I was interrogating suspects, I asked one fella, Charlie, "Were you involved in this?" He said, "No Ma'am, I was in the truck." As the conversation evolved, he then said, "I knew when I heard the water sloshing that we were in trouble." I said, "AHA!" "If you were in the truck, how did you hear the water sloshing?" Let me tell you, for an old guy he can really run! :D
:o :o And you Northern types is critical of the Southern things we do ??? We have foot washins at revival sessions, occasionally. We go "Noodlin", and "Gruntin". We dip folks in a river for a "communal" Baptism, occasionally, but, a BOTTOM washin in a Porta-John is WAAAYYYYYY outta line down here. ::) ::) Y'all got some strange customs up there. ::) ::)
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Bro. Noble...that was a good story. I can just picture that happening. :)
In all honesty, Bob and I believe that the quieter and calmer you are when you are working with stock, the better. I've never heard him raise his voice, but I HAVE heard him utter words just a little bit stronger than stupid to a cow. :D
There is a woman pulpwood cutter in one of my counties. She began working in the woods with her father when she was in high school. I'd guess she's in her mid-40s now. 5' 6" or so, slim build. She has pretty much taken over the entire operation since her father has bad health problems and can't get out into the woods anymore. She handles chainsaws, skidders, bulldozers, delimbers, cut-off saws, employees, truck driving, dealing with landowners and procurement foresters to buy & sell pulpwood, everything that needs to be done.
When I first met her 25 years ago she had a fresh chainsaw scar across her face, from one cheek running diagonally up between her eyes and ending over the other eye. Fortunately it missed both eyes. Can't hardly see the scar now.
She doesn't use her womanhood as a crutch or as a reason for favoritism. She does her job, has a quiet demeanor, gets along with everybody. In my job as a county forester, I'd rather work with her than some of the men pulpwood cutters.
Hell yes a woman can do the job. It's not a gender specific occupation now. Maybe decades ago when brute strength was needed more. My advice to a woman who wants to get into this line of work; just get in there, learn it, and do it. Treat everybody with respect and don't flaunt your gender. If one employer doesn't like it because you're a woman, there are others.
Roxie, it sounds like you and Cowboy Bob have a real good time. And that is what it is all about, now, isn't it. :)
Blue bottom and everything. I have a feeling he'll be a bit nervous for awhile....as I always say, "paybacks are a son of a gun!"
thanks for all your replies, i learned alot and no im not whining but yes im sure i have a chip on my shoulder. i live in a very small uptight community so it wasnt meant to be whiney just a fact of life here lol! no doubt about it but i do have to say some of your stories still have me rolling! im sorry i cant help it, some were just so darned funny....(not if anyone was hurt mind you) but you should consider writing a combined book. i know thats off topic but some of you have no clue what talented ( and inspirational) story tellers you are!
I would hire with caution.
As a male small business owner, all things being equal, I would hire the guy first to avoid and head off sexual harassment lawsuits from the ones that do not want to work that you have to fire.
You do not need that kind of legal hassle and sowing seeds of doubt into a marriage, no matter how baseless the claim. My wife is slightly jealous and a baseless claim might upset her from a woman, if a guy made the same claim she would be ROTF.
If you had a woman that really needed the job (single with kids or married with kids) and was recently laid off from a company locally you know, no fault of her own, I might give her a shot and make her boss my wife.
Talking of this blue bottom out house deal I have to tell you about this. I was at an auction and went to the "Porta Jon" and this well dressed lady was coming out with a sour look on her face. I asked if it was bad in there, thinking some ole boy had really messed up in there. She replies "No, but the little sink has soap in it but no running water or paper towles." :D :D :D :D It sure made my day. :)
ARKANSAWYER
QuoteTalking of this blue bottom out house deal I have to tell you about this. I was at an auction and went to the "Porta Jon" and this well dressed lady was coming out with a sour look on her face. I asked if it was bad in there, thinking some ole boy had really messed up in there. She replies "No, but the little sink has soap in it but no running water or paper towles." :D :D :D :D It sure made my day. :)
ARKANSAWYER
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :DTHE LITTLE SINK :D :D :D :D :D :D :DOh lord I think im gonna die :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :DWas her hands wet?? hahahhahahah hooooboy :D :D :D :D :D
:D :D :DYou guys are too funny! :D :D :D
At the Peterson demo days here in Tn., These real loud know-it-all kind of guy came out of the port-a-john trailing this long tail of TP behind him. Went around the rest of the day like that.
Yes, I did feel sorry for him. No, I wasn't about to pull it off. ;D
I do have to say I agree with rebocardo and thank him for saying it.
QuoteI would hire with caution.
As a male small business owner, all things being equal, I would hire the guy first to avoid and head off sexual harassment lawsuits from the ones that do not want to work that you have to fire.
As a business owner, be careful with that statement. :o
Rebocardo is absolutely correct in his thoughts, and a courageous man to admit it. A small business owner does have to be careful, and take all things into consideration when hiring, including his/her spouse & children. A jealous spouse is tough to deal with and sometimes avoiding the entire situation is the best route....for everybody. Perhaps a person should take caution when hiring or applying for a job when there is just one other person involved....and they are married.
Good point Rebocardo, and certainly something to keep in mind.
Yes he may be correct in his thoughts, however, as a business owner, best keep it as thought only.
babylogger I have a women working for me part time at this point and whenever she's ready will work full time. She started with me on a 40 acre clearcut. I showed her how to fell the small trees and after a couple weeks started showing her how to notch and cut timber trees. I tryed to get her to run the skidder but after the first trip to the landing I could tell. So I asked if she would rather have her saw back I got a big smile and a nod yes. But she can run the skidloader better than one guy that has been here 10 yrs. She can out work a guy half her age and most of the time run circles around most of the men. She gets the guys going when cleaning the mill and you can eat off the floor when done. There's no sexual thing here she's one of the guys and treated the same. Just like men there are good workers and not so good ones it depends on the person. Just because you are a women means nothing to me I treat all equal.
i recently gave up wrenchin, but when i was a tech, i always liked workin with women in the trade. there arent too many girls that take to diesel mechanics, but the ones that do, dont feel that they have to "prove their manhood" because they aint got none:)
they are always willing to learn, and dont mind doin the crappy work to learn the tricks....
men on the other hand act like they already know everything, and dont even bother to listen.
a woman will be the first to admit she doesnt know, and pick up a book. but a guy??????? "dont need no stinkin direction!"
women also make a more organized and fun workplace.
these are generalizations, but mostly are true..... in my experience.
i dont really feel comfortable with a little person weilding a chainsaw(of either gender, but gals do tend to be less physical) because of the kickback dangers, tho. but im sure there are some girls that could cut the woods down around me:D
when i played football, there was a big girl that played for a team we played, and she ran my butt over more than once. #60
i gotwo tales to add to this thread.
one about porta potties a big loudmouth cop i once knew stopped at a construction site to use the porta pottie. iwhile doing his business he dropped hie walkie talkie in the pot. he thought it was funny telling about fishing it out. it did not work after the dunking, the sheriff threatned to make him pay for it.
a few years ago i put an old frick sawmill edger on ebay. a couple drove for 12 hours to pick it up. i take it they was husband and wife. from the looks of the woman i bet she could out work a lot of men around the mill.
I had the best help, and most attractive the last time I employed a woman, and the best part was I had the opportunity to cook dinner for her! And she even folded my clothes! and fed the dogs and chickens ;D Life is pretty good when you have a woman around! david
When I asked my wife to marry me 40 years ago and she said yes I told her that times would be tough on her (she was a city girl) and she should come and help make hay, milk cows, feed calves, she did and still wanted to marry me!!! That was 38 years ago.She has been the best partner I could of ever had and has mastered all the demands of our farming/ranching/milking life...I feel that most(some) women are better at doing things that we men think they can't do,We just need to give them a chance to prove themselves. my .02$
Want to see two guys fight put a pretty girl on the crew. Want to see to guys work real hard put a pretty girl on the crew.
It's not a problem if the woman is a good worker or wants to learn, or has the strength to keep up, and some do, but the problem comes when they don't make the grade and you need to fire them. They will call you every name in the book and threaten to take you to court or whatever, that's the problem. It's a very difficult decision to know when to hire a woman to do a normal man's job that take alot of mechanical figuring and human strength, just because of the PC crap that goes on today and the sexual descrimination law suits that can follow you forever. Sometimes it's not worth taking the chance.
So do I assume that every woman you fired called you names and threatened to take you to court? :D :D
I would never advertise a position. Instead I would ask around the local community to see who might be looking for work. Then I'd check them out, look into their background, talk to people they've worked for, and then approach them to see if they're interested in the work. If someone were to hear that I was potentially hiring and approached me, that's fine, it shows initiative. I'd still check the person out.
If you do your homework before hiring, you won't have much firing to do.
Gender is not a factor. Work ethic is. Or for people entering the work force, a willingness to learn work ethic.