Getting into the business?

[Bridger]

Hey yall, I have been lurking here for a while and decided to sign up, even though I plan to continue to mostly read. Anyway, here is a question for you guys...

I am about to graduate from High School and am currently working at a hardware store. Before I got on there, I had asked at least a couple of logging companies if they were hiring. No luck, most of them seemed to be doing good to pay existing employees. Now that logging activity seems to have picked up, I was wondering if you guys had any advice for someone like me who wants to get into the business.

I don't want to make a career of it, but I would love to work in this filed while in college if that is in anyway possible, doing pretty much any available job, even if that meant working in a company shop. I love all the heavy equipment and working outside in the woods and can't think of anything I'd rather do. I plan to major in Forestry and then go on to law school. I know, a strange combination but I would like to combine the two at some point-maybe work for a paper company or something.

Any tips to help somebody like me get a foot in the door?

[Bobus2003]

Best i can say is keep asking around to local loggin companies.. Its gotten slow enough here that my equipment has been parked for nearly 2 months.. Plus were getting loads of rain so its too muddy in the woods. So i have since put applications in at 4 differnt logging companies hopin to score something sooner or later

[Magicman]

I know, a strange combination

Not a strange combination at all.  There's nothing wrong with being brain smart and book smart.  What you will learn out in the field isn't in books.

And,  Welcome to The Forestry Forum.   

[Ron Scott]

Ditto! A forestry degree and a law degree can be a good combination and go very well together. I know of others who have gone this route. There will always be legal issues and resource issues to address. ;)

Environmental law alone is a huge field and the science based background of forestry would certainly be beneficial. I have lawyers call upon me for advice on legal issues related to forestry issues quite often.

You might want to read the book,Arboriculture & The Law, by attorneys Victor D. Merullo and Michael J. Valentine as an example.

[Bridger]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll try not to ask to many questions while I am hanging out here.

Seen a 720E (?) TigerCat beside the road today and it took all I could do to not pull over, get out, and give the machine a once over. But I didn't think that would be well received by the guys out there with it lol.

[treefarmer87]

I have the same problem with wanting to pull over and check out logging equip on the side of the road 

[fishpharmer]

Bridger welcome to forestry forum.  If you really want the logging experience you could possibly volunteer in some capacity when your not working. Maybe a few hours a week just to show your interested.  Maybe pressure wash equipment or something simple and show em what you got.  Someone else might mention some other tasks. I always figure if a person will do a good job as a volunteer they will work well when paid.  It might get your foot in the door.

[Bobus2003]

I have the same problem with wanting to pull over and check out logging equip on the side of the road 

I work with the stuff, have my own equipment, yet i cant help but stop and Look at Equipment at logging sites.. It can be a 648 Skidder, seen a 100 of them, yet i stop and look, just cause its a huge chunk of yellow iron and it intrigues me.. Always cool to see what people have done to them (M odifacations to aid in something or other)

[DanG]

Welcome to the forum Bridger.

Maybe you should have stopped for a better look at that Tigercat.  A good part of the time, all it takes to get a feller to open up and talk is to let him know you're interested in listening.  Sometimes it pays off, big time.  Right after I got out of high school and was attending a trade school at Cape Canaveral, I stopped by to gawk at some helicopters at a little "tour" business.  I was pretty tentative about it, halfway expecting to be chased away, but found that the owner was pleased to find a young guy interested in his machines.  Long story short, I got several free flying lessons out of it, and a year later I was flying helicopters for the Army.

A few years ago, I saw this little playtoy puttering about on my neighbor's place, and went out to take some pics.  The operator saw me and shut down to give me a quick tour.   



You just never know when a casual encounter will lead to something more. ;)

[Bridger]

Dang, now you got me thinking about what could have possibly happened.

Btw, if you had that picture in a slightly larger form it would be an excellent background.

[treefarmer87]

THAT IS A GOOD LOOKIN TIGERCAT! looks like a swamp logger