Total of our experience-Logging and working in the woods

[Blue Sky]

I started cutting firewood in 1973-4 during the oil crisis. 35 plus years.  I was full time employed by 1977, doing TSI for firewood.  I am a graduate of Paul Smiths Forestry College('71).  Since' 95, I have been dealing in the Black Locust.   Enchanted Forester

[mooses]

Started back in 81 when wages were not that good and fuel oil cost 300 bucks a month. That's when I bought my first wood stove and a Husky. Been cutting ever since. Now I got 171 acres of woods and a band mill, so I do alot more cutting. I still have that old Husky.

[DirtForester]

UNH '95

Technician for 4 years.

Licensed Forester since.

All experience as private, consulting forester.

[VTMapleFarmer]

I got my first saw at the age of 14 (142) for cutting up brush around my house. At 15 i got a 346xp to help buck fire wood. I also starting limbing and running cable. Not long after i started feeling smaller trees and running my own hitches. For my graduation present i got a 372xp for logging and 20 cords of wood, i help with.

[pbunyan]

  I started going to the woods with my dad when I was 9 years old in 57.He would let me
drive the D2 cat by my self sometimes ,because I could reach the hand clutch.We cut the
small trees with a bucksaw.Our first chainsaw was a titan.It was so heavy and started hard
so we mostly only used it on the big stuff on the landing.

[JamesE. PikeLogging]

I got my first saw when I was 10 or 11 and have always worked in the woods with my father since I was little

[willywood]

Im 43 , a conservative number is 30. I was on the end of a chain saw in my early teens at the least. My parents were always pinching pennies and to use what resources we had , we heated with wood. My father was 43 when he had me.By the time I was old enough to get to cuttin,haulin and splitting wood my parents pretty much depended on me to cut the wood. I still while driving state forest ground or through the park and see a dead tree and think what a waste to see such a nice stand of timber go to waste. I've just purchase a new Lt 28 . Have'nt cut the first log through it yet. Would like to set it up with a hour meter before I get  started .
                                            God made wood / wood is Good !
                                                            Wm. 

[JHBC]

Hi

I'm new to the site.  I've been running saws since I was 10? or so, 38 now.  For the last twenty years though,  I've done about Four combined years of firewood cutting/hauling/splitting/selling etc., and maybe two and a half years worth of falling/bucking/choking.  So not a lot, but it has been great work when I've done it.  Not profitable enough.  Love saws, and use them whenever I can.

[arbo71]

I started in the forest in 1988 after I left school. Did some treecare too from time to time too but forestry is still my favorite.

[MI MAX]

Started on our farm at about 13 trimming Christmas trees and getting them ready for sale our farm has been part of the national tree farmer asocation back in the 60s

[Autocar]

I started in 1977 first with sawmills then onto cutting, skidding and trucking timber. Sawdust in my veins for life !

[Okrafarmer]

I started making myself useful while logging with my dad when I was ten years old, did that for six years, back to it a little later, several times after that, then including two years spent in residential tree removal to round up to 10 years.

I started out yarding firewood and pulpwood with the 1948 John Deere B, working the Maine winters (home-schooling is very conducive to child labor!) and later got to use a 1948 D-4 a little bit. Now we save all the logs we can as we are paid to cut them down.

[timberman]

I grew up in the lumber business.  Sawed in 10-man hand-set mill with 60" circular.  Felled big white pine in the winter.  I can tell what species a mill is sawing just by the smell at the gate.  Been white-collar now for 25 years, but never forget.

[Okrafarmer]

I grew up in the lumber business.  Sawed in 10-man hand-set mill with 60" circular.  Felled big white pine in the winter.  I can tell what species a mill is sawing just by the smell at the gate.  Been white-collar now for 25 years, but never forget.

Welcome to the forum, Timberman! Thanks for joining!

[fuzzybear]

   Started 50 years ago at the ripe age of 6. Pop would drop trees and My job was to chain and lead the horses to the landing, of course the horses actually lead me. Been in the bush 90% of my adult life.  Steady at it for the last 30 years. 
   My children are 3yo and are already helping me. They can stack a 3' high pile of firewood as fast as I can cut it. They are fun to watch, especially my daughter, each log must fit exact and be lined up straight or she yells at her brothers to fix it.

[StephenRice]

I have been cutting wood off and on, sometimes for a living, sometimes not, for about 30 years now.  As far as experience, though, I only put 5 years.  It is hard to claim more when it was not always full time work.

[Randy88]

Put down 30 years but I'm sure its more, I grew up in the woods, my grandpa owned 20 acres of timber along with a farm and had his own sawmill, helped saw many thousands of board feet of lumber as a kid and cut firwood and carry it from the time I was old enough to walk, I now own the farm that my grandpa and dad have owned and still have the same timber, the old blade mill is in need of an update and want to go to a bandmill but just don't have the time or money right now so we have been hiring a custom sawyer to come and saw for us.    My grandpa and dad built all the buildings on the farm and several houses and have always done woodworking, along with myself and my kids, we do our own projects for our houses and land.   

I now own an excavation business and we do a lot of landclearing and cutting firewood and also logging at times, we still cut and split over 50 cords of wood a year for our own use and thats only going to get to be more as my kids get their own places and that means more improvements to be made to more homes.  I guess its a legacy to be able to make things out of wood and see what almost 80 years of work and four generations have done and its getting to be more every year. 

[Rob-IL]

I grew up in logging but became a mechanic in high school and followed that profession for about 10 years. In 85 I got back into logging full time and have done this for a "Feast or Phantom" living ever since. I well recall getting to drive a Pettibone skidder (one of the first skidders around here) back and forth about 15' - 20'. This was in 1966 when I was about 8. This was a real treat for a young me as I done it any time my dad would let me. Finally the horrifing day came that I left the parking brake on and the machine caught fire!!!! No fret though, a terrified me was able to put the fire out with dry leaves if that tells you anything!!!

[Frank H.]

I have been splitting firewood since I was in 1st grade, Mom and Dad sold it, and I had to split for at least an hour a night.  I loved it.  What other kid my age was able to play with axes, little sledge hammers, and wedges?  I have run a saw and tractor since I was around 10 or so.  After I came back from the army in 1992 I worked full time for a logger for 2 yrs or so, and loved every minute of it.  I've owned my own business for a while now, 6 yrs or so, doing welding and some logging and tree work.  I'm slowly letting myself leave the welding, and working more and more on the logging as I can get it.  I love the woods, and the smell of two stroke, and the smell of the engine bay of my old IH skidder (Detroit Diesel 3-53 leaking onto sawdust).  I plan to be in the bush till I die.  I've got two yrs of a 4 year degree in Envir. Resource Mgmt. under my belt, with a minor in Forestry now.  Plus my full time business.  Plus my lovely (and really understanding) wife.   Plus my 3 wonderful kids.  Whew. 

[saxon64]

Been dropping trees for just a bit over ten years now.

[Doc Hickory]

I started out at about age 8 (I'm 57 now)  carrying the 'measurin' stick for my Dad as he cut up pulpwood  in the woodyard. We cut 5' long pulpwood for Westvaco, hauled about 9 ton per load, loaded it by rolling it up skid poles and put it in the rank by sheer muscle power. I couldn't wait until I was big enough to run a chainsaw.  I got to do that and graduated to crawler operator (JD 1010 gas with blade and winch). I'd borrow my brothers pickup and cut up laps in 5' lengths for Owens-Illinois, got paid $10-$12 a load. In 1970 for a high school kid that was big time spending loot! Have heated with wood off and on (mostly on, recently) ever since.  I'm considering the purchase of a portable mill to establish a retirement income and means of staying busy.  Some of the best days I've ever spent were in the woods! ;D

[snowsquall]

My dad used to pay my brother and I to clear land behind the house with an axe and a buck saw starting when we were about 8 years old.  Got my first chainsaw when I was about 13 or 14. Could drive a skidder long before I got a drivers license.  Now I only cut wood to keep the house warm!

[RynSmith]

Welcome John Ray, although I'm sad to hear about the history of your land.   :-\

Can only get better, right! 

[cjfrank]

I started working for a friend at the age of 11 running a tower edger and a 48 inch circle mill. that was 27 years ago and I'm still working there. I'm now part owner but also have my own logging equipment. My friend decided to semi retire a few years back now I've bought a woodmizer portable mill and operate them both and log at the same time.

[lemon11]

Barley even started yet hopefully getting some qualifications and then becoming a full time forester really cannot wait  8)