please help...hire forester or not?

[teakwood]

wow, that's some axle spacing, how do they turn that thing in the corners??

nice looking wood

[rank]

wow, that's some axle spacing, how do they turn that thing in the corners??

nice looking wood

I didn't look at the trailer axles too close but it was probably a 3 axle fixed tridem with the front axle being a steer axle.
.
I was pleasantly surprised by how many were graded prime+, prime and select.  The grade 2's paid about the same as firewood without the work so that's good.  I only got about $150 for the grade 3's and rejects.....they amounted to about a cord I think so I lost about $300.
.
The logger I hired to load with his grapple truck said I was too picky when cutting out sweep.  I put too much sweep in the firewood pile and cut too many 6 footers which affects grade too I guess.  It's tough to know especially since the buyer told me he would rather have two straight 6 footers than a crooked 12 footer.   Logger also loaded quite a few logs that I set aside because they were partially split or cracked.  He says the mill can work around the cracks if they saw it correctly.
.
Live and learn.  All in all not a bad 1st experience.

[rank]

Wow they put some weight on that truck!

I'm guessing he had about 70,000 lbs on.....maybe 105,000 to 110,000 gross.

[beenthere]

rank

May have missed this thread... re: quotes

Quotes in Sawmills and Milling

[BargeMonkey]

 Did you keep track of your machine hours, saw hours, fuel and cost to pay the guy to load, how many cord of firewood you
 kept ? The problem with checks / pictures is the average landowner who comes on here inquiring about raping a woodlot doesn't see the long math only $$$ signs. Nice load of ash, do a couple of them a week and some firewood it's not bad money. 

[rank]

I spent about 80 hrs falling, skidding, bucking.  Paid $3500 for a pto skidder and hooked it to a tractor i already own. My skidder driver is on salary he spent about 30 hrs. I sold 2.5 cords of firewood in log form for $550 so far.  Not sure how much firewood is still in the bush....alot.  The logger said him and another fella do two of those loads per day. I haven't got his bill for loading yet..... supposed to be $500

[nativewolf]

Rank this has been a most interesting thread.  Thank you very much for the continued updates and information.  So at the very worst you've got a nice PTO winch (farmi or ?) and the quite a bit of Ash are cut.  

Is there more to come?

[rank]

Thank you Nativewolf.  Yes there is about 35 ash left for next winter along with a hundred or so maple and oak.  And a ton of firewood of course

[Mountain_d]

Maybe this was mentioned already and I missed it, but if you are in Ontario you could have a forester prepare a management plan under the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP). It will cost some money but you will get 75% of your property tax refunded every year for 10 years. You could factor that revenue into your decision. You can do a web search for a list of approved MFTIP plan writers in your area. The rates will very between the foresters on the list, so best to check with a few different plan writers. A woodlot that is properly tree marked and logged will provide additional revenue every 15 or 20 years plus you will probably enjoy walking through the forest when you are done rather than feeling guilty for allowing a mess. 

[beenthere]

Mountain_d
Good idea for a plan, but I think the trick to carrying out the harvesting portion of the plan is to find loggers interested enough to pull it off. 
At least that is an inherent problem here in WI. Poor log market and small volume of marked-wood to harvest.

[ID4ster]

Rank,

Having lived in a suburb of Rochester, NY, I'd have to say that 60 miles north of that city is in the middle of Lake Ontario. Did you perhaps mean south of Rochester?

[rank]

Maybe this was mentioned already and I missed it, but if you are in Ontario you could have a forester prepare a management plan under the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP). It will cost some money but you will get 75% of your property tax refunded every year for 10 years. You could factor that revenue into your decision. You can do a web search for a list of approved MFTIP plan writers in your area. The rates will very between the foresters on the list, so best to check with a few different plan writers. A woodlot that is properly tree marked and logged will provide additional revenue every 15 or 20 years plus you will probably enjoy walking through the forest when you are done rather than feeling guilty for allowing a mess.

Thanks for the tip, however because I am a farmer and the 75% property tax discount is already being realized.

[rank]

Rank,

Having lived in a suburb of Rochester, NY, I'd have to say that 60 miles north of that city is in the middle of Lake Ontario.

No it isn't . I'm 40 miles almost due north of Sodus Point with both feet on terra firma

[Sod saw]

.


Hi Rank,

What a great read.  A lot of valuable information here.  

Thanks for following thru with this as time goes along and allowing us to follow your progress.

If your farm is along the lake shore, then I have probably seen some of your lights at night.  You might ask how is that possible over the horizon?

When the humidity and temperature is right, and there is absolutely no. wind.  (normally spring time) The atmosphere acts like a glass fiber and bends the light over the curve of the earth.  We can see your Canadian  shore lights, moving traffic lights, and navigation lights from here at home.  No, not often.

If your farm is Lake Ontario shore property, then I'd guess that we are next door neighbors.  Don't worry, you will probably not be kept awake by our music at night.  

But we do see Canadian lake rescue practice drills often after midnite.

In my opinion, every one with a woods should read this thread.


.

[ppine]

Get some more bids.

[Treefarm1]

I'm a retired forester, still managing my own land. I heard many stories over the years from landowners who had a buyer knock of the door with a handful of cash, telling them everyone else was out to get them. If it seems too good to be true, IT IS!! 

I've read many of the posts and replies suggesting advice of a forester. Diameter limit cuts are almost always BAD for a landowner. I'm sure why this smooth talking potential buyer is so determined to cut your woods the way he wants, you have some valuable wood he wants cheap. 

Trust the professional advice, and advice from those who learned the hard way. A professional logger will have worked with professional foresters. This guy appears to be neither and trusts no one. I suggest you quickly part ways with this person and heed the sound unbiased advice offered here for more than a year. 

I'm speaking from experience of over 30'years of hearing the stories of unscrupulous buyers making it harder for the honest loggers to operate, and the legacy they take from families.

Please keep us informed.