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Total of our experience-Logging and working in the woods

Started by Jeff, June 27, 2008, 10:47:28 PM

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firefighter ontheside

I'm 43 and I've been working in the woods since I was a little kid with my dad.  18 years ago I built my log home with red pine from Minnesota.  In the more recent years I've been harvesting logs to take to several different mills.  A few months ago I got a mill, but I haven't gotten it set up yet.  Still working on a site with a concrete pad and roof overhead.  I've been a firefighter for 25 years and used to be a wild land firefighter, but when kids came along I gave that up.  Here's a few pictures of my favorite logs.  My house logs are up to 43' long and about 24" at the butt end.


Woodmizer LT15
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1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

olcowhand

I started cutting firewood for extra money in the winter of '74.
I've been cutting firewood almost every year since then. I've never worked in the woods as a "Pro", so I put 1 Year in my entry. Some of my neighbors are Pros, and I wouldn't want to sully their good names by considering myself as anything other than a novice.
In the short time I've been reading on this site, I've learned a ton.
Keep up the good work of sharing wisdom.
Olcowhand's Workshop, LLC

They say the mind is the first to go; I'm glad it's something I don't use!

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Nashranch

I grew up on a farm in Alaska. We were clearing land and sawing lumber for our own buildings. I also spent a lot of winters cutting and selling firewood. So we weren't logging on a big scale, but I pretty much grew up around it. I moved to Colorado about eight years ago and have a ranch with a lot of ponderosa pine. Right now I have a forest thinning contract and I'm cutting firewood and saw logs. I have a wood mizer LT 15.

Old logger

I am 60 now and I started juvenile tree spacing at 16, then got into highlead logging on the west coast of Vancouver Island at age of 18 in Zeballos. Worked there till I was 24 or so, made it up the rank of hooker. Then got into heavy duty school but made my way back into highlead logging when I got married at 26. I was offered a bucking contract up north of Bella Coola in a logging camp 21 days in 10 out with a big logging company until I was about 45 years old. I ran loaders, worked on the booms, drove off highway logging trucks during that time. Made lots of money. We worked from April to Nov because of snow. In the off season (winter) I worked at logging sort yards and booming grounds on a contract basis. Then I worked for a company at the head of Knights inlet driving "fat trucks" or off hyway log trucks as well as monkey wrenched on all sorts of equipment. I learned to weld out of nescesty so I was kept busy most of the time. In the winter months when we were shut down we sent our equipment to town and rebuilt what was needed. Steepest road I drove down was 36% for about 5 truck lengths with a total of about 200 tons all told. Trucks weighed 50 ton with the trailers on their back empty. Exciting it was! They were 850 Kenworths, Pacific P10 and Hayes HDX. 16' across bunks and 10' stakes. Quit logging about 3 years ago , now just wrenching 3 days a week on trucks and my own stuff. Loved most everyday logging, taught me that there's no free lunch, if you want something go to work till you have the money to buy. Be polite and most of all be honest. I just ordered a woodland hm130, I have 5 acres of 100 year old Douglas fir and I plan to cut up some. Alaskan mill is great but these old hands and knees are getting too tired!

teakwood

nice story. You will love the bandsaw mill, compared to the alaskan mill it's like day and night. I sold my 088 after i got the bandsaw mill, just had no need for such a big saw after that.
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

Barry S

Got my first chainsaw when I was 8 been moving forward ever since

morflail

worked with pulpwood cutter at age 17 in 1959 he cut i trimed and loaded the pull out truck than unloaded out on hardtop on the trailer . been in the woods since retired in 2015.
CBR

~smokey~

My family have been in the forestry world for generations.

Northern hills

I marked 40 years, but I can't really remember a winter that I didn't get to follow my dad & brother around in the bush, they mostly cut 4' softwood pulp & firewood with horses. I'll never forget falling off the back of the sleigh & waking up in the back seat of the car just as we were getting home, we'd (yes ok, they) were working at our 2nd farm at the time, so after I fell, my brother would have had to unhitch the horses and put them away, then drive home, about 15 minutes, so must have been out a while. Was put on the couch to "recuperate". 

 My grandfather in the 1910's,  father and uncle in late 40's and early 50's, all went to northern Ontario bush camps in the winter, so there were always stories growing up, my uncle wrote a book about it.

Now it's just a bit of firewood and the odd load of poplar to the local rayon mill and whatelogs we need to have sawn for our own use, how times have changed.

Doomsday

I've worked as a forester in MT, ID, and WA. That includes cruising, timber management, forest management, forest health research and monitoring, wildland firefighting, and timber sale planning. Only 29 now and still hungry for more!

thecfarm

Doomsday,welcome to the forum. You will fit right in.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

labradorguy

Marked down time since I was doing things on my own. Started cutting timber and making mine timbers with the old man when I was 8.

Started thinking.... is this total experience productively "working" in forestry? If we aren't counting time spent fixing broken (ADMIN LANGUAGE EDIT), getting unstuck, kicking and cussing, or looking for lost axes and wedges, then I need to cut my number in half.

John Mc

Quote from: labradorguy on January 10, 2019, 11:23:12 AMIf we aren't counting time spent fixing broken (ADMIN LANGUAGE EDIT), getting unstuck, kicking and cussing, or looking for lost axes and wedges, then I need to cut my number in half.


I resemble that remark! I'm convinced that many of my forest tools simply ceased to exist once I was done with the immediate task at hand. Adding various holsters to my tool belt has helped (the Grizzly Peak axe scabbard was the last addition)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

John Mc

I'm guessing this poll underestimates the experience on here. I've been on this forum 11 years now. I don't know when I actually responded to the poll, but it has been a while.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

sidehill6

hi all, been lurking here for a while, seemed like a good time to introduce myself. been doing this thing with a chainsaw since I was twelve sometimes part time sometimes full time but cant seem to get away from it! 50 years was the closest number that fit. tremendous amount of info available here. keep it up!

TACOMATODD

Off and on since about 96, mostly off so I said 5. I've had a good time doing every bit of it. Like the brushcutter thread says, it sure is fun being "the chainsaw guy". It DOES get you lots of interesting and fun jobs. Now that I'm about to be 48 and I have all of medical conditions I do, I should have started this life years ago.
Trying harder everyday

thecfarm

I enjoy making the woods better every time I work in the woods. This is on my own land.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

TimberCutter773

I started in the woods 4 years before my oldest son was born. He will b 20 years old in September. Those years sure have flown by! Lol I just turned 44 years old a couple weeks ago, and it seems like yesterday I was just learning how to run a log skidder. First thing I was allowed to do. I actually got the logging bug in my blood from my exfather-in-law. He talked me into helping him while I was laid off from construction. All these years later, and here I am, still plugging along! Lol I got injured badly in 2006 and do not need anymore accidents! Witch it was, a freak accident. I tell every young guy I meet that is cutting, it's not a question of if u will get hurt, it is when will it happen, and how bad will it be when it does happen. I also tell them, keep your eyes up, not out! Do not watch the tree fall, watch the sky for what is coming down! Anyway, I love logging, and wouldn't give it up! Lol 

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

WWright

 Worked in woods with my father as long as I can remember. I got my first saw when I was 12 worked in the landing bucking logs and cutting firewood. I would also fill in on skidder if somebody didn't show up. I worked all weekends and school vacations I could not get enough I'm 52 now still love the woods !

cashman234

Quote from: TimberCutter773 on July 06, 2019, 05:34:54 PM
I started in the woods 4 years before my oldest son was born. He will b 20 years old in September. Those years sure have flown by! Lol I just turned 44 years old a couple weeks ago, and it seems like yesterday I was just learning how to run a log skidder. First thing I was allowed to do. I actually got the logging bug in my blood from my exfather-in-law. He talked me into helping him while I was laid off from construction. All these years later, and here I am, still plugging along! Lol I got injured badly in 2006 and do not need anymore accidents! Witch it was, a freak accident. I tell every young guy I meet that is cutting, it's not a question of if u will get hurt, it is when will it happen, and how bad will it be when it does happen. I also tell them, keep your eyes up, not out! Do not watch the tree fall, watch the sky for what is coming down! Anyway, I love logging, and wouldn't give it up! Lol
I feel you, I started logging maybe 5 years ago and will 20 soon. Started with a small chainsaw and cutting down cedar, I got the bug lol.

JRHill

This is a confusing poll. I answered it according to when I started REAL forestry work and milling. Then I realized my work harvesting firewood for heating my house while in college could also qualify - about 40 years ago. Heck, I earned the money for my mini-bike working summers with a guy cutting trees in the metro area - 60 years back.

So based upon the question what use are the results worth?

Olgeirs5j

1 year, just a greenhorn, learning my way into the woods. I'm only 16 but I'm getting into the woods more and more for Mazuee marine equipments suppliers in Dubai. just started cutting for firewood because oil just does dang expensively.

HammerMech

new here, but replied as overall I have a lot of years, 99.9% would be firewood, but had a lot of friends that are loggers, occasionally spend a day out with them. I worked in the pulpmill using up their hard labour, but last year bought an old TJ skidder for firewood and odd jobs
Old Sakatchewan farm boy, I.P. Redseal Millwright, welder

NonSequiturFarm

New here on these forums but a head of white hair so not really new. Been heating with wood exclusively since 2010. Learned how to use an axe and a chainsaw in 1979. No mill... yet. But I have 25+ acres of mixed hardwoods on the farm, a 130 year old wooden barn needing repairs, a 130 year old cottage and 24 weeks until official retirement. So I am here to learn from all of you.

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