How to avoid getting taken w/ timber harvest
- Thread starter themedic
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Milo
Tatonka guide.
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We paid a third party to come in and mark trees for harvest, write down the board footage per tree and then they even bid it to different outfits for harvest so you knew exactly have much wood and which trees specifically they were to harvest. They even came back in to fix logging roads and be sure they didn't tear much up(select harvest)
Yes get a 3rd party. Our gunclub did so several years ago and it worked out well. The to be cut down trees are marked and priced before the bid. The 3rd party will make sure nothing else is cut of damaged.
The few loggers I know are always complaining they do not make money, equipment breakdowns, quality of the trees. The ones who also have sawmills, end up selling the boards cheap for pallets. The buyers only take the cream of the crop of boards.
Personally, I would never allow loggers near any land I own until I was dead broke and selling the land.
Personally, I would never allow loggers near any land I own until I was dead broke and selling the land.
Every farmer I know complains also. Probably have more wealth than anyone in the county. Lol
Practically everything that was cut from our place was put on a boat for China. They will make it into veneer. Put it on some mdf and sell it back to us through Ashley Furniture and the like.
There is a lot of truth in the complaints of struggling timber cutters. Timber prices have been in the tank for several years now and the market (locally) has been flooded with trees from oil and gas development. Personally, I would not sell trees in this market unless you had to or it was strictly for habitat development with the money just being a caveat.
Timber price was actually rebounding nicely for a bit this spring and summer... Especially walnut. Last i heard it was tanking again though. Do what the others have said and pay a consulting forester to mark your timber and take care of bids... Well worth it. Whiskeyhounddog on this site is a consulting forester. Send him a PM or send me a PM and I'll give you his contact info.
I laughed out loud when I read this about the farmers and the wife asked what I was laughing at. I'll leave further comments to myself. LOL
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Hey. It's a hard life living in Florida 4-5 months out of the year then coming home to spend two weeks putting in crops. Fom may until October you have to check that rain forecast daily.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
When I select cut I had a check in hand from the logger before the first tree ever fell. Everything was negotiated up front so I knew exactly my payout.
It was for a little while and walnut was unreal! I knew several people that went in and harvested all their walnut. Tried to talk my dad in to cutting a few at the farm since that's the only valuable timber out there and he wasn't interested.
My one farmer is tempted to let his get cut for pallets. They take about everything over 8 inches. Bleck...
That's what they say while they shred that woods.... Seen it done a few places up here to naive property owners....
In the last 3 years I've had no less than 4 loggers or timber harvest consultants ,per year,at my farm looking at the timber and giving me input. I decided not to go with a consultant. I do not think my timber will recoup the 10% they take off the top. Today I had a representative from Superior Hardwoods in McCarther here. I liked his plan of action and was what I feel very honest and open about the job I want done. I don't have top end timber, it's a lot of ground for few trees. He is coming back later this week with his logger and they will let me know if they can/will do it.
I'm glad to hear that. He seemed very honest and listened to all my concerns and goals. He wasn't high pressure like most timber agents I've delt with.
It is a different ball game up here. I will say, every single place I have seen timbered left few trees worth anything. It is sad to see them rape the mature hardwoods and leave the scrub trees and mess. Good luck with your process.