Logging Project

[smstonypoint]

Loggers just completed the second thinning of a 30-acre loblolly pine plantation tract and the clear cutting of a 9-acre tract -- 1/2 in pines (mostly loblolly, with a few shortleaf and VA pines) and 1/2 in mixed hardwoods (mostly tulip poplar and red and white oaks, with scattered sourwood, wild cherry, beech, hickory, green ash, red maple,etc.) on my farm.


The plantation tract was planted in 1990 and was thinned for the first time in 2008. At that time, the loggers took out every fourth row and some of the less desirable trees in the remaining rows.

The loggers took out about 45% of the remaining trees in the second thinning. They made short work of the process, taking just two weeks. However, they did put in 12-hour days.

Here are pictures of the loggers' skidder, feller buncher, and knuckleboom loader.


The owner tells me that these three machines go through a total of 100 gallons of diesel per day when harvesting pines and 150 gallons when harvesting hardwoods. The owner replaces his machines after 5-6K hours and buys extended warranties to reduce downtime and repair expenses. Just a guess on my part, but I expect that he has at least $750K tied up in the three machines.

Steve

 

[DT86]

Nice looking equipment for sure.

 

[Jstpssng]

It's always nice to see landowners like you who understand the values (and thus reap the financial benefits) of a working forest. :thumbsup: Second thinning, 25 years after planting! We can't grow them that fast up here. On the other hand we very rarely need to plant, our natural regen is more than happy to grow.

Your logger sounds like a very savvy businessman. I hope he was as diligent to ensure that you were a happy customer.

thank you for sharing.

 

[oosik]

That REALLY is nice looking equipment. The guys that logged my land sure didn't have stuff like that. Ha,ha - I think, around here, if you harvested trees after 25 years of growth - they wouldn't even be large enough for pulp wood. All the trees logged off my land were 85- 120 year old Ponderosa pine.

 

[wngsprd]

Nice forest management plan. It looks like James River Equipment stickers on that equipment - they are the big Deere dealer up here.

 

[smstonypoint]

Nice forest management plan. It looks like James River Equipment stickers on that equipment - they are the big Deere dealer up here.

Yes -- they are big in NC as well. The forestry equipment was bought at the Greensboro dealership site according to the owner. The first service is on the dealer. I don't know the hours for the first service, but a dealer truck showed up to provide that service for the feller-buncher. They spent about about 10 hours on site, although they were interpreted by a heavy rain for more than an hour.

Steve

 

[smstonypoint]

That REALLY is nice looking equipment. The guys that logged my land sure didn't have stuff like that.

Here are photos of the equipment used by the crew that conducted the first thinning back in 2008.

View attachment 384020
View attachment 384021
View attachment 384022

Although their skidder and feller-buncher were fully depreciated, I was very happy with their work.



Steve

 

[smstonypoint]

It's always nice to see landowners like you who understand the values (and thus reap the financial benefits) of a working forest. :thumbsup: Second thinning, 25 years after planting! We can't grow them that fast up here. On the other hand we very rarely need to plant, our natural regen is more than happy to grow.

Your logger sounds like a very savvy businessman. I hope he was as diligent to ensure that you were a happy customer.

thank you for sharing.

Thanks for the comments.

I understand that pine plantations deeper in Dixie can be thinned beginning after 12 years.

I will be planting the clear-cut tract with loblollies. An adjoining property has a lot of Virginia pines and I am worried that they will seed my tract. I can release the loblollies from hardwood regrowth by spraying, but releasing them from Virginia pines will require manual thinning.

To my untrained eye, the loggers took out some trees that I would have retained and left some that I would have harvested. However, my consulting forester and the local NC Forest Service Ranger have told me that the loggers did a good job. I defer to their judgement.

Steve

 

[kenmac]

How do you handle the pine beetles ? I know people that have lost a lot of pine trees to those pesky bugs. They will eat your pines up in no time. That logger has some real nice equipment.. Most loggers around here use worn out junk. 5 gallon hyd fluid containers laying on the ground everywhere from their junk equipment

 

[smstonypoint]

I have been fortunate so far. The loggers during the first thinning in 2008 discovered a small recent outbreak. They salvaged the infected trees and clear cut a small area around the area. I haven't had any problems since.

Steve

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I logged about 20 acres of Douglas Fir in 2013. I was delighted with the job the contractor did. He manufactured the logs to mill contract specs and the scale tickets only dinged me for 3% to 5% defect, half of what I was expecting. I have steep slopes, and experienced NO erosion the next winter. He cleaned up the landings, including all the bark and slash left from the faller-buncher. He even found a pulp market for 90 tons of tops too small to make saw logs. He had a nice payday, I had a better one, and we parted as friends. He came highly recommended and I have passed the recommendation on.