# NH Forestry student looking for info.



## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 5, 2009)

I am 26 years old and starting going back to school for forestry at UNH. This came about because work got slow (arborist) and I looked at it as an advantage to go back to school. So, I know work in the woods is slow but I am looking for anyone possibly looking for help part time, including both weekend days. Anything would be appreciated, any help going about just asking someone if they would be interested in something like that. Thanks in advance.


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## andosca (Dec 5, 2009)

same guy with the ad on craigslist asking people if they want to pay you $35 an hour to split their wood?


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## AT sawyer (Dec 5, 2009)

*One suggstion*

This is free advise, and but one angle on this topic for what it's worth -- consider joining a trail maintaining club as a volunteer sawyer (you aren't working anywhere now are you?). I became a USFS certified sawyer years ago and am active in an Appalachian Trail maintaining club. People now associate me with chainsaws, blowdowns, felling, etc. and occasionally call me for tree work (which I don't charge for unless you consider Sam Adams compensation). But if I did want to take it beyond brewskis, that door would be open.

You've got to start your rep somewhere. Others on this site can tell you the value of a good reputation.


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## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 6, 2009)

No I do not have an ad charging 35 dollars an hour. Thanks for the advice. I had got in touch with the USDA Forest Service at their northern office asking just that, if there was any volunteer work I could get involved with and couldnt get a straight answer. I am not giving up though. Thanks again.


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## slowp (Dec 6, 2009)

This is the wrong time of year to get hold of Forest Service people. Wait till after the first of the year. Many are using their use or lose (vacation time) right now. 

For volunteering, talk to the recreation people. Ask who does it, and when they have their saw certification. A session gets put on every year here for the Back Country Horsemen, and others.


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## 371groundie (Dec 7, 2009)

not that either feild is stellar at the moment, but are you looking for logging work, or forestry work?


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## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 8, 2009)

I am looking for forestry, logging, tree work...anything along those lines.


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## euroford (Dec 8, 2009)

sorry for the threadjack, just thought i'd post up since it was mentioned. in april i'm moving to the colorado front range and would be very interested in USFS sawyer certification so i can do volunteer trailwork. can anybody offer me some pointers on how to chase this down?


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## 371groundie (Dec 8, 2009)

utility line clearance tree work sucks, but its reliable. gotta watch your 6 cause theres some scum, but if you find the right foreman you can learn alot. 

priviate places wont start hiring until aprilish, but it never hurts to give them a resume now and then call them for a memory jog in february or march. 

logging, youll be lucky to find somone hiring, but you can always try. you might try to find an older one man operation to work with so when he retires he will sell you his skidder for a song. 

check with some of the larger forestry firms, some of them hire timber markers for the summer months. i got a seasonal job summers in college doing mostly boundary line maintanence. 

also talk with class mates at UNH, networking is key. 

ps. dont join the woodsmen team unless you want umaine to kick your butt.


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## slowp (Dec 8, 2009)

euroford said:


> sorry for the threadjack, just thought i'd post up since it was mentioned. in april i'm moving to the colorado front range and would be very interested in USFS sawyer certification so i can do volunteer trailwork. can anybody offer me some pointers on how to chase this down?



Read the earlier posts.


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## hammerlogging (Dec 8, 2009)

slowP, I was looking to hire a FS hotshot "faller" to try cutting for us, maybe some occasional hooking, he asked if we had swampers. I told the crew. Know what, now the big joke is "where's my swamper?" or the like.

Everyone needs a swamper.


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## slowp (Dec 8, 2009)

hammerlogging said:


> slowP, I was looking to hire a FS hotshot "faller" to try cutting for us, maybe some occasional hooking, he asked if we had swampers. I told the crew. Know what, now the big joke is "where's my swamper?" or the like.
> 
> Everyone needs a swamper.



It's a fire thing. Along with the stick walk.:greenchainsaw:


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## AT sawyer (Dec 11, 2009)

euroford said:


> sorry for the threadjack, just thought i'd post up since it was mentioned. in april i'm moving to the colorado front range and would be very interested in USFS sawyer certification so i can do volunteer trailwork. can anybody offer me some pointers on how to chase this down?



All trail clubs have links to sawyer certifications and usually run their courses several times per year. You'd have to join the club, but that's usually low $$. Contact one of these and see where it takes you: 

http://www.coloradotrail.org/volunteer.html

http://www.cdtrail.org/page.php


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## woodbooga (Dec 11, 2009)

STIHLMAN83 said:


> I am looking for forestry, logging, tree work...anything along those lines.



Some other volunteer opportunities might be available at the Society for the Protection of NH Forests (better known as the Forest Society). They work closely with the NH Timberland Owners Association and other trade groups to promote NH's forest economy whilst protecting the state's most important landscapes.

They have a stewardship program that uses volunteers for a lot of hands on things. http://www.spnhf.org/ourproperties/land-stewardship.asp

Time of year is not right, but the NH Snowmobile Association oversees a huge network of trails that need maintenence. http://www.nhsa.com/


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## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 11, 2009)

thanks for the info. I am pretty involved with the snowmobile community doing trail work in my area. I will look into that link. Thanks again for the info. I appreciate the help.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 13, 2009)

If you have a chain saw and a pickup you can sell firewood ....... I,m amazed that something so simple is so complicated for some ......... Go be a firewood outlaw . You will be amazed at what you will learn .............
. 
. The other thing , everyone wants to be a (certified Faller) ... Like the certification will take the life threatening , sweat runnin down the crack of your ass, exguastion out of it and then you can sit in the bar and be cool ..........
. The biggest ingredient to being a faller , and not a piece of ----. is HARD WORK ...... DO YOU LIKE TO WORK SO HARD YOU CAN,T THINK STRAIGHT ...FOR A LIVING ..... ALL THE TIME ...... .... If you want to be a faller , certified or not , forget college , Find someplace where trees are hittin the ground every day , and get on the crew ... If you have to , get on setting chockers . then outwork everyone else on the crew ... Have a really good attitude , and out work the rest of the crew ..... That way you can,t be like some whining punk on some reality tv show who is whineing because they are tired WWWAAAAAHHHHH WWWWAAAAAHHHHHH. if you whine at a high enough pitch some coyote may think you are a rabbit and come running .. Then some man can shoot the coyote !!!!!!!!!........ No whineing until the rest of the crew has dropped !!!!!

. You young guys ,,, You don,t need anyone elses permission , or approval , execpt the guy who is paying you ...Just GO DO IT ......

You don,t want to be a cull , or a prick about it , having a real good attitude is important ........
. How do you find where they are loggin ? go to a mill and follow the log trucks back out into the brush .. simple as fallin off a log .............. And in the mean time find someone who will sell you firewood stumpage and get to it !!! ....... MAKING A GOOD LIVING WITH A POWER SAW IS SIMPLE ...BUT IT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU CAN DO ......


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## AT sawyer (Dec 14, 2009)

*Saws Certs*

All the certifications will do is show you how to run your saw safely and size up a cut, which for a new guy is a learning experience. Having sat through numerous certs and recerts for chainsaws, I get to where I can spot an Old-Guy-With-Attitude. No PPE, filthy saw, dull chain, used motor oil in his saw's reservoir, etc.... He will generally stick his saw ten seconds into his first top bind cut and whenever the instructor points out an unsafe practice, he'll say over and over "that's how we always did it on the farm/ on the job/ in the old days...........

Learn to do it right and then get your practice where the trees are falling.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 15, 2009)

You learn to do it right , by being on a professional show .. Not some hillbilly spit hick ignoramous ,or prissy college boy wanna be outfit .......... I have seen a very few college boys who could work hard and actually get something accomplished with a saw ......They are always lazy wooises who want to migrate to ( management ) ............ Some of them actually excell at that and once in a while they are good at it and good to have there .... But there is almost nothing worse than some prik who learned it in school then wants to make the cuttin crew do it the way their instructor taught them ....You must not have followed the immense diatribe on here this summer from some college , fire line cutters and their Certifications ........ They don,t know ---- about gettin some wood on the ground .....
. There are a few execptions , like Burvol and Tarzan who started out cutting , But mostly the best fallers start out loggin ........ 
. It,s like if you want to fly a fighter jet , or tactical bomber . you still have to go to boot camp and do push ups and get screamed at first ......... Thats what settin chockers is , boot camp ...


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## slowp (Dec 15, 2009)

Um, I think all they want to do is cut out some trails. To do that officially on Forest Service land, with a volunteer group, gotta get that green card. But, around here there's a lot of folks who just pack a saw along on their motorcycle in the spring and open up trails stealth like. Or pack it in on foot.:monkey:

Our certifiers here are the trail crew guys. They know what they do and have been cutting trees out of trails hazard trees along roads, in campgrounds, and on fires for 25 years, together! No attitude like some, but good guys. The main one gets certified by a local legend faller guy. So I have a lot of respect for the guys. 

The certifying time is a good time to ask questions of them and learn some tricks. I've enjoyed it. There are some who can make it unpleasant, but they are not here. 

They might have gone to a community college? But who cares. I've watched them take down some scary trees and they do it well.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 15, 2009)

STIHLMAN83 said:


> I am 26 years old and starting going back to school for forestry at UNH. This came about because work got slow (arborist) and I looked at it as an advantage to go back to school. So, I know work in the woods is slow but I am looking for anyone possibly looking for help part time, including both weekend days. Anything would be appreciated, any help going about just asking someone if they would be interested in something like that. Thanks in advance.


.

.

. Nope , He was lookin for work !!!!! I know , I,m a prik ,,, Welcome to life in the brush ..


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## slowp (Dec 15, 2009)

My bad, there's two different guys and I'm easily confused. I'll feel better tomorrow. Trees will move tomorrow.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 15, 2009)

slowp said:


> My bad, there's two different guys and I'm easily confused. I'll feel better tomorrow. Trees will move tomorrow.



No worries . I,ve been home sick today . Mean as a snake cause it snowed all yesterday and last night , and I,ve got wood orders to fill ....A day not in the woods is a day with no $ coming in :stupid:


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## bonnieville (Dec 26, 2009)

tramp bushler said:


> You learn to do it right , by being on a professional show .. Not some hillbilly spit hick ignoramous ,or prissy college boy wanna be outfit .......... I have seen a very few college boys who could work hard and actually get something accomplished with a saw ......They are always lazy wooises who want to migrate to ( management ) ............ Some of them actually excell at that and once in a while they are good at it and good to have there .... But there is almost nothing worse than some prik who learned it in school then wants to make the cuttin crew do it the way their instructor taught them ....You must not have followed the immense diatribe on here this summer from some college , fire line cutters and their Certifications ........ They don,t know ---- about gettin some wood on the ground .....
> . There are a few execptions , like Burvol and Tarzan who started out cutting , But mostly the best fallers start out loggin ........
> . It,s like if you want to fly a fighter jet , or tactical bomber . you still have to go to boot camp and do push ups and get screamed at first ......... Thats what settin chockers is , boot camp ...



Not the kinda guy I would expect to take a sick day.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 26, 2009)

I wonder if they have any middle finger smiley faces on here ........????????????\
,.


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## bonnieville (Dec 26, 2009)

Lighten up. When read one after another your posts are kinda contradictory. Every body gets sick. Tough as nails old timers and ##### college kids.


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## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 30, 2009)

OK, first of all I am not some kid who is in college and wants to make it in management. I have saw skills better than most. I know my way around equipment, I can climb well, I work in the elements and dont cry about it. I work hard for my money, and put in a honest days worth of work. I went back to school because work slowed down and took the chance to enhance my knowledge and be more desireable to a bigger company or hopefully run my own business. Just making this slow economy work in my favor. Thanks to the folks who gave me some tips.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 30, 2009)

Well , Thats good ....I just don,t see that there is much timber industry back east so I can,t figure out why someone would want to go to school there when there is no industry ....If you are already a good climber , then adding business skills to your ability is great .. But the fact is that by taking business you will move to management ....... No doubt that will keep money coming in when no one else has it coming in as far as the none educated guys on the crew........But college won,t help you put wood on the ground ..........
.
. If your so smart you should be able to word your query better...............
... Heres a ? , give an honest answer .. When you are climbing back there , How much a day do you make , /week/month . for how many hours and how much money outlay ....... How much do you hope to make by adding a degree ??? 
The problem with tree service businesses during a down economy is people pretty much figure their trees will grow , wether anyone trims them or not .......There is only so much people will pay for trees ,so to make alot of money you have to do ALOT of trees ..... I am just wondering what a tree service crew with a bucket truck ,chipper and climbing and ground crew make a day ????? 

.

. I,m glad you are good with a saw , how many numbers you runnin a day ????


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## woodbooga (Dec 30, 2009)

tramp bushler said:


> Well , Thats good ....I just don,t see that there is much timber industry back east so I can,t figure out why someone would want to go to school there when there is no industry ?



Now that's an excellent point.

Timber here is historically tied to pulp paper mfg. and construction.

The paper mills in the north country have been on a nose dive for decades, taking with them the market for low grade stuff.

And the sawmills just aren't buying. Hopefully there'll be an uptick in new housing starts. But that's to be foreseen.

With less demand for trees, there's less demand for foresters to help timberland owners manage their land. 

With everything going green - and with NH being the second most forested state in the US - there's a glimmer of hope with biomass. Lots of trees that get chipped up here go to the power generating plants. There's also a big wood pellet company HQ'd in the Monadnock region in SW NH.


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## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 30, 2009)

I am not taking business classes. I hope when I am all done with school the market for wood picks up and the logging crews are back in the woods, or to get in with a company that deals with private land owners who are looking to preserve their land. Something along those lines. Maybe things will change, I dont know. I enjoy the work, I enjoy learning about the work, the history of NH and New England logging. I would figure that people on here would have been more inclined to help a younger person out with an interest in the industry rather than pick apart why I am doing and what I am NOT going to gain out of it.


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## tramp bushler (Dec 30, 2009)

Oh , Man up , don,t stress about it .......... But I did (help) you ...... Here,s a straight up question , If I hired you to cut a strip next to me on a timber sale I bought . Would you put as much wood on the ground in a day , every day , and NOT get hurt . and not snivel and whine and be fun to have on the crew . ECT.ECT. 
.That is what makes you employable and so someone wants to keep you around ...I recomend you take business courses ....... Won,t hurt .and you will learn more about the economics of running a company ....


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## tramp bushler (Dec 30, 2009)

if you are going to be in college already any way ... NO UNDERWATER BASKET WEAVING CLASSES .... No matter how many chicks there are in them ..They are all democrats anyway .


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## STIHLMAN83 (Dec 30, 2009)

I beleive I could put as much wood on the ground and if not close to it, safely. I enjoy the work and I dont ##### and moan about the cold, the snow, rain, a ####ty day....That is what i choose to do so why ##### about it, I could do something different if I wanted to. I already took business classes when I got out of high school, wasnt my thing, it was more corporate business stuff.


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## Rick Alger (Dec 30, 2009)

Sorry to see you getting roughed up Stihlman. Don't let them get to you.

To get work in the woods in my area, you just about have to have your own machine nowadays. It's an insurance thing. Nobody can afford workers comp insurance on a part time chopper no matter how good he is.


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