The "Game of Logging" training is awsome...

Polycop · Jan 11, 2009

I just went to through the Game of Logging level I training yesterday in North Liberty Indiana, long story short I highly recommend it.

Myself and my classmates were pretty much firewood cutters and land owners and I think we all took something from the class. It's amazing what a professional logger / instructor can do with a saw vs what some of my hilljack friends who have been "cuttin for years" and think they were experts can do.

We started off with a talk on safety and PPE and then got into the meat of the class, plunge cut felling (which is pretty cool). Once out into the woods we all practiced the plunge cut and then we went over spring poles, barber chair and other various hazards. One big thing I learned was to leave dead trees standing and not mess with them (no matter how tempting) until they fall to the ground on their own.

The class was very reasonable at $65 per person and there was some talk of bringing the instructor back out for a couple more days. If you can get a group together and have a woodlot they will come to you. Check them out at: http://www.gameoflogging.com/

I highly recommend it...

clearance · Jan 11, 2009

I have heard of it. Some here have taking that training. There are issues with the bore cut method, to say the least. As far as dead trees, leave them alone if you are not confident and skilled, but more important, do not work around them at all. I am sure it is a good program, the bore cutting thing is a sore point with me, along with many other experienced tree guys and fallers.

serial killer · Jan 11, 2009

I make a large portion of my income by cutting down dead trees. For sure you can't trust them, but lots of times they need to come down.

Blakesmaster · Jan 11, 2009

I wish they had their class schedule up on that site. I gotta call Monday. I had no idea it was that inexpensive.

serial killer · Jan 11, 2009

And how come when I go to their site and click "Training," the top of my browser window says "Husqvarna"? What kind of Swedish propaganda is this?

Edge & Engine · Jan 11, 2009

I have heard some really good things about the GOL.

What saws did they use?

flatpikr · Jan 11, 2009

Polycop said:
I just went to through the Game of Logging level I training yesterday in North Liberty Indiana, long story short I highly recommend it.

When I first saw this post I thought, Hey there must be an X-Box chainsaw / logger video game. That would be a hoot, especially after watching the Ax Men series on the History channel. If it hasn't been created yet, somebody should do it. Stand under the sky line to long and you eat steel.

That aside, I'm jealous about the class. Would love to take the plunge into some thing like that (pun intended). I've made a few "holding wood" cuts to drop trees away from fences, etc. As long as no one gets hurt, it's a great profession. IMHO. I know an AS member who really needs such training. I don't want to drop any names to protect the guilty but OG is all I can say, HA!

Polycop · Jan 11, 2009

All of my dead trees are back in the woods and don't bother anything other than me. I've got plenty of dead stuff to cut on that is already on the ground so I'm all good and I'll just leave them as they are. I'm not wanting to offset the money I saved on my heating bill with a hospital visit or a funeral bill.

Husky used to be a sponsor and now it's Dolmar, the instructor had a 5100.

There was a Stihl rep in the class and he said that Stihl has or is going to have some sort of similar training.

As far as the cost of the class, I "think" the cost of the instructor is around $800 a day. Divide that by the number of students and you'll get your cost. You'll need to check with them just to be sure as I don't know if that covers travel and boarding for the instructors.

trek5900 · Jan 11, 2009

Polycop said:
I just went to through the Game of Logging level I training yesterday in North Liberty Indiana, long story short I highly recommend it.

Myself and my classmates were pretty much firewood cutters and land owners and I think we all took something from the class. It's amazing what a professional logger / instructor can do with a saw vs what some of my hilljack friends who have been "cuttin for years" and think they were experts can do.

We started off with a talk on safety and PPE and then got into the meat of the class, plunge cut felling (which is pretty cool). Once out into the woods we all practiced the plunge cut and then we went over spring poles, barber chair and other various hazards. One big thing I learned was to leave dead trees standing and not mess with them (no matter how tempting) until they fall to the ground on their own.

The class was very reasonable at $65 per person and there was some talk of bringing the instructor back out for a couple more days. If you can get a group together and have a woodlot they will come to you. Check them out at: http://www.gameoflogging.com/

I highly recommend it...

Thanks for bringing this to AS. I was looking for something like this.
School is never out.

Zackman1801 · Jan 11, 2009

we get the GOL training in our forestry class, both teachers are certified instructors. if you want a real cert you have to pay about 500-600$ to get the CLP training, some say it is worth it others say its just a title. to all their own i guess.

Edge & Engine · Jan 11, 2009

Polycop said:
Husky used to be a sponsor and now it's Dolmar, the instructor had a 5100.

I had heard rumors of that, was just curious if it was true or not.

gink595 · Jan 11, 2009

It's funny you posted this, I was just looking up Indiana GOL classes after reading someting about it in another thread.

So sis you have to bring your own saws? Is there a class part and then a field part also, all in the same day or is it over multiple days?? I would like to attend something like that.

Maybe you said but where in Indiana was it?

Polycop · Jan 11, 2009

We just did the part I, there are three more parts. The first three hours were inside going over safety and then diagrams on a dry erase board on how to do the open face plunge cuts and such. Then we were outside in the woodlot for the rest of the day (it was cold).

As far as saws, most including myself brought them but they weren't needed. Pretty much all of the cutting was under the instructors direction in a group setting. I just used the instructors saw but some wanted to use their own and had to tote them around.

This one was put on by the land owner and everyone there (18 I think) was either a friend, relative or a friend of a friend. Which is fine by me as I wouldn't want a bunch of strangers tramping around my property with saws and / or hanging around inside the house.

meangreen92lx · Jan 11, 2009

Been to level 2 of the GOL series. I really like the idea behind this course. You are right about the instructors being very skilled cutters. They really push using the chainbrake constantly which I never do. Guess it's not a bad habit to get into though. Unfortunately, my class kinda reverted to level 1 training because most of the class could not fall a 5 inch diameter tree correctly. Everyone brought their own saw and none of them would start, run correctly, or had a sharp chain. Except for my MS440 of course:greenchainsaw: . Most of the people ended up using the instructors Dolmar 5100. I was pretty nervous watching some woman in my class trying to fall a tree with the 5100 after her MS170 wouldn't run right. The 5100 was way too much saw for her to handle. I enjoyed the class and would take more of them if they come around again.

smokechase II · Jan 11, 2009

A couple caveats

Polycop:

The GOL is used but very rarely in the Western US and Canada.

This isn't to say that there are not several advantages on a tree by tree basis for Open Face cutting.

Look at this logically:

1) GOL came from smaller diameter shorter tree forests where regular harvesting has been keeping the snag density way down.
2) Take these cutting techniques to different locales where larger diameter, taller timber and dead trees are everywhere and it doesn't have as much application.

The big thing I'd caution on is any program that has a 'my way or the highway' attitude. Take in all you can through all four levels but understand that there are those of us that have cut in several states, using a variety of techniques that would almost never even consider open face methods on the worst trees we cut.

===========

Pay particular attention to how your instructors cut. If they don't look up at any point during the face or back-cut understand why the particular techniques they are showing may not have application elsewhere.

Do they emphasize being able to make all your cuts from either side of the tree/snag to avoid placing oneself in danger? Not just verbally but actually illustrate that?

Are they locked into doing plunge cuts even on tress with rotten wood?

woodguy105 · Jan 11, 2009

I took GOL 1 too.

I took GOL 2 years ago. Great course. I would have to agree w/many of the comments about the bore cut not being applicable in really large trees ( mind you I have never cut a huge tree). Perhaps some do it I don't know. For what I have been cutting the technique (and course info) has been spot on.

The course is all about safety > which side is the safe side, reading the lean of the tree and how the crown impacts the direction of the fall and how to compensate when you're sighting in and cutting your wedge, determining escape plan & route , checking for hazards widow makers etc. etc.

Would you pro loggers use it? I don't know, but I found the course to be well worth my time and money.

I wouldn't say the bore cut is the end all be all but for the trees I've felled it's worked out very well. You would see far less joe home owner accidents if more people took this course.

JMHO

John Ellison · Jan 11, 2009

smokechase II; =========== Pay particular attention to how your instructors cut. If they don't look up at any point during the face or back-cut understand why the particular techniques they are showing may not have application elsewhere. Do they emphasize being able to make all your cuts from either side of the tree/snag to avoid placing oneself in danger? Not just verbally but actually illustrate that? Are they locked into doing plunge cuts even on tress with rotten wood?[/QUOTE said:
Those are good questions smokechase II. Is there anyone who has been thru the training that can answer them? Do the instructors mention that in certain situations that technique may not be the best way?

goatchin · Jan 11, 2009

I took level 1+2 last april...one day was 25° and snowing and the next day was 45° and sunny-gotta love NY.

I liked how the course emphasized a lot of saftey principles, i agree the chainbrake deal can get a little excessive. i am finding that with the plunge cut on larger trees (over 24") that it can become a PIA because of having to bore from both sides, and plus possibly putting yourself on the danger side of the tree. As Smoke and many others on here have said that the GOL cutting style is a good tool to have in the bag but not the only tool.

I would highly recommend the GOL courses to others, theres alot to be learned from it, go with an open mind

Gologit · Jan 11, 2009

smokechase II said:
:

The big thing I'd caution on is any program that has a 'my way or the highway' attitude. Take in all you can through all four levels but understand that there are those of us that have cut in several states, using a variety of techniques that would almost never even consider open face methods on the worst trees we cut.

===========

Pay particular attention to how your instructors cut. If they don't look up at any point during the face or back-cut understand why the particular techniques they are showing may not have application elsewhere.

Well said. The trees don't take the course and they don't care where they fall. The one drawback to GOL that I've seen is that people who have taken the course expect the tree to do exactly what GOL says it will do if proper techniques are applied. They quit thinking and depend on theory.
Maybe after the GOL students get enough real-world experience they'll realize that all the training they've had and all the techniques they've learned won't keep them out of trouble unless they throw in a big dose of common sense.

LOL...we've all seen it...you'll fall dozens of trees that do exactly what you thought they'd do. The next one will humble you for days afterward. :laugh:

Tzed250 · Jan 11, 2009

I went through GOL levels I,II,III in 1994. Soren Eriksson was the instructor. The bias of the GOL method is definately toward smaller trees(30"dbh and less). The positive to that is the fact that most people cut smaller trees. I would say that as the tree to be cut gets over 32", then the GOL/open face technique is less applicable. Safety was always the primary point, in every action. Hazard awarness, developing a falling plan, planning an escape, following the plan, etc. A fair amount of time was given to making the falling plan so that you placed youself in the least amount of danger, or minimized the time at the stump. Of course it has been 15 years since I took the course, so I don't know if the teaching has changed much, but I do know that training like this is better than no training at all. I understand that experienced fallers who deal with big wood or danger trees every day will look at the training with distrust, but the methods I learned from it helped me to make a lot of money when I owned my tree service, and made it so I could do many removals without ever setting a rope in the tree. When I went to Level I the only knowledge I had was what I had tought myself. After leaving Level III my falling, limbing, and bucking skills were significantly better ( I won the "competition" at all three levels). IMHO it is money and time well spent.

The "Game of Logging" training is awsome...

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