Can you make a living off of a forest land?

[NarrowGlint]

I watch a lot of foresters/loggers/tree guys on YouTube. I have watched Wilson Forest Lands quite a bit recently, and have been following him for a while. It seems that he does a good amount of logging and milling to support himself, and does more firewood when the market slows down. I am sure he does some other forest endeavors as well. Is this something truly feasible to live off of? Let's say I have enough capital to buy a sizeable forest property and some beginner equipment, is it feasible to truly make a living off of logging/firewood/milling like Wilson does, or is that a pretty rare situation. I am also in Upstate NY, so much different forests than the PNW. I am a forestry student currently in college, and just looking into future paths related to my field. I would love to know any experiences or story's you guys know off that are similar to Wilson Forest Lands way of living! Thanks alot

 

[woodfarmer]

It’s a fine hobby and a place to park a ton of money.

 

[GeneralKayoss]

It's possible if you diversify with multiple forms of income. Become a complete woodworker from felling trees to finished products can open up many options too. You have to be methodical and strategic in your approach as drying wood can take years depending on thickness. It won't be something you hit the ground running at and will take time. you have to be able to recognize what's worth milling and what's firewood. Figured, spalted and burl hardwoods are prized in certain markets. I've only been at it for less than 2 years as a side hobby but I've had a little success.

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

I watch a lot of foresters/loggers/tree guys on YouTube. I have watched Wilson Forest Lands quite a bit recently, and have been following him for a while. It seems that he does a good amount of logging and milling to support himself, and does more firewood when the market slows down. I am sure he does some other forest endeavors as well. Is this something truly feasible to live off of? Let's say I have enough capital to buy a sizeable forest property and some beginner equipment, is it feasible to truly make a living off of logging/firewood/milling like Wilson does, or is that a pretty rare situation. I am also in Upstate NY, so much different forests than the PNW. I am a forestry student currently in college, and just looking into future paths related to my field. I would love to know any experiences or story's you guys know off that are similar to Wilson Forest Lands way of living! Thanks alot

Is it possible that these guys are living off their Youtube monetization at least as much as selling wood?
And by the time you have enough cash in hand to buy yourself a big chunk of forest land, you'll probably have investments and pensions capable of supporting you. Having rich parents helps as well.

 

[Gologit]

You can make a lot of money having your own piece of timber ground. You probably won't get to keep much of it...taxes, wages, insurance, equipment costs, industry down-turns...but for awhile there you'll think you're doing petty good.
You'll make a lot of new friends, otherwise known as creditors. You'll spend a lot of time on the phone with your new friends making promises you're pretty sure you can't keep. That's okay, they're used to it and they've heard it all before. They'll just pile the loan interest a little higher.
If you're dealing with the government, and you will, you have to worry about The Contract. I'll let @slowp tell you all about The Contract. The Contract is sometimes confused with the Timber Harvest Plan. The Timber Harvest Plan, like The Contract, is a non compliance minefield.
If you have crews working you'll spend a lot of time correcting their minor mistakes. Minor mistakes turn into disasters pretty fast...see The Contract... so your woods boss has to stay right on top of things. Finding a good woods boss is difficult, keeping one is almost impossible. Same with crews.
The owner doesn't get a day off. Ever. If the weather is too miserable to log you work on machinery.
You can probably figure out the rest. Try to do it before you go broke.
Having a good wife with a government job and a pension isn't a bad idea either. Especially if she likes being your bookkeeper, parts runner, and doesn't mind running the skidder on the Monday after payday when part of the crew can't make it to the timber.
Good luck.