Looking To Get into Forestry For a Career

[slowp]

Here's the parade load. He won for best working truck.

 

[Pacific]

Holy crap thats the cleanest Kenworth logger I have ever seen

The safety rules now for logging is so strict here in B.C. guys have to go for training and certification courses on a regular basis. West Coast Fallers have to be certified and pass a exam.

Would I want a job in the Forest industry probably not because its not a guaranteed industry. Most of the logging contractors are getting tired of the rules and regulations and major headaches. You will eventually see these smaller independant companies with up to 100 employees pull the plug. Most of the owners are sticking it out to keep their guys working once the guys start retiring that will be it.

The government and enviromentalists have screwed up a good industry. It makes you sick when you see logging companies close up shop.

 

[Soul Assassin]

Nice pics, thanks for posting them.

The do alot of "salvage logging" here in Colorado, due to recent wildfires. Nothing nearly as big as you have on the Left coast.

In my 20's I logged with a guy nicknamed "wild Bill S******", he had all his front teeth knocked out by an aspen that sprung back up after dropping a large tree. He was old school.

He used to call his work site "uncle Bills fitness camp" lol.

 

[1I'dJak]

despite the logging industry setbacks...due to the regulation, it seems fallers are going to be in high demand....to become a cert faller it costs 10,000 bucks now...which means not a lot of guys a coming into the industry... but the wages are good....500-600 a day for a 6.5 hr day.... except its almost all camp work and the ground is getting steeper and steeper as all the easy spots have been creamed out...takes balls though...

 

[Gologit]

despite the logging industry setbacks...due to the regulation, it seems fallers are going to be in high demand....to become a cert faller it costs 10,000 bucks now...which means not a lot of guys a coming into the industry... but the wages are good....500-600 a day for a 6.5 hr day.... except its almost all camp work and the ground is getting steeper and steeper as all the easy spots have been creamed out...takes balls though...

That's a pretty good wage. Do most of the outfits pay by the bf or do they pay day wages?

 

[Pacific]

I didn't think it was that much to be a certified faller now :jawdrop:


Myself I only fall for my own use I don't think I would want to be a faller even if the money is good. I know a few fallers and the stories of living in camps. West Coast Fallers have always been paid good.

 

[TimberPig]

That's a pretty good wage. Do most of the outfits pay by the bf or do they pay day wages?

Day rate. Union crews had pay by the bf felled, outlawed in 1972. Independent crews could get paid that way if they really wanted, but no one does.

 

[1I'dJak]

...or if you don't wanna shell out the time and money to be a faller you can become a climber....that's what i do....we windfirm (top or prune) trees along the cutblocks so they don't blow over...and we single stem...which invloves limbing and topping a tree which will eventually be plucked outta the block with a chopper...the pay's pretty good...400-500 bucks/day once you get good...no expensive certification needed... just some balls to take down some big hammer tops and swing from tree to tree...and the ability to hike through the bush with with about 70lbs of gear on your back! however, the work is up and down and you get alot of down days due to wind and fog (often rely on choppers to get into the block)....but the work's never boring!

 

[A100HVA]

Good question. I wish I could give you a more positive answer.

In New Hampshire the forestry business is seeing tough times. Mills are shutting down, prices at the remaining mills are not keeping up with inflation, pay is depressed, and woodland is being bought up by speculators for resale as camp sites, resorts, prisons and what-all. In the last five years roughly a third of the small logging contractors have sold out and turned to something else. The contractors that are left can't pay equipment operators anywhere near what they'd make operating similar equipment on construction.

Learn all you can about diesel repair. If the logging picks up, you can still go for it. But if it doesn't you'll have those very valuable technical skills to rely on.

Good luck,

Rick

this is sound advice listen to what he is sayin' if we could paint you a better picture we would. the world of wood is a roller coaster ride! make sure you wanna come for the ride.:bang: :greenchainsaw:

 

[burlman]

mecanical logging

I see adds from the professional training college in our regional quebec newspaper, looking for students to train in feller-buncher, and forwarder operators. says starting salary of $880.00 per week. of course their is the fact of who is going to hire you because the wood business sucks right now. they also have courses for timber cruising and clearing saw (for thinning plantations) supposed to be a demand for that as well good luck with whatever your future brings you

 

[Drive_1305]

Well, I've been around Trucking and Forestry all my life, we mostly float the equipment and haul chips. When I was younger I went with my father all the time and when we moved the equipment he gave me the keys and told me to load them on the float, I was around 11-12 when He taught me the basic operations (I learned on a excavator) I fell in love immediately and i knew then i wanted to do something with forestry. I lost my dad in 2003, I was 15 at the time, we still run our business, but since then I have lost touch with the industry. I'm now 18 and currently enrolled in College taking Diesel Mechanics, but when I complete the course I'm looking to get a job operating equipment. I would just be wondering about some suggestions, and what job to apply for (ie: Skidder, Forwarder, or Buncher) Any suggestions would be appreciated..

Thanks.

Jared.

Since your so young, if it doesn't take too many more years finish your Diesel Mechanics. Then if you have the "smarts", use your past experience in heavy equipment and mechanics to get summer and part-time work, to work your way through a 4 year college program. Take engineering, construction management or something similar. Shoot for an office job in engineering or management, you'll make a lot more money and it won't be hard on your back when you get older. Use the physical labor jobs to " Get the adventure" and "experience". Sometimes people in the office don't have the hands on experience- you will have it and that will be a plus.

 

[prolog]

Washington Photo

Spar like Kiwilogger posted is rarely used a swing grapple yarder like the old Washington is used for slopes. Hoe chucking is the quickest way of getting wood out of the bush using a log loader like the 3800. As for getting into Forestry its a dying industry in B.C. because the B.C. gov't keeps screwing around. Over the last year there prolly has been 300 plus jobs lost in the forest industry.

Hey,
Do you have the 78 Washington photo? I can't open the one you were showing.

 

[RPM]

Hey,
Do you have the 78 Washington photo? I can't open the one you were showing.

We used to use these on the coast - Skagit 110' towers - BU-99 / BU-98 for skyline yarding. One was track mounted the other rubber tire. A couple of long ones out to 1,600m to the tailhold - downhill yarding.

These probably went to the scrap yard a couple of years ago.

 

[slowp]

These are from this year. Nothing new. The Skagit was a new to them yarder. I believe it had some plating welded on to give it more height.

 

[prolog]

Washington Swingyarder

Thanks for the pix, I'm looking at purchasing a track mounted 78 Washington Swingyarder 3 drum with interlock (skylock). Can someone tell me a little about the productivity and or pro's and con's of these?