Might be helping a buddy with a small logging job

[Fuzly]

Long story short, buddy does caretaker work for a summer home, landowner wants to know why his red pines, which have been there for years stopped growing, buddy tells him they are way too close together and need to be thinned, landowner wants to know if buddy can thin them, he says sure and asks me to help.

We both are firewood cutters and cut some pulp when growing up and feel we are ready for this. Just not sure where to begin.

Is there a market for this wood? Trees are nice and straight, no limbs on the bottom, but diameter is small from the crowded conditions. Could get 2x4s out of them but probably nothing much bigger.

Would it be possible to sell to a local small mill, or maybe consult with a local logger? They are on either side of a nice, wide access road. We could pull them out to the road with an atv or small tractor, but don't have a way to transport them. I would think it would be pretty easy for a grapple truck to pick them up from the road.

When is the best time to harvest them? It would be a good winter job for us and have them ready early spring.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

[Jacob J.]

Your first step is going to be looking for a buyer for the wood. This could be a local mill or a private woodworker type with their own equipment. With wood that small I'm guessing you're not going to find many interested buyers. Perhaps there's a pole market in your area for fencing? Or these could go to a pulp plant.

What kind of acreage are you dealing with? How many stems per acre are you cutting?

 

[Husky137]

In the Northeast you would be looking at poles,ties,pulp or burner chips. Not much of a market for red pine lumber.

 

[Fuzly]

Thanks guys,

I can't think of anybody who buys/makes poles in the area.

Of course, we're in the land of paper mills, so our best bet may be selling them for pulp.

I guess I kind of jumped the gun on posting since I haven't been out there to look it over yet, but I was anxious to get some ideas.

My friend says about 10 acres, don't know how many stems per acre yet.

 

[clearance]

Every time I ever spaced (thinned), it just stayed where it layed.

 

[Fuzly]

That's a definite possibility. We're just trying to make a few bucks for the guy if we can, but he does pretty darn good on his own.

He'll want it neat, so might just burn the stuff when we get good snow cover on the ground and wait for the crop trees that are left to get bigger.

 

[Stihlboy088]

ah what's da DBH? most of the papermills over my direction aren't taken small time guys loads plus Stora Enso is no more in wisconsin rapids, and almighty Domtar shut down one of their bigger machines this spring in port edwards. i haven't cut pulp in years and last i did for pay was almost 4 years ago and even then i barely broke even. find your local woodmizer dude and have him bandmill it up into bolsters but it's highly unlikely you'll sell it at a decent price. lumber just isn't what it need's to be right now:censored: . i'd say dependant on fuel and the amount of time it'll take drop em, pile the slash and and logs it might be easier to leave em, so have fun cutting. btw where's Wabeno WI?

 

[Fuzly]

btw where's Wabeno WI?

Go to Green Bay, get on Highway 32, go north 100 miles, and don't blink-you might miss us.

I know a guy at Wausau Paper in Rhinelander, if I see him I'll ask how they're running right now. I didn't know the paper mills were hurting too.

As for the hardwood mills which are closer to my area, one is down to one shift, and the other one is talking about laying everybody off and shutting down until after the 1st of the year. I guess now is not the time to try to sell wood.

I'd like to get up to the property, which is close to Three Lakes, but the Wisconsin state holiday begins on Nov. 17, and it will be tought to get a hold of anybody for 9 days. When I do get up there, I'll take the camera and get you guys some more info.

Where are you at Stihlboy, central part of the state?

 

[slowp]

To figure out the time of the year, besides price, what is the ground like? Is it wet? Also, Springtime/Early Summer logging can scar the leave trees more.
The sap is running and the bark is looser. You can get away with a bit more damage in the winter. Burning? Be real careful there in Wisconsin. The pulp mills (when I worked there anyhow)won't want any burned trees so you'll not want to scorch the bark on the leave trees.
You gotta think about the trees that are being left, and what they might be used for in the future. I saw some pretty small Red Pine going to the paper mill but that was over 2 years ago and the whining factor was high. It was also timber that the mills bought on the stump.l One guy was doing well on the bigger pine, selling it for poles. Sigh, I never got to yell, "Everybody Polka!"
But we don't have the killer ticks here.

 

[Fuzly]

Sigh, I never got to yell, "Everybody Polka!"
But we don't have the killer ticks here.

I'll do one for you, "Everybody Polka; Ah Haaaaaaa!"

Polka, Polska kielbasa, Piva, Ponchka, Pierogies, P is where it's at for fun in Wisconsin

Deer ticks not around me much, but we don't have oak trees.

According to the local veternarian, oak trees mean deer mice, mice mean deer ticks. They are thick in the next county to the west.

Oh yeah, I did not realize burning could do that to the remaining trees-non marketable

 

[rx7145]

Why not just sell as firewood? I know its pine but.............I would take it.

 

[Fuzly]

I wish we could, but I could not GIVE it away as firewood. Nobody would take it, it's just not what they want.

However, all is not lost. I saw two trucks with pup trailers today, one headed south with Norway pine sticks, about 8" diameter, and one headed west with DINKY pine, maybe 4 to 6 inches.

We need to get on this and find out who is buying it, maybe get started right after deer season.

 

[Gologit]

If nothing else it'll probably be a real education for you. You might find out that you like it. Or you might find out that having to run a saw all day isn't nearly as much fun as getting to run a saw when you feel like it.
It will get you in shape...after awhile.

 

[Stihlboy088]

i'm over in the central part of the state little town out in bum F??k Egypt yeah ur right you prolly couldn't give pine away for firewood around here. how'd you do bambi balastin'?

 

[slowp]

If my memory is correct (I've lost a lot of brain cells out my nose lately due to whatever disease is rampant in our valley) the pine market is a bit better in the winter when most loggers are logging the hardwoods. The hardwoods tend to be in wetter areas which can best be accessed while frozen. In the summer, the pine market goes down because the opposite happens, and pine grows in the drier areas. Of course, if it is like here, there's no good prices right now. The above was at a better time.

 

[Zackman1801]

also make sure that you have your ATV or Tractor ready because red pines that were tree farmed like to hang up since the tops are soo knarley. we are thinning out a forest of red pine right now and almost every other tree hangs up and has to be either pulled down by the skidder or has to be played around with with a jacobs pole. and i would think since the trees are too crowded together now that you would have an especially hard time with them hanging up......good luck to you!

 

[Fuzly]

Geez,

I can't believe it's been over 6 months. Finally got out to take a look at this property. I gave my bud a ruler and had him measure some of this stuff. His 6" to 8" diameter is way off. Definitely too small to do anything with, or I should say, the stuff that is big enough to do anything with wouldn't even make one truck load.

All is good though, the landowner is looking at it as an opportunity to reduce competition for the bigger and better trees and is just paying us to come out and thin the little stuff and pile it somewhere hidden.

85 degrees yesterday and I had the section by the lake-steep, be careful, don't drop any in the lake. Oh, my fat arse is out of shape, but still had a smile on my face.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Hey Fuz, what saw ya using the 36?

When cuttin all day in the heat like that, I like to mix some OJ or Sunny D with water in a big jug. Kinda makes a poorman's Gatorade and really keeps you going.

 

[secureland]

Hey Fuz, what saw ya using the 36?

When cuttin all day in the heat like that, I like to mix some OJ or Sunny D with water in a big jug. Kinda makes a poorman's Gatorade and really keeps you going.

Yep!
OJ and Water has been my tonic of choice lately while cutting firewood.

Are they hanging up or do you have clear falling lines?

 

[Fuzly]

Yeah, my old pulp and firewood zapper 36 is still getting it done. I'd like something bigger and newer, probably got a bit of CAD from hanging around here, but the old girl is about perfect for this stuff. I did cut a few with the little Pull-on, just because I got some "stoopid wal-mart saw" comments. Sharp chain and fresh gas makes a big difference.

Both of us get one hung up once in a while, but one of us gets hung up a lot more. I can usually draw some good cussing if I shut my saw off, sit down, and laugh.

We had one bigger one hung up, so I bore cut a hole in and stuck a hardwood pole in the hole to spin it, tree came down when we spun it a couple times, plus it was a good trick to show my partner.

I got smart the second day and brought plenty of water, but I may try mixing it with some OJ. My main problem is I've been sitting behind a desk for a few years.