So you want to be a logger?

[PB]

Most of those do not pay well enough to justify the expenses for college.

Wow. I think you need to re-examine what college graduates make. Of course there are those people on the "other" side of campus that study art and communications that have made them overqualified to work at McDonald's.

 

[Ske-bum]

You should feel like crap. People on Wallstreet think we are low.

You should accept that as a compliment. Wall Street is a major reason the economy is in tank, people have lost their live savings and the nation is on the brink of a depression. Yeah, Wall Street has room to take shots at hard working people, many of which actually pay their bills.

 

[Burvol]

You should accept that as a compliment. Wall Street is a major reason the economy is in tank, people have lost their live savings and the nation is on the brink of a depression. Yeah, Wall Street has room to take shots a hard working people, many of which actually pay their bills.

Oh I do. I posted this because I found it entertaining. My family is damn near all loggers, 4-5 generations back. I know the ruotine. There are times when a guy can make money, and there are time that are pretty hard for timber folks. These figures can be expressed in decades.

I cut timber because it's the only thing I can enjoy doing day in and day out. There's something about having a job that some people don't want anything to do with it because they think it's nuts, and some people want, but they can't hack it. I know for a fact that all of the loggers on here have a lot of pride, the good pride, and we know that the people that write this crap are inferior to us. We could push a pencil into their foreheads. Kinda primitive, but you can't help but resort to violence on some of these people (God I need to go back to work Monday).

 

[Tree Sling'r]

I make good money, my wife makes good money, but the IRS won't let you keep it. I honestly have $88,000 in legitimate write off this year, only because I had to.
I would have rather made $60,000 on the books and not have to worry about the book keeping, the state and the IRS.

 

[Burvol]

I make good money, my wife makes good money, but the IRS won't let you keep it. I honestly have $88,000 in legitimate write off this year, only because I had to.
I would have rather made $60,000 on the books and not have to worry about the book keeping, the state and the IRS.

Damn Jasha, sounds like you have a lot of work in your area. I would be happy to stay busy with my wage most of the year and make some money. Things have been coming up with my fiance's health (This is not a CALVIN-ESQUE POST). I have had to miss a lot of work for doctor appointments, surgery, ect. I feel for her, 25 and so kind and beautiful. What us regular folks have and take for granted is amazing. She has great health insurance working at a hospital, or we'd be screwed.

I finally got a cutting deal on the books this year, and I'm happy about that. They're paying me a great hourly wage, comp, ect. plus I have no IRS headaches this year coming up. Looks like we have a lot of nice, nice wood (all export fir) and the export market is doing good. I hope to have a good start to the year....I want one of your 390's.

I am also looking to cut on some fires this year. Maybe I can get some info from you or Jacob this summer?

 

[056kid]

You should accept that as a compliment. Wall Street is a major reason the economy is in tank, people have lost their live savings and the nation is on the brink of a depression. Yeah, Wall Street has room to take shots a hard working people, many of which actually pay their bills.

VERY true, my dad has lost TOOOOOOO MUCHHHHH $ in the stock market.

 

[slowp]

Here's a way to look at it. If you were stranded on an island, and since most of you are guys, we will consider it a default that you'd want a pretty woman with you, but besides that, would you want a mathamatician or a logger along? I'd go for the logger because whereas the math expert would probably be computing the odds of getting rescued, the logger would be scrounging around for stuff that was washed up to jury rig something that would aid in getting off the island. And he'd have some entertaining stories to tell.

There's a few guys I've run into who did go to college, got degrees and hated the office work and the urban living so much that they went back to logging.

 

[Burvol]

Here's a way to look at it. If you were stranded on an island, and since most of you are guys, we will consider it a default that you'd want a pretty woman with you, but besides that, would you want a mathamatician or a logger along? I'd go for the logger because whereas the math expert would probably be computing the odds of getting rescued, the logger would be scrounging around for stuff that was washed up to jury rig something that would aid in getting off the island. And he'd have some entertaining stories to tell.

There's a few guys I've run into who did go to college, got degrees and hated the office work and the urban living so much that they went back to logging.

I went to night school while cutting timber to finish a degree I started on years ago. I friggin' barely pulled that one off. I figured if I have to pay back money for school, I might as well have a degree. By golly it took three years, but I got my flimsy 2 year degree framed in my office. Kind of a "told you so, what the hell was I thinking?" to myself.
I am happy to say that I love to work hard, sweat and feel alive when I come home. I know that I would be miserable inside, even when it's cold out. Unless I made crazy money, benies, and tons of time off during Elk/Chinook season, then I might be able to even think about it. Until then, no way.

 

[PB]

Here's a way to look at it. If you were stranded on an island, and since most of you are guys, we will consider it a default that you'd want a pretty woman with you, but besides that, would you want a mathamatician or a logger along? I'd go for the logger because whereas the math expert would probably be computing the odds of getting rescued, the logger would be scrounging around for stuff that was washed up to jury rig something that would aid in getting off the island. And he'd have some entertaining stories to tell.

There's a few guys I've run into who did go to college, got degrees and hated the office work and the urban living so much that they went back to logging.

Step on up guys, would you want to be stranded on an island with a logger or mathematician? opcorn: opcorn:

 

[Jacob J.]

I finally got a cutting deal on the books this year, and I'm happy about that. They're paying me a great hourly wage, comp, ect. plus I have no IRS headaches this year coming up. Looks like we have a lot of nice, nice wood (all export fir) and the export market is doing good. I hope to have a good start to the year....I want one of your 390's.

I am also looking to cut on some fires this year. Maybe I can get some info from you or Jacob this summer?

Jesse- I'm glad to hear you're making good coin as an employee. That's way easier.

If you're gonna do the fire thing this year, you need to get started on the paperwork now. Guys who wait until May/June to sign up miss out on a lot of work. I'll send you the info you need to get started in PM.

Some of the 'associations' like Northwest Timber Fallers and North Zone Fallers have a lot of the firefighting falling contracting locked up. This is both good and bad. It's good in that you're pretty much guaranteed to get high quality fallers on fires. It's bad in that it makes it much harder for Joe Blow falling contractor to sign up.

In the old days they had what was called 'Pre-season' agreements (some remote Forest Service and State forestry agencies still do those.) A pre-season agreement was essentially a call-when-needed contract specifying wages, availability, and equipment provided. My dad worked for the Forest Service and B.L.M. for years on pre-season agreements.

You can probably get a pre-season agreement up there on Mt. Hood. I'll look up some contracting officers and forward their numbers. All of the districts are still doing pre-season agreements for such things as dozers, road graders, potable water and porta-toilets. The water tenders, contract engines, and contract handcrews now are national contracts dispatched through BIFC.

 

[husky455rancher]

i believe the quote was from caddyshack "the world needs ditch diggers too" ive been a welder/ fabricator since before i could legally work. at 18 i started it full time. 3-4 years ago i got into tree cutting. lets see whats the next worst job, maybe ill start a porta potty cleaning business lmao.

i dunno why people down the workin man. if it wasnt for guys like us nothing would get done. we see something that has to be done and we do it. simple as that. problem is every kid now a days is gonna go to college and major in business. good luck finding a job when everyones gunning for the same thing.

they can have their office jobs i like workin woth my hands and gettin dirty.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Here's a way to look at it. If you were stranded on an island, and since most of you are guys, we will consider it a default that you'd want a pretty woman with you, but besides that, would you want a mathamatician or a logger along? I'd go for the logger because whereas the math expert would probably be computing the odds of getting rescued, the logger would be scrounging around for stuff that was washed up to jury rig something that would aid in getting off the island. And he'd have some entertaining stories to tell.

There's a few guys I've run into who did go to college, got degrees and hated the office work and the urban living so much that they went back to logging.

Thats always been my way of stacking people if I was lost or in a natural disaster who would I want with me.
Gold star for jury Rig. Makes me want to pull my hair out when people say jerry rig.

 

[wilbilt]

problem is every kid now a days is gonna go to college and major in business. good luck finding a job when everyones gunning for the same thing.

The business majors aren't the ones that bother me. The ones becoming engineers scare me. These kids have never fixed anything, gotten their hands dirty or nailed two sticks together in their lives.

I think they need to physically know how tab "A" fits into slot "B" before they start designing bridges.

 

[Burvol]

The business majors aren't the ones that bother me. The ones becoming engineers scare me. These kids have never fixed anything, gotten their hands dirty or nailed two sticks together in their lives.

I think they need to physically know how tab "A" fits into slot "B" before they start designing bridges.

Tell me about it, that's my sister your describing.

 

[slowp]

I tried to be an engineer. My dad was one. But my way of thinking was "Forget the slots! Use duct tape and a big hammer!" It is better that I don't design bridges or anything else.

 

[Industry]

Here's a way to look at it. If you were stranded on an island, and since most of you are guys, we will consider it a default that you'd want a pretty woman with you, but besides that, would you want a mathamatician or a logger along?

Mathematician.
Cause I'm definitely getting laid before math man does. Logger is just real competition. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[MR4WD]

Logging, arborist work I would say is the most dangerous work . Crab fishermen were once called the most dangerous ,but now with more natural disasters more men are picking up the saw. I started felling trees for a large forestry company,union paid when I was 16 years old . I had a big passion for saws and in 1989 at 31 I was technical services manager at Stihl Canada. My boss Fred Whyte is now president of Stihl USA, my branch manager then Steve Meriam is now national sales and product development manager for Stihl USA. These guys pounded the pavement to get to where they are now, I really admire them for how far they have gone , but executive life style was not for me and said they can keep all their headaches. So I picked up the saw again and now at 50 I still love it and the young family I am raising. I don't think we have the worst job. If you have kids or grandchildren and can properly provide for them you GOT IT MADE.
Willard.

Jobs like logging and fisherman are only dangerous, (I wouldn't classify being an arborist as dangerous, but then I'm not a mathematician either) because there's not enough money in the industries to mitigate against all risks.

I work in an industry that I would classify as more dangerous than logging or crab fishing, but fortunately for me being that it's not consumer driven in the same sense. Basicly, any hammerhead can grab a chainsaw and start cutting trees. Obviously, most won't have the intestinal fortitude to stick with the job and the dumb ones that do will probably get hurt. No offense meant to the professionals on this site at all but it is what it is.

Here's what I do:

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For what it's worth, I'd love to be a logger. I think it's a bit late in life to get into it for me though.

 

[74craig]

MR4WD those are some great video's!

 

[HolmenTree]

Good videos MR4WD. A year or two ago Manitoba Hydro lost a chopper and crew in my neck of the woods ,they got a little too close to a tower.
Well since switching from logging to climbing arborist work, I have had to take alot of study and certification to help do my job as safe as I can. If your going to diassemble a tree with a chainsaw from top to bottom starting at a 100 feet up,you better have good knowledge of all the many species of trees. Plus the risk of the tree failing and having yourself landing into power lines etc., and your regular groundie doesn't show up for work that day and your life hinges around a greenhorn. And this is just a sample of hazards.

Willard

 

[windthrown]

Here's a way to look at it. If you were stranded on an island, and since most of you are guys, we will consider it a default that you'd want a pretty woman with you, but besides that, would you want a mathamatician or a logger along? I'd go for the logger because whereas the math expert would probably be computing the odds of getting rescued, the logger would be scrounging around for stuff that was washed up to jury rig something that would aid in getting off the island. And he'd have some entertaining stories to tell.

There's a few guys I've run into who did go to college, got degrees and hated the office work and the urban living so much that they went back to logging.

My story is that I was an engineer. Then I was laid off and cast adrift. I found a beautiful woman and we fell in love. I moved onto her ranch which is like an island in a sea of green Doug firs. I became a part time logger there out of necessity. She was a software engineer.

Anyway, the now-ex was and is a computer geek. She sits on the computer all the time. I would say, it is flooding, we need to clear the culverts. She would look at me like, do we have to!? So I guess you are right. I should have found a logger babe to fall in love with. In that case, I would probably still be living with her. Of course, there are not that many logger babes around. :monkey: