I have a 100 acres in middle tn. and had a logger

[tidepops1]

come by the other day and wanted to know if i would be interested in having mine cut, it has not been cut in 30+ years how would logging affect my deer hunting. thanks

 

[catman529]

Lot of new vegetation which is great for wildlife


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[treefarmer]

Healthy forest = healthy wildlife. Most people that cut timber sell the oaks and poplar and leave behind the sourwood, maple, hickory, elm, etc. This is because the oaks/poplar have value and the others don't so that is all a logger will take, especially in middle TN where there is a poor market for pulp wood. I was at a forestry field day a year ago in Humphreys County and we looked at a select timber harvest and 1/2 of 1% of the remaining trees were oaks, but before the cut they were 75% of the forest. "Diameter limit cut" or "select cut" usually means to take the bigger oaks/poplar and what is left behind is usually junk. Contact your TN Division of forestry Area Forester for a free visit. If you cut only the good stuff the forest can't be made right in your lifetime. I learned 90% of what I needed to know after a 1-hour visit from an Area Forester's technician. Also, if you have enough timber to sell use a Consulting Forester - there is a cost but it is worth it. I had two 20-acre clear cuts a year ago and expect great things when the vegetation gets head high. I talked to a landowner near me last night and he was telling me about a landowner next to him that had an almost - clear cut 5 years ago and they take 2-3 good sized bucks yearly because of the new cover and food on the property. Take time to learn a little about forestry if you plan to keep the forest for decades. Most people (me at first) can't tell the difference between a high-quality forest and a junk forest if it is summer when all you see are green leaves.

 

[Deer Assassin]

select cut will improve it IMO

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

Repeat what was said above. Get with your forestry agent and do your homework before you sign a contract and let just any logger start cutting.

I personally went with a broker. What he did was come in and marked the trees to be cut and inventoried them by type and size. He then invited over 20 different logging companies to bid on the timber. He handled all the bids and contracts and oversaw the cutting and clean up process. I never had to lift a finger and if when there was a disagreement about the work being done he stepped in and made it right. He got 10% for his work.

He made sure that any trees they damaged that were unmarked I got paid for. He also supervised the clean up to make sure all existing roads were cleaned up and all areas of the forest floor were cleaned up from the logging equipment. A few stands were damaged and he saw to it that they were replaced.



I feel like I got paid top dollar for my timber. Some people say I might have gotten more by doing a split direct with the timber company but I did my homework on that too and it would not have been much more. And I had peace of mind that I had a professional dealing with the logging company and he was on my side. NOT on the side of the logging company. I felt the clean up they did was done very well. I have been on properties that looked like Hiroshima after logging and mine looked pretty well manicured .

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

Select cutting will improve the forest floor by letting more sunlight in. Taller grasses mean more browse for the deer and more cover. Its a win win.

 

[UpperTully]

It's an absolute plus for better deer.

The nastier the better!

 

[MickThompson]

Hire a consulting forester. He will get you top dollar and make sure you are taken care of. I would be cautious of the logger who is coming by knocking on doors to solicit work.


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[Os2 Outdoors]

Hire a consulting forester. He will get you top dollar and make sure you are taken care of. I would be cautious of the logger who is coming by knocking on doors to solicit work.


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Why would you be cautious of someone trying to get business for themselves?

There's other ways to do research as well and not lose 10% or more to your consulting Forester. I've been on both sides of this fence as a licensed consulting Forester in the past and now a Logger.

Get with neighbors and other landowners around you, there's generally a Logger nearby that almost all the old timer property owners deal with, so you know he's going to be honest.

Secondly the Forester doesn't always have your best interest at heart, you gotta figure the more he can get you to cut, the higher the number that 10% is going to be. I've also known consulting guys who got a kick back from the loggers in cash to mark more trees for harvest.

There's always this phobia of loggers I see on here an it's kind of frustrating. It doesn't matter what section of any industry your in there's always going to be bad an dishonest people.

Just to clear things up, I have close to 2 years of work ahead of me. But if it comes down to it, you can bet I'd be knocking on doors to talk to property owners about their timber.

 

[DMD]

Hire a consulting forester. He will get you top dollar and make sure you are taken care of. I would be cautious of the logger who is coming by knocking on doors to solicit work.


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Why would you be cautious of someone trying to get business for themselves?

I would be cautious too. Because NORMALLY those who do good work are so busy, you can't even get them to come look at a job you want to hire them for. If a guy is going knocking on doors looking for work, it is just a red flag. It doesn't mean he won't do good work, but I'd want to do some investigating before hiring him.

 

[Lost Lake]

Repeat what was said above. Get with your forestry agent and do your homework before you sign a contract and let just any logger start cutting.

I personally went with a broker. What he did was come in and marked the trees to be cut and inventoried them by type and size. He then invited over 20 different logging companies to bid on the timber. He handled all the bids and contracts and oversaw the cutting and clean up process. I never had to lift a finger and if when there was a disagreement about the work being done he stepped in and made it right. He got 10% for his work.

He made sure that any trees they damaged that were unmarked I got paid for. He also supervised the clean up to make sure all existing roads were cleaned up and all areas of the forest floor were cleaned up from the logging equipment. A few stands were damaged and he saw to it that they were replaced.



I feel like I got paid top dollar for my timber. Some people say I might have gotten more by doing a split direct with the timber company but I did my homework on that too and it would not have been much more. And I had peace of mind that I had a professional dealing with the logging company and he was on my side. NOT on the side of the logging company. I felt the clean up they did was done very well. I have been on properties that looked like Hiroshima after logging and mine looked pretty well manicured .

Please do this...

I've seen too many instances where things didn't go as they should. If you ever see a bunch come in and do a crappy job and leave a mess that looks exactly as he described, Hiroshima, you'll be glad you took his advice.

 

[treefarmer]

I used Jon Boggs at Arbor Springs Forestry to sell my timber twice and would again. It isn't so much getting top dollar, as it is avoiding a "diameter limit", or "select" cut (who selects?). A free Area Forester visit will give you the most impartial advice and you can go from there. Loggers are as honest as anyone but you need to be able to tell them how it will be cut, otherwise the money trees (oak/poplar) come out and the junk may or may not come out. http://www.arborspringsforestry.com/About

 

[rem270]

I am probably within 5 yrs of doing mine. Have 87 with 66 in woods with good timber . Ive been told that the last time it was select cut was 1988.

 

[Snake]

Better do a select cut and watch if you can because I have seen land after some clear-cutting that looks like it has been raped . Tops laying everywhere that you can't even access the property do your diligence in who you let do it .

 

[Jon54]

Healthy forest = healthy wildlife. Most people that cut timber sell the oaks and poplar and leave behind the sourwood, maple, hickory, elm, etc. This is because the oaks/poplar have value and the others don't so that is all a logger will take, especially in middle TN where there is a poor market for pulp wood. I was at a forestry field day a year ago in Humphreys County and we looked at a select timber harvest and 1/2 of 1% of the remaining trees were oaks, but before the cut they were 75% of the forest. "Diameter limit cut" or "select cut" usually means to take the bigger oaks/poplar and what is left behind is usually junk. Contact your TN Division of forestry Area Forester for a free visit. If you cut only the good stuff the forest can't be made right in your lifetime. I learned 90% of what I needed to know after a 1-hour visit from an Area Forester's technician. Also, if you have enough timber to sell use a Consulting Forester - there is a cost but it is worth it. I had two 20-acre clear cuts a year ago and expect great things when the vegetation gets head high. I talked to a landowner near me last night and he was telling me about a landowner next to him that had an almost - clear cut 5 years ago and they take 2-3 good sized bucks yearly because of the new cover and food on the property. Take time to learn a little about forestry if you plan to keep the forest for decades. Most people (me at first) can't tell the difference between a high-quality forest and a junk forest if it is summer when all you see are green leaves.

This is good advice. The land I hunt was select cut two years ago. They took all of the mast producing trees and the deer population is much less than it was.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

I am probably within 5 yrs of doing mine. Have 87 with 66 in woods with good timber . Ive been told that the last time it was select cut was 1988.

Your woods will tell you . When you start loosing big trees to storms it's time to harvest


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[SJS]

come by the other day and wanted to know if i would be interested in having mine cut, it has not been cut in 30+ years how would logging affect my deer hunting. thanks

Have 132 acres in Houston County. Select cut it in 2001 and again in 2012. It has become a deer magnet! We shoot some nice bucks every year. The one recommendation I would have is get a forester consultant and have him look your property over, tell him your objective and he will do the rest. We used them for both cuts and couldn't be happier. What was shocking was the difference in sealed quotes we received. The first cut we did ranged from $11,000 to $23,000 for the same marked trees. That is a difference we couldn't ignore. I'm not saying lumber companies will try and rip you off, but there definitely is a difference in how they look at your property.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

come by the other day and wanted to know if i would be interested in having mine cut, it has not been cut in 30+ years how would logging affect my deer hunting. thanks

Have 132 acres in Houston County. Select cut it in 2001 and again in 2012. It has become a deer magnet! We shoot some nice bucks every year. The one recommendation I would have is get a forester consultant and have him look your property over, tell him your objective and he will do the rest. We used them for both cuts and couldn't be happier. What was shocking was the difference in sealed quotes we received. The first cut we did ranged from $11,000 to $23,000 for the same marked trees. That is a difference we couldn't ignore. I'm not saying lumber companies will try and rip you off, but there definitely is a difference in how they look at your property.

Yeah the sealed bids I got on mine were as low as 21k and the final coming in at 38k .


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[Os2 Outdoors]

come by the other day and wanted to know if i would be interested in having mine cut, it has not been cut in 30+ years how would logging affect my deer hunting. thanks

Have 132 acres in Houston County. Select cut it in 2001 and again in 2012. It has become a deer magnet! We shoot some nice bucks every year. The one recommendation I would have is get a forester consultant and have him look your property over, tell him your objective and he will do the rest. We used them for both cuts and couldn't be happier. What was shocking was the difference in sealed quotes we received. The first cut we did ranged from $11,000 to $23,000 for the same marked trees. That is a difference we couldn't ignore. I'm not saying lumber companies will try and rip you off, but there definitely is a difference in how they look at your property.

Yeah the sealed bids I got on mine were as low as 21k and the final coming in at 38k .


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So you sold your timber standing?

come by the other day and wanted to know if i would be interested in having mine cut, it has not been cut in 30+ years how would logging affect my deer hunting. thanks

Have 132 acres in Houston County. Select cut it in 2001 and again in 2012. It has become a deer magnet! We shoot some nice bucks every year. The one recommendation I would have is get a forester consultant and have him look your property over, tell him your objective and he will do the rest. We used them for both cuts and couldn't be happier. What was shocking was the difference in sealed quotes we received. The first cut we did ranged from $11,000 to $23,000 for the same marked trees. That is a difference we couldn't ignore. I'm not saying lumber companies will try and rip you off, but there definitely is a difference in how they look at your property.

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[PillsburyDoughboy]

.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]
So you sold your timber standing?

come by the other day and wanted to know if i would be interested in having mine cut, it has not been cut in 30+ years how would logging affect my deer hunting. thanks

Have 132 acres in Houston County. Select cut it in 2001 and again in 2012. It has become a deer magnet! We shoot some nice bucks every year. The one recommendation I would have is get a forester consultant and have him look your property over, tell him your objective and he will do the rest. We used them for both cuts and couldn't be happier. What was shocking was the difference in sealed quotes we received. The first cut we did ranged from $11,000 to $23,000 for the same marked trees. That is a difference we couldn't ignore. I'm not saying lumber companies will try and rip you off, but there definitely is a difference in how they look at your property.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk[/quote]
I guess you would call it that.

I used a broker who came in and gauged what I wanted. I told him what I wanted to achieve. Told him I was losing 5-7 large trees a year to storms and it had been 60+ years since it was last logged.

Told him I did not want to loose all my mast trees for the deer. He was a deer hunter and totally understood my situation. He marked something like 700 assorted trees to be cut assorted by white oaks, cherry, Red oaks and poplar. He got the veneer trees top dollar as well. He inventoried all of that and sent it out for bids. Bids came back and we took the top bid. It was right in my estimated as I had something like 38 acres of hard woods on my property and I was told you usually get 1K per acre. So we were defiantly in the ball park. He over saw the entire process made sure they were working on schedule and made sure all necessary repairs were done to roads, fences and all trash was picked up. he really stayed on top of things. The 3800 he was paid was a small price for what he did IMHO as he was there for almost two weeks marking trees and was there off and on for 4 weeks overseeing the project.


I may or may not have gotten more going directly through a logger. Many of them will tell you one thing and then do another. If your not there every day and go with every load your not sure what you are really getting paid on each load. THen you don't know if the people in the sawmill are not in with the logging group or not. I would rather have someone there that has my back that is under contract to protect me in the event something goes horribly wrong than having to duke it out with a timber cutting crew I can't track down after the job goes bad. Trust me I have heard the horror stories and seen some really botched jobs.

First year I did see some shifts in the property. Had to start hunting it a little different. Some of the heavy mast areas where not there so they where not hitting it as often. With that said they were not bedding near it either which in turn sorta worked out to be a plus. We were not busting the deer coming into that area. In the past we had a hard time hitting that area especially in the AM hours as they would bed down there . What we did find that the opening of the canopy did allow alot more sunlight in and we had a lot more green on the forest floor and that created alot more browse and in turn alot more cover all over the property. Not just in pockets. So now the deer seem to have more freedom on the property to roam and we are seeing more deer during the daylight hours. Where as before we where pretty much seeing them early am or late PM.

Its taken a few years for the property to get back to what I feel like it looked like before. At first it looked like a whole bunch of trees were missing and limbs were everywhere sticking up. Not so much anymore. As a matter of fact if you were a guest coming on the property you might not even know the property had been logged 3 years back. You might just think a storm had come through and blown over a bunch of trees as most of the stumps are pretty much grown over by grass and weeds. New trees are growing up in and around where the old trees where and smaller trees are looking and growing much stronger. I am not loosing trees no where near the number I was before. Maybe one a year now and its usually to straight line winds.