logging?

[Chaneylake]

the hardwood market is depressed at this point

 

[Chaneylake]

sealed bid will get the best dollar

 

[BSK]

sealed bid will get the best dollar

That depends on the honesty of the logger. Getting paid per load yields FAR more than sealed bid IF you are actually getting paid for every load.

 

[Chaneylake]

sealed bid will get the best dollar

That depends on the honesty of the logger. Getting paid per load yields FAR more than sealed bid IF you are actually getting paid for every load.

we mark the trees that we want cut, usually the bidders will check be timber cruise behind us before bids are placed, I personally know all of the bidders in my/our area, so this puts me/us on a more level playing field.

the only time that we sold a tract of timber to an unknown bidder, the dude came back and rejected the bit because the bank would not loan him the money, I could see all that unfolding at the bids were being opened

 

[farmin68]

sell it on a sealed bid, if you are into future timber dollars then cut 20 inches and larger, if future is no concern and you want thick habitat, then rape the property, aka cut anything that will sell

Good advice. On select cutting, I would consider going a step farther and removing all trees that dont benefit the targeted game species (I despise poplar trees).

A buddy of mine harvested 15 acres out of a 140 acre tract and cut everything but the white oak. He now has 15 acres of dense cover with a food source.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

I think with 50 acres or more sealed bids are best, but you must have a good contract.

 

[BSK]

I think with 50 acres or more sealed bids are best, but you must have a good contract.

Sealed bid is the "safest" way to go, as you have your money up front. However, companies offering sealed bids have to low-ball a bit to account for changes in timber prices as well as unforseen operational problems (equipment breakdown, etc.).

IF you have an honest logger that is actually paying for ever load out the door, I've seen much better per-load pay-offs than from sealed bids.

However, both approaches have their potential problems. If a logger is paying per-load, what if they suddenly decide they can cut better timber elsewhere, or go under, or any number of other problems? Your income stream from the timber ceases and the timber doesn't get cut. Sealed bid provides you the money up front and once a logger has paid up front, they're far more likely to complete the job (to limit losses).