Timber Prices and Land Work - is it the right time?

[35-acre]

Is now the right time to have some timber work done on my property (based on lumber prices)?

It was cut about 7-8 years ago but a management/selective cut on my 35 acres. When I had it cut last time, I had a field put in that is just about 1 1/2 - 2 acres (shown in the yellow kidney shape). My property is in hardwood forests and my field is the only one around for miles. Just hills and trees (located in SW New York near PA).

At this point, I'm looking to open things up a bit more, cutting in some wider trails for planting that I've seen others have (all of the yellow lines). I grabbed some screen shots from some folks on this site to show what I'm looking to go towards. I'm not so much looking for advice on the layout (unless there is something glaring) but more on the cut. It would seem to me that opening things up like this would still be beneficial to a logger and give me profit. Plus I can then lime and plant afterwards to get a more desired outcome.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Tagging in to see what others have to say. My understanding is timber value and logger's interest to take on a job varies significantly by location.

My little spot has the following mature timber:
- 15 acres hardwood mix (37% oak, 25% soft maple, 15% aspen, remainder basswood, ash, and birch)
- 7 Acres of 75% aspen with maple, oak, ash as well
- 6 Acres of 85% ash with remainder in red maple and bur oak

Between the private forester and state DNR forester that visited my property this winter, they didn't think id see $10k if I let someone cut every tree out there. So to me, any logger doing work on my property will be simply a means to complete habitat improvement as there isn't sufficient financial upside to motivate anything else. Plenty of trees are being cut now and anything not going in the wood stove will lay where they fall as they are most valuable to me providing cover and nutrients for the soil and bugs as they decay.

Edit to summarize - They made it seem a logger wouldn't be interested in the type of job you describe unless I pay them to do it rather than the other way around.

 

[35-acre]

Tagging in to see what others have to say. My understanding is timber value and logger's interest to take on a job varies significantly by location.

My little spot has the following mature timber:
- 15 acres hardwood mix (37% oak, 25% soft maple, 15% aspen, remainder basswood, ash, and birch)
- 7 Acres of 75% aspen with maple, oak, ash as well
- 6 Acres of 85% ash with remainder in red maple and bur oak

Between the private forester and state DNR forester that visited my property this winter, they didn't think id see $10k if I let someone cut every tree out there. So to me, any logger doing work on my property will be simply a means to complete habitat improvement as there isn't sufficient financial upside to motivate anything else. Plenty of trees are being cut now and anything not going in the wood stove will lay where they fall as they are most valuable to me providing cover and nutrients for the soil and bugs as they decay.

This makes me sad. I'm hoping someone else will have better news (?)

 

[sandbur]

This makes me sad. I'm hoping someone else will have better news (?)

I would contact a consulting forester, preferably one that likes to deer hunt.

Then pay him for a walk through and visit. If he is local, he will know local markets and how far trees need to be hauled to a mill or plant.

A habitat consultant would give you a different view.


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[Wind Gypsy]

This makes me sad. I'm hoping someone else will have better news (?)

I think the first part of my post is worth re-iterating, things seem to vary a lot by location based on the positive results others have gotten. Someone local to you will have much more applicable input.

 

[Brian662]

FYI, Wind Gypsy, burr oak is at an all time high right now. Allegedly they are using it to make whiskey casks and can't find enough. At least that's what I've been told.

 

[Brian662]

As far as the original topic is concerned, in my opinion, a logger likely isn't going to have much interest coming in to log specific trails or fingers in your case. You may find it mutually beneficial and he takes the logs while you get your trails and call it even.

Side note, that's a solid hillside and erosion on your plantings may be a concern that I'm sure you've already considered.

 

[MRBB]

well keep in mind, that lumber prices might be high, but so are the costs to timber,
so it might be a wash to be honest here, location of timber mill and loggers will come into play here a lot!

and IMO< the value of timbering will always come down w[t what the land has to offer, so before anyone can say NOW is the time or not, you have to factor in what is the age and type of timber on the land to be harvested
what timber company's are NEAR you, what lumber mills are near you
as there locations always matter on what they will PAY you to harvest your timber,a s well as what size timber and type is on your land

best advice i have would be contact your local timber guys, have EACH come out and give you a price and go from there
as until that happens, your never going to get any REAL answers on what the price will come to!
ALL the timber company's in MY area will do this for FREE too , so there isn;t a cost to have them come and see what you have!
just be up front and honest and tell them you having more than ONE give you a price!

 

[Brian662]

Be sure to mark the trees you want logged before having the loggers come out. Otherwise you won't be getting an equal bid from them if they are just guessing which trees you want gone and giving a roundabout price.

 

[MRBB]

Be sure to mark the trees you want logged before having the loggers come out. Otherwise you won't be getting an equal bid from them if they are just guessing which trees you want gone and giving a roundabout price.

most timber company's when they come in to do an estimate will MARK each and every tree with a color of paint
so this gives both you and them the exact tree's they plan to cut, you can always go in and mark tree's you want saved or left alone, besides just going by "X" size tree
and when you have a second or third company come in to give a quote, you can have them use the exact same tree's(they tend to use a different color paint than others)
so you know your getting a price on same cut!
this is the best way to know who is offering you the best price
just make sure you get same work done by both when getting prices
as is, are they leaving tops, or getting rid of them, building any roads or adding any fill to get to things
you want all estimates to be for the same work and cut tree's!

 

[Brian662]

most timber company's when they come in to do an estimate will MARK each and every tree with a color of paint
so this gives both you and them the exact tree's they plan to cut, you can always go in and mark tree's you want saved or left alone, besides just going by "X" size tree
and when you have a second or third company come in to give a quote, you can have them use the exact same tree's(they tend to use a different color paint than others)
so you know your getting a price on same cut!
this is the best way to know who is offering you the best price
just make sure you get same work done by both when getting prices
as is, are they leaving tops, or getting rid of them, building any roads or adding any fill to get to things
you want all estimates to be for the same work and cut tree's!

Yeah, that may be the case for a select cut of random hardwoods. For what the OP has said and has drawn, it seems a very specific bunch of trees selected by the landowner will likely be what happens in this case.

 

[MRBB]

Yeah, that may be the case for a select cut of random hardwoods. For what the OP has said and has drawn, it seems a very specific bunch of trees selected by the landowner will likely be what happens in this case.

if the land owner wanted to mark what tree's to cut, its the same as if the logger did it
every logger that comes on would be giving a price on same tree's

who marks them, or what conditions the land owner set, is what they follow and appraise things on!
the timber guys mark tree's as they count them to give the estimate on, be it 1 acre or a 1000+

 

[b116757]

Find a lone hand cutter logger that does small jobs there is usually a couple around every area where logging is common. The big guys will not want to fool with this project but a small hand cutter will. Call the local sawmills and see what they are paying top dollar for. I personally would not cut the oaks down in your situation.