The North Ridge

[shawnv]

Well as much as I tried to get a logger in this winter, it's not happening unless I want very little $$$ in return. The one crew that could have got in this winter with smaller equipment would be paying my neighbor for access and also offered a low cord price so I decided to pass.

Other than the Norway Spruce I will be adding on top of the ridge, my woods is not large so my goal is to really make it thick by clear cutting. You can see in the attached photos that I have a lot of timber that can be cut to make what I want happen and only plan to leave the top 20 yards and bottom 5 yards standing (I marked out 8 acres to cut). Within that border only a handful of white oaks will be left as parent trees.

In the mean time, this is what I have to work with to enhance the bedding for this upcoming season. I have to be careful to not hinge too many more trees that a logger may want next winter. I also am not experienced enough to take down any large three I have not already that might get hung up.

These pics as were taken on my NW corner, lower right in the image below.

 

[Kansas-andres]

Looks good shawn. Are those pines (front of property) in the aerial you posted?

 

[shawnv]

Yep, those are pines. WIP filling more in around that area. To the far East I planted that field in 2012 with white pine seedlings. They are a little behind being we had drought the first two summers but I think I'll see some good growth this year. I will also be filling in where the seedlings did not make it.

 

[dipper]

Are u in a contract? If he isn't paying u anything hinge them all.

 

[dipper]

Looks like nothing but pulp or firewood. U could log it yourself and cash in on the firewood. You'd get a ton more $ than having a logger rape you.
Or do a select cut via hinge. I could show you some hinge techniques but I'm a busy guy and I don't work for nothing.
I'd personally go sell the firewood route, but that's me.

 

[shawnv]

Well the trees are bigger than my iPhone pics makes them appear. Also, the spot where I took these photos has the smaller trees compared to the rest of the area I want cut. One logger said there is more pulp wood than not and another said that...that is not true and there are plenty of good logs so I go some mixed messages. Even the pulp guy said he would pay my neighbor $500 for easier access but that would really bit into what I would get. The entire area I want cut is 8.1 acres and I want it almost clear cut because I think that is too much to hinge and the small hinge areas just don't have enough holding power nor offer near the browse the clear cut would. Mentioned in other thread the issue i have cutting, especially on this slope is the trees hanging up, almost all are in the 40-60ft range. What doesn't easily hang has been cut minus a few more trees I will cut soon. I also wasn't looking to make bank on whatever is cut, just receive a fair price to fund the cost of planting Norway's up top.

 

[shawnv]

In this area of WI there are a number of guys that have their summer business and log in the winter and are more than willing to take on smaller projects, even as low as a couple acres. Most of my time right now is devoted to my farm business and scouting public land (soon). I'm thinking it would take many hours to cut up that much firewood and more than what I have.

 

[dipper]

Mo is exactly right, There is a lot more to getting your place logged than just having it logged. A logger wants easy money. If it isn't easy, your value plummets. That's why I'm self sufficient.
There is money in being able to log yourself. Hinging 8 acres would be easy. Try logging 40 acres of second cut pine on steep hills. Than u will know what hanging a tree up is.

 

[shawnv]

Time is money and my time is stuck with other things so money I have to give up. The one logger told me he thought I had maybe 4 semi loads of wood but I'm not sure how many cords that equates to. Does hard maple really sell as firewood? I guess I have no clue how much money I'm leaving on the table not cutting it all myself. However my primary concern is creating an area that is really thick in a few year and make enough to subsidize what I put into my Norway spruce order which might only be around $1,000. I also do not want any cutting from April to Dec so even if it's a large amount I'm leaving on the table there is now way I can cut that much in a short about of time. For the record my slope is steep enough that two crews said they could not get a smaller skid steer back up my hill unless I wanted them to do it after the snow melts. The guys that will come in next year have no problem with any slope but have other contract right now so that's why I'm waiting. Being they would not need to pay my neighbor for access, I can recoup those costs.

 

[shawnv]

The one guy said after paying my neighbor I would get $15 a cord after paying my neighbor $500 and maybe $40 a cord if he can sell the hard maple logs. The 2nd logger said the price from the 1st logger is was about 1/2 of what they'd would have offered if they could get in there. We'll see where the next two guys that have the right equipment come in at. With that said, I'm going to get a workout in and maybe do a little cutting later today.

 

[wiscwhip]

With that said, I'm going to get a workout in and maybe do a little cutting later today.

Get out there and start cutting and then decide if you need more of a "workout" when your done.

 

[shawnv]

Get out there and start cutting and then decide if you need more of a "workout" when your done.

I still did both, need to run for Elk season prep but the cutting was a nice way to supplement that. Got to send a couple hours out there and only messed up a two cuts and only have a couple trees hung up but the next big wind should take care of that. A couple more hours off cutting left in this bedding area and then I just have to come back in and clean up.

Just getting started...

Can't see too far deer level...

 

[wiscwhip]

Looking good Shawn! That is a nice solid looking hinge in that first pick, it should stay alive for a while.

 

[shawnv]

Yea the oak where pretty cooperative today. The maples so-so...the cherry trees not so much but even with them snapping off a lot more light is going to hit the ground here.

 

[shawnv]

This thread and the benches really made me think about this spot right now and I think I can get what I want right now without logging. Since the timber value is not much I'm going to hinge the crap out of the top and will consider logging once my spruce up top have holding power in 7-8 years. I still should have a cut area that is over two acres on the West side and over and acre on the North Central point.

The West side, West slope work.