Value of Red Pines?

[Jim Timber]

Ya...but you'll be doing all the work too Jim. I'd guess the 15K he stated was based on a logger doing the cutting and hauling?

Yeah, but talking to other loggers confirmed he was wearing his logger hat and not his forester hat when he was talking to me. Like I said, he's not welcome back. ;)

It's a conflict of interest when your forester is also jobbing out the logging - which is precisely how Erik Eggen aka: Timberlane Forestry operates.

You want your forester in it for your best interests, not theirs.

 

[foggy]

^ Maybe you just look like an easy mark. ;) :po_O

 

[Jim Timber]

I should've asked for a refund when the State rejected his SFIA paperwork he prepared for me and reduced the number of enrolled acres. If he's that hard up for an extra $25, he's not getting in my contracts.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Foggy,

Nice log cabin on the hunting property an option? :)

 

[foggy]

Had one logger take a look. He likes this size tree for 3 sided log cabin buildings. May make me a bid.

Then.....I had the forester call me yesterday. He's coming on Monday to have a look and see what kinda market he might have for the timber. I don't expect much/any money for the wood. I'd just like to get the pines gone....and a reasonably clean site when they are done.

I will likely let the natural regen come in (I get oak, birch, popple, pines, spruce, and a few others naturally). I would make some additional food plot areas as well.

 

[foggy]

Today I met with two guys that are retired Foresters. One writes land stewardship programs and the other does timber sales - on a part time basis. Nice guys!....hunters, with similar interests. We spent two hours touring my land and talking about what I wanted for a timber sale.

Both agreed that I had a marketable stand of Red Pines and the Jackpines could go too. They also suggested that I cut a portion of those Red's that were left for "seed" throughout my property. We all got on the same page pretty quickly, and the one fellow is going to write a proposal and come back to develop a plan. Likely would do a harvest a year from this December or so. :) They know the right loggers for my job and share my concerns. One would oversee my timber harvest to make sure it was done according to plan.

One thing to note is that the Potlatch mill near Grand Rapids will take smaller diameter logs.....to 4" stuff.....thus there is a market for smaller diameter trees.

I liked both of these guys and their ability seems top notch. If anyone is looking for a Forestry Stewardship Plan (lower taxes is one bennie) or has a timber sale in the Northland.....I could pass along the names via a PM.

Hopefully they join the forum here. I invited. ;) Also might have one come to talk about the forestry stewardship plans at one of our "land tours". Maybe at Jenkins if there is interest?

 

[bat man]

Plz pm me the names and number foggy

 

[sandbur]

Plz pm me the names and number foggy

Me, too.
Not for this year, but maybe in a couple of years.

 

[bueller]

How many reds were left for seed compared to what the foresters recommended?

 

[foggy]

How many reds were left for seed compared to what the foresters recommended?

Not sure of the number of seed trees. But they have done their job now and are just shading out new the growth.....and my trails of food plots.

They also recommended that I could thin the new red pine seedlings and reduce the competion for the other trees that are regen naturally (burr oak, popple, birch, dogwoods, spruce). I'm considering walking around with a lopper to thin my abundant red pines - before they get too large.

 

[bueller]

Not sure of the number of seed trees. But they have done their job now and are just shading out new the growth.....and my trails of food plots.

They also recommended that I could thin the new red pine seedlings and reduce the competion for the other trees that are regen naturally (burr oak, popple, birch, dogwoods, spruce). I'm considering walking around with a lopper to thin my abundant red pines - before they get too large.

Makes sense if you now have the next generations of reds present. When my place was logged 10-15 years ago the previous owners planted a bunch of red pine in some areas. Thankfully they didn't plant a monoculture but there are a lot of them now of pretty good size. My plan for the future is to go into these areas and locate the oaks, white pines, and other species mixed in the reds. I can then take down the reds (I will need a chainsaw, not loppers) that are competing with them. I plan to leave plenty of reds though.

 

[NWWI]

I used to work with a young guy from Backus who used to peal the bark off red pines for the custom log home builder in town. He might be interested. He was paying his help by the the number of trees pealed. He was pulling down around $2 an hour and said screw that!

 

[foggy]

I used to work with a young guy from Backus who used to peal the bark off red pines for the custom log home builder in town. He might be interested. He was paying his help by the the number of trees pealed. He was pulling down around $2 an hour and said screw that!

.....he didn't become a Veterinarian....did he? ;)

 

[foggy]

Makes sense if you now have the next generations of reds present. When my place was logged 10-15 years ago the previous owners planted a bunch of red pine in some areas. Thankfully they didn't plant a monoculture but there are a lot of them now of pretty good size. My plan for the future is to go into these areas and locate the oaks, white pines, and other species mixed in the reds. I can then take down the reds (I will need a chainsaw, not loppers) that are competing with them. I plan to leave plenty of reds though.

That is what I discussed with the Foresters yesterday. Leave enough of the 16" Diameter Red Pines to create a nice landscape......and a legacy place for my family......but thin them down so I allow the birch, dogwoods, burr oaks (:D), white pine, popple, spruce and such underbrush to "flourish". I will have too many red pines if I do nothing......and when they get too big.....I will lose my deer population.

 

[bueller]

That is what I discussed with the Foresters yesterday. Leave enough of the 16" Diameter Red Pines to create a nice landscape......and a legacy place for my family......but thin them down so I allow the birch, dogwoods, burr oaks :)D), white pine, popple, spruce and such underbrush to "flourish". I will have too many red pines if I do nothing......and when they get too big.....I will lose my deer population.

Yep, I'm in the same boat. If I don't start whacking some of them they will take over.

 

[sandbur]

I used to work with a young guy from Backus who used to peal the bark off red pines for the custom log home builder in town. He might be interested. He was paying his help by the the number of trees pealed. He was pulling down around $2 an hour and said screw that!

That work was not available when I was in town.
My friends were in both sides of that business. Some people earned college money at that job and did better than $2 per hour.

 

[Buckly]

I've got a stand of red pines that were planted back in the 50's. Nobody wants them and they are at the end of their life. 120 feet tall and no branches for 30 feet up. I though about cutting them down but they are so close together and so tall that I don't think it will turn out well. Will anything regen in 50 years of red pine needles!

 

[Jim Timber]

The first few trees are a pain, but once you get a "hole" to fall them into they'll be ok.

I had that problem when I started whacking trees for the Shrub Henge project. Since I had to go in order to get them to lay right, I just got good at directional falling. :) Still had a couple that didn't cooperate, but in all you can get most of them to go where you want with the right wedging and cuts.

 

[foggy]

I've got a stand of red pines that were planted back in the 50's. Nobody wants them and they are at the end of their life. 120 feet tall and no branches for 30 feet up. I though about cutting them down but they are so close together and so tall that I don't think it will turn out well. Will anything regen in 50 years of red pine needles!

Where are you located Buckly? Around here they would saw them into pine boards.

My property has been a red pine plantation before I bought it. With the red pine gone.....I do get lots of good regen in Oak, birch, poplar and more. I do lime the soils where I plant plots to get the PH back up. My plots grow good deer crops.

 

[Buckly]

There's only 2 acres of them. I've had my place logged twice in the last 20 years and nobody's interested so, I will have to deal with them eventually. Then right across from them is 2 acres of past prime white pine planting. These are doing nothing for the deer. Just wide open understory. So it's just going to be a big mess if I cut them. Would it help to run a rake through the rows and get rid of some of the needles and then cut? I'm not planning on bringing in any clearing equipment and am worried it will just be a barren wasteland with no regen because of the acidic soil and all those needles.