Anybody here have experience selling trees to a timber harvester?

[mtnsmith]

Got an unsolicited letter from a timber company, asking to come walk our land and give us some options and pricing on harvesting timber. Had the guy out here today. Seemed nice enough, and certainly knowledgable about taking timber off land such as ours. Some of his comments gave me pause. For example, he was clearly intent on convincing me that market prices for timber these days are very low, for any number of reasons. Having recently built a house, I know retail lumber prices are fairly high, historically speaking, so his pricing comments didn't seem reasonable.

I have no experience in these types of transactions. Wondering if any of my ODT brethren have had tress harvested from their land, and what the process was like. Would appreciate any feedback.

 

[gunlvr]

How many acres are you talking about?

 

[mtnsmith]

Got an unsolicited letter from a timber company, asking to come walk our land and give us some options and pricing on harvesting timber. Had the guy out here today. Seemed nice enough, and certainly knowledgable about taking timber off land such as ours. Some of his comments gave me pause. For example, he was clearly intent on convincing me that market prices for timber these days are very low, for any number of reasons. Having recently built a house, I know retail lumber prices are fairly high, historically speaking, so his pricing comments didn't seem reasonable.

I have no experience in these types of transactions. Wondering if any of my ODT brethren have had tress harvested from their land, and what the process was like. Would appreciate any feedback.

By all means talk too an independent timber cruiser who will cruise your timber, tell you what you have and has he contacts to advertise if for bids from timber companies and get you the best price. Costs is about 10 to 12% but he oversees it all and tells you honestly what you have and what prices are now. It is his business. You can first call the forestry service for your area and they can provide aerial maps showing the areas of type of trees you have and recomend a timber cruiser for your area. I live in Marietta and used a Cruiser that lives in Oleglethrope for our timber land in Gilmer county.

 

[ARCman47]

I run a church for loggers. I’m a logger

Church, you say?

 

[ARCman47]

Just tell him if timber isn't selling for much you'll just wait until prices go back up.
I would definitely do plenty of research before choosing a business or accepting a price.

Man I know hired a logger he knew since before I was born to thin out trees on 12+ acres since it was so thick. Logger said he would clean up and landowner told him NOT to cut any cedars.


Landowner saw cedars mixed in with the other trees when they would haul off a load of timber.
Pushed logs/limbs into a ravine blocking a small spring along with just leaving a big mess.
Wouldn't come back to clean up his mess and kept making excuses.

After giving the guy several months to come back, a complaint was filed with the forestry service since he blocked up a spring. Officer from the forestry service checked it out and had the logger back out their QUICK to clean up his mess.

Dammit man! Yea, they can leave a helluva mess and dont think twice about not coming back

 

[Gun Guru]

I will tell you this, and I'm not saying all, but the ones I have dealt with, or had people I know, they are full of **** when they say they will "clean the place up" I promise, 99.9% will never come back

That's been my experience.

 

[harrycalahan]

Proceed with caution. If you decide to have your property harvested, regardless of who does it, you had best make sure you’re on the property when its being done.

My grandad had a guy come out 15 years ago to harvest a pine plot he had. Guy walked the property and everything seemed normal. Two days into the job, my uncle decided to inspect the work. He found out the guy had clear cut a logging trail straight through the pines to the back of our 100 acres to harvest 100-200 year old hard woods.

 

[CUTBAIT]

What if you took it to the mill urself. How much more money would you get?

 

[chucklenut]

hire a crew of methheads or amigos and do it yourself

 

[MrJim]

Neighbor had hardwoods thinned out a couple months ago. Told me they said they would clean up the mess and make better trails for him. I used to be able to ride my atv over to fish his pond. Now I can’t even get to the pond. They left a mess. Big mess. And they were recommended to him because they clean up. At some point I will take my tractor and help clean up some.