Timber harvester recommendations

PSell

Four Pointer
Have a 30 acre piece of land in Sampson county that needs select harvest of the trees. I'd like to have someone with a chipper for a cleaner finish, as most of the trees aren't that large. Any recommendations?
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If you are going to just select harvest you may have a hard time getting someone to chip. They just cut (clear) about 250 acres adjacent to me and they were running around to adjacent landowners begging to buy timber. They started off with only about 100 acres. The logger said with the fuel the grinder used and the rent for it for a week it was cost prohibitive unless he could get big enough acreage.
 

josh

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Contact the state forest service to send out a forester in your county, they should be able to steer you in the right direction
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
We had a county forester walk out 33 acres and then put it up for bid, and got one low ball offer. Bad part, had to pay like several hundred dollars for guy that walked the land, waste of time and money. Finally sold it last year and they are cutting it now.
 

Southern

Ten Pointer
You will not get a chipper on a select cut tract that small, even a clear cut that size would likely not get a chipper. Most loggers dont have chippers anyway so that is a disadvantage to start. If you are select cutting, are you saying the harvest trees are not that big? If so you may not get any interest on any of it. I manage alot of timberland in that area and may can help you with names but need to know a little more.
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
Timber prices are little weak now which happens a lot this time of year. If your tract has good ground that can be logged in the winter I would wait till late fall or first of year. If you just going to select cut would do it on a by the ton price not a lump sum
 

Southern

Ten Pointer
You really need to hire a good consulting forester to market your timber. Prices are very mill specific and product specific. A pickup tree buyer will screw you three ways to Sunday if you let them.
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
You really need to hire a good consulting forester to market your timber. Prices are very mill specific and product specific. A pickup tree buyer will screw you three ways to Sunday if you let them.
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That is your opinion but just saying timber buyer will just screw you is false. If you have a larger tract and want to sell by lump sum the consultant would be a big advantage by cruising the timber and telling you what it should bring. Yes there are some crooks out there like in real estate or any business. If a landowner knows absolutely nothing about his land or his timber he probably way better off with consultant but you can do a little homework get list of timber company’s then get several different prices will weed out the bad ones. You can get a list of timber company’s from your local N.C. forest service office
 

Southern

Ten Pointer
I dont believe in absolutes so yes there are crooked real estate people(alot)and honest timber buyers but for the average landowner, the possibility that an unlicensed timber buyer with no required code of ethics or fiduciary responsibility, who is motivated to buy as cheaply as possible, in a very confusing and misunderstood business, is going to try to lowball the deal, is MUCH greater than when using a consultant. Even if the landowner is equipped to solicit offerers from multiple buyers, unless they have experience in this arena, my personal experience is pretty consistent in that without a consultant looking after them, they generally sell way too cheap. I have been around both sides for years and I understand that neither side generally like each other, and yes there are good buyers out there(I deal with several) but for a novice, get un biased help. In fact, the consultant is not unbiased since the more you make, the more he makes. Not trying to start an internet fight but consultants help with transparency that buyers don't necessarily have to abide by.
 

PSell

Four Pointer
You will not get a chipper on a select cut tract that small, even a clear cut that size would likely not get a chipper. Most loggers dont have chippers anyway so that is a disadvantage to start. If you are select cutting, are you saying the harvest trees are not that big? If so you may not get any interest on any of it. I manage alot of timberland in that area and may can help you with names but need to know a little more.
There's some decent sized trees, but mostly smaller, about 10 inch and under struggling under the pine canopy. A good mix of hardwoods, oaks, hickory and maple. Just not sure how comfortable I am with felling a 60 foot pine on my own...I'm not.
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
I dont believe in absolutes so yes there are crooked real estate people(alot)and honest timber buyers but for the average landowner, the possibility that an unlicensed timber buyer with no required code of ethics or fiduciary responsibility, who is motivated to buy as cheaply as possible, in a very confusing and misunderstood business, is going to try to lowball the deal, is MUCH greater than when using a consultant. Even if the landowner is equipped to solicit offerers from multiple buyers, unless they have experience in this arena, my personal experience is pretty consistent in that without a consultant looking after them, they generally sell way too cheap. I have been around both sides for years and I understand that neither side generally like each other, and yes there are good buyers out there(I deal with several) but for a novice, get un biased help. In fact, the consultant is not unbiased since the more you make, the more he makes. Not trying to start an internet fight but consultants help with transparency that buyers don't necessarily have to abide by.



That’s for the most part what I said. If you know nothing about timber or what you have use a consultant. I have looked at timber not only could they not tell you when it was cut last a few didn’t know where it was located. We were moving about 5000 tons of wood a week before the quotas got so bad last few months which we get a lot from consultants in order to keep larger tracts. So we get along with consultants fine actually helps take lot of headache out of it if consultant dealing with landowner. On thinning our price is same to consultant as to landowner direct. But I was mainly referring to small acre thinning tracts. In our area the small loggers about gone so there not a lot options.
 

PSell

Four Pointer
That’s for the most part what I said. If you know nothing about timber or what you have use a consultant. I have looked at timber not only could they not tell you when it was cut last a few didn’t know where it was located. We were moving about 5000 tons of wood a week before the quotas got so bad last few months which we get a lot from consultants in order to keep larger tracts. So we get along with consultants fine actually helps take lot of headache out of it if consultant dealing with landowner. On thinning our price is same to consultant as to landowner direct. But I was mainly referring to small acre thinning tracts. In our area the small loggers about gone so there not a lot options.
So is there a chance you might know someone in the Johnston county area that may be able to help?
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
So is there a chance you might know someone in the Johnston county area that may be able to help?



No dont know of anybody there. Were in northeatern nc and southeastern va. People we deal with are usually around 60 mile radius of Franklin Va
 

Redneck Rocker Dude

Old Mossy Horns
I'd get up with Grant Jones, hes the county ranger for Sampson County and a really good guy.

Chipping is becoming the norm in my area but weve also got a chip mill in our neighboring county, so theres a good market for it.

Truth be known your best bet is to get a consulting forester. They know the markets, they know the loggers, and they are the most likely candidate to get the best bang for your buck.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'd get up with Grant Jones, hes the county ranger for Sampson County and a really good guy.

Chipping is becoming the norm in my area but weve also got a chip mill in our neighboring county, so theres a good market for it.

Truth be known your best bet is to get a consulting forester. They know the markets, they know the loggers, and they are the most likely candidate to get the best bang for your buck.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
There building a chip mill here. I suspect the chip demand to change here.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
When my dad had his 230 acres clear cut and chipped, he hired a forester. He’ll tell you it was the best money he spent. Forester handled everything from bids to clean up, to road building to replanting. If I remember right, there was close to $90k between the highest bid and the lowest bid. The owner of the logging company told my dad that he knew exactly how many loads of chips he needed to get out to cover operating costs, then the timber was all gravy.
I’d never go with a set fee based forester. My dads was just like a realtor. His fee was x% of accepted bid. The more money my dad got, the more money he got. Eliminated the “good ol boy” club........
 
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