When my grandfather cut timber it was usually in the winter months on snow, so large logs move a lot easier. He used voice commands with his horses "Gee" and "Haw" for go left or right. "Woe" for stop, 'backup" and a little light pull on the whiffle tree to back up to the log. There was no whipping with the reins. His horses also knew to skid unattended to the yard, but he often worked alone and followed them to the yard until my uncle was old enough to yard and grandfather would fell and limb. He often stayed in horse hovels with the horses working for timber companies and spent many winters in lumber camps and worked on spring drives. My grandmother often helped in the woods before my uncles were old enough. She even helped peel pulp. She ran the sporting camps cooking and cleaning and my uncle helped as cookee when he was old enough. My grandfather was also a guide outfitter (3rd generation) so his summers and falls were spent guiding fishermen and big game hunters. Before outboard motors came along he poled 22 foot canvas back canoes on the river to fish and hunt. He could pole for 20 miles up the Tobique River to a favorite fishing hole or hunting ground, often stayed in lean too's over night covered with a Hudson Bay sleeping robe. He retired in the early 70's and continued fishing and hunting and guiding into his 80's. In his hay day, hunting didn't involve riding pickups through the woods and fishing wasn't pleasure boating. Although it was his dream job and was very content through life. He had several sporting camps and owned salmon pools on the river until the NB Power Corporation expropriated and he lost his piece of river and had to relocate his river camps.
He was a "Tobiquer".
