What is "shovel logging"?

[rigginrat]

shovel logging out west is the cheapest way to do it, we have 2 4300 linkbelts putting 30-40 loads a day to the road. I know things out here in the pacific northwest are different then the east coast our wood is bigger,taller which puts more mbf per acre. We don't have to cover much ground to get the loads, I have never witnessed eastcoast logging , but will assume that shovel logging might not be as cost effective as it is here.

[WDH]

Compared to conventional systems here in the South with skidders, fellerbunchers, and loaders, shovel logging is not cost effective unless you are logging ground so wet that that is the only way to do it.

[rigginrat]

Wet or dry it is the cheapest here in the pacific northwest,we have fellbunchers, skidders the whole bit. Two machines two operators getting 30-40 loads a day is way cheaper than running a bunch of machines and burning fuel.It looks like to me and once again I have never seen it in person, but I would assume that eastcoast or in the south the timber is not as dense therefore you would have to cover alot of ground in order to harvest the same amount of volume, in which case skidders would be the way to go. We use skidders also for instances of long yarding or thinning. We also shovel log some pretty steep ground also and throw it down the hill where a grapple skidder or cat shuttles it to the landing.

[SwampDonkey]

Stands here in the northeast are denser, they are also planted and spaced denser. The thing is the size, you have to handle more pieces shovel logging small wood. It's quicker to process and forward small wood then even manual felling and skidding it.



This is dense maple bush we had to thin.



This was a trail 5 years after the thinning. It wasn't big wood and probably averaged around 7" for merchantable sized stems. Seems to me we cut 1300 cords of wood in two February entries including road wood. It was 90 acres. Probably 1500 cords still standing. We did it with two skidder crews and I had marked all the trails and trees, so selection was a no brainer for the cutting crews. Most wasn't skidded further than 300 feet.



Another trail after 5 years

[barbender]

Just how far will you guys out west move the wood with the shovel method? Around here it is not unusual to be skidding the wood 1/4 mile or more off the back of the cutting blocks, doesn't seem like it could be cost effective to chuck stuff that far. I am not doubting the effectiveness of shovel logging, I just don't completely understand it. BTW, if a crew around here gets 30-40 loads a week they are really in the money, that is HUGE production.

[woodtroll]

NE stands denser (more stems to the acre) maybe. NW definitely more mbf to the acre.

[SwampDonkey]

No question. Thus, why we don't shovel log here. The volume put up at the end of the day won't pay for shovel logging, handling all them small stems over and over. A mechanized crew gets more than 30 loads a week here in the east. I've seen a lot of ground cut in one week's time and piled roadside. 30 loads is only 360 cords or 12-15 acres of ground in good cutting. Some ground runs higher in volume than that, nearly 40 cord/acre and cedar runs 60 cord/acre or more. Cedar is a lot more dense than maple.

[rigginrat]

I don't like shovel logging over 500-600ft. any farther than that and we will shovel out the first 400ft. then skidder or grapple cat yard it. We are currently logging some real nice ground that is running 15-20 loads to the acre based on a 5 thousand ft. load. 40ft logs. If i can get this pict. posting thing figured out I will post some shovel logging pics. from last week.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, would like to see some photos of such operations.

[barbender]

We love pictures