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Timber thief article.

Started by Steven A., December 30, 2007, 04:30:51 PM

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Steven A.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071230/stealing_trees.html

Interesting reading.

A few years ago I had a thief cut, limb, drag out and have ready to load several nice high value trees. I would never have  known except an alert neighbor called me.
Called the cops and stopped him at that point.  They had met him on several different occasions, none of them pleasant.
Got my logs without all that hard work in the woods, thanks to a good neighbor.  :)

Steve.

Dave Shepard

It is amazing what people think they can get away with. The fact the police had several run ins with him suggests he doesn't learn too quickly.


Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

SwampDonkey

Went to do an inventory on a parcel of land acquired in the sixties. The people had never been to the lot in a long time. The bulk of the lot was cut about 25 years ago and the most recent was a year before I seen it. There are people out there that prey on absantee owners all the time. But for the life of me I can't figure out why someone 100's or 1000's of miles away wants a parcel of woodland that they never see or use. Some of them get a surprise when they go to sell, that they can't get the big prices their used to in their hometown.   ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Steven A.

My woodland is only 7 miles from my home but remote, landlocked and out of the way from any route I normally take.
When the neighbor called to tell me of the theft it had been almost a year since I had driven by that side of the woods.
Just never drive by there.. After all what could happen?  Someone could come and steal the trees? !   :o   :)

SwampDonkey

Yeah. I put out a fire that someone lit in a straw field and left unattended. I knew the guy and told him not to light fires up there earlier in the day when I saw him burning busted bales. It was dad's land he had leased to a farmer. This guy was a third party who goes around bailing straw in the early fall. Both activities that dad never did to his ground.  The straw was always returned to the soil and the land was certainly never burned, ever. Anyway, it was burning toward my woods that have a lot of dry weeds between planted softwoods. Would have been interesting to see where the compensation cheque would come from to replant my woods. The guy would have been up a stump because he was illegally burning without a permit during fire season. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

farmerdoug

Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

sgtmaconga

Measure twice cut once

Norwiscutter

Here is the Fox link:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319114,00.html

They must recycle these stories when the news business is slow. :-\
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

SwampDonkey

There have been several cases here were an elderly person has been subject to intimidation by a renegade logger and often gets to the point where they are put into a position where they have to prove they own the ground. The cops are often ignorant to tree values and property line evidence, often they have no clue where they are other than a route number.

I've seen a few situations were the owner is elderly and living alone and another family member hires a logger just so she or he can buy a new car or 4-wheeler, while the elder is struggling to make ends meet.  ::)

I have a cousin that had this guy who was determined to built a road across her ground and along side a waterfall on a brook. All the costs to stop it came from her pocket, the guy was stopped, but doesn't seem fair that the innocent bear the costs. Something wrong here.  ::)

We've had wood stolen by neighbors and loggers not knowing the property lines. Seems dad has been the only one paying the surveyor to mark lines. Some people are just so cheap or they just want to be able to claim ignorance I guess.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

pappy

Presque Isle: Man fined for illegal tree harvesting

And the rest of the story...   :-\

http://bangornews.com/news/t/aroostook.aspx?articleid=158336&zoneid=175
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

Ron Wenrich

Swamp

If I'm reading your posts right, land up there isn't really worth too much.  If that's the case, why would someone go to the bother of investing to have their property lines marked by a surveyor?  It seems to go with the territory of cheap land prices. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

SwampDonkey

Yeah Ron when it comes to timber land, it's only worth money with timber on it. Once cut it's about $50 - $300 an acre. I guess though, I always thought it was the thing to do to keep the lines marked especially if your going to cut wood. Otherwise, it just invites trouble between neighbors. It's not that costly to have lines surveyed here. The last bit I did was $750 for about 2 miles of lines. Pretty cheap investment. I went around them with the paint brush after it was marked. Most land owners won't even do the painting. Laziness or don't care, I don't know what it is. We have so much timber land that the only competition to buy it is over the timber value.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ron Wenrich

You don't see lines marked that much in my area.  I've seen surveyors do more harm than good in some land surveys.  They won't tie into established corners, but follow deeds that were originally set over 200 years ago.  That includes some surveyors on state property.

We do have some good timber values, but they've been downplayed by realtors.  They have no idea how to market timberland, and figure every stitch of ground is good for development or for a homesite.  So, the only reason to mark the lines would be for timber.  This thinking hasn't changed in my area for years and I doubt if ever will.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

SwampDonkey

It happens for sure. I guess the surveyors should be notifying adjacent owners with a letter. Probably won't happen though, because the loggers and landowners that cut wood rarely give notice to adjacent woodlot owners. A lot of the surveying on harvest woodlots is done when the logger hires a surveyor. Then, they seem to want to cut the marked trees often times.  Even when they aren't if both adjacent properties are cut and the line trees left it's surprising how hard it is the trace in all the thick regrowth. Takes a good compass man for sure. :D  Our properties were pretty straight forward to find or tie in. On the west end they all followed along the international boundary line with established monuments every 1000 feet or so. On the east side you have a crown reserve that you can tie in from a couple cross roads that 90° on the crown reserve. Along bordering lots there are line fences, but I have seen the odd instance where they are disputed, but none of our neighbors ever disputed it. I discovered a map in the records office however that some idiot drew a jog in the corner of one lot. It wasn't on any previous map and since has been fixed. But, in the mean time we were selling stumpage and we found that corner of our lot had been freshly cut over. So we and neighbors marked out the line were it was suppose to be. Then what happened, the logger cut all the line trees of course and so I had to have it surveyed again before we sold the farm. Marked line trees seem to say cut me to some loggers. I know some people that actually believe they can cut every other tree on the line. Where they got that idea from who knows.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

Was a day around here the land was worth more worth trees than cut off.Now the lot gets cut off and gets sold.Might just as well be it's worth just as much cut off as with wood trees still on it.SD, I try to mark a bad looking tree.That way it don't get cut.Than I have to go back and redo the line because the tree has fell down. I have heard the every other tree rule too from the old timers.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

I know one bunch that thought they were going to make money by buying up timberland that an old mill company sold off. I'm sure they knew it was cutover ground. Anyway they were trying to resell for a profit. I went down to DNR with a logger friend to find some aerial photos of all the land that was up for sale because he thought there might me timber. I knew there wouldn't be before we left the house. Not hardly a stick left standing and it was the type of soil that was not the greatest for tree growth. I knew the area after seeing the maps and photos. As far as I know they are still stuck with the land, not even the largest forest company was interested in it or they would have got it without anyone even knowing it was for sale.

There is a lot down the road that has been scun for the last 9 or 10 years and has been for sale for 5 years. It would be good growing ground, but it's coming back mostly to aspen and tamarack. Another lot up the road has been for sale for about 5 years and has a bit of farm acreage on it. There are a couple of lots out by the new highway with great big prices, (several hundred thousand $$ and maybe 10 acres each) they'll never sell, they're in a swamp. They are in a town limit.

There was a small acreage lot sold and a restaurant and gas bar built on the acreage up north of here. It was bought by the local native band. $1M for the land, the place closed the restaurant. It will never pay for itself. No one with a good head on their shoulders would touch it. The natives get federal money every year and they spend it on all kinds of stuff and might as well use it to start fires. So you can't base anything on what they pay big money for.

A real estate company had a piece of farmland all mapped out on a big sign to show potential development I guess. The sign was torn down after a few months and i see the farmer has been back farming it. It's in the Town of Woodstock, but nobody is going to pay those big dollars around here.

Another lot nearby with 75 acres of cutover, been for sale for a couple years now. They scun the ground thinking they could sell for a big price afterwards. Didn't quite work. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Coon

I just got a phone call this afternoon concerning timber on our farm.  Seems that some logging is being done without our knowing so.  We are about 65 miles from the farm where we are living right now.  Going to be taking a trip down there now.
  I know the guy who is stealing the logs too.  He was our neighbor when we lived in Nut Mountain and has purchased timber from us in the past.  A friend of mine was driving down a road that goes about a mile behind the farm when he noticed a skidder pulling some logs down a plowed trail across the neighbors field.  This friend then slowed down and watched using his binoculars from about a quarter of a mile away.  He watched to see where they are staging the logs too.  When they headed back with the skidder he snuck into the staging area and took some pics of the logs.  I am waiting to recieve the pics tonight yet for proof this is actually happening.  Guess if it's really happening and figure so I will have about 50,000 bdft worth of spruce to have sawn up.  Atleast thats what Jim figures there is sitting there all decked up in tree length.  Kinda figured Lloyd would try pulling a fast one on us once we moved outta the area. >:( >:(
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Ron Scott

Neighbor's sometimes think that they have the rights to your property and timber when you aren't there, especially if you don't take immediate action to stop them. If you ignore the trespass initially, it gets much harder to resove it at a later time, even in court. 
~Ron

Tom

If this is truly happening on your property, I would favor getting the Sheriff involved from the get/go rather than confronting the guy myself.

LeeB

'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

SwampDonkey

Slang for clear cut and laid to waste with no regard to regeneration or future crops, taken over by weed species such as pin cherry, raspberry, mountain maple, elder and willow and a thick herb layer.  ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Steven A.

Scun= skinned.

Like ya'll say in the south , "Ah done scun that there possum clean, just like my pappy done learned me. " :)

LeeB

'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Steven A.

Sorry, I learnt my southern in Georgia. Different dialect? :)

SwampDonkey

That there be Maritime dialect.  :D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

LeeB

Must be the subtle difference between red neck and southern. :D
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Steven A.

 :D ;D :)

Yep!
Happy this is a forum where we can kid a bit without offense being taken.
Hope you had a fine southern meal today including blackeyed peas, have a great new year!

LeeB

 >:( No blackeyes today. I'm off at work in Egypt right now and they don't do the blackeye thing. They do fix them now and again, but it would make a Southern boy cry to see it.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

SwampDonkey

I had black beans in my chop suey. Does that count? ;D

What is a black eye pea? We have a yellow eye baking bean.  ;) 8)

We like soldier beans better though. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

just_sawing

The problem here in TENN is when my Mom and Dad caught a neighboro logging a ancestral home the DA Tommy Thomson refused to procicute saying that stealing some logs wasn't worth there time. (50 year old stand of Mixed Hard Wood 11 acres)
My parents refused to go cival wanting crimminal charges to be pursued. They finally went one day to court after years of delay to find that the charges had been dismissed (7 Years )
You can follow me at
www.http://haneyfamilysawmill.com

SwampDonkey

Some of these thieves know how the law works and low probability of prosecution.

A $5 bill is worth more than a $800 bird's eye maple tree.  ::)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Coon

Well I never got those pics sent to me so I had someone else go check to see if there are even any logs there.  Yup there is a big pile of tree length logs there to amount of 40-50,000 bdft.  Gotta go there and get some of my own pics and then go to the police.  I am probably not going to be able to do anything with these logs until the whole thing gets all settled.  Now is the time to decide what Iam going to saw out of them trees..... dimensional lumber to sell???  Maybe a small log home????
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

SwampDonkey

There was an old gentleman up river that owned about 600 acres in one big chunk of land. A neighbor or I assume friend lived on the front in a shack. Between the friend/neighbor and different loggers over the years with the consent of the old man's daughters they raped the place. The old man died and it wasn't long after that his daughters both passed on as well. The daughters were money hungry types, lived in luxury, divorced their husbands and couldn't keep up the life style so they went after the wood for $$.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Furby

Better hurry before he starts hauling the logs away Coon. ;)

ely

coon, take the sheriff out there and also put a lean against any of the equip. used to steal the timber. i know the logger may not have known he wa sstealing but still he should have known. here the landowner has to have their signature on the timber sale contract or it is not a valid document. the lean will make the logger get into gear helping to reslove the issue, if he can just load his stuff up and go to the next job he may be unconcerned about the outcome.

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