Do it yourself operation - Aspen Clear Cut

[dcarty85]

We own a large chuck (250 acres) of 25 year old aspen stand that we are looking to log. We had several logger look at the property. We will probably only cut 40 acres and let the rest mature for another 10-15 years. We have the equipment to cut, skid, and haul it to the local company specifically using aspen. We have the time to do this ourselves. Is there any reason we shouldn't?? I appreciate your feedback on this.

[thecfarm]

dcarty85,welcome to the forum. What equipment do you have to get the wood out with,skidder,tractor,forwarder? How big is the aspen at DBH? Are you talking logs ar just pulp? Must have a truck to get it to the mill too?

[grassfed]

As a bare minimum I would hire a forester for a day to look over the property and discuss your ideas. If you don't have much experience with harvesting wood you should take a Game of logging course or two (or something similar) It would be a very good idea to  to get the forester to layout your road/trail/landing system and to make sure that you do not run afoul of any best management practices that may apply. I think that these things will pay off in the short and long term.   

[beenthere]

We own a large chuck (250 acres) of 25 year old aspen stand that we are looking to log. We had several logger look at the property. We will probably only cut 40 acres and let the rest mature for another 10-15 years. We have the equipment to cut, skid, and haul it to the local company specifically using aspen. We have the time to do this ourselves. Is there any reason we shouldn't?? I appreciate your feedback on this.

Welcome to the forum.
Without more information, can't think of any reasons you shouldn't do this yourselves.
Without knowing the location or more about the stand, can't think of a reason that you wouldn't cut 40 acres.
What were the loggers comments or suggested deals?

Would you tell us more? 

[lumberjack48]

Sometimes you can come out better selling the stumpage than logging it your self. You have to figure all the expenses to log it, what your time is worth, skidder, saws, trucking, fuel cost, help, insurance, ect.

[SamB]

Considerations would be local/state regulations, severance taxes, certifications required, runoff control, has the timber been cruised and the list could go on. More info is needed for a good answer and a location would help. Lots of knowledge here on the forum, sometimes to get the info needed you have to expose yourself  a little. Welcome to the forum

[dcarty85]

guys, thanks for all the responses and feedback.  Thanks guys. We ideally would like to get the property chipped. We can't find a chipping operation to do the work though. One logger said it would need to be winter work due to the marshes and wetness of our property, but he is booked for the next three winters. If we chipped it, we would look at doing 200 acres over the next several years.  The average size of the aspen is 6-7 in diameter.  We are located near Jump River in southeast Rusk County Wisconsin.  We use the property for hunting and would like to chip the majority of it, leave 30 yard wide strips for windbreak and travel corridors for the deer until the cut grows back.  Plus, we would like to redo our trail system and plant some pockets of white spruce and put in food plots.  We had 15 acres chipped right by our cabin and it is the best habitat we have, but that company went out of business. Since we can't find a chipper we are looking at doing this ourselves. Any ideas on where to find a good chipper? I've talked to the DNR, Country Forester, called several companies, loggers, etc.

We have a C190 skid steer with graple attachment, tractor, goose neck trailer,ect.  The mill is less than 30 miles away.  We could get someone to truck it for us as well.  Some work would need to be winter, but some good be this late summer and fall. 

Based on the numbers one logger gave us, we could get $2000-3000 for the 15 acres we looked at clearing or $16,500 (what I figured off his numbers) for the same 15 acres if we did it all ourselves.  He gave a low estimate of 10 cords per acre, a load to the mill brings in $1100, $300 goes to trucking and then he splits the remaining 800 between himself, the cutters, and the property owner.  Does this sound right?

[barbender]

Here good aspen is going for $25-$40/cd on the stump, some guys are only getting $85/cd delivered :( Usually in my experience the logger pays the landowner stumpage per cord, that 3 way split thing seems a bit odd to me. I wouldn't expect more than $20/cd for aspen the size yours is at.

[Clark]

The question that comes up for me is what do you want from this land?  Obviously some cash flow but beyond that your goals are vague.  If you are looking for "habitat improvement" (however you define that) through cutting, your current practices will paint you into a corner of 25 year old aspen.  From what I can gather you seem to think that the most recently ground provides the best habitat...so are you going to cut everything once every 20-25 years?

We had 15 acres chipped right by our cabin and it is the best habitat we have, but that company went out of business.

If you are looking for deer and grouse habitat you'd be far better off looking into aspen management for those species which is A) pretty easy to do and B) a well established practice with lots of information on the topic.

I would highly recommend getting a forester on site and discussing your options. 

Clark

PS - Did you buy this land from Plum Creek?

EDIT: You mention cutting just 40 acres then mention cutting it all in the next several years.  I get the impression you aren't decided on what you should do or what you want to do.  Also, don't get hung up on how the land is cut, chipping isn't a silver bullet for you problems.

[dcarty85]

We didn't buy from Plum Creek....it butts right into them though (not plum creeek anymore).  We would like to cut the majority of it, but will wait the 10-15 years for maturity if we need to.  The 40 acre cut then would be 5 acres each around the different tree stands on the property.  This would provide us some cash flow and create more food for our wildlife.  we own the property stricly for hunting purposes so our main objective it to improve our habitat.  We need to plant some white spruce, red pine, etc.  Right now our entire property is 3 marshes, which are drying up (i hate the beaver!!) and the rest is aspen.

I really do appreciate the feedback and responses.  I came to you guys to get the information I needed to make an educated decision on what is best.  I plan on calling the country forester back to set up a meeting with him.

[Clark]

I'm sure your county forester will say something similar but what you want is aspen management for grouse which deer like also.  The basic guideline I was taught is to clear-cut 10-15% (in area) of your aspen every 5-7 years.  Basically you want to cut the entire property once every 50 years or so.  This will provide a continuous cash flow, provide grouse with stands of aspen in all age and size classes and be quite easy to manage.  Each cut should actually be a number of smaller clear-cuts 1-15 acres in size and not one large clear-cut.

For now I would plan on cutting the whole thing once over the next 35 years, taking aspen beyond 60 is risky.  Do it in small clear-cuts at predetermined intervals, average 5-7 years between cuts.  Once the first series is done (over the next 35 years) re-examine and set up a new timetable to cut everything once over the next 50 years.

Clark

[ahlkey]

To answer your specific question on whether can you do it yourself - certainly!  However, you will be surprised at the effort to do it with small equipment and the little $$$ you will clear after you deduct all your real expenses or repairs.  If you haven't done this before the learning curve is high.  As far as the trucking what do you have?

Two years ago I harvested a mature Aspen stand and the best I could get at roadside pulp then was $59 dollars a cord.  The trucking cost $20 dollars a cord so the mills were paying $79 delivered to them. 

Best of luck to you. 
   

[SwampDonkey]

I can see one problem in getting loggers to carry out your "plan" of harvesting 5 acre patches scattered across the property. It's doable, but costs more because it's selective and the harvesting requires more extraction roads or longer trails for less volume. Plus you have low value wood, and small wood. Six inch aspen is just beginning to grow. ;) It also appears that the ground is wet by reading your description of the property and from what the logger said about winter logging. I'm sure there are high spots for "winter" roads which would reduce logging costs. Timing has to be right so that wood isn't stranded when the road turns to mush. ;)