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What actually happens on your property
From the first walkthrough to the last load out, and what your woods look like when we are finished. No part of this should be a surprise while it is happening.
Six steps, first call to last load
You can stop after any of the first three, and plenty of people do.
We walk the woods with you
You show us the boundaries and tell us what matters to you — a lane you need kept clear, a spring, a stand of trees you want left alone, a hunting area. We look at access, terrain and what is standing. This costs nothing and puts you under no obligation.
We tally the timber
Volume, species and grade, tree by tree: diameter at breast height, merchantable height and defect. That tally is what an offer is built on. It also tells us which trees should stay — good young growing stock, seed trees and anything that is worth more standing for another ten years than it is on a truck today.
You get the offer in writing
Price, which trees, how long we have to complete the work, what happens to roads, landings and tops, and how you get paid. Read it, take it to your attorney or a consulting forester if you want to. Ask us anything before you sign it, not after.
We set up before we cut
We plan the skid trails to keep them off the steepest ground and away from streams, and pick a landing site where a loaded truck can get in and out without tearing up your lane. Getting this right at the start is most of what determines the mess at the end.
We harvest
Directional felling to protect the trees that are staying, and BMP practices for stream crossings and soil. Weather decides a lot here — frozen or dry ground is far kinder to a woodlot than soft ground, and sometimes the right call is to stop and come back.
We clean up and close out
Skid trails graded and seeded, water bars installed where they are needed so the trails do not gully, the landing cleaned up, tops cut down where they need to be, and any temporary crossings pulled.
Things worth telling us early
- Field tile, waterlines or buried utilities
- Springs, wells and stream crossings
- Property lines you are unsure of
- Lanes that have to stay usable during the job
- Trees with sentimental value you want left
- Neighbors, gates, livestock and fences
None of this is a problem. All of it is a problem if we find out about it halfway through.
Best Management Practices, in plain terms
BMPs are the Ohio Forestry Association's standards for logging without doing lasting damage. As a Master Logger we follow them on every job. Here is what they actually cover.
Your property is an investment, and we treat it that way. Joe Raber, owner
Keeping equipment and slash out of the water, and crossing streams properly where we have to cross at all.
Skid trails laid out on the contour where possible, then graded, water-barred and seeded so they do not turn into gullies.
Leaving den trees, snags and hard mast where it makes sense. A cut woodlot should still hold deer and turkey.
Dropping trees so they do not smash the young growing stock that is your next harvest.
We settle where the lines are before anything gets cut. Cutting a neighbor's timber by mistake is a serious problem for everyone.
Chainsaw safety standards, proper protective equipment and a controlled work area. This protects our crew and anybody who lives on the property.
How long it takes
How long a job takes depends on the size of the tract, the ground, and above all the weather, which moves everything. What we will not do is start a job, leave it half finished through a wet spell and disappear.
The contract gives us a defined window to complete the work in. If we need longer, we come and talk to you about it rather than simply taking it.
Find out what your woods are worth
We will walk your property, tally what is there and tell you straight what it is worth — at no cost, and with no obligation to sell.
Joe or Autty answers the phone. Or send your details and we will call you.