# What do you know about selling your timber?



## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Hi Guys!

I need some help...

I'm getting ready to clear out a bit more pasture and re-do all my fences. Right now I have about 20 acres fenced with around 5 of it being timber. I have 60 acres unfenced of good mixed timber, but a good deal of it is shake bark hickory... I'm on a mountain top, the 20 is flat, the 60 is sloping but I have well cut trails that wind down to the bottom. So access is good.

The Hickory is absolutely gorgeous. I hate cutting it down but I NEED GRASS! :lol: 

I'm having it assessed by the forestry to get an estimate on what I have and get a plan formulated for replanting a large section in pine to help pay off my kids' college in the future. Unfortunately around here the loggers only want pine and oak, hickory is only used as firewood which would be a shame, these trees are MASSIVE. I have found, what seems to be, an interested professional outfit to come out. Normally we would use the locals to select cut but they won't touch hickory because it tears up their blades... 

So my questions are:

Have any of you harvested timber on your land?
What did you have logged, how many acres?
On average what did you get? (Not to be nosey, just an estimate would be greatly appreciated!)
Any of you know the worth of Hickory? (I know it depends greatly on the area...)
What about black locust? I have tons of that too.
How was the experience? Was it worth it? 
Any tips to get in writing so I don't get screwed or left with a mess? 


I hope to get enough to hire a bulldozer to rip out some old fencing, reclaim some land, and help pay for "upgraded" fence material. A new roof would be nice too! :lol:

I want to state that all this is with a goal to make my land more profitable and beneficial to the wildlife we have around here. We are putting in feed plots and setting aside areas of old growth for habitat.

Thanks in advance!


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Sorry, Flygap, I no nothing of timber but just wanted to say it's good you're doing some research before making any commitments. With regard to contracts, I'm sure you'll have a lawyer read through it; you may want to include some sort of 'break up' clause so if it's not working out for you there's an out; you may want to look into some sort of performance bond by the company that you settle on to have something to fall back on if things fall apart; you may want to look into liability insurance from the perspective of people working on your land getting injured and/or causing damage that affects neighbouring land.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Thanks Chevaux, I didn't think about personal liability... 

We're going with the largest outfit in the area but I for sure will get all the legalize figured out and down pat before I let them start. I'm surrounded by National Forest so we will be VERY VERY careful...
I have a half mile of creek down at the bottom of my property that I won't get close to for riparian preservation etc. I will be putting together an extensive plan to preserve the gullys that run into it. That will all have to be included in the contract...


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I do not know about your area or the sawmills but here buy timber based on size & species. A company forester comes out & has a look at the timber then tells you what they will buy & how much they pay. They will also tell which contractors to use to log it and haul it in. Here there is lots of logistics concerning timber marks & permits, my husband works in forestry so he logged himself and hired a self loader logging truck but most just hire a contractor to do all that. Contact sawmills in your area, within a 200 mile radius, tell them what timber you have standing & see what they suggest.
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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I have no idea about prices etc... 

But if you're installing a lot of new fence, I'd personally keep the black locust logs. They are the best fence post. If I remember right, they last like 50/70 years in the ground. 

I'm sure you could work it out so they cut and limb the locust for you as part of the deal.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Phly I like that idea!

I did want to use them but have decided on doing welded pipe corners because our land is incredibly rocky and I couldn't get the logs as deep as I'd like. Hmmm now I'm going to have to check with my fence guys, blah blah blah...

Why can't anything be easy?


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