Preacher I agree with everything you say as usual. There are a few loggers down that way that haul good logs north and make a good living doing so.
Biggest problem I’ve ever run into down there is the culture is “hardwood is hardwood” and most folks just honestly don’t know what a good log is to start with.

This has happened to me more than once:
Logger gets on a tract of good logs. Hauls it north and gets a big check and thinks the hardwood mills up north are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Next tract he gets on is a bunch of limby post oak and scarlet oak that’s full of mineral and smells like cat piss...... he hauls it north and it brings less than half of what the good stuff brought.
Logger thinks the mill has screwed him over and vows never to return again.
Nobody’s fault just a lack of understanding