we've had good luck for the most part. People need to realize when the trees are cut there will not be leaves and coverage for existing roads and they will wash out much easier. Its not the loggers fault.
As far as leaving trash and tops in streams that is unacceptable.

I know. This end of the business has been putting food on the table for my whole career. It's always interesting interacting with folks that don't deal with it on a daily basis

We put it in our contracts, but honestly the cutters don't always do it. We cut a small parcel back in the summer and they did a great job. Didn't leave anything, really policed the area good. I gave them a 200 dollar tip actually. Generally they leave anything from potted meat cans to burned up skidders......

Jmj brings up a good point. I've seen several pieces of broken or damaged logging equipment left behind over the years. How in the hell do they get away with that? One was a skidder that caught fire and burned up. I wouldn't want that on my property.

I think I'd have to sue them about leaving something like a burned skidder. That's horsecrap.

We had a lease in Barbour County. They left tires, wheels, a fuel wagon about 1/4 full of fuel and an entire loader truck. All was junk, but it sat there the 3 years we had the place. In fact, I sat on top of the old loader truck a lot of mornings.

I am pro military, farming, and logging, in that order. From past discussion on here, the timber business in my area is different. I can not sell or get a price from a mill. It HAS to go through a dealer. Dealer gets their quota from the mill and then allocate it out to their loggers. I can hire a logger but he still has to get quota tickets from the dealer. So, the dealer is always there. Now dealers get different prices from the mill and with the buddy, buddy system and some REALLY nice Christmas presents, the small dealers are gone. Now its mass production type of business. WFO!! It helps if you own multiple tracts of land. Most folks they do business with once in a lifetime. If you own multiple tracts they want there foot in the door on the next one. I can add here that we have done business with Will Roberts from Blue Ox in Selma a few times and he has done really good. Always get photos before and after. Put everything in the contract. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE GET SOMEONE WITH ACCESS TO A CHIPPER!!! All the tops and limbs usually left go into the chipper and to the mill. A LOT cleaner site and you GET paid for someone to clean it up.

Clem - sorry, I guess I didn't make that clear. Nobody has ever trespassed during logging; I've always given permission when someone needed to come across my land to get to theirs to cut it. One reason I've managed to hold onto 3 different small hunting leases is because they need access over my land to get to theirs. If I turned them down, I'd surely lose the leases, so I have to work with them. However, it's customary to give someone access in that situation even when no hunting lease is involved.

I just meant that the loggers who are working for the paper companies aren't real worried about making me happy. I've learned to just go directly to the Forester in charge if there is a problem. They will have some incentive to listen to him. Still, most loggers are gonna do whatever they wanta do anyway. I could give a whole lot of examples of that, but no point in it. They have a tough job in the best of times, and right now is not all that great.

I think the biggest challenge for the timber industry here in AL is having enough functioning logging crews. It takes a whole lot of money to get started, and most folks that have that kind of money or can get it, would rather do something else. I'm afraid the day is gonna come when a small landowner will not be able to get his timber cut at all.

Some of you young guys looking for a career oughta consider starting a crew. I'm convinced that a man willing to work hard could do well.

When loggers get caught on camera intentionally knocking over an expensive feeder and bust the hell out of it, they replace it and bossman motherf^%#s them for being stupid. How they didn't see my camera is beyond me.

Discussion on aldeer similar to what I've experienced throughout my career (love or hate if you will).

One discussion thread probably not going to change a lot of folks opinions. No doubt some have had bad experiences but hopefully this will change over time. All I can say is this...I've been working in this industry every day for the past 30 years and by far the vast majority are good hard working folks. And I would shutter to think what the economy of many southern states would be like without the jobs and recreational opportunities the industry provides. Would just ask that everyone please put yourself in the others shoes before making generalized statements putting someone down.

They are just trying to earn a living but a little respect goes a long ways. If the timber companies didn't want/need our lease money, this thread wouldn't get near the attention.

The area where we lost the foot bridge and the stand was not even close to the area shown on the cutting area map. 300 yards outside!
I did not know about keeping the streams and drainage clear, I will have pictures this weekend for reference.
Oil bottles and garbage will be documented as well, you would have thought they had been cutting 5000 acres by the way he responded.
"If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to find time to do it over?"
One more for those that care, "Bad news does not age well!"

no, we leased the land to hunt and gave access to the center piece through my yard. it wasn't the forester or the loggers that i had the problem with - it was the company that was supposed to come in after the loggers left. this company was supposed to fix my driveway and any other damage (culvert) and also re-establish the roads. they always had an excuse - busy, broke down, out of town, etc., etc.! i know i'll never call them if i ever need that type of service and i would never recommend them. hindsight, it should have fallen back on the forester because he said it would be taken care of. i had a verbal agreement when i should have had a written contract. just made me better prepared for when they cut a few years later.

I'm dealing with it now. Tree lease by lumber company and cutting crew from the same area. A couple of places (roads) that I'm not satisfied with have been brought to their attention. Headed out in a little while (unless gravity jumps up and grabs me again) to remind them to get them fixed. We have a lot of road to keep up with on our place.
They fix them, or the lumber company gets a bill even though there is nothing binding in the contract for the roads.
There are also areas that need to have debris pushed into piles. I'm looking to have this done also.
We will see as this was a verbal agreement and the lumber company is pretty reputable in this type of situation.