# Logging Operation



## Live Oak

Here are a few pictures of the logging operation that is just about done. They are down to the last 200 acres of the clear cut. It looks pretty rough now but by this summer should green right up. I am considering to reforestation programs with the area forrester but that will come later.


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## Greg

Chief,

Are "they" going to clear cut on your property? Can you give us a better idea as to what we are seeing with regard to your property and where it is in relation to your house?

What would you reforest with? What are the trees in the foreground we are seeing?


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## Live Oak

Very steep ridge lines and draws.


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## Live Oak

Here if you look, you can see that the trees in the low area's and draws are being left in accordance with best management practices to minimize erosion.


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## Live Oak

This is a view out west toward the Tennessee River. The Hills obscure the river view.


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## Live Oak

North view.


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## Live Oak

> _Originally posted by Greg _
> *Chief,
> 
> Are "they" going to clear cut on your property? Can you give us a better idea as to what we are seeing with regard to your property and where it is in relation to your house?
> 
> What would you reforest with? What are the trees in the foreground we are seeing? *


Greg, these pictures are of a large tract of land recently acquired by the family. This tract of land is about 5 miles from the ranch we are moving too. Unfortunately the owner of the property had already been engaged in clear cutting this tract of land for over a year. The terms of the sale required allowing the owner to complete the clear cut. Were it up to me; I would NEVER have cut a twig here. It is frustrating to see such deforestation but it was out of our hands. Most of the the timber you see cut in these pictures went to the pulp paper mill. At least I don't have to worry about people steeling timber. ;O) Within 5 years, the sappling will be at least 10 ft. high and the wildlife LOVE the tender chutes or newly regenerationg vegetation and forest. It will never be cut again.........at least not in my life time. On the plus side, all of these logging roads are gonna make some REALLY kewl ATV routes!


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## Ernie

Thanks should be given that they are not clear cutting the whole forest..... Are you going to be allowed to plant your choice of seedlings?


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## Live Oak

> _Originally posted by Ernieg _
> *Thanks should be given that they are not clear cutting the whole forest..... Are you going to be allowed to plant your choice of seedlings? *


There in lies the rub. There are SEVERE fines and penalties if you fail to follow prescribed forrestry "best management practices" and the erosion or run off can be traced to you especially if it contributes to damage caused in a flood. There are a lot of forrestry companies who own large tracts of land in this area and they are REAL unpopular with the locals for this very reason. That is why they did not cut the low areas. They are afraid of being sued. The creeks and rivers are filling up with silt and gravel. This tract of land came from a large forresty company. When I took these pictures; I was escorting the county forrester around the property to give him a looksee to get his recommendations for a forrestry management plan. He is working it up. The ridge tops will most likely be reforrested in pine (pine is about the only thing that can grow on a ridge top that high due to lack of water) and the rest a mix of hardwoods.


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## Greg

Sounds like it's gonna be a very nice of property for you and the family. The roads will definately make a great cruisin track...:furious: :furious:


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## Ernie

A shame that the powers that be make decisions for the rest of us.... I work on clearing land by the acres and it makes me ill as to what is wanted in place of the flora that made this state.... I can see the same goes up there to a point...Money can get almost anything done...


ps. Well Chief your grandchildren will be the ones to really enjoy those trails... I was out on a yamaha 4 wheeler for a couple hrs this past weekend and I still can feel what age has wrung upon me....


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## parts man

That's a fine looking piece of land Chief!! Check teh ground cosely, if there is much natural regeneration, you might want to pass on planting, the natural growth will always overtake planted seedlings. Give it a few years and have it thinned, it will make a beautiful stand in a surprisingly short time! We are currenty cutting a block of woods that my father has cut or seen cut for the third time!! First time was around '47-48, (he was 4 or5), he cut it again in 69-70 and thinned in 80 or 81, and we have been cutting it agian for the last 2-3 years.


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## Live Oak

I have been down there the past week and after inspecting several areas of the cut; I am going to do exactly that. Most of the areas already cut have sappling chutes coming up about waist high. I am going to wait and see what kind of bare area's we get after a period allowed for good growth and plant those areas in pine.


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## parts man

Natural regrowth is always the healthiest (cheepest too ). If there are thin areas you can always do a "fill plant' later.
Hard woods will sucker from the stumps left from the parent trees, so you may have an over abundance of hardwoods, but that can be corrected when the stand is thinned later on.


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## Live Oak

I got out my 22 year old Cannon AE-1 Program and the 28 year old Kodacolor II film and took some really cool pictures of the guys skidding logs and working the grapple crane loading the trucks. Hopefully the film will turn out. I am going to take it to Walmart for developement today or tomorrow. If the pictures turn out; I will have them transfers to a CD and post them here.


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## Live Oak

I have a slight correction to make about the film.............it expired 28 years ago. It is more like around 30 years old. My ancient Cannon AE-1 Program I purchased at the PX at Camp Stanley Korea in early 1983 so the camera is probably close to 30 years old too. You all be the judge if you think this film spoiled many years ago. I am going to have to work on the exposure as some of the pictures came out real grainy due to too much sun. I was using the AE program that exposes the film automaticly. 

Anyway, this is a picture of the logging company's owner's son operation the grapple crane and cutting logs to length. I wish I could cut through logs like that! ;O)


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## Live Oak

The dinner bell just rang. I will post more after dinner.


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## Live Oak

Here is a closer shot of the logs being cut to length. That saw throws wood chips over 40 ft. !


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## bontai Joe

Chief,
I bought my Canon AE-1 back in 1987. It has been around the world 5 times, to an Olympic games, a bunch of weddings, and every vacation I have been on since '87, surviving over 40 aircraft flights. The camera is almost industructable. I use a digital camera at work (company camera) and the way it eats batteries and quits when you are in the middle of something has convinced me so far not to go digital. Your pics look good!


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## Live Oak

A Tiger Cat tree feller. This machine has a huge (about 3 ft. across) saw wheel with tungsten carbide teeth driven by a hydraulic motor. They try to use this machine as much as possible due to its ability to cut the tree off at ground level and recover as much wood as possible.


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## Live Oak

Loading up the logs for the paper mill.


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## Live Oak

Log skidder wenching logs up the ridge line.


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## Live Oak

This log skidder is on a ridge trail so steep that he had to drive up the ridge about 75 ft. while reeling out cable to the log and then stop and wench the log up. About half way up the trail the bull dozer (Dresser TD-15) has to pull the skidder up the trail as it is so steep that it is tough to even stand on.


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## Live Oak

Here is the Dresser TD-15 driven by the logging company owner pulling the skidder up the trail shown in the last picture.


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## Live Oak

Here is the dozer and the skidder as they reach to top of the ridge log skidding trail.


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## Live Oak

Talk about a beautiful view of the creek valley. This is the northwestern edge of the property.


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## Live Oak

Southeastern edge of property.


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## Live Oak

A view of a cut area in the middle section of the property.


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## Live Oak

Another view of the creek valley from the northwest border area.


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## Durwood

Those are some nice pictures Chief. It sure looks like that company had the right tools for the job. Thanks for posting them.

Durwood


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## jodyand

Nice place there Chief love the views. I have always told the wife we would retire there. But it looks like if i don't get up there soon and buy me some land Chief's going to buy it all up:winky: :lmao:


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## Mecheng

Kinda looks like land between Memphis and Oxford, Ms. Just curious Chief, how much does clear cut land down there sell for?

In a couple of years that would be some really good huntin'.


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## Live Oak

Right now land prices are just going whacky. Time was you could buy clear cut for $200 to $400 per acre. It can goes for anywhere from $500 to $1,000 per acre lately. Problem is a lot of out of state people who have NO idea what land is worth are throwing money at it and driving the costs out of sight. They compare land prices here with land prices where they live and that is not a valid comparison.


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## Chris

Chief, tell us more about the progress on your place? Did you ever get anymore info on a larger tractor? How do you think the land will hold up with the cutting season coming up? You going to lease it out for haying or cattle?


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## Live Oak

I am still in the looking stage for the larger tractor. Don't really have a pressing need for it just yet. I just got 2 ATV's so I need to give the wallet a rest for awhile.   

The trees are coming back up already from the cut stumps and I plan to just let it grow back in wild. I lease it out to a hunt club and they help me keep an eye on it. It is far to steep and nearly mountainous terrain to farm or have cattle on. Perhaps in a 100 years or so, the great great grand children will have some timber to make a little income from.


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## Fordfarm

Plant Cedars - it will only take about 10 years before the place is overrun! Looks great, Chief!


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