Thank you, Jon. I firmly believe and have 46 years of managing our forest to prove that human intervention performed with knowledge of and respect for nature's ways and nature's secrets can improve the entire forest community, and gaining human economic benefits and forest product needs need not be at odds with that community. If this management ethic appeals to you, you might also find my series (only up to chapter 3 with many more to come) "Clearcutting as a Silvicultural Option" and "Salvaging Spruce Blowdown" informative. Thanks again. Vince
I am not a logger, but I am a friend of VS, and this is one of the most oddly fascinating videos I've seen. It is top quality all the way, from one of the most deliberate, thoughtful managers of a forest I can imagine.
Thanks you for a great informative video! Just what I have been looking for as I have recently purchased 50 acres here in central Maine. This will really help me be a good Stewart of the land for generations to come
Hi Roger, Yes, very much like large areas of Sweden which is where the system demonstrated in my video was developed. Always wonderful to meet another woodsman from Sverige! Vince
And you also be safe! The forest is a wonderful and awe inspiring place to work but it is also unforgiving of mistakes. It doesn't offer many second chances. May both of us stay safe! Vince
Good morning sir, Hope this message finds you healthy in these crazy times. Just wanted to thank you for advice you gave me last year. I just purchased a Kioti CK4010 (finally...lol) to work on the woodlot and before even driving it to the bush, I worked many hours in the shop, fabricating a forestry protection roof/cage as per your advice. Thanks again for you advice and promise to keep safety first. Cheers
Yves, it is wonderful to hear from you again. As I recall, you did not yet own a woodlot when we corresponded about a year ago. This update is terrific and I am certain you will be happy with your Kioti. By the way, your name is obviously French. Are you Canadian? If so, it would be wonderful if you could locate a French translation copy of Milton Nilsson's book, "The Farm Tractor in the Forest." Details appear in the final part of Chapter 3 of my tutorial trilogy. If you can locate a copy, I would love to create a PDF format scanned copy and post it on the internet for free download just like I did for the English translation version. Much of the tractor logging equipment manufactured in North America comes from Quebec, and I have seen more of it in use across the border from me than I see here in Maine. I am confident that francophone tractor loggers would find it valuable. And yes, I am glad to hear that you will keep safety first! Cheers! Vince
@@bombadiltreefarms314 good morning. First snow coming down as I type this message. I've looked around and cannot locate the French version. The only reference I found is at the end of the book where it states that: For North America the handbooks translated to English and French can also be ordered from: Forest Extension Service N.B. Department of National Resources R.R. # 5 Fredricton, N.B. CANADA E3B 4X6 You might want to try your luck with them. Last year I wrote to the Nova Scotia Forest Dept inquiring about a hard copy version of their Woodlot Management Home Study Program and within a few days I received all the modules via mail. very good info. In case you are interested, here is a link to it woodlot.novascotia.ca/ Happy and safe time in the forest for you and your family. Cheers
@@yvesjolicoeur747 Thank you for the effort, nonetheless. And please keep me posted on developments within your woodlot. That Home Study Course from Nova Scotia is terrific, and I'm glad that you were able to easily obtain a hard copy. I have only the PDF download version. Be safe! Vince
What a thrill to watch your video. Same kind of forest that i own in north west New Brunswick. I do a bit of logging for the little sugar camp on the wood lot.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I do somelogging myself in eastern Canada. I made some similar videos. You do a great job and I like how you teach how to log sustainably.
I find if you snigg log when they are attached to the main line, the force from pulling the log embeds the cable into itself so gets stuck. To avoid that problem and make free wheeling easier, I attached the chain to the chain holder slots when snigging.
That's a good idea because it definitely is a pain in the rear end to have the winch cable bind on itself on the winch drum. Curiously, I had that problem more with my old Farmi than with my newer winch and experienced it more as a result of winching than from skidding or, as you say, "snigging." Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having that problem with my newer winch. I run the same diameter cable on both. Perhaps differences in the drums or how the cable feeds onto them explains the difference. Nonetheless, thanks for your suggestion and I advise other viewers experiencing the same problem to give your suggestion a try. Vince
Awesome videos. Great information. Thank you. What do you do with all the brush and small branches... do you leave them in the forest? Do you take them back and burn them, chip them? What kind of chains do you have on your tractor wheels? they look like they have studs on them? Thanks again from Eastern Canada.
Hi Rob! Yes, I leave the logging slash in the forest where its slow decomposition not only returns nutrients to the forest floor but also provides beneficial habitat for a multitude of critters especially various small reptiles and amphibians. My tire chains are made by Trygg of Norway. Really great chains and they are studded. I have a truly international operation! Tractor from Japan; winch, forwarding trailer, chainsaw chain and bar, and a few other items from Canada; tire chains from Norway; chainsaws and a variety of small tools from Sweden; hardhat and a variety of small tools from Germany; safety chaps from Mexico; and an inconsequential this and that from China. Just about the only things that were made in the USA are me and my logger's tape! Vince
Thank you so much for such a great demo and tutorial. I am working in the Yukon in a much smaller scale , small logging with my ATV and a few tools. I was considering upgrading to a tractor and a skidding winch and your videos really showed me how much more i could do! Of course, we are limited here in winter by the cold and the terrain is all but flat so a bit harder for tractor logging. I could ask so many questions!! How could i contact you? Thanks again for your amazing videos! Keep up the good work and stay safe!
Sebastien, you are very welcome. One thing that I suggest is that you don't move to a tractor unless you have various other chores for it to perform. Its versatility is the farm tractor's strong point. If you wished only to improve your logging efficiency, an old skidder or small crawler tractor like a JD350 or 450 with a winch might be a better choice. If you intend to log when the ground is not frozen and have issues with sensitive soils at such times, a light weight crawler like a JD350 might be the best choice. It would also be more stable on steeper ground. Since other viewers will likely benefit from your additional questions, please ask them here. Be safe! Vince
@@bombadiltreefarms314 Thanks for the advices and the quick reply! I did consider theses options as well but the transportation of equipment on my trailer, dealership access, repairs cost...is all to be considered. The access to older skidders or the shipping for one up here are also an issue and cost sensitive. I do some snow plowing and snow removal in the winter and would have therefore use of the tractor then as well. Its versatility is indeed a strong point and a single use for it wouldn't justify the investment. I ll be happy to share my decision and will follow up on the results! i did take notes of all your tricks and advices and will likely apply them on the field! Thanks again! sebastien
I really enjoy your videos thank you for making them. I've recently purchased a parcel of mature trees (by Manitoba standards anyways) and would love to start sustainable logging in my free time. My property is about 70 percent aspen and 30 percent oak, very few of other species. I plan on building a PTO logging winch for my tractor over the winter. If you don't mind me asking, what does a load like that bring in? Thank you
I don't mind you asking at all, but the answer in many ways is sad. After growing for 60 to 80 years, surviving all kinds of challenges mother nature threw their way, followed by my time and effort felling, bucking, winching, skidding or forwarding, then the cost of trucking to the mill, at last winter's prices a 20-ton load of 100-inch aspen paid me around $700.00 USD. After figuring in property taxes over those six to eight decades and the cost of machinery and fuel and supplies, what I end up with can hardly be called profit. It's a labor of love, not a way to get rich. I wish you great joy and success in your venture! Be safe! Vince
Where in MB. I'm in the interlake and have about 500 acres of forest. Getting my little kubota ready to start this also but think I'll just buy a PTO winch.
@@bombadiltreefarms314 Unfortunately for those of us that produce small amounts of wood, the pulp prices are kept low by the mechanized operations that can produce large amounts of wood in a short time. I think this is also happening with softwood sawlogs, the prices haven't recovered after the crash of 2008. It seems that everything is based on production not on very careful work like you are doing. Great series of videos!!
Thank you for taking the time to do these videos. I have enjoyed them very much. I see your winch is remote control, great feature. I am about to purchase my first winch and have looked at most makes. A couple of the ones I am looking at also have remote control, however it comes at a substantial expense. What make and model is your winch? Do you have any advice on winch purchases?
Hi Wayne, and thank you for your kind remarks. My radio remote controlled winch is a Metavic Model TR80HTL manufactured in Canada. The exclusive distributor for Metavic products is Les Distributions Payeur, Inc. located in Ascot Corner, Quebec. Ascot Corner is a suburb of Sherbrooke, Quebec. The Payeur team is bilingual so don't worry if you don't speak French. At the time that I bought my winch, Payeur was running a special that threw in the radio control option either for free or for some discount that made it impossible to resist. If you don't live in Canadian but instead live in the USA, NAFTA works very much in your favor when buying from Payeur. Under NAFTA Payeur can sell directly to customers in NAFTA signatory countries without any Canadian, or in my case USA, export/import tariffs; without any Canadian federal or provincial sales tax; and without any USA state sales tax. On top of that, the current exchange rate is very much in favor of the US dollar. Payeur sells and delivers a lot of machinery to customers in the USA and makes the whole process as easy as buying from Amazon.com. My Metavic winch is not 100% radio remote controlled which is a minor drawback. After pulling out the winch cable I must return to the winch to manually engage the winch's hydraulic motor before activating the remote. If I need to return to my attached logs because they catch up on something, however, I can slowly feed out whatever cable I need using the remote control unit and then use it to winch in the logs as I follow behind. I'm in the process of making what I hope will be a simple, safe, and reliable alteration that will allow me to engage the winch's motor using the remote control unit and thereby preclude the need to first manually engage the winch. Another minor drawback to the winch is its slow winching speed. It is an incredibly strong winch but its maximum winching speed even with a high flow volume hydraulic source is only 1 to 3 feet per second depending upon how much cable is on the drum. This makes for a very safe winching speed but it can easily take a full 60 seconds or more to winch in what my old Farmi could do in less than 10 seconds. In the whole scheme of things, however, at the day's end I really doubt if the slower speed reduces production. I'd be happy to give you my opinion on winch purchases, but first I need to know more about your intended use and prior logging experience. For example, are you planning to make a living or supplement your income with it, planning to use it for cutting a few cord of firewood for yourself each year or supplying enough to heat half the homes in Minnesota, planning to use it in thinning a plantation of 5 acres or in selectively harvesting mature trees from an extensive mixed stand as I was doing in the video? Let me know and I'd be glad to offer my opinion. Be safe in the woods! Vince
Thank you for the thorough reply. I live right here in Maine near Augusta. I own about 200 acres of mixed forest. I enjoy working in my woods and cut firewood for myself. At some point I may decide to sell some but nothing on a large scale. I do have some nice sawlogs and would love to have a sawmill. This may happen someday but for now its all about a winch. I'm about to pull the trigger on a Tajfun EGV35A winch. I have researched most brands and feel this is the winch for me. They do offer a remote control, as does Wallenstein. The remote comes at a significant price increase that I cannot justify at this time. The winch will be paired with my John Deere 3520 tractor. I'm comfortable working in the woods and have advanced rigging skills. However this will be my first winch. I welcome your input. The Tajfun winches can be Googled or found right on craigslist. I've chosen the dealership in NH.
Hi Wayne! Someday I'd love to own a Tajfun. Manufactured in the same country where our First Lady was born, for whatever that's worth. They are pricey but incredibly well engineered. I have never heard anything bad about them. The radio controlled model I would like to own runs just under $8,000.00. That's twice what my Metavic cost, and I just couldn't justify the difference for the 120 to 160 tons of aspen and fir stud logs that I harvest each winter. Since your intended use is cutting your own firewood, possibly selling a little on the side, and to assist you in being a good steward of your woodlot, I fully agree that the added cost of the radio remote control is hard to justify. A great thing about the Tajfun remote control option and what very likely contributes to its rather shocking price is that it is, unlike the remote control on my Metavic, a complete remote control. You don't have to return to the winch to manually engage anything before using the remote control. It does it all. Hope to bump into you some day! Vince
Green Acres, Please accept my apology. I did not notice your comment until today, almost a year after you sent it. Yes, this is my own woodlot, and so much of its beauty is the result of my and my family's efforts over many years. It has been a labor of love since I acquired it as a young man 42 years ago. Thank you, and once again, please accept my apology for such a delayed reply. Vince
I love your videos and have watched them multiple times. I find them relaxing and very accurate to what i already do. My father who is 71 and 'by extension myself as he is slowly letting go control of the property as he wants me to slowly take over before inheriting it outright' have a 100 acres where we cut 10 cord of wood a year and use a husky 550 16" bar and a 372 20" bar. I was curious what you use.We also have a woodland mills hm130 that we log for. Also i was looking at a front mount snow blower for our 31hp tractor and was wondering if you thought that it would inter fear with logging operations as compared to having a bucket and changing out a rear mount snowblower when needed. Thank you again. South central Ontario.
Also with the Payeur skidding winch, do you pull out you logs attached to the skidding cable, or do you disconnect and attach the chains to the winches slots on top of the lower plate?
Thanks for your comment. My primary saw is a Husqvarna 562. It came with a 20-inch bar but for the type felling and delimbing that I do I found that changing over to an 18-inch bar provides better balance and cutting power. Regarding tractor mounted snowblowers, front mounted blowers are a real joy compared to rear mounted ones like mine. I am certain, however, that a front mounted blower would get in the way in my forest operations but perhaps not in yours. I have only seen a couple front mounted blowers that quickly disconnect, but both still had rather heavy low riding mounting frames underneath the tractor. Since I haven't researched front blowers, I can't tell you more. Sounds like you and your dad have a nice operation. My best wishes and stay safe! Vince
Rarely do I disconnect from the winch cable and attach the choker chains to the grab slots on the top of the butt plate. Doing so does, however, lower the lever arm effect of the skidded load and, especially on trails that are not straight, reduces the risk of a tractor rollover. The same added safety can be gained by running the winch cable through the lower snatchblock on the winch. Those chain grab slots on top of the butt plate are also useful for folks who rig their winch cable differently than I do, especially for folks with only one or two slides with grab hooks on their winch cables and who travel down their trails winching in a log here and another there. After winching in a log, they transfer its choker chain to a grab slot on top of the butt plate. That completely frees up for the next log their winch cable with its limited number of slides. Play around with both and with various riggings of slides, cable chokers, and chain chokers on your winch cable and see what works best for you. Above all, be safe! Vince
I noticed when you snig out the logs you leave them hooked to the winch cable. I find when I do this the cable jams but if I chain the logs to the chain clevises on the winch the cable pulls out free.
Hi Green Acres. You offered the same comment 7 months ago and I replied then. Instead of sending you off hunting for our discussion, I'll copy it here. I replied, "That's a good idea because it definitely is a pain in the rear end to have the winch cable bind on itself on the winch drum. Curiously, I had that problem more with my old Farmi than with my newer winch and experienced it more as a result of winching than from skidding or, as you say, "snigging." Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having that problem with my newer winch. I run the same diameter cable on both. Perhaps differences in the drums or how the cable feeds onto them explains the difference. Nonetheless, thanks for your suggestion and I advise other viewers experiencing the same problem to give your suggestion a try. Vince"
I see you are using chains on your trails. I am just about to begin using my winter trails with my tractor but i am worried that without chains....I won't really be able to pull much on snow, even with good agricultural tires. I will soon find out but would consider imperative the use of chains for winter logging? Especially on small slopes . Most of my time is spent on trail making so I can navigate and skid logs later but this will be my first winter logging and i have so much yet to learn and discover! Thanks a lot again for a great tutorial on your videos.
Sebastien, it is always a pleasure to hear from you and get updates on your forestry operations. I find chains extremely beneficial on hard packed snow, something that your trails become after three or four days of repeated travel. On loose snow they don't add much benefit. The temperature doesn't have to get anywhere near melting point for the snow on your trails to stiffen up. It may never get above -20 Celsius and yet the snow on your trails will stiffen up just with repeated tractor travel followed by a few hours overnight without any use. Chains are very expensive, however, and I suggest you see how much wood you are able to yank without them before investing the money. Be safe, my friend! Vince
@@bombadiltreefarms314 Thanks a lot! Yes, that's what i found out about cost. I ll try first what can be done without them first. Snow is still very soft and the ground underneath still not frozen (first snow came and stayed while ground was still not frozen). My trail was nicely packed after the first cold but i am sticking with light travel (snowmachine and skimmer at the moment. I ll be happy to send you some pics of my area. Where to send them? Thanks again and i ll stay in touch.
@@sebastienweisser4839 Yes, I would like to see those pics. I've never been to the Yukon and would love to get a glimpse of your forestry operations there. First, email me at vrsmd@yahoo.com but don't send the pics. That is an email address that receives all kinds of stuff and that I don't care if it gets compromised. Once I get your email, I will send you my preferred email address where you can send the pics. Cheers! Vince
Michel, it is wonderful to hear from you. I am doing very well and wish the same to you. I have just finished preparations for this winter's harvest and in a couple weeks plan to migrate south, as I usually do, while waiting for the ground here in northern Maine to freeze. That migration south includes several days in Mexico where I plan to finish another video, perhaps two, that are updates on the clearcutting series. Au revoir pour le moment. Vince
Good video, I live in Maine and log my own property also. I've never heard Mainers call them aspen, Balsam poplar, also known as popple, I'm guessing you do that for non-Mainers.
Thanks for your comment. We have three species of the Populus genus naturally occurring in Maine. The most prevalent is quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) followed by bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) and balsam poplar (Populus balsimifera). Although distinctly different species, both quaking and bigtooth aspen are commonly referred to in Maine as "popple" and balsam poplar as "Balm-of-Gilead." And no, I do not use their appropriate names for the sake of non-Mainers. I refer you to the Maine Forest Service's "Forest Trees of Maine", Maine's tree identification authority for over 100 years where all three species are and have been listed by their appropriate names with secondary reference to colloquial names. For aspen this begins on page 61 of the Centennial Edition of the book. Any licensed forester in Maine will not only recognize but appreciate the use of the correct names. If you don't have a copy of "Forest Trees of Maine," I encourage you to contact your Maine Forest Service District Forester for a copy. Be safe in the woods! Vince
Warren, thank you for your comment. You are incorrect, however. As I state in the opening minutes of the Chapter 1 video, there are a couple small extensions of the North American boreal forest into the lower 48 states. One of those is in the northernmost region of the state of Maine. I quote the following from one of the many scientific publications that I have: Taiga (/ˈtaɪɡə/; Russian: тайга́; IPA: [tɐjˈɡa]; from Turkic[1]) also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. The taiga is the world’s largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States (northern Minnesota through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Upstate New York and northern New England), where it is known as the Northwoods.[2] The local species mix does vary considerably. In northern Canada and Alaska, white and black spruce predominate but gradually shift to primarily white spruce as you approach the arctic tree line. As you move east through Siberia, spruce (Picea abies) give way to primarily larch. In my video I discuss what we have in the transition zone in which our forestland is located. A mere 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of our location the forest type cannot even remotely be referred to as boreal forest. I hope that this clarifies your confusion. Thanks again for your comment. Vince
Hi Dennis. Actually it is a little less. A meter is 39.4 inches. Where did I mix things up? No doubt I did or you would not have caught it. Thanks for being so alert! Vince
Hi Edwin. There are many manufacturers of logging winches for farm tractors. Mine comes from Les Distributions Payeur, Inc. in Canada. Other brands marketed in many countries around the world are Farmi and Tajfun. Check them out online. Vince
Marc, you are absolutely correct! For the sake of other viewers interested in Marc's comment, please take a look at my saw chain beginning at time-point 04:34 in the video. No saw should ever be operated with a chain that visibly hangs loose like mine does there! To achieve proper chain tension, tighten the chain as much as possible that will still allow you to easily rotate it by hand. Such a chain will sit tightly on the bar without any sag but will still allow you to pull the tie-straps off the bar while the drive links remain well engaged in the bar groove. When you let go the chain will noticeably snap back against the bar. I encourage interested viewers to download and study the "Oregon Maintenance & Safety Manual - PDF" that's easily obtained by Googling that tile. Oregon's instructions vary a bit from mine but achieve the same degree of tension. Now for my pitiful excuse! Before publishing my video, I saw what Marc noticed and couldn't believe my eyes! If it hadn't been caught on video, I would insist that I never run an improperly tensioned chain. It was a new chain that required adjustment for break-in stretching after every tank of gas, and I had carelessly ignored keeping an eye on it. It is an admittedly pitiful excuse but it does emphasize how seemingly small oversights can invite trouble. Instead of going back and re-shooting the scene with the chain properly adjusted, I decided to let it stay. After three years and nearly 30,000 viewers, Marc is the first one to catch it! By doing so, he has brought up an important teaching point that deserves our thanks. I further beg forgiveness by referring you to time-points beginning at 08:53, 18:55, and 33:43 in the video. Those scenes show the chain properly adjusted. Marc, the sole purpose in all my videos is quality education, and feedback like yours corrects errors and oversights. I sincerely thank you, and look forward to additional constructive criticism that you might offer in this or any of my other videos. Be safe! Vince
Tom, I can't tell if you say that jokingly or seriously! My tractor is a 1982 model that I have owned since 1983. The winch was only a couple years old when I filmed this video but had had considerable use by that time. I do maintain my equipment well, store it under cover when not in use, and, for the purpose of protecting roots and soil, do not operate in the woods when the ground is wet. Consequently, rarely will you find mud or dirt on my equipment, and white snow does enhance the sense of cleanliness. I bought another winch this past May to replace the red one in this video. The red one now, after nearly eight years of use, still looks as nice and clean as it does in this video. Thanks for your comment. Vince
Great video, the camera work, the saw work, tractor work, great everything.
Dan, thank you for your comment. I am glad that you found the video valuable. Be safe in the woods! Vince
It was neat to hear how you conserve certain trees and try to keep the area beneficial and enjoyable to the critters and other people.
Thank you, Jon. I firmly believe and have 46 years of managing our forest to prove that human intervention performed with knowledge of and respect for nature's ways and nature's secrets can improve the entire forest community, and gaining human economic benefits and forest product needs need not be at odds with that community. If this management ethic appeals to you, you might also find my series (only up to chapter 3 with many more to come) "Clearcutting as a Silvicultural Option" and "Salvaging Spruce Blowdown" informative. Thanks again. Vince
I am not a logger, but I am a friend of VS, and this is one of the most oddly fascinating videos I've seen. It is top quality all the way, from one of the most deliberate, thoughtful managers of a forest I can imagine.
Thanks you for a great informative video!
Just what I have been looking for as I have recently purchased 50 acres here in central Maine. This will really help me be a good Stewart of the land for generations to come
Hi Mark, You are very welcome! Enjoy your woodlot and be safe! Vince
Looks like over here and thinking are the same. Good stuff! Thanks for posting. (Sweden)
Hi Roger, Yes, very much like large areas of Sweden which is where the system demonstrated in my video was developed. Always wonderful to meet another woodsman from Sverige! Vince
been watching your videos to learn something "if possible" . I'm starting to log my 210 acres.
Stay safe up there.
And you also be safe! The forest is a wonderful and awe inspiring place to work but it is also unforgiving of mistakes. It doesn't offer many second chances. May both of us stay safe! Vince
I like your great videos and I also share your love and excitement for your wood lot .
My wood land is my happy place .
Hi Robin. It is always wonderful to hear from a kindred spirit. Thanks! Vince
Nice series, hope to see more videos.
This is a great video sir. Thanks for sharing!
You are very welcome! Vince
I agree with you. I will have to get used to doing it in cold North Idaho.
When I was cutting timber in Maine during the early 80's we had to follow strick harvest rules. It was to keep the forest substantial.
Good morning sir, Hope this message finds you healthy in these crazy times. Just wanted to thank you for advice you gave me last year. I just purchased a Kioti CK4010 (finally...lol) to work on the woodlot and before even driving it to the bush, I worked many hours in the shop, fabricating a forestry protection roof/cage as per your advice. Thanks again for you advice and promise to keep safety first. Cheers
Yves, it is wonderful to hear from you again. As I recall, you did not yet own a woodlot when we corresponded about a year ago. This update is terrific and I am certain you will be happy with your Kioti. By the way, your name is obviously French. Are you Canadian? If so, it would be wonderful if you could locate a French translation copy of Milton Nilsson's book, "The Farm Tractor in the Forest." Details appear in the final part of Chapter 3 of my tutorial trilogy. If you can locate a copy, I would love to create a PDF format scanned copy and post it on the internet for free download just like I did for the English translation version. Much of the tractor logging equipment manufactured in North America comes from Quebec, and I have seen more of it in use across the border from me than I see here in Maine. I am confident that francophone tractor loggers would find it valuable. And yes, I am glad to hear that you will keep safety first! Cheers! Vince
@@bombadiltreefarms314 good morning. First snow coming down as I type this message. I've looked around and cannot locate the French version. The only reference I found is at the end of the book where it states that:
For North America the handbooks translated to English and French can also
be ordered from:
Forest Extension Service
N.B. Department of National Resources
R.R. # 5
Fredricton, N.B.
CANADA E3B 4X6
You might want to try your luck with them.
Last year I wrote to the Nova Scotia Forest Dept inquiring about a hard copy version of their Woodlot Management Home Study Program and within a few days I received all the modules via mail. very good info. In case you are interested, here is a link to it woodlot.novascotia.ca/
Happy and safe time in the forest for you and your family. Cheers
@@yvesjolicoeur747 Thank you for the effort, nonetheless. And please keep me posted on developments within your woodlot. That Home Study Course from Nova Scotia is terrific, and I'm glad that you were able to easily obtain a hard copy. I have only the PDF download version. Be safe! Vince
What a thrill to watch your video. Same kind of forest that i own in north west New Brunswick. I do a bit of logging for the little sugar camp on the wood lot.
Eric Lee, thanks for your comment. And yes, we share the same forest type and are nearby neighbors. Be safe in the woods! Vince
I live half my life in Nb. and do some logging. Most of my logging now is done in ns. A great peace of woodland is hard to come by.
Love your videos
Thank you and Merry Christmas! Vince
Thank you Cleon. Vince
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I do somelogging myself in eastern Canada. I made some similar videos. You do a great job and I like how you teach how to log sustainably.
Thank you once again. You and I have corresponded more than once in the past already, but it never hurts to reconnect. Be safe! Vince
great video - thanks
Thank you, Kent, and I hope you found it useful. Above all, be safe in the woods! Vince
Great video! Looks like southern Finland in the vinter.
Thank you, and I would love to visit Finland someday. Vince
I find if you snigg log when they are attached to the main line, the force from pulling the log embeds the cable into itself so gets stuck. To avoid that problem and make free wheeling easier, I attached the chain to the chain holder slots when snigging.
That's a good idea because it definitely is a pain in the rear end to have the winch cable bind on itself on the winch drum. Curiously, I had that problem more with my old Farmi than with my newer winch and experienced it more as a result of winching than from skidding or, as you say, "snigging." Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having that problem with my newer winch. I run the same diameter cable on both. Perhaps differences in the drums or how the cable feeds onto them explains the difference. Nonetheless, thanks for your suggestion and I advise other viewers experiencing the same problem to give your suggestion a try. Vince
Same to you and yours
Awesome videos. Great information. Thank you. What do you do with all the brush and small branches... do you leave them in the forest? Do you take them back and burn them, chip them? What kind of chains do you have on your tractor wheels? they look like they have studs on them? Thanks again from Eastern Canada.
Hi Rob! Yes, I leave the logging slash in the forest where its slow decomposition not only returns nutrients to the forest floor but also provides beneficial habitat for a multitude of critters especially various small reptiles and amphibians. My tire chains are made by Trygg of Norway. Really great chains and they are studded. I have a truly international operation! Tractor from Japan; winch, forwarding trailer, chainsaw chain and bar, and a few other items from Canada; tire chains from Norway; chainsaws and a variety of small tools from Sweden; hardhat and a variety of small tools from Germany; safety chaps from Mexico; and an inconsequential this and that from China. Just about the only things that were made in the USA are me and my logger's tape! Vince
👍🤠
Very informative video...
Julian, Glad you found it useful! Be safe in the woods! Vince
Thank you so much for such a great demo and tutorial. I am working in the Yukon in a much smaller scale , small logging with my ATV and a few tools. I was considering upgrading to a tractor and a skidding winch and your videos really showed me how much more i could do! Of course, we are limited here in winter by the cold and the terrain is all but flat so a bit harder for tractor logging. I could ask so many questions!! How could i contact you? Thanks again for your amazing videos! Keep up the good work and stay safe!
Sebastien, you are very welcome. One thing that I suggest is that you don't move to a tractor unless you have various other chores for it to perform. Its versatility is the farm tractor's strong point. If you wished only to improve your logging efficiency, an old skidder or small crawler tractor like a JD350 or 450 with a winch might be a better choice. If you intend to log when the ground is not frozen and have issues with sensitive soils at such times, a light weight crawler like a JD350 might be the best choice. It would also be more stable on steeper ground. Since other viewers will likely benefit from your additional questions, please ask them here. Be safe! Vince
@@bombadiltreefarms314 Thanks for the advices and the quick reply! I did consider theses options as well but the transportation of equipment on my trailer, dealership access, repairs cost...is all to be considered. The access to older skidders or the shipping for one up here are also an issue and cost sensitive. I do some snow plowing and snow removal in the winter and would have therefore use of the tractor then as well. Its versatility is indeed a strong point and a single use for it wouldn't justify the investment. I ll be happy to share my decision and will follow up on the results! i did take notes of all your tricks and advices and will likely apply them on the field! Thanks again! sebastien
I really enjoy your videos thank you for making them. I've recently purchased a parcel of mature trees (by Manitoba standards anyways) and would love to start sustainable logging in my free time. My property is about 70 percent aspen and 30 percent oak, very few of other species. I plan on building a PTO logging winch for my tractor over the winter. If you don't mind me asking, what does a load like that bring in? Thank you
I don't mind you asking at all, but the answer in many ways is sad. After growing for 60 to 80 years, surviving all kinds of challenges mother nature threw their way, followed by my time and effort felling, bucking, winching, skidding or forwarding, then the cost of trucking to the mill, at last winter's prices a 20-ton load of 100-inch aspen paid me around $700.00 USD. After figuring in property taxes over those six to eight decades and the cost of machinery and fuel and supplies, what I end up with can hardly be called profit. It's a labor of love, not a way to get rich. I wish you great joy and success in your venture! Be safe! Vince
Where in MB. I'm in the interlake and have about 500 acres of forest. Getting my little kubota ready to start this also but think I'll just buy a PTO winch.
@@bombadiltreefarms314 Unfortunately for those of us that produce small amounts of wood, the pulp prices are kept low by the mechanized operations that can produce large amounts of wood in a short time. I think this is also happening with softwood sawlogs, the prices haven't recovered after the crash of 2008. It seems that everything is based on production not on very careful work like you are doing.
Great series of videos!!
Thank you for taking the time to do these videos. I have enjoyed them very much. I see your winch is remote control, great feature. I am about to purchase my first winch and have looked at most makes. A couple of the ones I am looking at also have remote control, however it comes at a substantial expense. What make and model is your winch? Do you have any advice on winch purchases?
Hi Wayne, and thank you for your kind remarks. My radio remote controlled winch is a Metavic Model TR80HTL manufactured in Canada. The exclusive distributor for Metavic products is Les Distributions Payeur, Inc. located in Ascot Corner, Quebec. Ascot Corner is a suburb of Sherbrooke, Quebec. The Payeur team is bilingual so don't worry if you don't speak French. At the time that I bought my winch, Payeur was running a special that threw in the radio control option either for free or for some discount that made it impossible to resist. If you don't live in Canadian but instead live in the USA, NAFTA works very much in your favor when buying from Payeur. Under NAFTA Payeur can sell directly to customers in NAFTA signatory countries without any Canadian, or in my case USA, export/import tariffs; without any Canadian federal or provincial sales tax; and without any USA state sales tax. On top of that, the current exchange rate is very much in favor of the US dollar. Payeur sells and delivers a lot of machinery to customers in the USA and makes the whole process as easy as buying from Amazon.com. My Metavic winch is not 100% radio remote controlled which is a minor drawback. After pulling out the winch cable I must return to the winch to manually engage the winch's hydraulic motor before activating the remote. If I need to return to my attached logs because they catch up on something, however, I can slowly feed out whatever cable I need using the remote control unit and then use it to winch in the logs as I follow behind. I'm in the process of making what I hope will be a simple, safe, and reliable alteration that will allow me to engage the winch's motor using the remote control unit and thereby preclude the need to first manually engage the winch. Another minor drawback to the winch is its slow winching speed. It is an incredibly strong winch but its maximum winching speed even with a high flow volume hydraulic source is only 1 to 3 feet per second depending upon how much cable is on the drum. This makes for a very safe winching speed but it can easily take a full 60 seconds or more to winch in what my old Farmi could do in less than 10 seconds. In the whole scheme of things, however, at the day's end I really doubt if the slower speed reduces production. I'd be happy to give you my opinion on winch purchases, but first I need to know more about your intended use and prior logging experience. For example, are you planning to make a living or supplement your income with it, planning to use it for cutting a few cord of firewood for yourself each year or supplying enough to heat half the homes in Minnesota, planning to use it in thinning a plantation of 5 acres or in selectively harvesting mature trees from an extensive mixed stand as I was doing in the video? Let me know and I'd be glad to offer my opinion. Be safe in the woods! Vince
Thank you for the thorough reply. I live right here in Maine near Augusta. I own about 200 acres of mixed forest. I enjoy working in my woods and cut firewood for myself. At some point I may decide to sell some but nothing on a large scale. I do have some nice sawlogs and would love to have a sawmill. This may happen someday but for now its all about a winch. I'm about to pull the trigger on a Tajfun EGV35A winch. I have researched most brands and feel this is the winch for me. They do offer a remote control, as does Wallenstein. The remote comes at a significant price increase that I cannot justify at this time. The winch will be paired with my John Deere 3520 tractor. I'm comfortable working in the woods and have advanced rigging skills. However this will be my first winch. I welcome your input. The Tajfun winches can be Googled or found right on craigslist. I've chosen the dealership in NH.
Hi Wayne! Someday I'd love to own a Tajfun. Manufactured in the same country where our First Lady was born, for whatever that's worth. They are pricey but incredibly well engineered. I have never heard anything bad about them. The radio controlled model I would like to own runs just under $8,000.00. That's twice what my Metavic cost, and I just couldn't justify the difference for the 120 to 160 tons of aspen and fir stud logs that I harvest each winter. Since your intended use is cutting your own firewood, possibly selling a little on the side, and to assist you in being a good steward of your woodlot, I fully agree that the added cost of the radio remote control is hard to justify. A great thing about the Tajfun remote control option and what very likely contributes to its rather shocking price is that it is, unlike the remote control on my Metavic, a complete remote control. You don't have to return to the winch to manually engage anything before using the remote control. It does it all. Hope to bump into you some day! Vince
Man was a beautiful woodlot. Is this your own woodlot?
Green Acres, Please accept my apology. I did not notice your comment until today, almost a year after you sent it. Yes, this is my own woodlot, and so much of its beauty is the result of my and my family's efforts over many years. It has been a labor of love since I acquired it as a young man 42 years ago. Thank you, and once again, please accept my apology for such a delayed reply. Vince
I love your videos and have watched them multiple times. I find them relaxing and very accurate to what i already do. My father who is 71 and 'by extension myself as he is slowly letting go control of the property as he wants me to slowly take over before inheriting it outright' have a 100 acres where we cut 10 cord of wood a year and use a husky 550 16" bar and a 372 20" bar. I was curious what you use.We also have a woodland mills hm130 that we log for. Also i was looking at a front mount snow blower for our 31hp tractor and was wondering if you thought that it would inter fear with logging operations as compared to having a bucket and changing out a rear mount snowblower when needed. Thank you again. South central Ontario.
Also with the Payeur skidding winch, do you pull out you logs attached to the skidding cable, or do you disconnect and attach the chains to the winches slots on top of the lower plate?
Thanks for your comment. My primary saw is a Husqvarna 562. It came with a 20-inch bar but for the type felling and delimbing that I do I found that changing over to an 18-inch bar provides better balance and cutting power. Regarding tractor mounted snowblowers, front mounted blowers are a real joy compared to rear mounted ones like mine. I am certain, however, that a front mounted blower would get in the way in my forest operations but perhaps not in yours. I have only seen a couple front mounted blowers that quickly disconnect, but both still had rather heavy low riding mounting frames underneath the tractor. Since I haven't researched front blowers, I can't tell you more. Sounds like you and your dad have a nice operation. My best wishes and stay safe! Vince
Rarely do I disconnect from the winch cable and attach the choker chains to the grab slots on the top of the butt plate. Doing so does, however, lower the lever arm effect of the skidded load and, especially on trails that are not straight, reduces the risk of a tractor rollover. The same added safety can be gained by running the winch cable through the lower snatchblock on the winch. Those chain grab slots on top of the butt plate are also useful for folks who rig their winch cable differently than I do, especially for folks with only one or two slides with grab hooks on their winch cables and who travel down their trails winching in a log here and another there. After winching in a log, they transfer its choker chain to a grab slot on top of the butt plate. That completely frees up for the next log their winch cable with its limited number of slides. Play around with both and with various riggings of slides, cable chokers, and chain chokers on your winch cable and see what works best for you. Above all, be safe! Vince
I noticed when you snig out the logs you leave them hooked to the winch cable. I find when I do this the cable jams but if I chain the logs to the chain clevises on the winch the cable pulls out free.
Hi Green Acres. You offered the same comment 7 months ago and I replied then. Instead of sending you off hunting for our discussion, I'll copy it here. I replied, "That's a good idea because it definitely is a pain in the rear end to have the winch cable bind on itself on the winch drum. Curiously, I had that problem more with my old Farmi than with my newer winch and experienced it more as a result of winching than from skidding or, as you say, "snigging." Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having that problem with my newer winch. I run the same diameter cable on both. Perhaps differences in the drums or how the cable feeds onto them explains the difference. Nonetheless, thanks for your suggestion and I advise other viewers experiencing the same problem to give your suggestion a try. Vince"
I see you are using chains on your trails. I am just about to begin using my winter trails with my tractor but i am worried that without chains....I won't really be able to pull much on snow, even with good agricultural tires. I will soon find out but would consider imperative the use of chains for winter logging? Especially on small slopes . Most of my time is spent on trail making so I can navigate and skid logs later but this will be my first winter logging and i have so much yet to learn and discover! Thanks a lot again for a great tutorial on your videos.
Sebastien, it is always a pleasure to hear from you and get updates on your forestry operations. I find chains extremely beneficial on hard packed snow, something that your trails become after three or four days of repeated travel. On loose snow they don't add much benefit. The temperature doesn't have to get anywhere near melting point for the snow on your trails to stiffen up. It may never get above -20 Celsius and yet the snow on your trails will stiffen up just with repeated tractor travel followed by a few hours overnight without any use. Chains are very expensive, however, and I suggest you see how much wood you are able to yank without them before investing the money. Be safe, my friend! Vince
@@bombadiltreefarms314 Thanks a lot! Yes, that's what i found out about cost. I ll try first what can be done without them first. Snow is still very soft and the ground underneath still not frozen (first snow came and stayed while ground was still not frozen). My trail was nicely packed after the first cold but i am sticking with light travel (snowmachine and skimmer at the moment. I ll be happy to send you some pics of my area. Where to send them? Thanks again and i ll stay in touch.
@@sebastienweisser4839 Yes, I would like to see those pics. I've never been to the Yukon and would love to get a glimpse of your forestry operations there. First, email me at vrsmd@yahoo.com but don't send the pics. That is an email address that receives all kinds of stuff and that I don't care if it gets compromised. Once I get your email, I will send you my preferred email address where you can send the pics. Cheers! Vince
How are you gong my friend le professeur ? Still watching your vidéos once in a while, especially the oldest with your Nice machineries
Michel, it is wonderful to hear from you. I am doing very well and wish the same to you. I have just finished preparations for this winter's harvest and in a couple weeks plan to migrate south, as I usually do, while waiting for the ground here in northern Maine to freeze. That migration south includes several days in Mexico where I plan to finish another video, perhaps two, that are updates on the clearcutting series. Au revoir pour le moment. Vince
Good video, I live in Maine and log my own property also. I've never heard Mainers call them aspen, Balsam poplar, also known as popple, I'm guessing you do that for non-Mainers.
Thanks for your comment. We have three species of the Populus genus naturally occurring in Maine. The most prevalent is quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) followed by bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) and balsam poplar (Populus balsimifera). Although distinctly different species, both quaking and bigtooth aspen are commonly referred to in Maine as "popple" and balsam poplar as "Balm-of-Gilead." And no, I do not use their appropriate names for the sake of non-Mainers. I refer you to the Maine Forest Service's "Forest Trees of Maine", Maine's tree identification authority for over 100 years where all three species are and have been listed by their appropriate names with secondary reference to colloquial names. For aspen this begins on page 61 of the Centennial Edition of the book. Any licensed forester in Maine will not only recognize but appreciate the use of the correct names. If you don't have a copy of "Forest Trees of Maine," I encourage you to contact your Maine Forest Service District Forester for a copy. Be safe in the woods! Vince
Nice job 👍. Is that a Kioti or Kubota
Hi Lyndon. That is a 1982 Kubota L345DT. Glad you found the video informative. Be safe in the woods! Vince
I’m confused by the title. There is not any boreal forest region in the USA except for Alaska. So why are you saying you are in the boreal in NE USA?
Warren, thank you for your comment. You are incorrect, however. As I state in the opening minutes of the Chapter 1 video, there are a couple small extensions of the North American boreal forest into the lower 48 states. One of those is in the northernmost region of the state of Maine. I quote the following from one of the many scientific publications that I have:
Taiga (/ˈtaɪɡə/; Russian: тайга́; IPA: [tɐjˈɡa]; from
Turkic[1]) also known as boreal forest or snow forest,
is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting
mostly of pines, spruces and larches.
The taiga is the world’s largest terrestrial biome. In
North America it covers most of inland Canada and
Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental
United States (northern Minnesota through the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Upstate New York
and northern New England), where it is known as the
Northwoods.[2]
The local species mix does vary considerably. In northern Canada and Alaska, white and black spruce predominate but gradually shift to primarily white spruce as you approach the arctic tree line. As you move east through Siberia, spruce (Picea abies) give way to primarily larch. In my video I discuss what we have in the transition zone in which our forestland is located. A mere 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of our location the forest type cannot even remotely be referred to as boreal forest. I hope that this clarifies your confusion. Thanks again for your comment. Vince
Correction, a meter is 39 5/8 “ !!!!!
Hi Dennis. Actually it is a little less. A meter is 39.4 inches. Where did I mix things up? No doubt I did or you would not have caught it. Thanks for being so alert! Vince
where do get a wench set up like that
Hi Edwin. There are many manufacturers of logging winches for farm tractors. Mine comes from Les Distributions Payeur, Inc. in Canada. Other brands marketed in many countries around the world are Farmi and Tajfun. Check them out online. Vince
Your chain is way too loose. It's bad for bar, chain, and safety.
Marc, you are absolutely correct! For the sake of other viewers interested in Marc's comment, please take a look at my saw chain beginning at time-point 04:34 in the video. No saw should ever be operated with a chain that visibly hangs loose like mine does there! To achieve proper chain tension, tighten the chain as much as possible that will still allow you to easily rotate it by hand. Such a chain will sit tightly on the bar without any sag but will still allow you to pull the tie-straps off the bar while the drive links remain well engaged in the bar groove. When you let go the chain will noticeably snap back against the bar. I encourage interested viewers to download and study the "Oregon Maintenance & Safety Manual - PDF" that's easily obtained by Googling that tile. Oregon's instructions vary a bit from mine but achieve the same degree of tension. Now for my pitiful excuse! Before publishing my video, I saw what Marc noticed and couldn't believe my eyes! If it hadn't been caught on video, I would insist that I never run an improperly tensioned chain. It was a new chain that required adjustment for break-in stretching after every tank of gas, and I had carelessly ignored keeping an eye on it. It is an admittedly pitiful excuse but it does emphasize how seemingly small oversights can invite trouble. Instead of going back and re-shooting the scene with the chain properly adjusted, I decided to let it stay. After three years and nearly 30,000 viewers, Marc is the first one to catch it! By doing so, he has brought up an important teaching point that deserves our thanks. I further beg forgiveness by referring you to time-points beginning at 08:53, 18:55, and 33:43 in the video. Those scenes show the chain properly adjusted. Marc, the sole purpose in all my videos is quality education, and feedback like yours corrects errors and oversights. I sincerely thank you, and look forward to additional constructive criticism that you might offer in this or any of my other videos. Be safe! Vince
Your equipment is too new and clean.
Tom, I can't tell if you say that jokingly or seriously! My tractor is a 1982 model that I have owned since 1983. The winch was only a couple years old when I filmed this video but had had considerable use by that time. I do maintain my equipment well, store it under cover when not in use, and, for the purpose of protecting roots and soil, do not operate in the woods when the ground is wet. Consequently, rarely will you find mud or dirt on my equipment, and white snow does enhance the sense of cleanliness. I bought another winch this past May to replace the red one in this video. The red one now, after nearly eight years of use, still looks as nice and clean as it does in this video. Thanks for your comment. Vince
Less talkn more action
Did you try listening to the wealth of knowledge? Maybe you should get an xbox instead of trying to learn things
You talk to much
U talk to much by