Prospects in Forestry

[wellhiggins]

Do foresters / cutters work until retirement til mid-60s or is the work too physically demanding to last that long? If that's the case then what do you do once you're too knackered to fell at pace anymore?

 

Is there much scope for going into woodland management, forest officer, or estate work for a more cushy lifestyle?

 

For my part, I'm 31 been doing arb in a city for a year and enjoying it, but had a week of removing Sitka regen (weeding with chainsaws) on Highland hills in driving rain - not nice, but one day we felled small sitkas (40ft or so) and loved it. After snedding up I couldn't wait to get onto the next tree. Definitely my gut is telling me that felling in the forest is where I belong! Not sure on my longevity in this specific line of work though... But perhaps opportunities will come along.

 

Advice appreciated!

[AHPP]

Handcutting is for psychopaths, misanthropes and masochist perverts. Try a day in driving sleet (after thirty days like that and with another thirty to look forward to), cold mud ground into your hands, desperately waiting until you finish so you can drink yourself into oblivion and always wondering whether today’s the day you find that your coworker has hanged himself. Forestry’s not far behind warfare for desperateness.

[wellhiggins]

41 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Handcutting is for psychopaths, misanthropes and masochist perverts. Try a day in driving sleet (after thirty days like that and with another thirty to look forward to), cold mud ground into your hands, desperately waiting until you finish so you can drink yourself into oblivion and always wondering whether today’s the day you find that your coworker has hanged himself. Forestry’s not far behind warfare for desperateness.

Just your comment makes me want to hang myself mate. Anyway I tick the first 3 boxes there, but 30 days of sleet and working on slopes does sound pretty awful

[Andrew McEwan]

Even if forestry is warfare like at times, if you love it at least do a chunk of it, and you'll probably get on further in arb if you go back to that eventually, I'm biased but I think you can spot the groundie or climber a mile off that has some solid forestry saw time under their belt, and a lot of more rural based firms seem to do some of both, and also bigger arb with a forestry style approach/kit.

[Stubby]

51 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Handcutting is for psychopaths, misanthropes and masochist perverts. Try a day in driving sleet (after thirty days like that and with another thirty to look forward to), cold mud ground into your hands, desperately waiting until you finish so you can drink yourself into oblivion and always wondering whether today’s the day you find that your coworker has hanged himself. Forestry’s not far behind warfare for desperateness.

Don't sugar coat it FFS . Tell it like it is ...

[wellhiggins]

On 21/06/2020 at 14:42, Andrew McEwan said:

Even if forestry is warfare like at times, if you love it at least do a chunk of it, and you'll probably get on further in arb if you go back to that eventually, I'm biased but I think you can spot the groundie or climber a mile off that has some solid forestry saw time under their belt, and a lot of more rural based firms seem to do some of both, and also bigger arb with a forestry style approach/kit.

Yeah that's a good thought, cheers, I'm definitely gna give it a shot, besides it sounds like AHPP is havin loads of fun over there...

[topchippyles]

On 21/06/2020 at 13:52, AHPP said:

Handcutting is for psychopaths, misanthropes and masochist perverts. Try a day in driving sleet (after thirty days like that and with another thirty to look forward to), cold mud ground into your hands, desperately waiting until you finish so you can drink yourself into oblivion and always wondering whether today’s the day you find that your coworker has hanged himself. Forestry’s not far behind warfare for desperateness.

Your just a pussy  your toy below 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by topchippyles

[Khriss]

On 21/06/2020 at 13:52, AHPP said:

Handcutting is for psychopaths, misanthropes and masochist perverts. Try a day in driving sleet (after thirty days like that and with another thirty to look forward to), cold mud ground into your hands, desperately waiting until you finish so you can drink yourself into oblivion and always wondering whether today’s the day you find that your coworker has hanged himself. Forestry’s not far behind warfare for desperateness.

..... You did miss out the lovely sunrises  ?  K

[htb]

4 minutes ago, Khriss said:

..... You did miss out the lovely sunrises  ?  K

or sunsets...

or the trudge back to your motor trying to find it in the dark...or the mist/low cloud

[Khriss]

8 minutes ago, htb said:

or sunsets...

or the trudge back to your motor trying to find it in the dark...or the mist/low cloud

But.... Wearing gloves, heated grips. The fact yr aching but breathing fresh air compared to johhny office boy choking on the 2 hr commute fumes back home.  Opened caravan door after a full english n walked out in the frost. Saw the tall sitka n mist covering the warming up skidder n thought it was a dream. K