How to get into the forestry industry?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

My tutor told me that you wouldnt get a job hand felling unless you could do 150 a day. This was after platting snot for a long time.

 

That's a lot and the numbers to be expected of a very experienced high-energy cutter and I'd say in softwoods let alone hardwoods! To cut say larch thinnings of 8-14" dbh and do 100-120 a day is very good (inc sned, crosscut and stack). Not met many people who can do 150 a day! I'm going to have a race with myself this week now - see how bad I've become!

Edited January 30, 2011 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[Stu]

i thought 150 trees a day sounded alot, it workes out to be if u were doin a 10 hour day ud have to cut 15 trees an hour 1 every four mins and then to cross cut and stack them aswell. whats the normal hours for a forester?

[Logrover]

Hello there i hope you are successful getting into this industry! since i was at school i wanted to do forestry despite the fact there is no money in it and limited job availability! I have done a hnd in forestry from sparsholt and a degree from newton rigg, chainsaw tickets etc. So far i have not been able to do what i consider my dream job of forestry management. I set up as a self employed tree surgeon for about 5 years due to this after working for several companies. Last year i jacked it in due to tha fact i did nt want to do any more conifers and basically waste disposal as well as having a wrecked back, knee, elbow etc from hedgecutting etc. The clinching thing was i ripped my shoulder tendon which will never be the same again now and so i cant do heavy cutting all day which i quite enjoyed! I hate dragging crap through tiny gateways and after 10 years of that i was ready to give up the decent wages and try to find my dream job again!! currently i am working as a forest ranger at center parcs due mainly due to the job issues in the uk at present but one day i hope to progress to what im passionate about!

It is hard to begin contracting in forestry due to the tight margins and startup costs. Also it is difficult to get a management job especially on estates as advertised jobs mostly are already filled inhouse and it is advertised for the legal aspect!

So i am still looking for the job i want and probably will be for a while yet although i am considering doing a plumbing course as i may never find the job im after!

So my advice is try and get i with an estate...the work is slower pace than commercial forestry where you will slowly destroy your body but to get higher up you will have to stay there for years and slowly work your way up the ladder!

Good luck and rememeber its not what you know its who you know and experience always counts......

[kernowstu]

i thought 150 trees a day sounded alot, it workes out to be if u were doin a 10 hour day ud have to cut 15 trees an hour 1 every four mins and then to cross cut and stack them aswell. whats the normal hours for a forester?

 

let alone crib breaks,fag breaks,refuelling and even pea stops and of course getting to the woodland and then walking 1 mile to get to the trees so your tutors 10 hour day has now turned into a 14hour day,he is talking shed loads of rubbish. normal hours what are they, GOOD QUESTION!!!

[Stu]

Thanks for the coment log rover ive got a few estates near me so ill give them a try.

 

Do u do much forestry kernowstu or you purely tree sugery?

[kernowstu]

Thanks for the coment log rover ive got a few estates near me so ill give them a try.

 

Do u do much forestry kernowstu or you purely tree sugery?

 

all i did was forestry,had a break from it a few years ago

but its always in your blood and now getting the taste for it again,you will never be rich but its a great life:001_smile:

[Stu]

I dunno a few people ive talked to said if your doing piece work and you were really fast at it you could earn more then climbers could in a day, but its not so much about the money anyway more so enjoying the job.

[Sam Thompson]

As I said, its like platting snot... but there you go. Maybe he was jsut trying to scare me...

 

 

Ah well. You'll do alright if you give your best.

[Stu]

Whats platting snot? lol

[Sam Thompson]

Whats platting snot? lol

 

Very very hard. Try it