How Does a Lumberjack Spend a Workday?
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Business Outdoors
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Lumberjacks, also known as loggers, must run a safe and productive business, which involves more than the stereotypical ax and saw. Professional loggers must strive to harvest timber in a responsible manner and attain certifications such as first aid, CPR and acquire knowledge of proper timber harvesting laws, trucking regulations and fundamentals of forestry and land management. Different states have different certifications for loggers to complete such as New Hampshire's Professional Loggers Program, which is administered by the New Hampshire Timber Harvesting Council. Though loggers typically spend a lot of time doing physical work, writing and delivering well-written contracts and sales is part of their business routine as is working with licensed foresters.
Equipment
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Lumberjacks or loggers spend much of their day operating large machinery such as timberjacks, skidders, chippers, slasher/loaders, stump grinders, processors, logging trucks, chainsaws and many others. These machines all play a part in the cutting and removing of selected timber from woodland areas in all sorts of environments, some of which are on steep slopes. The daily use of these machines requires routine maintenance. Logging equipment is not a small investment for a lumberjack. Even used timberjacks, for example, can cost up to $90,000, so proper use is important.
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Daily Operations
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Loggers have many types of cutting projects. Daily operations could include removing trees that are selected with tape or paint on an individual basis by a client, or they may be clear-cutting an entire designated area. They may also cut away a group selection to improve wildlife habitat, selective cut to improve the quality of the forest or diameter limit cut in which all trees above a certain diameter are harvested. For any operation, loggers must maintain a visual perception of where all possible hazards are at all times and be able to maneuver their machinery through dense or rocky areas. In many instances, winter is a favorable time for cutting since the obstacle of mud ruts are eliminated. Loggers work long daily hours and must sometimes dress for below freezing temperatures.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Naomi Judd
