February 9, 2025

Hunting Land In South Alabama?- Timber Sales Tips

Hunting Alabama Land?- Timber Sales Tips

Thinning can be simple. This essay dispenses insight from my years of participation in protecting your investment and sales of future timber harvests. Before I do anything else, I always phone a forester who is accredited in the state of Alabama. I’ll solicit him to perform a timber evaluation, also referred to as a “cruise.” The cruise will give the age, type, quantity, estimated volume, present sale market price and future sale assessment if managed correctly. I will also ask him to make note of any parasites and disorders and to provide recommendations, such as burning, fertilizing, pesticides… and in his opinion, where would he install game attracting green fields for hunting.

An imperative consideration in timber management is to know that the timber density can soon become a impediment to their own cultivation and maturation rates. If they are permitted to stay so densely packed, they will start to fight for fundamental nutrients. The effect of this is that your timber will stagnate and never progress. Since your sale value is determined by the mass of the timber, your return on investment will suffer. How can you avoid this? What I commonly do is systematically remove 25{ef6a2958fe8e96bc49a2b3c1c7204a1bbdb5dac70ce68e07dc54113a68252ca4} to 1/3 of the timber by select thinning every third or fourth row of the stand. This is repeated each time the trees “outgrow the dirt” until only healthy, mature timber remains. Any time you thin the timber on your hunting property, the surviving trees get a chance to mature, become bigger and increase in quality thereby strengthening the sale value of your ensuing harvest.

Appointing a timber harvesting contractor is an essential task that ought to be embarked upon with caution and diligence. No doubt, price is a consideration but use due diligence and forethought when dealing with proposals that seem too good to be true. In all portions of the nation, along with Alabama, word of mouth is a good way to find quality businesses. As you accumulate a list of prospects, have each one evaluate the land and prepare a detailed bid. Remember to mention the forester’s remarks, to show the layout of green fields. They will then furnish a list of the various types of trees to be cut and the price they are going to pay per ton.

As you “short list” the higher proposals, ask for references and examples of some of their recent projects. You should then contact their references to get an idea for the quality of their work. Then, if feasible, run out and scout those jobs to get some knowledge of how your land may look upon completion.

This is the chance to ask for small favors. If you need some ditches, road work, a drain replaced (you provide culvert) a crude road pushed up or some dozer work, this is the time to speak up!

Once a company is picked and all is settled, a contract with all declared, from the sale amount quoted, range to be harvested, (location and which rows) favors and the duration in which they have to be complete, is put in writing and confirmed by both sides. If you’re at any point uneasy, never think twice to run any concerns by a real estate lawyer prior to continuing. If someone over anxious, just walk away from the deal. At this point, there could be too much risk compared to the possible rewards.

Now, I find a dependable teenager! That’s right, I find an affordable employee to keep track of the timber as it’s hauled away from the hunting land. Simply set up an area for someone to take a picture of the back of each truck’s load of timber as it’s leaving. Provide him with a camera that diplays a date stamp as a record of the haul. This is an important step that many investors do not utilize but it’s a foolproof way to be sure that you are getting proper credit for the sale of your timber. On that note, you should receive payment for the sale of harvested timber within 10 days to two weeks. This should continue regularly, as long as the weather does not interfere.

What should you expect during the timber cutting process? First, expect the property to look awful! The logging process and all the heavy equipment can seem a bit harsh on the property at first. It’s loud and disruptive and the trucks can leave ruts in the south Alabama clay roads. But, this may be necessary to accomplish their goal. Unfortunately, others, such as hunters do not, or will not want to accept this. Therefore, sometimes, war has been known to break out between the two. If you do have hunters leasing your property, be sure to make them aware of your intentions by informing them of the areas that may be affected and the dates that logging will take place. Remind them that YOU are the owner of the property and that you will not tolerate any disrespect between the hunters and contractor and that you reserve the right to terminate any agreements you have made if it becomes an issue. You must absolutely stand firm on this and not bow to any pressure placed on you by either of them. It’s also a good idea to randomly spot check the progress of the harvest. Since you can’t put them back once they’re gone, it’s best to stay on top of the project so that things stay on track. Plus timber harvesting can be fairly fascinating to watch.

So now, the job is finished. But while at it, why not go ahead and complete all that’s good for your trees to further help them out? Look back at the professional opinions provided by your forester and implement any pest control items he suggested. Also, consider a controlled burning, followed by chemical brush killers to keep the underbrush from building back up anytime soon. You may also consider a soil test an applying the proper fertilizers. The less underbrush, the more sun, water and other essential nutrients will reach the pines resulting in healthy, heavy, valuable timber for the next thinning. Also, the previously unassailable property, due to its thick underbrush will soon be full of wildlife coming in to take advantage of the fresh green shoots and new found habitat, resulting in much better hunting land. Not to mention, if a wildfire threatens your property, the risk of damage is far less than before because the fuel (underbrush) has been removed! And year after year, with each new harvest and sale, your property will have a more aesthetically appealing look.