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Jobs/Employment In The Outdoors/Forestry Setting
Posted on 10/3/24 at 11:59 am
Posted on 10/3/24 at 11:59 am
Currently equipment operator with a cdl and looking to possibly make a career change or continue on this track but in more of a woods setting.
How does one go about searching for something like this.
What’s the schooling process for a forester? Can someone at the age of 43 realistically become a forester with zero background.
When I was a kid always wanted to be a game warden but I’m not built to deal with hunting/fishing fatalities that comes with that job.
Any other ideas or paths I should seek?
How does one go about searching for something like this.
What’s the schooling process for a forester? Can someone at the age of 43 realistically become a forester with zero background.
When I was a kid always wanted to be a game warden but I’m not built to deal with hunting/fishing fatalities that comes with that job.
Any other ideas or paths I should seek?
6
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:09 pm to WillFerrellisking
You can become a registered forestry technician in MS with a 2 year CC degree. Or a Registered Forester with a 4 year degree.
But my guess is that a technician job would be pretty easy to OTJ train for without the degree. Maybe just take some certification courses like Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Forestry Burning Certification. And of course running a bulldozer cleaning up roads is always in demand.
If you can run equipment, there are always job openings on logging crews. The cutter and skidder guys make decent money. (Think in the $60k range) and the Loader operator makes closer to $80k and some of them make $100k. But it takes skill because you are being paid to sort logs really fast just by looking at them from a distance of 20-30 feet. And you are either making or losing your crew a lot of money based on about 1000 log decisions that you make every day (2 or 3 decisions per minute). So it's a skilled job in high demand.
But my guess is that a technician job would be pretty easy to OTJ train for without the degree. Maybe just take some certification courses like Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Forestry Burning Certification. And of course running a bulldozer cleaning up roads is always in demand.
If you can run equipment, there are always job openings on logging crews. The cutter and skidder guys make decent money. (Think in the $60k range) and the Loader operator makes closer to $80k and some of them make $100k. But it takes skill because you are being paid to sort logs really fast just by looking at them from a distance of 20-30 feet. And you are either making or losing your crew a lot of money based on about 1000 log decisions that you make every day (2 or 3 decisions per minute). So it's a skilled job in high demand.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:38 pm to No Colors
Thanks Colors.
It’s funny you mention logging cause my oldest son (15) wants to become an owner/operator of a logging crew once done with high school and college or community college.
No idea where he gets that from besides us being a little around it at our camp in Franklin county ms and he enjoying running equipment along side his grandpa and myself.
It’s funny you mention logging cause my oldest son (15) wants to become an owner/operator of a logging crew once done with high school and college or community college.
No idea where he gets that from besides us being a little around it at our camp in Franklin county ms and he enjoying running equipment along side his grandpa and myself.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:44 pm to WillFerrellisking
Logging is a bottleneck in the system right now. There are absolutely not enough loggers.
The biggest reason is that timber buyers used to have all of the leverage. Because they had the quota to get rid of the pulpwood. It was a license to become rich. All they did was put the logger and the landowner together and they made $3 a ton.
But things have changed. The wood dealers got greedy (IMO) and ran too many loggers out of business. So now the loggers have the leverage. And they can just about name their price and be real picky on what conditions they work under.
And the mills are much more likely to deal directly with a logger these days and cut the wood dealer out. So the modern logger can make a fair profit in logging, plus he can absorb the profit of the old wood dealer network. It just takes someone who can interface with the landowner and negotiate with the mills. So it's a tough job. But there's a very credible living to be made by just playing it straight and being good at what you do.
The biggest reason is that timber buyers used to have all of the leverage. Because they had the quota to get rid of the pulpwood. It was a license to become rich. All they did was put the logger and the landowner together and they made $3 a ton.
But things have changed. The wood dealers got greedy (IMO) and ran too many loggers out of business. So now the loggers have the leverage. And they can just about name their price and be real picky on what conditions they work under.
And the mills are much more likely to deal directly with a logger these days and cut the wood dealer out. So the modern logger can make a fair profit in logging, plus he can absorb the profit of the old wood dealer network. It just takes someone who can interface with the landowner and negotiate with the mills. So it's a tough job. But there's a very credible living to be made by just playing it straight and being good at what you do.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:46 pm to WillFerrellisking
Maint worker with the forest service or national park service? USA Jobs DOI
This post was edited on 10/3/24 at 12:51 pm
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:47 pm to WillFerrellisking
where are you located?
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:51 pm to TimeOutdoors
The National Forest near me subs out the roads for patch work and bush hogging.
That was my 1st thought was to hire on with the forest service until I realized they sub it out.
That was my 1st thought was to hire on with the forest service until I realized they sub it out.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 12:52 pm to LoneStarTiger
South Louisiana but own a a camp in Franklin county ms where soon we plan to relocate to………I hope
Posted on 10/3/24 at 1:08 pm to WillFerrellisking
Get a skid steer with forestry mulcher and cut shooting lanes
Posted on 10/3/24 at 1:14 pm to WillFerrellisking
quote:
The National Forest near me subs out the roads for patch work and bush hogging.
Most do both, contract some of the work and do some of the work themselves. I helped Death Valley a few years ago after flooding and they had a number of EO's from fish and wildlife come in as well. I should have included them with FS and NPS.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 1:41 pm to Ron Cheramie
Definitely not out the question Ron. Actually have priced a skid steer and mulcher recently from a local dealer.
Thought about getting that and seeing where that takes me. There’s a ton of attachments for skid steers and mini excavators nowadays.
Thought about getting that and seeing where that takes me. There’s a ton of attachments for skid steers and mini excavators nowadays.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 2:27 pm to No Colors
quote:It's gotten to where it's a damn problem in MS. A very, very big damn problem, especially with the beetle infestations where time is of the essence. I've got a 140 acre block of 30 year pines on good ground with great access that beetles are running through like whiskey trots through a sieve and am at the mercy of the logger's itinerary.
Logging is a bottleneck in the system right now. There are absolutely not enough loggers.
OPer, you'll need a 4 year degree to become a registered forester. To be honest, unless you have options to fund college, with the cost of a degree, poor salary starting off, possible job placement issues, given your background in equipment operating, you'd probably come out even putting together a business plan and easing into the land clearing market with your own equipment.
If all else fails you can get on with some of these larger prime contractors who do clearing work for TVA, CoE, and other federal agencies. They work in the woods, often pay well (Davis-Bacon Act can drive up hourly wages substantially), and because the government never intends to stop printing money, the work never runs out.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 3:01 pm to mudshuvl05
quote:Your problem is there is too much of what you have out there, baw.
I've got a 140 acre block of 30 year pines
This post was edited on 10/3/24 at 3:26 pm
Posted on 10/3/24 at 3:58 pm to WillFerrellisking
Land surveyor is what I would do if starting over instead of engineering, so I wouldn’t be stuck in the office all the time. Nice mix of inside and outside, white and blue collar. Unfortunately the requirements to get licensed are pretty extensive but you may be able to get on a crew as a technician. Not sure what your salary needs are but on a local crew in the woods may not be great. If you get on with some of the larger construction companies they pay pretty well.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 4:39 pm to WillFerrellisking
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry always has job openings for this type of work.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 5:08 pm to Tchefuncte Tiger
How do I search that?
Posted on 10/3/24 at 7:57 pm to WillFerrellisking
Louisiana Department of Civil Service website.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 8:33 pm to Tchefuncte Tiger
Thanks bud
Posted on 10/3/24 at 9:28 pm to WillFerrellisking
I’m in NW Amite county, about a half mile from the Franklin county line. There a few very well to do loggers up here . All of them are honest hard working people. It’s a good profession from I can see.
Posted on 10/3/24 at 10:16 pm to pdubya76
There’s zero schooling for the timber industry down here that I’m aware of. He already said he wanted to go to college (or community college) in MS.
Guess I’m gonna have to take him a little more seriously when he says he wants to be a logger. Hope he’ll hire me one day! haha
Thanks for the replies guys. I have new ideas to follow up on now.
Guess I’m gonna have to take him a little more seriously when he says he wants to be a logger. Hope he’ll hire me one day! haha
Thanks for the replies guys. I have new ideas to follow up on now.
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