The Worst Job in the World?

[Sport Faller]

I'd have to say that working at the slaughter house was my worst job. We got our pork cuts in huge, 1800 lb. containers, by the time we cut up most of it there was about 2 feet of blood in the bottom of the container. Being the new guy I was the designated "fisherman" which meant that I was tipped over at the waist, feet in the air, and damn near shoulder deep in blood trolling around for any leftover cuts with a meathook


#### that place

 

[056kid]

I have a problem with that.

I am more than willing to get into the industry. But every logger or falling contractor I've talked to this year so far always asks, "how much experience do you have?"

And I tell them the truth; "Some timber falling experience and a lot of hazard tree falling experience."

"Well, you need more experience."

Yes, I do. But, I can't get experience if you don't hire me!

Its called sport falling. That or embellish the truth a tad about your experience level. One way or another you'll get there.

 

[hammerlogging]

but if you're going to stack eggs, I bet you'd have a better chance of ending up doing something logging oriented if you were stacking eggs in timber country.

Me too, first logging job was falling, just got lucky.

 

[tramp bushler]

Its called sport falling. That or embellish the truth a tad about your experience level. One way or another you'll get there.

.
I knew guys who did that most got run off the first day . Some the first week few that lied about their experience made it . Some of them are dead now . Just something about skipping necessary steps that doesn't work .

Its not about just bein a faller . Its about being a good faller .

Slashers and wood butchers are easy to find . Good hands
Whats to say if you lie about your experience you won't lie about your scale . Integrity is more important than just getting a job .

 

[slowp]

but if you're going to stack eggs, I bet you'd have a better chance of ending up doing something logging oriented if you were stacking eggs in timber country.

Me too, first logging job was falling, just got lucky.

There's some egg places around. Winlock? Toledo? One of those places has an egg festival. They are within timber country. I think they lay eggs in Rochester too. That's almost across the highway from the Weyco nursery.

 

[Joe46]

Winlock "used" to be known as the egg capital of the world. I use to candle eggs as a kid when we'd visit friends there.

 

[forestryworks]

Summer job competition is just fierce anymore. I applied for 5 state or fed jobs as a forest tech or forest aide. Usually applied for a lower pay level job so I was sure I would qualify. Didn't get any offers. Missed the deadline on a lot of others, or just didn't see the announcements; some aren't that easy to find online. You'd think they would do a better job of advertising their STEP jobs.

What I'd like to do this summer is at least take a trip and meet a few folks face to face. Find someone to tag along with a few days, pack wedges and jugs around, knock wedges.

More than likely though I'll end up in a grocery store for the summer, saving money for next season.

 

[056kid]

.
I knew guys who did that most got run off the first day . Some the first week few that lied about their experience made it . Some of them are dead now . Just something about skipping necessary steps that doesn't work .

Its not about just bein a faller . Its about being a good faller .

Slashers and wood butchers are easy to find . Good hands
Whats to say if you lie about your experience you won't lie about your scale . Integrity is more important than just getting a job .

If you dream about it day and night you will do anything to get it, you will prepare yourself mentally for more than whatever your wildest dreams can conjure. If you fail miserably and get run off fine. If you feel the vibes and things get good on you, then all right. They can go right ahead and lie about their scale, they wont have a job long will they. Stepping up and putting yourself in the game is what it is all about.

 

[tramp bushler]

All I ever wanted to do was cut timber . But I wasn't willing to start off on the wrong foot .
I'm a better cutter because of it . And I'm still cutting not sleepin under a head stone in the Craig cemetary .

 

[slowp]

If Forestryworks wants to cut out here, working in the rigging first would be beneficial. That way he'd learn about the lay needed to facilitate yarding the logs, and hear the cussing about fallers. It isn't just getting trees on the ground fast as most of you already know.

 

[coastalfaller]

.
I knew guys who did that most got run off the first day . Some the first week few that lied about their experience made it . Some of them are dead now . Just something about skipping necessary steps that doesn't work .

Its not about just bein a faller . Its about being a good faller .

Slashers and wood butchers are easy to find . Good hands
Whats to say if you lie about your experience you won't lie about your scale . Integrity is more important than just getting a job .

Yep, I agree. If a guy is upfront about his experience or is green as grass, that's OK, I don't mind training if the particular job allows it. It's when a guy lies about his experience. It just doesn't work. For anyone. Himself, me, his falling partner or his family. And, you're right, they don't last.

 

[forestryworks]

If Forestryworks wants to cut out here, working in the rigging first would be beneficial. That way he'd learn about the lay needed to facilitate yarding the logs, and hear the cussing about fallers. It isn't just getting trees on the ground fast as most of you already know.

Gonna give that a few more shots. The other problem is finding out of state housing that won't eat my wages. I need to make money for my last semester (fall) in school, not make just enough to drive up there, live and eat, and drive back and have $5 in my pocket

Yep, I agree. If a guy is upfront about his experience or is green as grass, that's OK, I don't mind training if the particular job allows it. It's when a guy lies about his experience. It just doesn't work. For anyone. Himself, me, his falling partner or his family. And, you're right, they don't last.

I think I've been too humble. There's a fine line sometimes between selling yourself and being on the edge of embellishment.

The other thing is, summer is the busy part of the logging season. I'm sure somebody somewhere will be needing a faller or a rigging rat. That was part of last night's conversation with a veteran faller.

 

[paccity]

being there in person to shake there hand and look them in the eye when introducing yourself for a job goes a long way. just the way i've always done it , work's most of the time. the old first impression thing. don't give up.

 

[tramp bushler]

I see now .

Workin in the brush and wanting garenteed money just don't go together .

Bein a college edjucate and being a timber faller are not synonemous .
Never seen it yet .

Something I agree with 56 about . "If fallin timber is All you can think about day and night. You will do anything necessary to do it and become it . " I embellished a little . I draw the line at being ficticous.

I didn't care about the money just wanted to be a timber beast . And I paid the price . . But ,
I made er .!

Thats the problem with the virtual world . It's not real . And ya don't have sweat runnin down .

 

[redprospector]

Well, I hate to be hard on here. But sometimes that's the only way.

A lie is a lie, dosen't matter what fancy name you want to give it. An embelishment is nothing more or less than a lie.
A man that will lie to you will steal from you.
That's one of our biggest problems today. We have lost our integrety, and are willing to lie to get what we want.
I'd rather train a greenhorn any day than have a liar in the same county.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Gonna give that a few more shots. The other problem is finding out of state housing that won't eat my wages. I need to make money for my last semester (fall) in school, not make just enough to drive up there, live and eat, and drive back and have $5 in my pocket



I think I've been too humble. There's a fine line sometimes between selling yourself and being on the edge of embellishment.

The other thing is, summer is the busy part of the logging season. I'm sure somebody somewhere will be needing a faller or a rigging rat. That was part of last night's conversation with a veteran faller.

Jameson,
Logging is like any other field in the fact that when you first start out you'll think you're going to starve before you figure out how to make money at it. If you're working by the hour your experience will show and you'll be paid accordingly. If you're falling by the bushel, or by the count things will be mighty slim until you learn to fall to the lead fast enough to make money for you, and who you're working for.
I'm sure things have changed in the last 25 or 30 years, but right now you're working for experience. Money will come in time.
Get out there and sell yourself, but keep your integrity intact.

Andy

 

[Gologit]

I see now .



Bein a college edjucate and being a timber faller are not synonemous .
Never seen it yet .

Sometimes they go together. I know quite a few guys who have some college education and it doesn't seem to hurt their cutting any.

One guy I've worked with quite a bit, and who is one of the best fallers I've seen, has a masters degree in sociology. We don't hold it against him, though.

 

[Gologit]

Jameson,
Logging is like any other field in the fact that when you first start out you'll think you're going to starve before you figure out how to make money at it. If you're working by the hour your experience will show and you'll be paid accordingly. If you're falling by the bushel, or by the count things will be mighty slim until you learn to fall to the lead fast enough to make money for you, and who you're working for.
I'm sure things have changed in the last 25 or 30 years, but right now you're working for experience. Money will come in time.
Get out there and sell yourself, but keep your integrity intact.

Andy

Well said.

 

[slowp]

Rumor had it that there was a former opera singer from NEW YORK CITY cutting during the 1980s out here.
Supposedly, he got fed up with the pressures of opera and arrived here to get away. I never could confirm this story, there were people falling timber all over the place.

We do have a guy who moonlights as a preacher. I've never heard him cuss. His brother, who doesn't live here anymore--he went to Alaska, would sing while falling. He could be heard above the saw noise sometimes.

Oh, if you do get a job in the rigging, and they decide to give you a saw, don't slice your chaps! I saw a young guy get de-sawed and sent back down the hill to the rigging when the yarder engineer and hooktender both saw the fresh cut in the chaps.

 

[Jacob J.]

Sometimes they go together. I know quite a few guys who have some college education and it doesn't seem to hurt their cutting any.

One guy I've worked with quite a bit, and who is one of the best fallers I've seen, has a masters degree in sociology. We don't hold it against him, though.

I worked with a falling contractor for years who has a forestry degree and was a professional forester first for the Forest Service before
he quit to become a log cutter. He didn't want to get "trapped" in a forester position. He liked the freedom of being a contractor and
cutting logs. I've also known log cutters who got their degrees while cutting logs and then became professional foresters for the
Forest Service. I went to school while I was cutting logs and got two-year general education degree so I could enter a natural resources
program. So it works both ways. D. Doug Dent got a master's degree while cutting for Zellerbach.

Jameson- there's several outfits north of me looking for rigging hands. Have you been calling outfits out here lately? There was a company
in Sweethome that was needing choker pullers and was starting guys out at $14-15/hour, which is pretty good for Sweethome. There's a
ton of cheap housing around there.