Bites from the Blog: Forestry operators on dealing with the public

Speak to anyone involved in forestry, and they’ll have a story about Joe Bloggs to tell.

Whether it’s being accused of ‘murdering trees’ or generally wreaking havoc, rarely does an interaction with a random punter lead to anything good. 

Perhaps worst of all, though, is when a member of the public is really just being a nuisance, straying beyond the ‘path closed’ signs with all the misplaced confidence of a TikTok influencer, or leaving cars abandoned in the way of timber lorries. 

Several timely posts on the Forest Machine Operators Blog last month reminded us of just how problematic people can be. 

Sharing the picture from a recent site, one member wrote: “Been working down the side of a minor road/track for the last two weeks. 

“Road supposedly closed but despite signs people continue to drive up.” 

Things got even more interesting when he revealed his solution to the problem. 

“I’ve had to start leaving a lump of wood in the road to stop vehicles driving down the side of me while loading/unloading. 

READ MORE: Bites from the Blog: John Deere and Stihl chainsaws

“A guy in a brand new van pulled up about 4 ft away from the wood today. 

“Never seen a f***** react and reverse so quick when he saw me moving towards the wood with the crane. He’s clearly witnessed my danger before.”

If it works, it works – and several other members responded to the post with their own run-ins with pesky members of the public. 

“The best one I had was a mountain bike go under my crane as I’m offloading roadside, straight forest road, seen me for a couple hundred metres, plenty of space on the other side. Nah, go under the big metal thing swinging logs about.”

Darren Taylor (Image: Darren Taylor)

“I can remember cutting big larch, signs were up, red white bunting was up too. I had one guy stand where I was dropping the trees. I was nearly finished the back cut and had one last look at where it was going to fall. There he was well within reach of the falling tree! Idiots, I know signs are ignored but surely common sense tells you if the tree hits you it’s going to hurt.” 

It’s not just signs that get ignored, sometimes it’s the fact people are on a forestry road entirely. As was the case in another post last month in which a member shared a picture of a car blocking his path. And yes – the vehicle belonged to a dog walker (of course). 

“Didn’t want to park in the gutters,” wrote the member, and you could practically hear his face palm through the screen.  

What to do about it? Well, one operator was in no doubt. 

“Just abandoned or the dog brigade? If it’s blocking the road and access is needed, shove it in the gutter. Might make ’em think twice next time.” 

(For the record, Forestry Journal does not condone pushing cars into gutters, but we can understand the temptation ...) 

Helpful advice like this is what makes the blog such a go-to page for forestry professionals. Take another example from last month, in which one operator came for help. 

“Anyone with a John Deere 1110G rotating cab experience jib boom jerkiness? Seems to happen while reaching out or tapping piles. I have changed a few settings but nothing seems to work. Any ideas or info would be appreciated.” 

Members were quick to respond, including blog founder Mark Curtis, who replied: “Have you calibrated the IBC? If it’s the same as harvester, you’ll need a service code.” 

Other responses included: 

“Start off with factory settings and make small adjustments from there!” 

“Check the milliamps for that function on the computer as you’re using it. Watch for spikes or drops in the milliamps. Use all the functions one at a time while using the jib boom also while doing this. Had a similar problem and cleaning the electrical connections at the controller fixed it.” 

“It may seem silly but I find that I need to keep the hydraulic oil level to the top of the sight glass. Otherwise the crane seems to get a bit jerky when doing the more sensitive movements.” 

At the time of writing, the operator had not come back to say if any of the ideas had worked, but fingers crossed that’s because they are simply too busy using a fully-functioning machine. 

Let’s end with an exchange that had us smiling. They say bigger is better in forestry, but little loads often go a long way. 

Sharing a picture of some spruce and larch logs, one young operator said: “I know people will have bigger loads and tidier ones but still learning.” 

Members were quick to big up his efforts, with one replying: “You’re doing well. Keep up the good work and be your own man. As long as you feel happy and safe.” 

We can’t agree more. 

Head to the Forest Machine Operators Blog on Facebook to have your say.