HUFFJOHNDEB, Has the pine-beetle not hit your area yet???
Every pine we have in KY. has been destroyed, or is being destroyed by these beetles.
It takes no time at all for these beetles to take down a full mature stand of pine trees.
Much like the chestnut worms of old, except worst.

Gene

I read an article while I was in Denver and it said they had so much beetle kill trees they didnt know what to do with it, they were just mulching it up. I am sure you could find good deals on the killed trees.

Travis

I couldn't recommend the use of them for home use, they would be better used for shed or barn building same as they did with the wormy chestnut. Main reason it allows the sawed slabs of the pine to cure faster and the outer skin layer that housed the beetles can be detached from the cut lumber. The beetles introduce a fungus that is lethal to the tree. in that the fungus will cause it to rot. Over a period of time the rot gets so bad that the tree will just fall, usually with a strong wind. It's very dangerous to be in a pine forest where the pine beetle has been on a very windy day, forest rangers hate being out there among the pine trees during heavy winds.

The pine beetle hits real hard about once every 25-30 years, usually they're kept in check by woodpecker's and other grub eating birds, etc. The problem is they have been overly prolific in the last several years and they are just out of control. However, they have a short life span so hopefully one day they'll be back in check.

Is the price you're talking about somewhere around $120.00 per 40' log, Does that sound about right? (plus transportation extra)

50 YEAR OLD HEALTHY PINES, that is really great. If I lived closer and was in the market right now I'd love to buy some.
There is a lot of logging that goes on here in our area, however, they're all hard woods, mostly all oaks. Here in eastern Ky it's all about coal and logging and we have plenty of both going on all the time. It would be less expensive for us to build out of oak here vs. having soft wood brought in. My first choice would be to buy soft wood logs, but if the cost is to high, as much as I would hate to harvest them, the property that we have been blessed with has plenty of oaks on it free for the taking.

Like you, I would hate to see those pines being used for anything else other than to build some real nice homes. :-)

Stonecold

I Googled about $3 a loaded mile. I'm not sure my logger would be willing to haul logs that far, but it never hurts to ask. The timber is 42 miles east of Atlanta of course the truck will have to take 285 so I'm guessing about 120 miles, so about $360 if they don't charge for the return trip. I'll be at my property from mid March until the end of March at least. I'll ask him about it later this week or next. I hate to see these logs turned into plywood.

How many logs do you have and what are the lengths?
Are you near a railroad? Here in the midwest the closest logs are 400 miles in any direction.
$3 a loaded mile is a pretty good price these days.
Out here they could pickup some walnut for the return trip. :+}

SW Iowa
Logless, but looking :+}