Once you have made the log dump where the logs will be skidded too for loading onto the trucks . It's time to go and retrieve the logs the faller has on the ground . Make sure you know where he is , you need to be sure he is not going to fall a tree on you and you need to be sure he is not lying hurt somewhere you will run over him . Keep a look out for trees that are hung up . Safety first , always in the bush .
Find your log , back up as close to the butt as you can . Drop the blade and apply the park brake , make sure the machine can't move (many guys have been squashed between the log and the skidder) . Put the winch control into "free spool" pull out the rope slowly , pulling out quickly will see the drum unwind to much and the rope will be hard to spool up straight again as it will try and run over itself . Hold the choker and feed the rope under the log , bring the knob up and into the choker . Lay the choker on top of the log and get back in the skidder . If the rope is still neat on the winch drum , wind the winch in with the control lever to snug the rope and lift the butt into the bash plate on the skidder . If the log will come easy , put the machine in gear and drive off . If it is steep country you may need to drive forward with the winch "free spooling" which leaves the log behind . Once you have gone as far as you can/need , you can start winching the log whilst the brakes are applied . If the skidder is being pulled back down the slope , you may need to lift the front of the machine with the blade and bury the rear tyres into the soil to make it secure , you can also back the skidder up to a tree to make it secure . Winch the log all the way to the skidder , keeping an eye on the rope . Once the rope fills one run on the drum you need to slew the back end so that the rope feeds evenly on the next layer . Never let a rope run over itself as it will crush the rope and shorten its life . Lift the butt into the bash plate so that the butt is off the ground . This makes it easier to snig , stops a furrow being made in the soil and stops the rope from being dragged on the ground .
Once at the log dump it can be dropped and unhooked . It is up to how the outfit runs weather the log is debarked with the skidder of with an excavator . The skidder driver usually helps with measuring the logs at the end of the day .
Use a little foresight when dropping logs on the dump . If the trucks are going to be leaving the dump to the right , put the log butts forward on the left of the dump . So that the logs can be picked up with the loader/excavator , swung around and loaded on the truck butt forwards . This saves a lot of time , not having to spin logs around .