Mastering the basics of chainsaw safety is essential for woodland owners who want to be more active on their land. The “Game of Logging” is a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use. Take the Level I course as an introduction to sawing and felling, or take the whole series to move toward mastering your chainsaw skills. Hands-on training in each session will give participants the opportunity to fell one or more trees with supervision.
Level I focuses on introducing the participant to open face felling and the development of techniques to safely use it. Topics covered include personal protective equipment, chainsaw safety features, chainsaw reactive forces, bore cutting, pre-planning the fell, and understanding hinge wood strength.
Level II focuses on maximizing chainsaw performance through basic maintenance, carburetor setting, and filing techniques. Limbing and bucking techniques are introduced, spring pole cutting is covered and more felling is practiced.
Level III focuses on techniques for handling difficult trees. Topics covered include limbing, height measurement, segment calculations, wedging techniques and hinge placement. The felling is done against the tree's natural lean and participants also limb and buck using techniques demonstrated in level II.
Level IV focuses on ways to maximize a harvest plan for safety and productivity. Felling is practiced at working speed using all the techniques from previous levels. This level is geared to the user group.