I know prices suck right now but what is a decent average for clear cutting pine.

I spoke with pulpwooder recently and he said there’s no money in pulpwood right now but without thinning the small ones you’ll never have big ones. Which is where the money is.

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Let's assume a good healthy planted stand and you have 100 acres.

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Need a whole lot more info to get a good answer other than, "it isn't worth as much as it used to be".

Also depends on where your property is located.

I think pine pulp is $5 a ton or less.

In my area there is almost no market for any timber....if you are clearing land you are most likely going to pay to get it cleared and pay to have it hauled off. Paper recycling is about as simple as it gets and is apparently more efficient than cutting pulp wood. There is almost no building products made from SYP other than trusses and PT lumber and a significant portion of that is being hauled to the mill after the owner paid the logging company to clear it and cut it and the logging company may be better off financially to put it in a landfill than taking it to a mill.

I run a sawmill as a hobby but it is a side hustle. I never pay a penny for a log. I have more quality hardwoods than I can handle. I get 3-4 calls a week from logging companies wanting to know if I can take 10,000 or so BF of oak and poplar....if it is cedar, walnut, cherry or cyprus I will take what I can but pine is straight out. I could get a million BF of 75 YO, high quality SYP saw logs delivered to my mill by the end of the month free of charge. There is almost no market for it at all. The problem I would have is logging companies would find out I had taken that million BF and want to know why I couldn't take theirs....

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In my area there is almost no market for any timber..

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Apparently North Louisiana is still cutting:


New high-tech sawmill dedicated in Northwest Louisiana
September 26, 2025

TAYLOR, La. (From news reports) - Hunt Forest Products, Tolko Industries Ltd. and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois has dedicated what's being called Louisiana's newest and most technologically advanced sawmill in Bienville Parish.

The $280 million, state-of-the-art project began construction in 2022 and initial operations in 2023. Today, the facility operates at full capacity and employs approximately 190 people.

"We are very excited about the performance of this mill, our second high-tech sawmill in Louisiana, and especially about the skilled jobs it is providing to local Louisiana residents, and providing a local outlet for the massive inventory of southern yellow pine that exists in this state," said James D. Hunt, Hunt Forest Products co-owner and board vice chairman.

Hunt noted that the facility recently set two new lumber production records, is managing almost 1,000 truckloads of timber a week, and that its decision to prioritize buying timber locally is generating approximately $50 million annually in purchases from local foresters.

"The local economic impact is incredible, and will continue to grow over time," Hunt said.

The mill requires approximately 1.3 million tons of wood annually to produce approximately 320 million board feet of lumber annually, Hunt added. The facility is located on 255 acres of land including the existing Taylor sawmill site and some adjacent timber land.

During the dedication ceremony, Bourgeois state leaders' support of the sawmill project, its significance to the local economy and its role in the economic momentum happening across northwest Louisiana.

"This project is a powerful example of how Louisiana's legacy industries are adopting new technology to strengthen efficiency, enhance safety, and open the door to new opportunities. By building in the heart of our historic timber region, Hunt Forest Products and Tolko have created hundreds of jobs that span construction, forestry, industrial services, and retail--an impact that will benefit the town of Taylor, Bienville Parish, and the families who call this region home for generations to come," Bourgeois said.

Bienville Lumber Company is a joint venture between Hunt Forest Products and Tolko, a 60-year-old family-owned Canadian forestry industry company that produces a wide range of forest products for customers around the world. Tolko, based in Vernon, British Columbia, partnered with Hunt Forest Products to build a modern sawmill in Urania, LA, that began operations in 2018.

Similar to the Urania sawmill, Tolko will own a 50 percent share, and the mill is managed and operated by Hunt on a day-to-day basis.

"The forestry industry has been a vital part of the Bienville Parish and regional economy for more than 100 years, so we're thrilled that Hunt Forest Products and Tolko recognized that North Louisiana is a prime location for companies to grow and succeed and brought this major new economic engine to our community," said Justyn Dixon, North Louisiana Economic Partnership president and CEO.

"We were confident that with the availability of timber and employees, this project was in the right place, at the right time, and that has proven to be true," Hunt said. "This is boosting the local economy, bringing a new generation of sawmill technology to this part of the state, and providing another much-needed outlet for regional Louisiana timber. It's a win-win for everyone."

Northern Florida parishes/ SW MS.

Assume it has already been thinned.

Correct.

I’ve been trying for 2.5 years to get my pines thinned or even clear cut. I Have 70 acres of 21 year old pines in Addition to some mature pines. Beetles killed about 20 acres so I’m down to 50 acres. I’m wanting to improve habitat for deer and I’m not that concerned with making money. I’ve offered loggers my portion of the proceeds($1.75-$2.00 / acre) for pulpwood and offered to let them thin my hardwoods which I would get paid for but no takers. The only mill taking pulpwood is in Vicksburg and they aren’t taking much. If you see a large “Logger Needed” sign on HWY 547 7 miles SE of Pattison, that’s mine. Probably had 10-15 calls but the words pulp wood ends the conversation pretty quickly.

Figure $6/ton
30 tons on a log truck
$180 per load is what they would get

Not worth the time or effort unless some big timber is thrown in

Be very surprised is you made any money. May even have a hard time giving it away at these prices

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Not entirely clear cut. Left all hardwood and cedar.

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thx