Leake County is hill and bottom country in the middle of the state. Rolling pine ridges drop into broad low ground. Far more of this county is wet than most owners expect.
Southeast Forestlands works only for the landowner. We do not buy timber and we are not paid by mills.
More Wet Ground Than Dry
Better than a third of the county drains poorly, and roughly the same share is subject to flooding.
That is the single biggest thing shaping a job here. Plan the whole sale around it.
The Yockanookany Bottom
The river bottom and its feeder drains carry hardwood and stay soft for weeks after a hard rain.
Keep equipment out until the ground is hard. Put a written stop-work rule in the contract and a clear way to enforce it.
Ridges Are Your Working Days
The sandy ridge tops firm up quickly. They carry equipment when nothing else will.
Put the main road and the deck up there, even if it means a longer skid.
Steep Shoulders Between Them
About a fifth of the county sits on slopes steep enough to wash after a harvest.
Take those faces on the contour and close the trails out with water breaks.
Two Stands, Two Sales
Ridge pine and bottom hardwood are different products with different buyers.
Cruise them separately so the hardwood is graded on its own terms. Bundled with pine, that grading never happens.
Put It in Writing
Wet ground needs rules, not good intentions. A handshake will not hold up in February.
Set a rut limit and a stop-work rule. Name who repairs the road and when the work must be finished. Hold back part of the payment until the closeout work is done.
Leake County, Mississippi
Landowners in Attala, Neshoba, Newton, Scott, and Madison counties are served as well. Scheduling a walk depends on tract location, weather, and current fieldwork.
Talk With a Forester
Questions about a thinning, a sale, or an inherited tract are far easier to answer standing on the property. Contact us to set up a walk.