By:James Ronal d Skains
Journal Correspondent

"Not only was I flabbergasted at being named Arkansas Logger of the Year," Buddy Long told the Piney Woods Journal, "but I had not even planned on attending the annual meeting. I was sort of tricked into going by Chad Russell. Chad had told that there was some new stuff there that I really needed to see."

Buddy Long is a third generation logger in Arkansas proceeded by his Dad, R. C. Long and granddad, L.D. Long. L.D. Long was a charter member of the Arkansas Wood Producers Association in 1947. However, it appears that a fourth generation Arkansas Long logger is not on the horizon.

"I've been in the business myself for 40 years," Long told the Journal, "but with the way things have been going in the logging industry for the last few years, I advised my son, Chip, against going into the logging business. As a teenager, he would come out to my logging jobs and was fascinated by all the equipment and activity but I discouraged his interest in logging. He is now at Texas A&M working on advance degrees in Psychology."

"Over the years, I'd been nominated for Logger of the Year a couple of times," Long pointed out; "However, I think what made the difference this year was that I had gotten into shovel logging for environmental reasons."

"I think shovel logging, especially with track machines, is more environmentally friendly that conventional logging and that is a big consideration," Long explained. "On my wheeled equipment, I've got big floatation tires which is also environmentally friendly logging."

Shovel logging is a harvesting system whereby loggers start at the back or side of a tract of timber and work their way out using the trees they harvest as a road bed. Shovel logging has been used for years in Southeast Texas and South Louisiana in areas of wet ground or boggy ground. The logs that are laid down for the roadbed are then picked up and carried out to the log trucks for the trip to the mill.

"I'm even trying shovel logging on some thinning operations," Long admitted with a laugh. "I don't know how that is going to work out in the long run. Shovel logging is more expensive both in equipment and time, plus it takes patience."

Buddy Long's first taste of logging woods came as a young kid going to woods on the weekends with his Dad and Granddad to feed the horses being used for skidding logs. "Those were the days of the mules, horses and crosscut saws in the logging woods," Long recalled. "My Granddad had got a crawler tractor back in 1954 to use in the woods but we didn't get a cable skidder until the early 1970's which was a Tree Farmer. We got our first grapple skidder, which was John Deere in 1975."

"I've always liked John Deere skidders and still use them," Long pointed out. "We've got two logging crews going and one thinning operation. We use a combination of equipment of John Deeres, Timberjacks, Tiger Cats, and Hydro-Axes. We use a harvester as our processor and a hydra-gate delimber."

As for log trucks, Long, who lives in Monticello had this to say; "Right now we only have two trucks of our own, a KW and a Peterbilt. For years, I ran Macks but it seems that it is easier now days to get drivers for KW's and Petes. Mostly we use leased trucks to get our logs and wood to the mill."

Buddy and Judi Long have been married for 36 years. Judi plays an instrumental role in the day to day operation of the business, which has been incorporated since 1963. In addition to their son Chip, who will soon add a Ph.D. to his name, the Long's have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Daughter Melinda has two children and Suzanne one. Suzanne is married to a transplanted Cajun from Lafayette named Steve Kibedaux. Steve is actively involved in the Buddy Long logging operations.

"I sure wasn't expecting to be named Logger of the Year in Arkansas," Long concluded, "but it is a real honor. I also consider it to be a tribute to my Dad and Granddad who got things started for us."

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