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A lumberjack is a tradesman in the logging industry, who performs the initial harvesting of trees for lumber and pulpwood. The term is somewhat archaic, having been mostly replaced by logger. When the term "lumberjack" is used, it usually refers to a logger from an earlier era before the advent of chainsaws, feller-bunchers and other modern logging equipment.
Historic
The lumberjack worked in lumber camps and often lived a migratory life, following timber harvesting jobs as they opened. Being a lumberjack was seasonal work. They usually lived in bunkhouses or tents. Common equipment included the axe and crosscut saw. Lumberjacks could be found wherever there were vast forests to be harvested and a demand for wood, including Scandinavia, Canada, and parts of the United States. In the U.S., many lumberjacks were of Scandinavian or Finnish ancestry, continuing the occupation of their parents and grandparents. American lumberjacks were first centered in northeastern states such as Maine and then followed the general westward migration on the continent to the Upper Midwest, and finally the Pacific Northwest. Stewart Holbrook documented the rise and eventual westward migration of the classic American lumberjack in his first book, Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack, and often wrote colorfully about lumberjacks in his subsequent books, romanticizing them as hard-drinking, hard-working, no-nonsense and wild characters.
The division of labor in lumber camps led to several specialized jobs on logging crews - such as whistle punk, chaser, and high climber. The whistle punk's job was to sound a whistle as a signal to others on the crew controlling the movement of logs and act as a safety lookout, and a good whistle punk had to be alert and think fast as the safety of the others depended on him. The high climber (also known as a tree topper) used iron climbing hooks and rope to ascend tall trees, where he would chop off the limbs as he climbed, and finally chop off the top of the tree. During this era before modern diesel or gasoline powered equipment, what machinery existed was steam-powered, and animal- or steam-powered skidders could be used to haul harvested logs to nearby railroads for shipment to sawmills. Another method for transporting logs to sawmills was to float them down a body of water, and the art of log rolling - staying on top of a floating log while "rolling" the log by walking - was another skill much in demand among lumberjacks. Spiked boots known as "caulks" or "corks" were used for log rolling and often worn by lumberjacks as their regular footwear.
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American Birling Association - Provides information and how to articles on log rolling, boom running, making log rolling spikes, carpeting logs, and organizing your own log rolling or boom running contest.
American Lumberjack Association (A.L.A.) - A sanctioning body which sets up rules governing sanctioned shows and competitors, maintains equipment, keeps records, mails regular newsletters to members and holds annual meetings.
Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association - Provides a venue for colleges to participate in a series of lumberjacking competitions. Includes general rules, events, teams, forms, past results, upcoming competitions.
Canadian Logger Sports Association - Sets rules and regulations for Festival of Forestry at the Pacific National Exhibition and the Squamish Logger Sports summer month competitions.
Federation of New South Wales Axemen's Associations, Inc. - Provides an introduction to wood chopping, programs and results, training and instruction, articles, and schedules of meetings.
Iron Horse Hotsaw - Biography of Gary Walrath's and his water cooled design of the husky hotsaw that was the winner of seven world championships.
Meta Description: [ Gary Walrath's hotsaw.com homepage. Fastest chain saw on earth. 500cc husky hotsaw ]
Kentucky Lumberjack Challange - Annual event includes axe throw, men and woman's underhand, stock appearing 0 - 4, two person crosscut, stock appearing 0-5, standing block, stock appearing 5 and over, jack and jill crosscut, and husqvarna stock saw. Includes upcoming event information, rules, and past winners.
Lumberjack Alley - Explains the mechanics of how to use an axe, log rolling, two man bucking, jack and jill bucking, jill and jill bucking, bow sawing, hot saw (chain saw), underhand chop, and axe throwing. describes various contests and how to determine the right ones for you including expected expenditures.
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Lumberjack Days - Stillwater, Minnesota annual July lumberjack celebration. Includes schedule of events, photo gallery, maps and info.
Meta Description: [ Lumberjack Days is Stillwater's annual summer celebration. Most of the festivities are held in Lowell Park adjacent to the beautiful St. Croix River in historic downtown Stillwater. There is no admission fee. National-act concerts and lumberjack shows along with one of the largest musically chore... ]
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Lumberjack Days - Orofino Idaho Chamber of Commerce Clearwater September county fair and lumberjack days celebration. Includes schedule of events for parades, burling, horse pulling, hot saw, speed pole climb, single buck, axe throwing, vertical chopping, tug of war, and jack and jill sawing as well as history, statistics and a slideshow.
Meta Description: [ Orofino, Idaho, Clearwater County fair and Lumberjack Days celebration, come join us in the fun, Lumberjack competition, Fair. ]
Lumberjack Entertainment and Timbersports Guide - Information about lumberjack contest (locations, who to contact, and dates), listings of world records for the various events, where to obtain lumberjack sports equipment and where to find lumberjack sports related publications.
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Lumberjack Sports International - Lumberjack show production company. Information about various television shows, how to arrange a show in your area and the LSWRA organization of athletes.
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Lumberjack World Championships - Annual July event in Hayward, Wisconsin. Event includes chopping, sawing, tree climbing, and logrolling. Information on history, competitions, how to purchase tickets.
Meta Description: [ Lumberjack World Championships - Hayward, Wisconsin ]
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Lumberjack's Challenge Television - TSN, OLN Canada, OLN USA - Television series about individuals that compete for prize money in springboard chopping, pole climbing, double bucking, log birling. Includes info about upcoming shows and competitions.
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McGill University Macdonald Campus Woodsmen Competition - An annual lumberjacking event sanctioned by the Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (CILA). Includes event schedule, registration forms, entry fees, rules and regulations, competition infirmation, competition results, and alumni.
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New York State Woodsmen's Field Days Lumberjack Contest - Annual contest held in Boonville on the third weekend of August. Includes general information, schedule, past results back to 1995, and world records.
Meta Description: [ NYS Woodsmen's Field Days - One of the predominant lumberjack contests in the United States today. ]
Nova Scotia Agriculrural College Woodsmen Athletics - Includes schedule of events, results, player biographies, roster, coaching staff info, photo gallery and information about the NSAC annual competition.
Stihl Timbersports Series - Provides past results, a list of contestants with biographies, a schedule of events, and a themed screensaver.
United States Axemens Association - Promotes the advancement of Lumberjack and Timber Sports. Includes news, competition rules, scheduled competitions and events, competitor rankings, world records, photos, instructional guides, and trading post.
Meta Description: [ Lumberjack contest and timber related sports information, compliments of the United States Axemens Association and all the individual woodsmen, lumberjacks and loggers in the US ]
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University of New Brunswick (UNB) Woodsmen Team - A student run organization consisting of faculty from the forestry and environmental management program that competes in lumberjack competitions. Includes course listing, history, alumni, photogallery, and faculty publications.
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World Poleclimbing Association - Describes poleclimbing and includes rules, news, events, gallery and world rankings.
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