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Pulling logs to the landing using a tractor is very popular on lands that do not have very steep slopes. In fact, now that the four-wheeled skidder is available, ground skidding with these powerful vehicles has become even more popular.

Under the right conditions of moderate slopes and relatively small timber, ground skidding is an economical way for loggers to get their wood from the stump to the landing, where the logs can be loaded onto trucks.

There are several different machines that can do the skidding during a logging operation. Some, called harvesters, can cut the tree down, delimb it, cut it to manageable lengths, stack it up on a flatbed, and haul the load to the landing!

Others may just cut the trees into logs and stack them in piles; these are called feller-bunchers. There are forwarders, like the one to the right, that can self-load trees then "forward" them to a landing. And there are many versions in between.

People planning harvest operations need to choose which machine works best based on what the stand looks like, how much an operation costs, and how best to minimize damage to the soil and the remaining trees.