Selling Timber in Vilas County, WI
Quick answer
There is 1 timber business listed for Vilas County, Wisconsin: 1 timber buyer, logger or mill. None of them has an office in the county. That is normal and it is worth knowing: consulting foresters register with the state county by county, and many register for counties they would have to drive hours to reach.
Before you talk to anyone, find out what your timber is worth
Most landowners in Vilas County have no idea what their standing timber is worth, which is exactly the position a buyer wants you in. Four questions gets you a ballpark range before the first offer lands.
Timber Buyers, Loggers & Mills That Work Here (1)
Businesses that buy, cut or mill timber in Vilas County, working from a nearby town.
Pukall Lumber Co. is a sawmill and building supply business in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, with other locations in Manitowish Waters and Minocqua. Fred Pukall brought a portable sawmill to the Lakeland area in 1937, and the mill has been running since. They saw mostly red and white pine logs into dimension lumber, and also turn out tongue-and-groove paneling, wood sidings, moldings, and log siding. Their logs come mainly from northern Wisconsin's private, state, and federal forests, from woodlands marked for selective harvesting and timber stand improvement. They describe their operation as "one of the largest pine lumber mills in the state," producing around 12 million board feet of lumber a year. On the building supply side, they offer next day delivery on most items, custom specialty manufacturing at the sawmill, blade sharpening, power tool repair, estimating and take-offs, and re-keying of locks and key cutting at the Minocqua store. They serve Vilas County. This isn't a timber buying outfit and there's no tract size or sale process spelled out on their pages. What they are is a long-running mill that takes logs in and turns out pine lumber and specialty wood products for builders and homeowners. A landowner whose main interest is milled pine lumber, siding, or custom wood products, rather than someone looking for a timber sale handled start to finish, is who this fits. From pukall-lumber.com, read 8 October 2026.
Nearby counties
Questions landowners ask
How many timber buyers and foresters serve Vilas County?
1 business is listed for Vilas County: 0 consulting foresters and 1 buyer, logger or mill. None of them has an office in the county; they register to work here and travel in.
How much is my timber worth in Vilas County?
Nobody can tell you what your timber is worth without walking it. Value depends on the species, the size and grade of the trees, how thickly they stand, the ground conditions and how easily a logger can reach them. Anyone who quotes you a figure without seeing the land is guessing, and a guess in that direction is rarely in your favour.
What stumpage value means →Do I need a forestry consultant to sell timber in Vilas County?
You do not have to use one. A consulting forester works for you rather than the buyer, marks the timber, runs a sealed-bid sale and typically charges a percentage of the sale. Research from several state extension services has found that timber sold through a consultant often returns enough more to cover the fee, though results vary by tract and by market. The decision usually turns on the size of the sale and whether you have sold timber before.
Do I need a forestry consultant? →Forester listings for Vilas County come from the county register, revised 2026-10-12. The register is updated quarterly.