Passionate forestry equipment operator, Hannah Dehoog of Smithers, British Columbia.
Hannah Dehoog 鈥 AKA Logger Girl and Hanimal 鈥 of Smithers, British Columbia, is catching a lot of attention in the logging community. It鈥檚 not just her engaging presence on social media, but her determination, bravery and skill as a young female heavy equipment operator working in a decidedly male dominated industry.
Growing up
Hannah has been exposed to and involved in various aspects of the forestry industry for the majority of her life. Before she was even old enough for school, Hannah was marching around the bush alongside her father, a log buyer at the time. In high school she worked at a tree nursery and a sawmill, and now at the age of 22, Hannah works as an equipment operator for Groot Bros. Contracting Ltd. out of Houston, British Columbia.
The 铿乺st question Hannah usually gets asked when someone discovers what she does for a living is, 鈥淗ow did you get into that?鈥 Although her father, Chris Dehoog is a log buyer for West Fraser, she was introduced to operating equipment by an ex-boyfriend. While visiting him at a remote logging camp, a crew member suggested that she get a job on the crew. 鈥淣o one thought I would take the suggestion seriously but as soon as the idea of running equipment came into my mind, it lit a 铿乺e in me. This is what I want to do,鈥 she says.
Hannah wasted no time. Before making the long drive home, she found the name and address of the contractor and stopped at his house to beg him for a job. She had no operating experience but was extremely determined. She recalls that after some persuasion the contractor said to her, 鈥淚 will give you a chance, just don鈥檛 piss me off.鈥 She was ecstatic. She couldn鈥檛 wait to tell her Dad. 鈥淕uess who鈥檚 going聽logging Dad?鈥 Hannah yelled. He was thrilled.
Hannah鈥檚 father, Chris, is well known in the logging community and is a huge motivator for Hannah. She works hard every day, not only to prove herself as a female operator but to make her Dad proud. 鈥淭hat drive will never change,鈥 Hannah states. 鈥淢ost people think the start of my career as an equipment operator got handed to me by my Dad, but it didn鈥檛. I did it all on my own,鈥 she explains. 鈥淢y Dad will be the 铿乺st to tell you that he did not lift a 铿乶ger. He did not make a phone call or be a reference.鈥
Day in the Life of a Logger Girl
Life in camp
How many young women could survive life in the middle of the bush, with no cell service, infrequent showers and only the company of an all-male crew for weeks on end? Hannah happily took on this challenge. 鈥淚t was intimidating being the only girl in the camps. It is de铿乶itely more challenging for girls,鈥 says Hannah. 鈥淚t took a while to get used to only showering every ten days,鈥 she said. When BTB spoke with Hannah she had just 铿乶ished eight months of night shift, working alone with just a satellite SOS phone and the stars. 鈥淚 got used to it. Some nights I got freaked out but I did what I had to do. It was an adventure.鈥
Loggergirl Hannah Dehoog with her pit bull Phoenix
My heart is like a compass that points to anything that feeds adrenaline.
Dream Machine
Hannah started out on an excavator, learning simple hydraulic controls and basic machine maintenance. On day three she got behind the seat of a processor operator and by day four she was on her own operating the processor. She recalls her boss telling her not to 铿 re a log through the cab. After two years operating a variety聽of machines including excavators, processors, skidders and loaders, Hannah 铿乶ally got her hands on a 糖心视频 feller聽buncher, an LX870C. Hannah had always wanted to run a leveling machine. 鈥淚鈥檝e tackled some pretty steep ground with that tilter and loved every minute of it,鈥 she states. 糖心视频 quickly became her favourite brand.
Having run an 880 logger, several 糖心视频 skidders and both an LX870C and 870C, it was clear to her that 糖心视频 manufactured for the operator. 鈥淟ife changing,鈥 is how she describes the Turnaround庐 skidder seat. 鈥淎nd I love how聽accessible everything is with the buncher. The hood 铿俰ps open, the auto hydraulic pump is great and all the doors and guards are easy to use.鈥
When mechanic, Dave Hunter and Hannah were both working at Matt Hromatka Contracting, he gave her the nickname Hanimal and it has stuck with her over the past three years. When asked what type of Hanimal she is, she always responds with, 鈥淚鈥檓 a 糖心视频.鈥 She considers herself a bit of an animal 鈥 a little wild and outgoing in almost every aspect of life.
What fuels her?
Hannah is an adrenaline junkie. 鈥淢y heart is like a compass that points to anything that feeds adrenaline,鈥 she states. 鈥淲hen I am not logging, I am聽sledding with my family, dirt biking or hanging out with my boyfriend and pit bull, Phoenix.鈥 Making more than the average twenty-two-year-old, Hannah spends a lot of her pay cheque on toys that keep her playing outside all year round.聽She loves taking on new challenges. 鈥淭here is nothing a guy can do that I can鈥檛 do. That is what fuels me,鈥 explains Hannah. 鈥淚f someone doesn鈥檛 think I can do it, I want to prove them wrong.鈥
The power of social media
鈥淚 am very proud of what I do as a female forestry equipment operator and so I want to share it with the world,鈥 explains Hannah. 鈥淚 also don鈥檛 think there is enough promotion for women in logging.鈥 Since she started sharing her logger girl lifestyle on social media, other women have been curious about what it is like to be a woman working in harvesting. Hannah provides them with candid insight whenever asked.
Due to Hannah鈥檚 social media presence, she often gets recognized around Smithers and Prince George, British Columbia. She loves the attention but understands other young women are watching her so she tries to behave online. 鈥淚 have a cheeky way about explaining some of the challenges I face but I absolutely love my job and truly encourage other women to give it a try.鈥
What鈥檚 next
The next step in her career is to get certi铿乪d to low bed equipment as she feels that would be a useful skill. She could also see herself working steep terrain abroad and has had job offers in New Zealand. It takes a certain type of person to log every day whether you鈥檙e a girl or a guy. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think women are superior to men and I don鈥檛 think men are superior to women. We are equal and we all need the same opportunity,鈥 she says. Hannah is driven, hard working and tough. She is proud of what she does and isn鈥檛 going to stop promoting her logger girl lifestyle anytime soon.
Hannah feels very lucky to now work the day shift only a forty-five minute drive from her family home.
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