How To Fell Tree With Others In The Way

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gopackgo

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I'm new to felling trees. Just moved to this property 6 months ago. I want to start relying on heating more with wood so I am building up my supply of dry firewood.

I have mainly been relying on standing dead wood so far and some easy to fell tress on the edge of the wooded areas I have. I have found several trees that aren't growing straight or are otherwise crowding other trees so I want to take them down. However, I already had one time where the tree I was trying to take down got caught on another tree next to it and got stuck.

I managed to get that tree to finally fall all the way but it wasn't pretty. What should I be doing in cases like that? I know that you try to direct the tree towards open areas if possible where nothing else is in the way but in the middle of the wooded area, there really isn't a direction to aim it that it won't fall into something.

Thanks for the advice.
 
I walk up and reach for your saw and say.
"There are old fallers and bold fallers but there are no old bold fallers." I continue "The first lesson is free" *shut saw off wagging finger* and expressing "NEVER FALL INTO STANDING TIMBER, THAT IS ONE OF THE SIX DEADLY SINS." then I asked "Did you see Smokey theBear"? Yes....he just told me not to play with matches.
 
I can appreciate you reconizing the problem and showing the maturity to address it here.
I answer these with a heavy heart.
as I ofter feel "Damed if I do and G_D DAMED!.. if I don't".

DId you scare yourself?. can
You tell us more....ppe..? pics?
Stuff you know? stuff you read, things you whatched? abbility to wedge trees?
I guess the torn between part is...
You're going to do it anyways
but how can I write a few things and teach you a trade? Pics may help. Most fallers are killed by there own hangups and retention in close canopy is the real deal.
ITs like you want some tipical answer but one thing about this is there is nothing tipical about it.
Take some baby steps and ask some questions and find quides outside of here that you can ask about. the trees will still be there.
Thnx
 
If you have access to a tractor, put a rope in the top of the tree and pull it over to the opening.

If you get a tree hung up, tie a rope to the butt and pull it with the tractor. Don't walk underneath or around the tree while it is hung up. It may break other branches or push other trees over.
 
Maybe get someone with a little more skills and give them some $ or trade for wood or labor or ? And have them spend some time with you getting some wood on the ground where you can deal with it safely?
 
Everyone--everyone but a liar has gotten a tree tip-hung like you did. It happens. But you're right to do all you can to prevent it. And when it happens, recognize that the wrong move(s) can have disastrous consequences. But in most circumstances if your head is screwed on right, it's just a problem to be solved. Every tree presents its own thing. No one rule or technique can cover everything you'll run into. Go slow and careful in dealing with it.

Getting any tree on the ground is a matter of reconciling mass (the tree above) and gravity. Seems simple, until you find that one springy little limb up there is hanging in a springy limb of a neighboring tree, and when those things line up the wrong way you'll be amazed at how much a tree will hang and resist falling. One general rule is that the more vertical, straight up and balanced a tree is when it hangs, the less gravity can help it down. It's necessary to fully sever the hung tree from its stump (if the hinge has not broken), as a tip hung tree will almost never fall in the direction of its face cut--rolling it away from its perch is the thing.

You can roll the top out (a cant hook helps), or pull it out with a come-along or tractor. The most hazardous route is to cut away the base of the hung tree because 1. you're working underneath where a widowmaker could pop loose, and 2. the more you cut the base, eventually you'll have the tree standing straight with no control over where it will go, which can be very dicey indeed. And worse yet is: I'll just fell this one on top of that hung tree to force it down. Which can give you two hung trees which is infinitely more dangerous.

Sometimes in tight canopy you have little choice but to fell a tree such that its top will roll off a neighbor without doing much damage to the keeper tree. Experience will guide you.

Try to visualize beforehand the effect of what you intend to do. Like everything in this work, experience is your best guide. And only by doing will you gain experience. Better still to find someone experienced to guide you. Even if you must pay for the guidance, that's money well-spent. Ask your neighbors or someone at the hardware store or saw-shop about who is a good sawyer that could help you out.

Spend some time examining your canopy. Maybe by removing tree A you can open a hole to drop tree B or C through.

There's lots of good help here. Post pictures of specific trees and you may get better help.
 
I had this problem today. Cut a couple junk aspen out of my little sugar bush and the canopy is real thick. One I got hung up pretty bad and the other I was able to get to roll off the stump and drop. Hooked on them both and pulled them up the bank with the tractor. Some things aren't worth the risk without the proper tools.
 
When I'm cutting culls in my very densely packed poplar stand, I pretty much count on having a tree getting hung up. I don't sweat it, I try to cut the tree in the direction it wants to go, and hope for the best.

But if there is no obvious direction, then I cut the tree in the direction that will allow my tractor to safely approach it from the butt end. I then use a chain and the bucket to slowly lift and pull the butt end back towards my pole barn field and get the top of the tree to drop. I've probably had 8-10 trees get hung up so far, and so far, no problems getting them cleared out.

I pull with the bucket, that way the bucket and most of the tractor is between me and the butt end of the tree. If it decides to get pushy or rambunctious, it has to go through about 15' feet of bucket and tractor to get to me. The only time I get close to it is from the butt end and that's to quickly attach a chain and then get the heck out of dodge!

Good luck!
 
I have about 80 acres of dense woods that I get my firewood from. Lot of close quarter spruce, pine, tamarack around all the hardwoods I takeout *birch elm, maple etc*. we have a wood road that runs down the center of the property that has live power lines on it so Fallin towards the road or even across it is usually to risky so I drop them into the standing trees.i find it Best to take a minute and asses where I can put it, where it might go,where it should go which trees It might get hung in etc. Usually I go in day or two before hand and determine how it gonna end up a what tools I'll need for the trees I am taking out. Almost always en up with a couple hang ups so I anchor a come along behind the tree and pull on the butt from th anchor tree, if it's a small tree *under 10" dbh* I'll lever it over at the butt end till I rolls off th tree. Don't forget your ppe been a few times where my head has thanked me for investing in a good hard hat.
For the record, I'm not a professional faller just a guy who grew up cuttin trees down as and when needed.
 
I can appreciate you reconizing the problem and showing the maturity to address it here.
I answer these with a heavy heart.
as I ofter feel "Damed if I do and G_D DAMED!.. if I don't".

DId you scare yourself?. can
You tell us more....ppe..? pics?
Stuff you know? stuff you read, things you whatched? abbility to wedge trees?
I guess the torn between part is...
You're going to do it anyways
but how can I write a few things and teach you a trade? Pics may help. Most fallers are killed by there own hangups and retention in close canopy is the real deal.
ITs like you want some tipical answer but one thing about this is there is nothing tipical about it.
Take some baby steps and ask some questions and find quides outside of here that you can ask about. the trees will still be there.
Thnx
So your answer is pi$$ off and don't bother me?
Thanks for all of your input.
 
Pulling a hung tree has it's own dangers, especially with a tractor.
If the tree is pulled straightback with too short of a chain or rope, the butt end can end up under the tractor flipping it.
Also if the butt digs into the ground it could flip the tractor or it could pull down the tree it is hung up in toward the tractor.
Pulling 90 degrees or sidways is sometimes safer depending upon the circumstances.
Work safe and think ahead, as every action causes a reaction.
 
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