Nooby here- Dead tree or not?

[highrisen]

I just starting cutting on my own for residential heating this winter. I've cut before as a landowner so I could cut whatever I wanted and let it season. Now though, I had to buy a permit to cut on national forest. Their rules say dead wood only, fallen or standing. After scouring through picked over lands I found a very large hardwood that looked promising. There were no leaves (while all other trees are still green this time of year) and also small piles of sawdust around the base, telling me its being eaten. So, I start cutting but when I reach the middle water trickles out. I wouldn't consider bothering with it but it took me a few hours of looking just to find it and it will take several trips to get it all out. I'm attempting to be a law-abiding citizen so could someone tell me their opinion on the condition of this tree?

Grazie

 

[CNBTreeTrimming]

Regardless of the prior state of the tree if you cut to the middle finish it. It's dead now.

 

[lone wolf]

Plus 1 it is dead now:laugh

 

[squad143]

Hard to tell without pictures.

I've cut into many dead trees and have had water pour out. Sometimes cavities hold water, and even thought the wood appears solid, a cavity above where you are cutting can hold quite a bit of H2O.

 

[troythetreeman]

not uncommon for large trees, live or dead to have cavities full of water
its going to bog your saw some but otherwise nothing to worry about and will likely yield you some nice firewood
you should know just by your first cut if its punky, youll know for sure once you tip it over

 

[pbtree]

Cut it
Stack it
Burn it!

 

[DangerTree]

One time a buddy and I went out for firewood on an old logging road and spotted a big dead fir standing uphill about 1/2 tree length off the road a perfect tree! Well I grabbed the 288 and marched up the hill with bad intent. Wade said your woman's on the phone do you want too talk too her. No and off I went hacking away at this 30" butt. Undercut in I realized I'm in the wrong tree! it's green!! and BIG !!! and on an active logging road !!!!! Well can't leave it like that so down she went all 3 cords of it. We cut the branches off as fast as possible and pitched them over the bank. Sweating like a fat drunk we bucked her off the road and took off before anyone saw us. I felt like a total criminal. We went back in the fall and grabbed the rest of the tree and the one I missed too. Moral of the story is if you don't get caught -you're lucky. The tree would have died eventually anyway they all do.

 

[highrisen]

Yeah, its dead for sure now (but I'm pretty sure it was already deceased)...I'm gonna go ahead and haul it out. I just wasnt sure about the water and I didn't want a pissed Ranger on my six. My run-ins with law enforcement usually dont end in my favor!

Thanks for the feedback

 

[pdqdl]

The presence of water in the trunk does not indicate anything other than the tree has a hollow place that held rainwater. That usually indicates a certain amount of decay as well.

 

[highrisen]

Well its down now!

It was dead but a little greener than I would have preferred. It'll be good for next year :bang:

 

[Ed Roland]

Their rules say dead wood only, fallen or standing. After scouring through picked over lands I found a very large hardwood that looked promising. There were no leaves (while all other trees are still green this time of year) and also small piles of sawdust around the base, telling me its being eaten. So, I start cutting but when I reach the middle water trickles out.

Lets not forget the times we have put our saws into living cells infected with bacterial wetwood. A condition i find hard to call a disease. These wounds bleed like a stuck pig. This condition would certainly indicate a live tree.

And frass at the base of a tree does not = death.
Post some pictures.

 

[Greener]

The water just further confirms your belief that the tree is dead. Because, unless it is a cottonwood, poplar, or some other supersoftwood tree that sponges water (and you said hardwood), there is sitting water in a rot hole. You're good to go.

 

[troythetreeman]

i have often found large "pockets" of water in live elm trees

 

[Biker Dude]

The water just further confirms your belief that the tree is dead. Because, unless it is a cottonwood, poplar, or some other supersoftwood tree that sponges water (and you said hardwood), there is sitting water in a rot hole. You're good to go.

Cut a live Box Elder during the spring if you want to see some water run. It's like a faucet running!