A Close One

[Laird]

I was out Sunday cutting down some Hickory trees that had been girdled a year ago for TSI. This one started to go and caught on a Sassafras about 40' away. I watched to see if it was going to hang up and when I saw that it had enough momentum to go all the way I went back to watching the trunk hit. I always get into seeing the log come down with a "waump" and feeling the ground shake as it hits. As it hit I took a step towards the stump and was shocked to see a couple chunks of a limb come crashing down in front of my face.

As the Hickory hit the Sassafras it broke a couple limbs toward the top and then bent the tree way over. When the Hickory dropped, the Sassafras acted like a catapult and threw the limbs right back at me from 40' away. The limb that came my way was about 4".

Sorry I accidentally posted this before I was ready too I have pics but just found out they are too big. I will work on them and get them up.

 

[KMB]

Glad you didn't get hit. Did you have a lid on?

Kevin

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Glad you were not hit. I have seen similar situations happen many times, that is why there is no "chillin at the stump" for this kid. There is alot to be aware of, especially when multiple trees are involved which is often the case in the bush.

 

[Laird]

Glad you didn't get hit. Did you have a lid on?

Kevin

Had all my PPE on, but it shocked me since it appeared to come out of nowhere. As it went over I had backed about 15' away from the stump and had started back to it when the limbs came down one step in front of me.

 

[ppkgmsy]

Glad you are alright.

 

[KMB]

Had all my PPE on, but it shocked me since it appeared to come out of nowhere. As it went over I had backed about 15' away from the stump and had started back to it when the limbs came down one step in front of me.

This is a good heads up for me as I plan on doing some felling this weekend...weather permitting.

Kevin

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Glad you are OK !

Trees are/were a living thing. They fight back with bigger limbs than we have with impecable aim.

Watch that one closely when you are splitting it. It carries a grudge, wear a cup.

 

[stihl sawing]

You tryin to kill yourself, Glad it didn't hit your old hard noggin. sometimes those things just happens. Good on ya for havin the hat on. It still would have hurt though.

 

[unclemoustache]

Dang. Good lesson for us all. You can never be too safe, but there are still some accidents that you just can't possibly protect yourself against.

 

[coog]

It carries a grudge, wear a cup.


hahahahahahaha

 

[KsWoodsMan]

From time to time we hear about that one split that pops loose, catches a shin, leg or worse. We never hear about the flying debris when the tree, that the split was from, came down.

If I was standing in the woods minding my own business and somebody came along and girdled me, you can be sure I'm not going to stand there and do nothing about it. If'n I didn't get his noggin busted a good one the first time. I'd sure be busting his nuts the next time he came around.

I'm sure glad good humour doesn't go to wase around here.

 

[Metals406]

Laird, glad you came out on top. . . Next time try pulling your head out of you butt. . . Hey, don't shoot the messenger, I'm just going off of your picture. LOL

 

[Mike PA]

I know the feeling. I took a small limb to head a while back. No damage, except to the limb, but it learned me good. I wear a helmet now. I'm the only one of my cuttin group that does. They just stopped making fun of me a little while ago (at least that I know about).

Glad you made it out ok. Look up.

 

[stihl sawing]

From time to time we hear about that one split that pops loose, catches a shin, leg or worse. We never hear about the flying debris when the tree, that the split was from, came down.

If I was standing in the woods minding my own business and somebody came along and girdled me, you can be sure I'm not going to stand there and do nothing about it. If'n I didn't get his noggin busted a good one the first time. I'd sure be busting his nuts the next time he came around.

I'm sure glad good humour doesn't go to wase around here.

Ain't nothing hurts any worse than stepping on a sprung limb or curved one and getting smacked in the nads.

 

[Laird]

Well, that tree has now been split and piled with about 75 of his friends and relatives without any further noticed attempts at retribution.

Pic is a little blurry.......cellphone must have had some sweat on the lens from being in my shirt pocket.....

 

[stihl sawing]

That's a pretty big stack of wood ya got there. Looks good the way you got it piled.

 

[IPLUMB]

Do you season you wood in a pile like that? Must take a while?

 

[Metals406]

That's a neat pile. . . Reminds me of a Holz Hausen.

 

[GPETER]

When the tree starts to fall get the heck out of the way quick. Clear an escape route at at a 45 angle to the tree.

They call those widdowmakers for a reason. You also want to look up into the tree beore you fall it to see if there are any dead branches, lose branches, or branches caught up in other trees.

 

[Laird]

Do you season you wood in a pile like that? Must take a while?

Only temporary. When I stop burning I'll stack what I can in the wood shed. Shed holds two years worth of wood. The rest I stack in rows with some tin roofing over the top. That pile is just where I throw it after it comes off the splitter.

That pile is about 55' long and about 20' wide at the base and 7' tall. First time I've done it this way and I'll be curious to see how many cords it has in it. But before you math wizards break out your calculators, I still have about 50 trees in a pile across from that one to buck, split and add to it.