Beaver Fever

[Vermonster]

Got this Yellow Birch hung up by the friggin beavers. Trying to figure out how to put this thing on the ground safely.

In a perfect world, I'd use my TN70 and a Farmi 501 to yank it off the edge of this beaver swamp. Problem is, I don't have a winch and the terrain is too difficult to get close enough with the TN70 to slip a 25' cable on it.
So I'll have to get it on the ground with a saw, buck it and carry the rounds to the tractor then bring them to my splitter in the loader. Birch is about 20" dbh. Actually there's several nice logs in it.

Any suggestions?
Thanks much, Carl

 

[Nuzzy]

I'm sure someone else will come along with a better suggestion, but lately I've been doing (what I was introduced to as) plunged vertical snap cuts on hung and windblown trees. Used to do the notch and underbuck but this seems to get the log to release quicker and I've had better results.

 

[Nuzzy]

BTW, I bet those beavers were PISSED when they put all that work in and got the damn thing hung.

 

[Vermonster]

They're getting destructive now. Taking some nice timber from me. They've crossed the thin line. I'm going to have to put the smack down on a few this spring. Too bad their meat tastes so muddy.

 

[2dogs]

If you want to save out the tree for logs then you could leave it till the ground dries or use a big come-a-long (like a Tirfor) and pull the base out. Fence posting is fast and easy but doesn't leave you with logs, just chunks.

BTW I had Beaver Fever in 1990. It is no fun unless you like making mad dashes for the bathroom every hour or so for nine months.

 

[Vermonster]

I'm probably not going to save any logs from it. It will make excellent firewood.

I posted here instead of the firewood/heating forum because of the goat show that surely would have been on tour. Too many rods over there. Chest thumping flying spider monkeys, internet tough guys and other assorted nitwits.

 

[slowp]

Icky. I think I had that too. It took a trip to the doctor and some pills to stop it.

 

[Woody912]

I use the hinge cut and then attach chain come/along to the upper part to make it break. Tedious but I'm not close and sometimes the entire top will slide enough to get horizontal

 

[madhatte]

I picked up a Lewis winch at work awhile back. It's really handy for this kind of thing; I tie the cambium saver in the direction I want the tree to go and hang a snatch block from it, then tie the winch 90 or so degrees from that 50 or so feet away. Keeps me well out of the line of fire.

 

[northmanlogging]

Fence post it in chunks about chest high or so, you can cut em straight if you want, just be sure to take your time and read it so you have some idea as to where its going to bind, and fall once it does fall. Be ready to run like a scared little girl...

Also seems like once the tree starts to stand more or less straight up is when things can get... interesting... so really be ready to scoot if needed.

 

[HuskStihl]

Anything around you can drop onto it? Where are u in VT?

 

[Vermonster]

I'm in NW VT close to NY and CAN. It's hung pretty hard and right on the edge of a swamp. Guess I'll just whack away and try not to get planted by the butt as it falls each time.

It will get almost vertical eventually as the cutting progresses. Yes, this could get interesting.

Can't just leave it though. Lots of BTUs there.

 

[HuskStihl]

Highgate springs? Swanton? I got a little summer place on. North Hero. Good luck with the BTU's and not getting planted!

 

[Jim Timber]

Once it's more or less vertical and resting on the ground, I strap onto them as high as I can reach and snatch block out the direction it's most clear to fall, then pull it over from the sideline. The butt pivots the tree and they usually tip over into the opening they fell through without a lot of struggle.

 

[Vermonster]

Highgate springs? Swanton? I got a little summer place on. North Hero. Good luck with the BTU's and not getting planted!

Fairfield to be exact. North Hero and the Islands are wonderful. Spend a lot of time on the Lake.
When you're in the Islands check out Blue Paddle Bistro and the North Hero House for good eats.

 

[Dayto]

Hang a block run a strawline to it, hook on close to butt , get truck safe distance away and snap it clean off the stump.. once off the stump keep pulling until safely down on ground.

 

[northmanlogging]

Hang a block run a strawline to it, hook on close to butt , get truck safe distance away and snap it clean off the stump.. once off the stump keep pulling until safely down on ground.

Maybe put a little twist in it to get it moving... but yeah like he said...

 

[dhskier2]

Looks like an opportunity to buy a new to(y/ol) like a capstan winch, or as madhatte said, a lewis winch