Trees hung up in other trees....

[IllinoisJim]

Looking for advice to deal with falling trees that get hung up in tops of other trees. Selectively cutting in a fairly thick forest so hard to avoid once in while. Mostly cutting dead or wind falls for firewood. Climbing is not an option. On one that hung up I resorted to putting a line on it about 6 feet up and pulling opposite the lean. Then cut a few feet off the bottom end and repeated until it was down. Probably not the best way but it worked...

 

[outdoorlivin247]

You mean like these...

 

[IllinoisJim]

Yep. Like those.

 

[gwiley]

If the hinge is broken those look like candidates for rolling with a cant hook or peavey. I found that the cant hook works like magic to unhang trees that have a modest canopy.

 

[treeslayer]

jerk em off with a chain.

 

[clutch25]

jerk em off with a chain.

Yep!

 

[outdoorlivin247]

I stole that picture from this thread...It has lots of suggestions...

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=116653

 

[IllinoisJim]

Hung up trees

Thanks for the replies. It gives me some ideas. I like the cant hook suggestion - if it looks safe to be that close. That might do the trick in most cases.

As for "jerk em off with a chain" I can't get any serious equipment in most of the woods due to very steep hills. Maybe a portable winch or something similar... Or a LONG cable and several anchored blocks. But once its off the stump the end will dig in and take a LOT to pull it further.

 

[Bermie]

FIRST determine which way it will want to roll when the hinge is severed...work at severing the hinge from the side OPPOSITE the way it might roll. Leave a bit of the hinge intact on the roll side to act as a pivot and to help control the descent...

BEWARE this is a dangerous operation and you should get someone to show you how to do it first if possible.

If it is well and truly stuck like in a fork you are going to have to winch the butt backwards after severing the hinge..make the anchor for whatever winch system you use up high to prevent the butt digging in the ground as you pull the tree back...

Removing hung ups can be tricky and dangerous.

NEVER:
Walk under a hung up tree
Fell the tree the hungup is stuck in
fell another tree onto the hungup in the hope of dislodging it

Cutting pieces off the bottom is also dangerous because it is very hard to predict which way it will go as it gets more vertical...but experienced operators will attempt it, relying on their foundation of knowledge to keep them ahead of dangerous events...proceed with EXTREME CAUTION if you choose this route.

 

[treejock1]

NEVER:
Walk under a hung up tree
Fell the tree the hungup is stuck in
fell another tree onto the hungup in the hope of dislodging it


ok folks how many of us have broken these rules-BE HONEST

 

[Walt41]

Be safe, throw a line over the highest point possible and attach a bull rope, find a safe anchor tree and use a come-along to pull them down, it might take a while but it beats a ride in an ambulance or a wheelchair or worse!

 

[Bermie]

NEVER:
Walk under a hung up tree
Fell the tree the hungup is stuck in
fell another tree onto the hungup in the hope of dislodging it


ok folks how many of us have broken these rules-BE HONEST

Ok so someone with years of commercial experience might take the odd shortcut, but this is sound advice for a novice or a weekend warrior...
So much can go wrong with the complex forces hidden in the tangle...play it safe

 

[treejock1]

sorry,I was not insinuating that you should do these things, just wondering how many would if they had to.

 

[Bermie]

sorry,I was not insinuating that you should do these things, just wondering how many would if they had to.

S'ok...peace

 

[Burvol]

What the Heck?

You mean like these...

Notice the right tree is faced out, then raised to fall in. Notice the two large holes for both trees to left and the right of the stand. I cannot see any stakes, markers, buildings, fence, ect. in the way. If they figured they could throw it out, then realized the lean was worse than they thought, they should have been able to calculate it the other way. A tree will generally fall in three directions with a little or minimal wedging. Obviously in hardwoods there is tremendous crown weight and structure to hang up in, but these two lays appear to be open. If you know you have to do some wedging, set up your cuts and everything to do so right away. A lot of times your way ahead of the game by taking a few extra steps or some time to look at the lean and the lay.

 

[clearance]

Fencepost them.

 

[Bermie]

Fencepost them.

Ummmmm??

 

[canopyboy]

Maybe cutting off fencepost long pieces working up from the butt?

 

[A. Stanton]

Jim,
you can always join the hang em high club with guys like me.

 

[treesquirrel]

I usually find a way to strap or chain the base and drag them out by the base until they fall. Winch, 4x4, tractor, or whatever you can find.

I try to avoid cutting hung trees at all costs.