A little TSI this weekend at J-bird's place

[j-bird]

Well I didn't go to MO this weekend (business trip was canceled), so I was able to hit the woods with the chainsaw today. Had some good things, had a "WTF" moment as well.

I was cutting some hard maple - twisted or damaged trees - in an effort to get more sunlight to the ground. I was surprised at what I found. Sap was running out of them like water!



Then I had the WTF moment. I had my landing area for this tree all set up - and instead it went right into a nice walnut tree I have that I use as a stand tree right in the fork - and guess what? Yep - that is right where the tree fell. It's still there - I was able to cut the lower end loose, but I can't seem to get it out of the tree at the moment. Well.......FLICK!




I did manage to put the limbs to good use however. This area has a plot to the right in the pic. The deer have a path thru the grass/weeds in this area and it is very difficult to see the deer as they slip thru. I used the limbs to form a fence. The deer will either jump it or go around and thus into the plot. Either way I should be able to see them better. Pushing them all with the FEL wasn't fun, but I figured I might as well put them to good use. The area that is currently beat down will be waist to head high in grass and weeds buy hunting season.

 

[scott44]

Looks like you had some good weather, nice to be outside and doing habitat work. Looks good!

 

[j-bird]

The ground was a little soft for my liking but anytime it isn't too cold I try to get out. I typically am busy with other things once the weather turns warm so this time once season closes and the spring come I like to do my TSI, firewood cutting, hinging and the like. So far we have had a real mild winter with really only one decent snow and it didn't last very long on the ground. I live on my place so being able to get out and get a little work done - even if it's just a couple of hours isn't that difficult.

 

[St. Croix]

you better adjust your scope;)

 

[wiscwhip]

I did manage to put the limbs to good use however. This area has a plot to the right in the pic. The deer have a path thru the grass/weeds in this area and it is very difficult to see the deer as they slip thru. I used the limbs to form a fence. The deer will either jump it or go around and thus into the plot. Either way I should be able to see them better. Pushing them all with the FEL wasn't fun, but I figured I might as well put them to good use. The area that is currently beat down will be waist to head high in grass and weeds buy hunting season.
View attachment 3742

J-bird, I'm betting that area grows up with all manner of briars and and such. Deer will be coming around the end. No way are they jumping that mess after it grows up this summer. That should make the funnel past your stand way better. I like it!

 

[j-bird]

Yep - this tree in particular was a twisted mess and I had a "plan" but mother nature just laughed! I wasn't laughing - I was just a little PO'ed. I only missed buy about 2 feet, but once that tree hit that fork - I was done! RRRRRRRrrrrrrrr.

Wisc - I figured the deer would prefer to go around - I call this little set up "forced exposure". The point of that "fence" will put the deer in the plot in 99% of the time - I may even put a ground blind right at the point of it.

 

[dipper]

Got a tractor? Pull it down, that's logging man.

 

[j-bird]

Dipper - I tried - my machine isn't that big - I gotta get a bigger toy. Its wedged pretty good and to pull it straight out - you have to drive straight into the woods and a nice washed out drainage ravine. I will get a bigger machine and a good chain and will see if I can't get the leverage to snap it off. Wouldn't bother me much, but it's in a real nice walnut that I use for a stand and it's a nice timber tree (or was going to be) in a few years. We're going to need a bigger.........tractor!

 

[St. Croix]

if you use it for a stand site you will have tremendous cover and may contemplate leaving it as is. Shouldn't affect any timber value as your $ is below the Y anyways

 

[j-bird]

OK first of all the top that is wedged isn't touching the ground. So its only gravity and the weight of the cut top that has it wedged into the fork. So there is a lot of weight hanging there - no way I am putting a stand in there with that much weight hanging there - I have done enough dumb stuff in my life - being hospitalized by a tree isn't on my list of things to do. I like the come-along idea. I will have to see what I can come up with. All I know is that once it comes down I really don't want to be anywhere close. They call snags like that "widow makers" for a reason. It will come down - I just got to find a way to do it safely and hopefully not destroy my walnut tree.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Good luck with it, but be careful J-bird. The doctors have enough business. Don't want to hear of ANYONE on here getting hurt !!

 

[j-bird]

Anyone ever see sap in a sugar/hard maple run like water this early? It was a constant trickle - not drops, but a thin stream of sap. I have seen this in trees say in March, but never the end of January.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Nope - not this early.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

Anyone ever see sap in a sugar/hard maple run like water this early? It was a constant trickle - not drops, but a thin stream of sap. I have seen this in trees say in March, but never the end of January.

What has the weather been like for your area? Freezing nights and thawing days?

 

[j-bird]

pretty much. We had a good cold snap a few weeks ago, nut lately the highs have been above freezing and turned the top layer of the ground into slop. I figure everything with re-freeze again at some point, I just didn't expect the sap to be flowing like this at this time of year - I figured the trees would still be rather dormant. I usually see sap like this in march when I hinge cut more as I feel they hinge better because the flowing sap seems to help the trees bend more rather than snap off.

 

[j-bird]

Mo - the walnut in question has been a "killing tree" for nearly a decade now! It sits in a great spot and works well for bow or gun. It's a bear to get a stand into but, it works well and I don't have other options nearby. It is also a nice tree - may not be primo grade, but it will be worth a few bucks down the road. I realize walnut and habitat don't often go hand in hand, but I want to avoid removing that walnut at all costs at the moment.

As far as the buds go - it doesn't look like they are swelling or ready to "pop". It's still too cold for that - that was sort of why I was so surprised at the stream of sap that came out of the maple when I cut it. I have never tapped maple for the sap - and maybe this isn't as odd as I thought. I know other tree types didn't have any sap in them. Maybe I just found a gusher!

 

[dipper]

Oh if that tree is hanging, stay away with the tractor. I'd personally leave it
Sap goes up and down depending on temp. I've seen it on maples on warmer years. It is likely common by you being futrther south.

 

[j-bird]

It's a dandy widow maker! It can only fall about 6' at the butt end or so but when it does, if it comes lose it's gonna make some folks mess their pants. The base of it is a good 20" or more in diameter so there is a lot of weight just wedged up there. It isn't the butt end of it I'm worried about it's the additional length that is going to come down with it that is potentially going to cause some damage.

Unfortunately I'm not the type to leave this alone until it is resolved. I just have to find a safe-ish way to go about it, and hopefully not bring down the walnut in the process. I just need to avoid doing something stupid and smashing something or someone in the process. Anybody got a flock of trained woodpeckers?!?!?!?

 

[dipper]

It depends on what is stuck and what it is stuck into. If it's a couple heavy crotches wedged together, your only gonna pull it down with heavy chains and a good sized tractor.

 

[j-bird]

Dip - I was figuring the same thing - simply because I hate screwing with things more than once. I'll talk to my farm/renter and see what he thinks and maybe we can use his machine - he has bigger toys than I do.