High Limb removal

[jkj]

I laughed when I  read this thread.

I had a 6" or so hickory limb about 25' long break in a storm and and the entire limb with leaves was hanging down, the bottom maybe 15 ft from the ground, near the driveway but not close to the house.   No way I was going to climb and trim.  Hitting it with numerous slugs and shot didn't help.  Snagged it with a rope and pulled with the tractor - broke the rope.  That hickory is tough stuff.  I finally gave up and it hung there for almost a year.

One day during a strong wind I was down at the barn and heard something coming down - looked up the hill just in time to see the thing hit the ground!  Yes, finally!  When I got up the hill the limb was certainly down, but DanGnabbit, in coming down it had torn lose ANOTHER one about the same size!  That one has been hanging since early spring.  I wish I could cross a squirrell with a beaver and send him up the tree so I could park my truck over there again. 

JKJ

[beenthere]

The entire limb is off now, with an arboristically-sensitive procedure close to the trunk (left the gun in the case). More daylight than I am used to but I will adapt over time. 

[getoverit]

I've always thought of myself as a "redneck", and I take no offense to being called one. To me, it's a compliment when I can get a job done without spending a lot of time or money (which are the same thing when you are self employed).  If I call someone a "redneck" it is a compliment and should be taken as one.

I have shot down tree limbs many a time, and Like you I am always aware of where the bullet or slug might land. Shotguns are VERY limited range weapons, even with slugs. This is why the airports are willing to let them be used to clear deer from airport lands.

My favorite de-limbing device is a 30-06 though....:D

[beenthere]

My youngest son's comment when I mailed him a photo was

You shot a branch out of the tree with your shot gun........that's
priceless!!  You don't get much more redneck than that!

Hope it does not stress the tree too much.  That's a nice tree.

I took it as a compliment too   ;D    ...and will do my best to save the tree.

[brdmkr]

Foresters shoot the tops out of trees all the time for grafting.  They tend to use .22s.  Those little bullets likely carry much farther than the slugs or shot.  Glad to see that you got everything cleaned up.

[Max sawdust]

Sorry I still find shooting trees to be unusual :-\  It just seems like such a desperate last resort to a problem :-\
I guess I can justify it with my farmboy gun philosophy: Don't waste a bullet unless you can eat it, or if it was going to kill you.  (I figure Beenthere's limb fell into the going to kill you category)  ;)
Also a good ol' boy attitiude of do what ever it takes to get the job done  makes it OK too  ;)

I am just surprised at how much this seems to happen, especially on a Forestry Forum  :
This could be an interesting poll ;D

1. I never thought of shooting a tree
2. I thought of shooting a tree but abstained (That one is my vote :D)
3. I shot a tree but only once
4. I shoot trees on occasion
5. I shoot trees regularly

:D :D :D :D :D

Sorry Just can not help having fun with this.  Beenthere, looks like a nice job getting that limb removed.
Max

[Burlkraft]

I've shot cherry trees before.......Bullets make nice burls in a few years ;D ;D ;D

[Tom]

Just before I left for the pigroast, I tore up a brand new blade when I hit a jacketed bullet in the butt of the log.  It tore about 15 teeth right off of the band and I had just put it on.  Probably cut two or three cuts.   Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.  Then you reach in your wallet for another $25 bill,

[Burlkraft]

I meant to say Lead Bulletts ;D ;D ;D

[Tom]

I 'spect that works better.  :D

[Patty]

I've shot cherry trees before.......Bullets make nice burls in a few years ;D ;D ;D

Is this really true, or are you just kidding?  ???     Inquiring minds need to know!  :P

[Don P]

Hide your cherries, the Iowa gun totin society is fixin to have another barn razing  :D

[beenthere]

Patty
I think he is serious.....'splained it to me how he found a cherry burl, and it had some lead inside. So he aimed at a few trees to 'make' him some cherry burls. Time will tell, and Burlkraft may even tell too. 

[Patty]

Hide your cherries, the Iowa gun totin society is fixin to have another barn razing  :D

:D  Look out!

[mike_van]

I used to shoot a few trees, not for limb removal though - Never thought of that - But hey, it worked for you - I used to do 25 acres of corn to pick, small lots, 2 acres here, 3 there - The coons would trash that corn so bad by late fall, you had to shoot some early, or you'd be buying corn. We would take a .22 with a scope, and a 20 ga. with #2 or buckshot. Sometimes the coon would tree in one so leafy you couldn't see the eyes,  one or two shots from the shotgun made them look - worked well several times. The hides were no good that early, but, it was hides or corn.

[Mr Mom]

     The only time that i shoot trees is durning deer season : : :.





     Thanks Alot Mr Mom.

[Ron Scott]

I've shot thousands of trees, but with a "paint gun". ;)

[ShaneG]

I know I'm coming in real late to this discussion but I remember seeing some documentary on the discovery channel or the like and foresters using high power rifles to shoot limbs out of the tops of trees for study purposes.

[Kevin]

cross a squirrell with a beaver

That's already been done.

  ...porcupine

[LOGDOG]

I'm just seeing this thread for the first time. I have to admit I've done the same thing. I usually prefer a load of shot through a turkey choke. It's also been one of my favorite ways to remove treestands that trespassers hang or build on my property. Something about them finding their stand at the base of the tree opening morning in splinters makes me grin. I always make sure they're completely down though so no one can climb into them and get hurt and sue me. ;)

But the craziest thing I've ever done with hunting equipment to accomplish a long reach was back when I was about 16. I was working at the grocery/general merchandise store that my dad managed. Turns out they needed to run coaxial cable or something from the front of the store to the back. The store had a sloping ceiling. Probably about 30 feet high at the front of the store and about half that at the back. At the front there was a stair case that went up to the second story offices. From the landing on the stair case you could look over the whole store. The ceiling had ceiling tiles that could be removed. Above the ceiling tiles were roof trusses with the traditional crossmembers that trusses have. They had intended to have a guy in a lift come in and remove the tiles one by one to chase the cable from the front of the store to the back. I jokingly said that I could bring my bow in with my Game Tracker string and send one through the ceiling then they could just tie the cable on to the end of the string and pull it through. Well they looked at me and said, "Could you?!?!"
So sure enough, they put me up on the second story landing and pulled a ceiling tile out ahead of me. I had to stand on a 5 gallong bucket to get enough elevation to be able to see down through the ceiling. We had picked a spot out in the back that I needed to hit. It was during business hours but we cleared the isles to the sides of the shooting lane. The shot was 67 yards. I nailed it dead center the first time and the string from the Game Tracker worked like a dream. They pulled the cable in about 5 minutes time. Probably the best shot I ever made with my bow given the obstacles and distance.

By the way, I did see the other night that they sell a type of saw that looks like it employs a long rope with a chainsaw chain in the middle that you throw an end over and then saw back and forth with the two ends of the rope for limb removal. May be a good alternative for someone looking for one. 

[Max sawdust]

Cool story LOGDOG, a practical way to get the job done ;)  So have you ever hung Christmas lights high in a tree with the bow
Until this forum I thought I was the only one to do crazy things with hunting equipment. :D

Though I still find it "odd" to shoot a tree in order to remove a limb :D
max

[dewwood]

Lots of interesting information.  I just wanted to add that my son spent his summer doing research on Forest Service property in northern MN and at the end of the summer when he needed to collect many limb and leaf samples they brought in a guy with a shotgun to shoot down the samples for him to take back to the lab for analysis.  They said it was the fastest and most economical way to do it.  I think he said they got a few hundred samples but had to do it in two stints as the shooters shoulder got a little sore.

[Raphael]

     The only time that i shoot trees is durning deer season : : :.

  I've made that shot.  :D

Can't say that I've used a shotgun for limb removal but a fully choked 12ga. will certainly do a number on white face hornet nests.  Always good to have a vehicle or house around to duck into after making the shot, some folks get mighty sore about being evicted.  ;)

[crtreedude]

Many moons (okay, years) ago I was up in a tree stand with a bow. I had a perfectly clear shooting lane, except for a small tree with a diameter of no more than 1 inch in front of me. Great place. I of course kept looking at the little tree to remember where it was so I would avoid it if a deer came by.

Sure enough, about 30 minutes before sundown, a deer came into the shooting lane. I pulled back for a perfect shot and let fly. The deer just looked at me and then ran off. After waiting 15 minutes - I got off the stand and went to look for blood.

No blood. I couldn't believe I missed, but I looked and looked and still, no blood.

Well, the next day I came back looking for the arrow - I am sure you know where it was - I speared that little tree dead center.

I couldn't have done it if I tried...  :-\

[Ron Scott]

One quickly finds what limb they should have removed in a shooting lane. I've experienced the same thing. :( That's one for the deer. :-[