accurate tree felling.

[longtime lurker]

lt lurker--

you gps every stump?? Why do you do that??

Depends a bit on where we are but when we're cutting crown (state) timber reserves, rangers actually go through in front of us and mark trees to cut, habitat trees that must be left totally undisturbed, sometimes trees will have a fell direction marked on them, red lines for watercourse protection issues that heads of trees can't cross... stuff like that. They send it to us as a GPX file, which makes us finding each "to go" tree quite quick, particularly if theres a lot of undergrowth or its broken terrain. From there we must record each tree as an individual log number, both on the stump itself and on the log and send those back to the crown with log measurements for calculating payment we own to the state.

I also record it using the GPS. Change the symbol when the tree is felled, again when the log is actually removed from the stump to the landing. That's all optional but you're standing there with a GPS in your hand anyway and after a bit it just becomes a habit. We don't loose any logs that way, we can trace a given log back to a given stump if there was ever an issue... the technology is there in your hand might as well use it right?

It's become a habit. Even when I don't need to - say on private land - I do it. Landholder can't come back saying I hung a tree up and left it hanging, or crossed a boundary, or took more trees then I've paid for. Upload it to the PC and a disk backup and I have a pretty good record of the origin of every individual tree that goes through the mill, which can help when trying to calculate say just how much I should pay for logs from place X... I can look at what we've done close to there and spit out recovery by species and grade etc etc.

I didn't start this program - the state swung to GPS marking and it was foisted on us. But once we had to do it I found how to make this stuff work for me.

[Southside]

If you hang up each tree as you move through the woods cutting trees down...then yes it should be done for each tree.

And if that is really happening to you on each tree, either you're in a really tough stand, or you're in the wrong profession.

I would agree with your statement in theory, however part of the reason mechanical felling has become so big down this way is due to how thick pine is grown in plantation stands.  It is impossible to do any second thinning work by hand without hanging so many trees you would just quit, the canopy is just so thick and heavy with branches there is no clear path nor does the tree gather enough momentum to push its way down.

The worst one I had was on a side hill too steep to get at mechanically, all mature pine in the 24"+ DBH range.  No way to get a skidder in there either to push them as I was opening the set up.  I knew I was going to be in for it when the 1st one at the bottom of the set did not go all the way down and create a hole for me to work into.  I just kept working my way up the hill stacking them like dominoes.  I had 6 all hung one on top of another, the 7th one finally hit hard enough and had enough combined weigh to knock the whole string down.  I wished I had a good phone to record that - it was quite the sight and sound to witness.   

[John Mc]

Southside - I meant no disrespect to someone who has to cut in that sort of situation, and I hope I did not come across that way. I would define that as a really tough stand.

I don't do much work in pine, Mostly northern hardwoods I cut here. Most of the cutting I've seen or been involved in has been thinning, crop tree release, and the like. In my sort of situation, if you are hanging every tree, there's a problem. I can understand that for what you are cutting, hung trees may be a whole lot more common.

[Southside]

Hi John,

I did not take it that way at all, was just pointing out what things are like down here, its very different.  I used to fell in northern Maine so I understand what you are talking about.  We do have nice hardwood stands and that is a lot like what you are talking about.  There are very few guys hand felling around these parts anymore, if I had to work in stuff like that every day there would be one less I can assure you!!  The pine can be a double edged sword, chances are you won't damage much regeneration in those stands are there really is none and for the most part those same branches that love to hang do keep the trees from damaging each other - unless of course it hits a smaller one dead on then they just snap off and become pulp.

I did not mean for my response to be be defensive if it came across that way.

Jim

[so il logger]

I myself can't claim to know much about cutting pine, but as far as hardwoods I'm with John. If you hang tree after tree then it's time to find a new job because obviously you aren't taking time to pay attention to your surroundings. A hanger is kind of like a barber chair in the sense that the danger level goes up in multiple ways. Working around a hanger is dangerous and throwing other trees into a hanger to dislodge it can be as well. I have had a 36+ dia sweet gum swing right over my head because I threw it into a hanger to dislodge it and it kicked it sideways a good 30 foot. That being said I think we all know that if your cutting timber for production then you do things differently than someone that cut's on occasion. I gave advice earlier about staying near the stump if the tree balanced or sat back, I was not referring to a hanger I simply gave that advice so that maybe less experienced guys wouldn't take off walking away into the danger zone in case the tree decided to fall. Again it's all my opinion but when it comes to heavy topped hardwood I do have my diploma from the school of hard knocks ;D

jon

[John Mc]

I did not mean for my response to be be defensive if it came across that way.

I did not take it that way. Your post caused me to reread mine, and see that it might be offensive to some. I don't do this stuff for a living, and my exposure is much more limited than some on here.  In the example you describe, there are good reasons why tree after tree might get hung.

I'd love to believe that when I hang a tree, it's because it was unavoidable, but unfortunately, that's not the case. In the type of stands I'm cutting, more often its a matter of a mistake in planning, or an error in execution. Fortunately, it's been happening less and less as the years wear on.

[coxy]

I did not mean for my response to be be defensive if it came across that way.

I'd love to believe that when I hang a tree, it's because it was unavoidable, but unfortunately, that's not the case.

well I cut 18 trees today and 11 of them hung up  it was just one of those days     the good of it was I didn't have to dig in the snow to hook the choker  :D some days I win some days I just go home  8)

[lopet]

I had 6 all hung one on top of another, the 7th one finally hit hard enough

Wow , that must been some music.  ;D