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I am about to purchase a property, its 6 acres. The back 4 acres are wooded, but nothing of huge value except maybe this one oak tree I believe to be around 200 years old. the property is 165 feet wide and 1600 feet long (roughly) and this tree is ALL the way in the back. Its leaning over the creek but not to bad of a lean, but will be difficult to get it to fall back towards the property, it is 100 percent on my property. I don't know the type of oak. Is there any trade value to this tree at all for a logging company? Perhaps get them to put a driveway in for me in trade, or maybe more depending on the value? I would be OK w/ trading them things I need for the property for the tree, perhaps is the value is enough getting a 1/2 acre pond dug. The surveyor who knows nothing about trees said it might be worth 50,000, but me who also knows nothing about trees does not think its worth that much at all, but my curiosity is peaked. Anyways its at least 120 feet tall probably 8 feet diameter at the base and around 6 feet diameter around 20 feet up. Here are some picks. Is there any intrinsic trade value in this tree to even bother talking to the logging companies that are around 30 miles away.
I'm not an expert on values of standing hardwoods, but I think your surveyor is a little
I got a chuckle out of his 50,000 as well.... In all reality it would be nice to trade for a 300 foot driveway graveled and everying and a strip of woods cleared out going to the back of the property where I can shoot. driveway should cost around 4 grand.
Still trying to figure out the photo thing. I tried to link to --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--, that didn't work, then I added them to my album that I already had, and couldn't figure out how to attach, then I think I downloaded them again.... still trying to figure it out.
if red clay Hound is raining on your parade, it is going to seem like I am peeing in your Cheerios. I am afraid by because of the size of your tree and its location and the inherent qualities of big oversized oak, and because that is just 1tree, the tree is probably worthless.
Not peeing in my cheerios at all.... I sort of expected it to be worth nothing, otherwise the land owner before my probably would have sold it before he sold me the land. Its almost what I expected but I wasn't sure if it would be worth trading for a driveway or not since a lot of logging companies already have these rescources and it would be mucher cheaper for them to put a drive in than for me.
IndyGunworks.welcome to the forum. Not that it matters for the value of oak,what state are you in? And with a tree that big,it will knock down alot trees too.
there is a fairly open area to fall it, and its on a part of the property we want to clear a section out anyways to put in a covered gazebo right on the creek... I am not worried about other trees. Its located in between carthage and Morristown Indiana, which is the center of the state.
Like the others say, the problem with those big trees is that 99% of the sawmills can't handle them. Then you have the cost of getting machinery in to harvest one tree You usually end up with a negative value on it.
It's a cool tree, I'd try and leave it standing if it's still healthy. If it's starting to die or needs to come down, then probably the only option is to find someone with a Swing Blade portable sawmill and get it sawn up where it falls.
But you won't make a fortune out of it.... Just get a big pile of lumber that still needs to be dried and processed further before you use it.
Ian
I'd be real proud to have that tree standing on my property. :) And would hope it would stand for a long, long time.
I have several old large diam. red oak in my forest, that every forester that puts together a management plan wants to take those big ones down right away.
I like 'em and enjoy them being there. They are hollow, I am sure. But still alive and standing. 8)
IndyGunWorks,
If your wife is standing next to the tree for scale, and she is about 5'6" tall, then the DBH would appear to be about 48". If you measure around the tree (circumference) at 4.5" above the ground, and divide by 3.1416, you'll have a pretty accurate idea of its diameter. 8' diameter would place it in competition for the champion tree registry in Indiana.
You can't see the other side of the butt log but two hundred dollars I would think, give Frank Miller Lumber a call in Union City Indaina and they be able to get some one in your area to pick it up providing there logging near by. Millers live for big logs that get quarter sawed , good luck Bill.
Looking at the tree, and seeing the lower dead limbs, and the patterns in the bark, I'd say that tree has suffered some trauma many years ago. I'd suspect lighting. There would be an extreme amount of work in just felling such a tree, and looking at the quality of the lower trunk, I'd suspect a high negative value if someone ever tried to harvest it. Its a great Tree, and it my personal opinion is it should stay a tree. That is where the value is. In the beholding.
My vote is also to leave it. There are many, many high quality oak trees in Indiana. Unfortunately, yours is not one of them. If you do want to take it down, it is worth more as firewood than anything else.
Trees like that are usually still standing for a reason. I have a few maple and beech trees like that in my woodlot. They are worth more to me standing/slowly falling apart than any thing else. (And I own the equipment needed to ever deal with removing them.) Big old wolf trees are just cool to have around.
I'd give about $200 to have it planted in my yard. :)
If you cut that oak, you will be sorry for the rest of your life. Save your money and build your own driveway. Regards, Clark
That tree is what we call a "character tree". In a typical harvest operation that tree would remain standing - mainly for potential wildlife habitat and possible acorn production.
If you keep it standing you could call your new home "Towering Oak Estate".
I vote to let it stand. Jeff called it straight. The tree has seen stress somewhere in it's recent past. More than likely whatever caused the problem has down graded the quality of the wood. It may be worth a lot more to the value of your property if you let it stand, and it survives another ten to twenty years. The other issue is finding someone to cut it, haul it off, and you be the lucky guy to be on the receiving end of any financial transactions.
But, we're giving advice based on a couple of pictures. It's your land, your tree, and your decision. Our votes don't count. Good luck.
QuoteQuote from: Black_Bear on May 19, 2013, 05:48:01 PM
That tree is what we call a "character tree". In a typical harvest operation that tree would remain standing - mainly for potential wildlife habitat and possible acorn production.
Ditto! The tree's value is retaining it on the property for all the nontimber benefits it provides to the property.
If that guy lived on my land, he would die of natural causes. (Or at least out live me). :laugh:
You're gonna be the coolest dad when you build a tree fort in that tree.