First, let me thank everyone on here for all the advice I've gotten (and entertainment- esp. the entertainment!) So- my next dumb question is: If I want to clear an area in the middle of the woods, and minimize the collateral damage from falling trees, how do you start? My property is wall-to-wall trees, and I want an acre or two in the middle cleared for a house, garden, pasture, etc. I saw the damage a good-sized blow-down did to the adjacent trees- I want to avoid that. I've dropped plenty of trees out in the open, and know pretty well how to direct their fall, but what if there isn't an open spot? My biggest fear is having a tree get hung up, and then try to figure out how to get the whole mess on the ground w/o flattening myself! Thanks!
Contact a professional contractor that has experience in doing tree falling and/or land clearing and has the proper knowledge and equipment to lay trees down without damaging more than was intended. Also plan for proper utilization and clean up of the downed trees.
Having a professional consulting forester or logger look at your area of concern might get you on the "right track".
You are going to need a road into your clearing so start there. Your first couple will fall into the county ditch , which you immediately clean up of course, and then you continually fall into the opening you have created.
That sounds so simple you will be amazed at what a challenge it is :D
Take your time with each one ; planning escape routes, falling method required, how to fix a mistake/plan change.
Cleanup as you go , it is much safer and more rewarding in the end.
The first thing is, don't get the tree hung up.
If that fails and the tree is hung up then it needs to be pulled down with a winch and rope from a safe distance.
The smaller ones can sometimes be rocked off to the side with a cant hook which will bring them down.
I post this with the disclaimer that you shouldn't do it.
During my first day of GOL training session with the master himself Soren Ericsson we went to the woods after morning training to cut some trees down. Each person notched their tree and fell it using the safety training they had learned in the morning. One person hung his tree. It was about a 16" dbh. Soren said let me show you a trick. Gary Gretter the Indiana state forester was saying no Soren, no Soren you don't want to show them this. But Soren prevailed. First he had someone cut a 4" pole about 12 to 14 feet long. He took his saw and cut the base into a square about 3 1/2" on a side. Then he cut a notch about 10" or so deep into the butt of the tree that was leaning about 20 to 30 degrees off vertical. The notch was made so that the square end of the pole would fit into the notch. He then had 3 or 4 people grab the pole put the end into the notch and walk forward causing the tree to roll off the tree that was holding it up. This is a decent sized tree that was leaning. Sure enough the tree rolled off and went crashing down. I forgot to add that Soren had cut away the hinge so the tree was just sitting on the stump.
I have never tried this. I use a winch and long line instead.
I imagine Gary walked away shaking his head. ::) The crew would need to step smartly when the tree started to roll.
I have done things like that until I purchased my skidding winch. I sure am alot happier and safer just using the winch and its long cable to just pull them down. I pull from a distance that is longer than the height of the tree and am much happier.
Farmerdoug
Cedarman our GOL instructor did the same thing with a fair sized tree. Worked pretty slick but I have never tried it myself. I'm like farmerdoug though, I just hook on to it with the winch and pull them down if they get hung up.
Friend of mine did thatwith a fair-sized white oak usin a cant hook. It rolled off the first tree, landed on another and rolled of it. Landed a full 90 degrees from where intended. Only, problem, that's where his pickup truck was parked. I used a port-a-power to jack the cab back out, and he's still driving it.
Never park equipment within the distance of the height of tree. You can run out of the way if you have planned your escape route but it is possible to move equipment when the tree is falling though. ::)
Farmerdoug
That is my rule also. The only power equipment within the area around the tree is the chain saw. If the need were to arise, I would not hesitate to leave it and get myself out of the way.
Our government here has very certain rules for opening up new road ways in the bush. You cannot remove any trees from outside the marked zone, nor can you drop a tree to the outside of this zone.
So what I do is start in the middle and drop the smaller trees that have a pretty good line of sight. After dropping each tree I IMEDIATLY clear the tree out. Then I start to work my way through dropping ONLY the bigger trees that have a CLEAR line of sight. As you start removing one tree you open up room for another and then another. It takes alot of time to do but in the long run it workes out really well. You always try to save the Grand dady tree till last that way if you are a little off on your fall it won't be a disaster.
Also another little trick is to use a "guide pole" when cutting. This Is also a disclamer NOT to try this. You have someone pushing the tree with a large pole (usualy 14' or so) as you make your final cut. This works well with leaners that are going a little to far to one side.
Also one last little tip. Only work with one or two other people when slashing. And ALWAYS know where each other are positioned at ALL times. Make sure they are on the same page as you.
The adrenalin always starts pumping when you first start, after that it becomes an addiction. Then when you are finished stand back and take pride in what you've accomplished. ;D
I'm claiming back an old grown up pasture and kinda do what you have to do.I look the trees over very carefully and try to really plan how and where the trees will fall.But most of mine are not much more than a foot across.I have to cut alot of times around trees that I cannot cut until I clear a spot for a bad leaner to fall.Sometimes I have to cut the tree up so I can get it out.Instead of hauling it tree length I saw it up into 10' or 12'or whatever I need to do to keep from barking up other trees that I want to leave.I really have to look at the crown of the trees and any limbs that will hit other trees.I do make mistakes,but I cut the mistakes down and nobody but my chainsaw and my dog knows.I to haul out any trees that I hang up.What I always do is get 50' of cable out,more if I think I need it,and haul out the hangers that way.I never dog the winch in when I do this. This way if something happens it will just pull more cable out.I always take my time when doing this.When I work in the woods I cut the brush up into 2-3-4' long pieces.It just kinda disapears in a few years.I realize the big opening you will burn the brush,but for the road you might be able to do this.