I was cutting the last of a load of pulp to take off next week..it was a average sized sweet gum...when it went down the wind took it a few degrees off from where I wanted it to go... I got the saw out and side steped out of the way when I got whalloped on the top of the head...(No I didn't have on a hard hat) (I wear one at work but I was just cuttin a few trees on the edge of the pasture... :-[ ) The gum had broke off a small cherry about 5 in and I never saw it comming...I felt my head and the hand came back with blood on it and I knew I better get to the house....I didn't even realizie my glasses were not on my head till I got to the house....I didn't know how bloody I was till Debbie screamed when she saw me....I was covered down the right side of my face past my right eye down to my chin....We went back and found my glasses and she cleaned me up....Guess I need to be more careful....Tim
Widow makers are named that for a reason.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN1044.JPG)
No, it didn't hit me, but close is too close. It came down a minute or so after the tree fell.
Lucky to be able to tell us about it. And sure glad you are here.
Those hard hats are great, but "hard" to know ahead of time when to wear 'em.
I always do when I'm with the saw in hand.
Couple weeks ago, I was just brush hogging the woods trails... no hard hat. ::)
Had to move a downed limb off the trail so was doing that with the forks on the FEL. Moved a couple limbs and went back for another. It caught, broke a piece off that flipped up in the air and landed right behind me and ahead of the ROPS. Annoying, but afterward thought that 6-7', 4" white oak limb coulda done some damage. ::)
With all the limbs that fall in the woods, one can't help but wonder if the hard hat should be on whenever, or for whatever reason, one goes in the woods. Strolls and walks included.
Tim,
Glad your gonna be okay. A good reminder for us all.
Tim,
Glad you're alive, that was a close one. Did you end up seeking medical attention for your injuries? Head injuries are exceptionally dangerous. I'm not trying to make you nervous or tell you something that you don't already know, but the slightest feeling you might have that something's not quite right about you, I'd seek a doctor's care. That being said, I hope you don't have to!
I'm cutting a woodlot now that has a lot of dead pine on it. I'm mostly cutting mixed hardwood pulp, pine pulp, and a few scattered loads of hemlock logs and pulp. The forrester, who is also the landowner, regrets that he didn't cut it harder when he had a crew in there a little while back. The end result is a lot of dead pine everywhere. When I've been cutting hardwood lately, I've been noticing pine tops that break off even outside of the felling path of the tree I'm working. This definitely concerns me and I try to take the best assessment of my surroundings, but you can't see them all coming.
Everyone can take away from your story that hard hats are essential. The temptation is there for a lot of folks not to wear full gear when doing what seems like basic tasks, but we should all remember that any tree could be our last and let's gear up to try and not make that so.
All in all, glad you're okay, hope you get well and back cutting soon!
I'm glad you're not on display in the showroom.
At least the title of your thread shows you haven't lost your sense of humor. :)
I hope you have a speedy recovery.
Tim -
The trees gave you a stern warning. Glad you are still here to post another day!
I had one very close call when working with a guy to make some cuts to create early successional habitat for wildlife. A limb whacked him on the helmet, then glanced off his shoulder, driving him to the ground. We thought he just had the wind knocked out of him. Turns out he had a partially collapsed lung. He'd be dead if it weren't for the helmet.
From then on the only time I use a chainsaw without a helmet is when I'm cutting wood that is already down and out in the open (still have glasses and earplugs on for that). Chaps or chainsaw pants every time I fire up for anything other than a tune-up. I intend to be around to see my kids grow up, and have use of all my limbs while I'm at it. Funny how having a wife and kids can change your tolerance for risk...
John Mc
Glad your allright......I can't believe some of you on this site not wearing hardhats when felling....or bucking for that matter.I have been logging for over thirty years....would have been more like one if not for the hardhat.
Glad yer ok Tim :o :o :o
Gotta be careful about that stuff.
Up in Jeff's woods it's like Beenthere said, don't go in da woods without one. Popples and birch are always spittin out head knockers and ya can see 'em sticking in da ground everywhere
I always make a habit of wearing my hard hat when falling, but am also guilty of occasionaly felling a tree without it. Of course, that's when you will get smacked. Glad to hear you're ok banjopicker.
Banjo,
You are lucky. The very same thing happened to me, but I was wearing a hardhat. The limb glanced off the hardhat and hit me on the shoulder. The bruise that came up on the shoulder would have won first place in a modern art exhibit. It was that colorful. Without the hardhat, I would be dead or crazier than I am today.
I just dropped a very large and very dead Butternut. Every cut I made on the huge lower limbs I was ready to run. First limbs at 8 feet and most before 12. Trunk was 4' diameter, and most limbs 16-20". I was wearing my helmet for sure. Glad your OK, glad I am too. Would have been nice to have a bucket to work it all down from the rotten limbs down, but worked off the back of this truck staning on crane platform. I just backed it in from different angles and cut hte limbs on the OPPOSITE side of the tree. I was ready to jump for cover at all times.
Ironwood
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11262/o550g.jpg)
Thanks for the kind words folks...I know I did a dumb thing, and I won't do it again I promise..We took my mom to the family reunion on Sunday (Vaughn-- any others out there) she was the oldest one there at 92. I would at least like to get close to that...
That pic the Magicman put in there was pretty close to the way it was...Tim