Selective harvesting in a small lot

[D Martin]

I hav a 2.5 acre lot about 3/4 wooded. I want to harvest the larger white pines for a barn I am building . The pines for the most part are far enough from anything to warrant climbing limbing and topping for safe dropping but there are other trees I would like not to destroy. I have a four wheeler and a log arch for skidding so I can keep that damage to a minium. My question is should i still climb? It is next to impossible to drop these trees without at least taking out limbs of other trees even some hangups.

[Ron Scott]

I assume that you are "skilled" in tree falling. Plan your tree falling to do the minimum amount of damage to remaining trees. Plan the cutting pattern and falling lanes before doing any cutting.

A lot depends upon the spacing and density your stand of trees and the location of the trees your want to remove. Some damage can't be helped when falling large crowned trees. Climbing and sawing has its added safety concerns and requires more specialized skills. 

If its only a few trees and there is great concern for tree damage, you might want to consider having a Tree Service Company do the work.

[D Martin]

Thanks Ron. There are about 25or so  30" to 40 " dbh pines worthy of  milling. It is very dense with smaller pines I'd like to see grow up some day as well as some oak I would like to leave for a few more years.  I dont do tree climbing/ service full time but I have some experience, enough so to say it is very time consuming as opposed to droppining them staight down. I guess I could climb a few to open up some space for the rest to fall in and sacrifice a few small ones.

[IndyIan]

I did some small scale logging on my land last winter.  I found it sure pays to be able to drop a tree within a few feet of your target.   If you can do this you stand a chance, if not, do some practice until you are reasonalby confident you can put a tree down where you want to. 
Also, making a falling plan is very important, where is your road going to be?  Cut the little stuff off your road, now you have a clear spot you can drop a tree into.  Drop the next tree into the new space created from the first tree, etc...  It's big logic problem for you to figure out and since you are short on hp(no skidder) you have to think about it alot more.
I was just cutting 16-20" dbh white cedar, which is probably 40-50ft tall so getting one hung up wasn't a huge deal.  It could usually be spun out of a tree with my peavy(cant hook) or just pull the bottom out with the atv winch.  If you get one of your monsters hung up you'll need some real hp to deal with it.  Falling trees onto hung up trees is not a recommeded method of getting them down...  So don't hang any up ;)

Good luck!
Ian

[D Martin]

Thanks Ian. Most of the problem Isin't getting them to fall right,  the large diameter of the crown on these pines have nowhere to go and break alot of limbs of remaining trees coming down wich I would like to avoid. I saw a nice compact aerial lift that I may rent to do some limbing that I can tow with my four wheeler (without a road) ,Its a 700cc so it's got more hp and weight than most. One of my concerns is that the land behind me may get devoloped someday and the smaller pines are nice cover and buffer in the event that does happen also,  the other large trees, mostly oak have large crowns and leaders. Some other damage even sacrifices undoubtably will happen but making some of the limbs and tops go first on the first few trees should minimise this, then as you say drop the rest in the space created.

[Mike_Barcaskey]

Depends upon what you're going to bash up. If it's cherry or red oak, it's worth it to climb. Bust a limb off a red oak from April to October and you'll probably end up with oak wilt or anthacnose and a dead tree in a few years.

If the limbs are a straight free fall, I can delimb a 50-60 foot pine tree in less than an hour


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