Game of Logging Training in Feb and Mar

[Eli]

I would give the spud gun to the monkey and and video tape it. But that’s just me. Is surprising how much trouble vines can cause. I had a tree fall half way and slide 10′ off the stump then fall. Everything was ok but I wasent expecting it. I love the woods but if you get to comfortable it throws a curve ball. A 40 foot 2000 lb curve ball! Be safe. Eli

[Carl Russell]

Truthfully this is a perfect example of non-commercial work. A tree such as this hardly has enough value to cover cutting, delimbing, skidding, blocking, and splitting, IF everything goes perfectly. Any hazard, while certainly an interesting engineering challenge, will add enough effort/cost to the enterprise that I would be inclined to just destroy the thing and move on.

The greatest value in cutting this stem is in the reduction of competition in the residual stand, and if mulched down, can also contribute organic matter and recycled nutrients. I often cut trees like this, even without the vine challenge, down and leave them, just to make room for my felling pattern of larger more valuable trees.

I would save my engineering for trees 12″dbh and larger, and even then if they are just firewood, I’m apt to cut and run. Sawtimber however has value that generally will cover the added cost of recovery. Sawtimber also has enough value to cover the non-commercial work that is involved in reducing low grade.

If we want to stay safe, and remain cost effective, I don’t think we want to be wasting our time on situations like this.

Carl

[LongViewFarm]

@Carl Russell 39934 wrote:

The greatest value in cutting this stem is in the reduction of competition in the residual stand, and if mulched down, can also contribute organic matter and recycled nutrients. I often cut trees like this, even without the vine challenge, down and leave them, just to make room for my felling pattern of larger more valuable trees.

If we want to stay safe, and remain cost effective, I don’t think we want to be wasting our time on situations like this.

Carl

I agree. I was cutting these low value stems in order to make clear fall lines for the GOL class coming next week. I didn’t have a spud gun, monkey, or the team with me. I ended up cutting a 4′ section out of all the vine nearby and then I cut the weevil-hit pine that had most of the vine in the top, treating it like any tree with heavy forward lean. I left it standing with a decent sized hinge and dropped a larger firewood tree on the mix. Dominoes worked pretty well and I felt like I was out of the danger zone when trees were falling. I like the idea of pulling it down and will have to look for that thread here to read up some more. I’ve done this a bit with the farmi winch, but never with the team.

[Tim Harrigan]

[video=youtube_share;i02Ot1h1fS0]http://youtu.be/i02Ot1h1fS0[/video]

Jay, yes, read the thread, always great stuff there. Here is a video I put up a year and a half ago on pulling some down.

[LongViewFarm]

Level 3 went off great yesterday, and one of the students (Eli) spent more time in the afternoon cutting more trees. We spent the morning today cleaning up from level 1 and 2 with my team of horses. I am going to put several videos up as soon as they are loaded.

The Level 4 Game of Logging class will be hosted here in Charlestown on 3/16/13, IF we can fill the class. To do this we need three more individuals to sign up. This promises to be a great class, focused on getting hung up trees on the ground safely. It is a great opportunity for anyone who works in the woods to practice working with hung trees in a relatively safe environment.

Please think about taking the course if you have taken levels 1-3, or even all four. $125.00 for the day, which likely comes with a hot meal at lunch. RSVP for breakfast too. Please spread the word to all your friends too.

Thanks,
Jay

[Eli]

I wish I lived closer that would be a blast. Eli

[Author]

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