My forester kindly dropped two ash after the logging was completed. He has taught classes and won a National competition I messed up catching the big one falling. both were obstructing the view after the clear cut so its a triple bonus that he them down.
Yes, they are nearly gone. we managed to sell some live in our timber sale last year. It will be hazardous to spend time in North American woodland the next few years as they rot and fall.
The bigger they are, the more smoke my tractor blows as it tensions the tree... Never met one I cannot pull over. I cut them about through on the backside, drive in a wedge and pull them over or use the bucket and push them over. Something about a hundred horse 10K pound tractor seems to do the trick quite nicely, especially in front wheel assist. If the stump is an issue, I'll cut them about 8 feet high and then pull the trunk and stump over in one shot. Only had one I couldn't pull over and had to get the other identical tractor (I have 2) and hook both of them to the trunk and put my wife on one and me on the other and then it came out.
Yes it will. I cut one that was pretty dead this summer. If it weren't in the way of other folks and their farm equipment I'd have left it. There were a lot of dead branches branches on the ground. And a few purposeful prayers said.
