Well I know how much you all like pics so I snapped a few of the nasty shagbark I helped a farmer friend of mine with today. For reference that's a 20" bar on the dolly. The tree came in @ about 30-32" dbh. And yes that discoloration meant rot further up the tree. There was part of a nasty widow maker that I forgot to get pictures of that caused the rot. Those pieces there were from about 20 feet up the tree. Rot started at just above BH. My second and last load of the day. These big beasties are a lot of work. It'll all be nice BTU's in about 3 years though! Lots to like about hickory aside from the bark.
It's certainly earning it's keep! I got a monster 36" dbh dead standing white oak to start on after this hickory.
Love me some shag! The bark can be a pita, but the wood is so great to burn, that's a real minor issue. It seasons pretty quickly around here too.
The ugly part was the drop with a giant widow maker hanging off the side of the tree. The rest was beautiful!
Yeah that was the big thing. Their beef herd liked to congregate under it. Nothing sounds quite like a cow with a broken back. Win- win no injured cows or humans and I get the firewood!
You are right. I remember when I was a young lad cutting more than one down that was out in the pasture. When in doubt, drop them as you don't want one on a cow for sure.
Exactly. I remember as a young kid one of my grandfather's dairy cows had a large branch fall on its back during a wind storm. I'll never forget the sound that animal made before they finally ended it's suffering. Made tasty burgers though!
Which would've been better with some seasoned hickory chips adding a bit of smokey tastiness to them. Nice tree, gooder work getting it down BC!
What happened to the hinge on your stump? Looks like you might have stumped it after the fell.(?) Great BTU's.
Yup. Since its just firewood I don't put the face and back cuts right on the ground anymore. Easier on the back that way.
Hickory can be tricky , remember being preached to about barber chairs and always bore cut them. I have never had one chair on me so I always bore cut them. Glad to see it safely down. That 7900 sure looks at home.
Very true! See the video in the neat felling video thread for the almost exact technique I used on it. It wasn't a leaner though. Just a big wolf hickory out in a pasture.
Yes they can be tricky. I felled a big shag leaner that was rotting at the bottom last winter. I didn't bore cut, but I got it down safely, if not a bit ugly. It leaned on its big branch and looked like a 12 ft tall teepee until I could safely get the hinge cut. I don't think there's any shags in my woods that are as nasty as that one anymore, but if I do, I'll bore cut or do it like that video.
