should they get the saw treatment?

Have a nice cool weekend coming up so was looking around trying to see if I should take some of these trees down.

This one clearly is dead but do you think I would get much good wood out of it? Not punky or rotten to the touch just lots of woodpecker and bug holes.

Base view

And I noticed this white oak while looking around. Its not dead but it lost the majority of its top and just has three main limbs growing up. Its surrounded by bigger trees so I doubt it will be able to grow much bigger.

Base view

Anyway as always look forward to your input. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying spring!

 

Better for them to fall when & where you want them

 

The dead one is going to come down one way or the other. The wood isn't going to get any better than it is today. I say drop it, buck a bit and see if there is useful wood.

 

Havent started yet... slowly dragging my feet.

 

It's gotta be pretty bad for me not to use it.

 

Woodpecker holes are usually a sign of some poor quality wood in dead standing trees. I just felled two dead maples last weekend that had woodpecker holes in them. Not much good wood at all. Which is usually the case in my experience. Good luck.

 

yea thats what I'm wondering. I would rather just leave it for the birds and bugs if I cant get much out of it. Im ahead so its not like I "need" the wood, but just another excuse to spend more time with the saw.

 

What kind of tree is the dead peckered one?

 

I believe red oak. The real question I need to answer is where am I going to stack this wood if i process it!

 

I'd cut it , split itand stack it! I'd bet there is still some good BTU's there

 

Interesting about the wood quality/woodpecker holes relationship. I can have monster pileated holes in my trees, and still have excellent firewood, minus the pileated excavations. That's assuming it's a tree I actually cut, as opposed to one that stands for years with the pileateds working away.

 

Looks like it. The heart wood should still be excellent. I'd CSS and top cover ASAP.

 

I'm a big fan of saving and planting trees but it's time for them to go.

 

Be careful on that oak. She might be hallow.

 

Around here dead/damaged trees are priority takes...good wood lot management. Good luck and enjoy the perfect cutting conditions Spring offers up.

 

Yea I am trying to manage my lot and make the right decisions on what to cut. Well now its looking like rain mid day by Saturday which stinks.

 

I have to differ with you , Savage actor 7. In the absence of a safety concern re a dead tree, it is far preferable to leave it standing. It does not compete with adjacent trees for nutrients, and provides habitat for wildlife. Ontario requires that you keep a certain number per acre standing.

 

I've got a pretty large ash in my woods that is riddled with wood pecker holes. I've decided to just let it fall on it's own, as I have a good view of it from the house and like seeing the birds make their rounds on it.