I don't know, didn't count rings. The 87 yo farmer said when he was young his family used to tie their horses to it when resting during the plowing of the field. He remembers it being enormous then. I would guess it was sprouting near the time of the dawn of our country, but that's just a wild azz guess. I'm sure it has some stories to tell if it could.
My son has a monster in his yard and he figures its beyond 300 yrs old. I'm sure that someone else on the site has an "accurate" estimating procedure? (Personally, I think the tree in my sons yard is older than 300)
Everything has its time, including each of us. Ahhhhh...giss dat don't make ya feels all warm and sunny now do it?
True, but doesn't change the fact it's sad. My parents house was built next to a massive old Locus, no idea the age but Im sure it's past 200 years.
I bet your maul would make small pieces out of the big rounds, Work form the edges. Partial noodle thru if needed. Sometimes the big ones split pretty easy. Be fun to make a PU load of prime splits from 2 rounds
This is the tactic I've been using on some pretty big white oak. Not that big, but around 40". Big enough that the fiskars isn't gonna split it down the middle Whittle off slabs, then take off corners, keep going and eventually you get a manageable pice that you can half
Not sure about the trunk? If you had a saw big enough to cut the tree down, you have a big enough saw to buck it up. As for noodling, for some reason or another it just sort of, well, I should say it does not set well with me. Folks seem to think when they get a large round it has to be noodled. That thinking is all wrong. Although you will take more swings splitting than you would on a 12" round, it can still split relatively easy if you work right; especially oak which is not a hard splitter to begin with. So I say cut that trunk up and split it by hand if you don't have hydraulics. We've done many that size over the years and all before we got hydraulics to aid us in the splitting. We just looked at it as one more log to split and went to work.
Couldn't help myself! Here's how to estimate a tree's age. http://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/your-trees-and-woods/backyard-tree-care/how-old-tree
This tree is I have hydro and we'll be going out they with them for what we can, but the tree is actually wider up above the felling cut because of some large burls. I'll take another look next time and get all I can. There is a loader tractor, but it's old and not that powerful. I Know there's a way.
Just take the good stuff a little wood snobbery , but the advantage of being ahead. I was able to pass on some from a neighbor, convinced another neighbor to get it for his fire-pit . Win /win Have fun
Yup if they're not hollow and/or worm riddled.I've been sadly disappointed more times than successful in that venture unfortunately....
My last biggest was a 42" ash. That was only a month ago. Before that I'd only done up to maybe 30". Moving up quick, always learning.
