So, this had to have happened from Friday's 60+ mph gusts. I thought this tree was healthy. It wasn't like this 2 weeks ago. Its a beech, snagged in another beech. I certainly don't want to drop the beech that has the broken top from the other beech if i dont have to. That's all saw shavings. . I've been busy in this area from other beeches, and there are 2 other beech that have to come down in this area. I certainly wasn't going to cut it down before, but I will somehow now. Here's a different angle of the same tree. That's several feet up, and very scary. So, how would you all handle this?
Does that broken top have any support besides the top being snagged in another tree? It sure looks scary from here.
Try pulling the top out before the trees leaf out in the spring. If you can't then wait it out. It might be a while, it looks like the broken crown might have enough attached to continue living.
No, that's it, and it's own trunk. I couldn't have made that widowmaker any worse myself. Good job mother nature! I've thought of that. Yeah, I like that. My gun options are 3.5" 12 gauge semiauto with goose or turkey loads, or 7mm rem mag sniper style I could pinpoint shoot the hinge. I really don't want to touch this thing except from 50+ feet away. Once that hinge is gone it should just drop, unencumbered. That trunk is smooth and straight, no branches to hang on. Paul bunion & thewoodlands , yeah, I'll let mother nature and gravity deal with it along with some help from a gun. The 7mm might get a workout as I don't want to find steel or lead with my chain when it drops. I don't think it will leaf out. I don't think there's enough tree trunk to support that. I could be wrong though, and I plan on not waiting for that.
Doesn't look like it's near any buildings - I'd just let that one go personally. Be safe whatever you do.
I'd like to take a rope and get tension on the trunk away from the top of the tree snag, and put a come along on it to persuade it down. The lack of branches and smooth bark would really make getting the rope to stay a real pita.
No, there's no buildings around. The death from above might persuade the kids of the family that bought my parents house on the adjoining lot to stop trespassing and damaging healthy trees though. On a nearby beech, not one that's coming down hopefully in my lifetime... That wasn't there last spring. Dammmmm kids. Also probably the same kids built a fort on our land I think leaned up against that widowmaker's trunk. I already took all those limbs and have them in my firewood stacks.
Ladder up the backside, long cable or rope as high as you can. Get a good set of come alongs in the safe zone. Big notch on side opposite of hang up. Careful cut and use come along to drop. I have done two of these. Careful cuts with a watcher. Not a big deal if you are careful.
I really don't want to climb up that tree on a ladder. I'd rather notch it deep opposite of the hang up while I have someone watching for any movement.
Climb up in the bigger one behhind it then swing over to the smaller tops and piece it downor block out some pieces of the trunk where it's broke from above
Horkn, it really scares me to read some of the suggestions in this thread. In my book there are only 2 ways of tackling this. First and foremost would be to leave it for week or two and see if Mother Nature will bring it down and I'm betting that will happen. The other way is to THROW a rope (not climb a ladder for sure) over the broken top. Start with a small rope to throw over it then tie on a heavier rope or chain and pull that over the top. Then, and only then would I consider pulling it with tractor or using a come-a-long and make certain you can be a long ways from it as you pull it down. Most times when these things happen mother nature will take them down. Yet I would be concerned about the kids knowing they have been back there. But most likely they go back only in the summer months. Keep an eye on it. Oh yes, I also would not try to notch that thing. Just look at how little is holding it!!!!! I've blown the picture up a bit. If handled wrong, that is an accident waiting to happen.
I would not even be able to even watch such an act! No ladder and no notch. (see post #18). Climbing a ladder with that setting on the trunk only asks for a really bad accident. And as for a notch, why would you even go near the trunk of that tree? Sorry, I hate being critical but in this case I felt it necessary as we don't want someone getting hurt when it is not necessary.
