My story is very similar. We were cutting at the same friends house that gave us the hickory about a year ago. He had a big sweet gum with three stems out of the main trunk. Wife had the tractor parked to one side, notched it, did back cut with wedges, cut hinge to thin on one side, it broke and she saw tree starting to come her way, we were lucky. Tractor cranked and she moved just in time. We were both shaken up.
Well said! I was going to post something similar to the extent of when you think you have it completely mastered without fail once every blue moon a tree is going to do the opposite of what is expected.
Like this one... happend to me once, few weeks ago. Ive should have known better. Clear sign of slopiness...
Gotta admit. All my years growing up dad was the chainsaw guy. I was the loader. When he passed away it was all on me. First couple years was pretty ugly learning to drop trees in a full forest. Hang ups everywhere. That’s when I decided instead of a chore I’d make it a hobby. Chores are done without thinking. Hobbies I immerse myself into and strive to learn. This forum and you tube videos both good and bad started teaching me the intricacies of felling. Not to mention experience. Heck just learning there are felling lines on most saws was a great help LOL Look plan look plan look plan. There’s some trees im not going after. Few and far between but they’re out there. I refuse to cut a largish healthy tree just to make it safe to get a tricky one down. That’s just me. Huge straight dead oak on my property close to home. Has one dead branch that’s probably 60 feet long that grew around another healthy oak. I just can’t see a way of cutting that tree down without getting that branch on my head. Nature is gonna have to take that one down. Just glad I learned to pay attention before cutting that one.
