# First time in a tree



## Boogieman142 (Jun 11, 2009)

Well, my hats off to all of you who climb for a living. I went in a tree for the first time. I used spurs and today my feet and legs are sore as heck. I had to get a bird house out of a tree. But its fun, I think that if i had a little better tree to climb then it would have been better, lots of branches and stuff in my way.


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## lacky (Jun 11, 2009)

You are going to get it now.....................


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## outofmytree (Jun 11, 2009)

Boogieman142 said:


> Well, my hats off to all of you who climb for a living. I went in a tree for the first time. I used spurs and today my feet and legs are sore as heck. I had to get a bird house out of a tree. But its fun, I think that if i had a little better tree to climb then it would have been better, lots of branches and stuff in my way.



Please tell me that tree is being removed......


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## canopyboy (Jun 11, 2009)

outofmytree said:


> Please tell me that tree is being removed......



opcorn:


I have this funny feeling that he wasn't removing the birdhouse in order to save it from crashing to the ground when the tree is cut down...... 

But maybe, just maybe that's what he was doing.


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## Mikecutstrees (Jun 11, 2009)

Oh, I hear the angry mob coming with pitchforks and fire..... You've done it now!!! You better swear to never spike a bird house removal again!


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## Tree Pig (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikecutstrees said:


> Oh, I hear the angry mob coming with pitchforks and fire..... You've done it now!!! You better swear to never spike a bird house removal again!



no big deal he put corks on the end of the spikes so it would hurt the tree.


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## Boogieman142 (Jun 11, 2009)

the tree will eveantually be removed but for now it remains. I had to get the birdhouse out of it before it can be tho. I could have removed it with a ladder but oh well, its only a box elder anyway plus i had fun doing it.


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## Tree Pig (Jun 11, 2009)

Boogieman142 said:


> the tree will eveantually be removed but for now it remains. I had to get the birdhouse out of it before it can be tho. I could have removed it with a ladder but oh well, its only a box elder anyway plus i had fun doing it.



Well it is a good way to practice. If you are thinking about learning how to climb. If you have someone that can give you some tips, if you have a tree in your yard scheduled to come down. Get some use out of it before you have it cut. Low and slow of course and dont just try up and down work on some other skills, passing limbs, 180° around the trunk, tying in, switching on to a climb line. But again if you have someone that knows this stuff that can keep an eye on you it will help. But if I was you I would try learning ropes, easier, safer and more fun. 

I have had a few customers that paid me to climb up 25 feet and hang bat houses. But I roped up not spiked good easy beer money either way.


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## fishercat (Jun 11, 2009)

*i always spike on birdhouse removals.*

it's a safety issue.

as for practicing with spikes,i always use someone else's trees.


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## Boogieman142 (Jun 11, 2009)

well, I plan on learning on this tree enough so that someday i will be able to take it down. My father can do it and he was watching me climb it rolling on the ground laughing. He told me to try it myself first and he would help me after that. He's 68 and needs to stop climbing all our trees that need to be cut, so its time for me to step up to the plate and learn how.


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## tree md (Jun 11, 2009)

Not a bad idea to have a sacrificial tree in the yard to learn on. Lots of tree companies do it. I have worked for more than one service that had one for new prospects to spike up before they were hired. Just don't want to be spiking up them for no reason. Especially for the money.


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## canopyboy (Jun 11, 2009)

fishercat said:


> it's a safety issue.
> 
> as for practicing with spikes,i always use someone else's trees.



Just curious, why do you need spikes for safety when removing a birdhouse?


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## Boogieman142 (Jun 11, 2009)

I don't have any ropes that i'm willing to trust to climb with so the spurs were safer, then again a ladder would have been even better but wheres the fun in that.


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## Tree Pig (Jun 12, 2009)

canopyboy said:


> Just curious, why do you need spikes for safety when removing a birdhouse?



SELF DEFENSE


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## Fireaxman (Jun 12, 2009)

canopyboy said:


> Just curious, why do you need spikes for safety when removing a birdhouse?



For the Beauty of a well turned Sarcasm, of course.


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## fishercat (Jun 13, 2009)

*i don't know.*



canopyboy said:


> Just curious, why do you need spikes for safety when removing a birdhouse?



chits and giggles maybe.

take a breath now and then will ya.


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## Boogieman142 (Jun 13, 2009)

spent some of my afternoon setting cloths lines on telephone poles and went up that tree again so i have a few more hours on them. This time my father put his popcorn away and actually gave me some instruction so it went a little more smoothly.


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## canopyboy (Jun 14, 2009)

fishercat said:


> chits and giggles maybe.
> 
> take a breath now and then will ya.



Still working on that breathing thing, but it's coming along.

.....Yeah, see I had envisioned something kind like that picture Stihl-O posted..... Was hoping you had a good story about killer condors or psychotic hummingbirds. Oh well.


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## fishercat (Jun 14, 2009)

*no violent birds here.*



canopyboy said:


> Still working on that breathing thing, but it's coming along.
> 
> .....Yeah, see I had envisioned something kind like that picture Stihl-O posted..... Was hoping you had a good story about killer condors or psychotic hummingbirds. Oh well.



they are pretty calm.

i should where them in Hartford and New Haven for self defense though.

Sam Colt keeps that covered for the most part.


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## Boogieman142 (Jul 8, 2009)

I guess i just don't see what the big deal is with using spurs in a good tree. They drill into maples every year and they don't die and thats a much larger would than a spike is.


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## fishercat (Jul 8, 2009)

*goodpoint.*

it's yuppie BS.just like global warming.mostly it's for appearance sake.i would say some trees do not do well from it.i know oaks could care less and in a year or so you would never be able to tell.


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## Pruitt1222 (Jul 8, 2009)

My pops showed me how to climb on a old fashion magnolia, About a 40 footer. I climbed it for about a year just to practice climbing and trimming, However after a year it was pretty much just a trunk. It still is growing good but the bark sure looks like hell. When every one gets together for a bbq we put a friction saver in it and let the nephews try and climb it. just belay them up then back down.


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## outofmytree (Jul 8, 2009)

fishercat said:


> it's yuppie BS.just like global warming.mostly it's for appearance sake.i would say some trees do not do well from it.i know oaks could care less and in a year or so you would never be able to tell.



I suggest you read anything by Alex Shigo.

Try "A New Tree Biology" page 549. 

A wound is a wound. More wounds equal more potential for harm. Spikes make wounds which are perfect for holding water. Yay. A great way for rot to begin in a tree. 

Do you clean your spikes with bleach or disinfectant between trees? There is another way to pass diseases from tree to tree. You expect your doctor to use a clean needle/scalpel/probe don't you? 

I don't know much about weather, but this man dissected over 15,000 trees so I will take his word over anyone elses untill it is proved wrong.


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## Boogieman142 (Jul 26, 2009)

Found some pics of this tree, its in my woodpile now. Finally got the pics off my camera and on to the puter.


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