Dead Jack Pines

[Jeffsaw]

Hi All,

In 2 to 3 weeks I will be taking down some dead trees at a client's property. Most are easy but one Jack Pine, 10" DBH, 55' high is quite rotten looking and it really has to be felled from the top down. There is just no room to fall it whole.
I just have ladders and climbing gear (no bucket truck) so how do I do this safely? I have spurs but am not sure if I should use them.

 

[Oak Savanna]

Hi Jeffsaw. Is ther other trees near by the dead one? Here are a few ideas that might help you that have worked for me while running into a situation like yours.

-Throw ball the dead tree getting atleast 2/3 of the way up. Pull up a rigging line and tie a running bowline, pull it up and render it. Find a crotch in a near by tree thats higher then where you have your line set on the dead one and throw ball it. Pull the other end of the rigging line up and over and run it down to a porta-wrap. Cut the dead tree into the live one and hang it there. Watch out for limbs that might have broken off the dead tree and could be hanging over your head. Sometimes you can lay the tree down whole or cut off 3-4 foot logs as some one lowers it down for you. Just watch the the top doesnt start to out weigh the butt and have it invert on you.

- If you arent having much luck with the throwball, you might have to go up the neighbouring tree, reach over with a set of poles with a hook attachment and set the line on the dead one. Run it over a crotch on the live one and head to the ground to cut it into the other.

- You could also tie into a neighbouring tree, traverse over to the dead one and wreck it out. Maby two tie in points if more than one tree around the dead one?! If tree is too dead to climb on , try using a pole saw to reach over and cut the top out while tied into a tree close by.

Hopefully I could help you out in some way. We run into stuff like this all the time in my area mostly with dead red and white pines. When we cant get the bucket truck in we gotta come up with another solution.

 

[Jeffsaw]

Hi Oak Savanna,

Thanks for the ideas! I never thought of pulling or falling the dead tree into a live one close by but it will be much safer than anything I've thought of so far.

 

[NCTREE]

Hi All,

In 2 to 3 weeks I will be taking down some dead trees at a client's property. Most are easy but one Jack Pine, 10" DBH, 55' high is quite rotten looking and it really has to be felled from the top down. There is just no room to fall it whole.
I just have ladders and climbing gear (no bucket truck) so how do I do this safely? I have spurs but am not sure if I should use them.

Is their any near by trees you could tie into that are taller than the pine? Can you post some pics of the tree and surrounding property?

 

[Jeffsaw]

Hi NCTREE,

The only tree nearby that is taller than the 55' dead pine is another, larger dead Jackpine. The others are live trees, 40' to 50' tall. Sorry about no pictures. I will try to get some but that may be closer to the take down date.

 

[gwiley]

I have taken down a number of dead pines. They can hide their rot and instability effectively then surprise you when they break 2/3 of the way up. I have seen the spar break that high up and send the balance down like a freaking missile. Even rotten, 30' of dead pine is enough to bring the pain when you give it 20-30' to accelerate.

I won't touch a standing dead pine that has started loosing bark with my saw until it is on the ground. I push them over with the skid steer (FOPS in place) or place a throw line and pull them down.

Don't trust the spar on a standing dead pine.

 

[Jeffsaw]

Thanks gwiley,

I will do some "testing" of the tree before I attempt anything major.

 

[pdqdl]

Jeffsaw: that signature line will get you killed if you really live by that creed.

Spend a few hundred on renting a 60' lift. The little trailer lifts do pretty well, and they will get you high enough to take care of the problem. Not as fast as a bucket truck, but available at most rental yards.

 

[Jeffsaw]

Hi pdqdl,

Yes, that signature line seems reckless. I think it was a quote from Elenor Roosevelt. I don't live by it when I do tree work but it helped me when I decided to start a tree service business and not just wish I had.
The lift is definitely a safe way to tackle the dead pine. They cost about $400.00/day up where I am. The only way to that part of the client's yard though are stairways. A lake and trees block other access points. The local rental place doesn't carry lifts that small. (Is there such a thing?).

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I have pushed over few hundred dead pine spruce and white birch in the last three years. With my JD 450. And even under my rops I get nervous around them. Ya never know what they are going to do. Even coming into them in first at a idle and easing them over they shatter coming down in 3-5 pieces. I have had 30' long tops break out come down then fall over the dozer. I have had them fall against another tree break in half and fall on my dozer too. Or fall against another dead tree and that one fall back at me. Be careful and expect the unexpected.

Billy

 

[pdqdl]

Throw a sturdy rope into the top. Use a hand winch (or other means) to break the top out.

If you can't break it out with a pretty good try, it's probably safe to climb.

 

[Jeffsaw]

Hi Cowboy Billy,
Yeah, I just don't have much experience falling dead trees. They are a lot more of a concern than dropping live ones. Thanks for sending along your results working with them.

And pdqdl, I like that idea as it should be a good test of the tree's strength. I'll still have treat it carefully though, like an untrustworthy ex-girlfriend.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

You're welcome Jeff

My Dad Brother and I have 120 acres 35 miles south of the Soo MI. It was all woods when we started working on it in 2006. Over newyears this winter I put in 3/4 mile of 12' wide trails. I have been making my permiter road 50 to 150 feet inside my property line. That way I can leave the larger trees and can do some light logging off of both sides of the trail when I want. It also me to only allow the neighbors I like to use my trails. I have been knocking all the dead trees I can get to that are close to trails so I do not have to worry about them blowing down on the trails latter.

The farthest I have been up your way was Wawa. I had a lot of fun hiking up along a lot of the creeks and stream that flow into Lake Superior. It sure is beautiful there!

Billy