Shot my Oak Sapling, Long Story... Will it survive?

[Amin_1992]

Stupid story. Planted various native trees over the years on our property. We have a shooting backstop out back. Now that the leaves are gone, friend of mine decided to back up to 50 yards and shoot some targets, not even realizing that there was this Red Oak sapling between him and the target.

Luck should have it, he shot a 22 bullet straight through the trunk of this oak, about 5 feet up. Entered through the front with a small 0.22" hole, and exited the back with a blow out.

Tree is solid - tried pushing on the top half of the oak and it didnt snap or bend like a hinge. Will this tree survive this and be able to heal over? Anything I can do to help? Wasn't sure if I should tape the top and bottom halves around, to stop the cracks from continuing upward and downward.

Thanks guys for the advice.

 

[Mad Professor]

IMHO it might live. How long? But it will be hard for it to heal over that wound

 

[HansFranz]

Five years from now you won't remember this thread, and I bet you won't be able to find where the bullet passed through.

I wouldn't give it another thought. (Except to stop more people from shooting it.) It'll be fine.

Dunno whether you have oak wilt in your area, but if so, you might want to hit it with some permethrin or something like that next spring when the bugs return. Google "oak wilt" for more...

 

[Mad Professor]

Five years from now you won't remember this thread, and I bet you won't be able to find where the bullet passed through.

I wouldn't give it another thought. (Except to stop more people from shooting it.) It'll be fine.

Dunno whether you have oak wilt in your area, but if so, you might want to hit it with some permethrin or something like that next spring when the bugs return. Google "oak wilt" for more...

Ever do any wound repairs on trees?

If you wanted that to heal, you'd need to trim the entire margin back to undamaged adhering bark, and remove all loose splinted wood. Even then that is a wound half the diameter of the tree.

 

[Del_]

It would be history around my place as I've got plenty of other seedlings.

 

[HansFranz]

Ever do any wound repairs on trees?

Yep. (Grafting, too.) But rarely. Usually you're better off letting them do it themselves. CODIT. K.I.S.S.

If you wanted that to heal, you'd need to trim the entire margin back to undamaged adhering bark, and remove all loose splinted wood. Even then that is a wound half the diameter of the tree.

Or you could just top it a few inches below the bullet hole and let it start a new leader. (What is it, about 1" or 1.5"?)
Or just -- as I said -- leave it.

Somehow trees have survived far worse all the time for millennia, with no tree surgeons anywhere! How is it possible???

 

[HumBurner]

Stupid story. Planted various native trees over the years on our property. We have a shooting backstop out back. Now that the leaves are gone, friend of mine decided to back up to 50 yards and shoot some targets, not even realizing that there was this Red Oak sapling between him and the target.

Luck should have it, he shot a 22 bullet straight through the trunk of this oak, about 5 feet up. Entered through the front with a small 0.22" hole, and exited the back with a blow out.

Tree is solid - tried pushing on the top half of the oak and it didnt snap or bend like a hinge. Will this tree survive this and be able to heal over? Anything I can do to help? Wasn't sure if I should tape the top and bottom halves around, to stop the cracks from continuing upward and downward.

Thanks guys for the advice.

Will it survive? Maybe, but probably not.

Will it be a healthy tree if it does somehow survive? Not likely


Will it risk allowing infestation and spreading of disease? Yes