What a mess!

[Bamamav]

What a mess I've got to clean up!

I've been concerned about this tree for a few years now. It had been shedding limbs for a while, but they were starting to get bigger and bigger. What really concerned me though was the big rotten spot on the south facing side. Our bad weather usually comes from the south or southwest, so any wind that might push it over would direct it right into the house, not good. Been trying to get a pro out here to fall it, tried a couple of different ones but none would return my calls. Finally found one, a young guy in his 20's. Let me say, he knows his stuff! He felled this one for me, went exactly where he said it would, also did a couple for my Pa in law, same thing, right on target. You can see the rotten spot on the butt cut I was concerned about, then look at the stump, it was halfway hollow as well. That's my foot on the stump to get a perspective of just how big this thing is. Cost me a little, but well worth it.

 

[Bamamav]

Bad thing about it right now the ground is still too soft to try and move this stuff. I got the MF tractor stuck two or three times pushing some of it, it just sank down. Guess I'll tackle it with a chain saw, delimbing the larger limbs first, then skidding the larger ones when it gets dryer. Gonna tear up my yard a bit, but well worth it knowing I don't have to worry about falling in the wrong place.

 

[zzrodder]

Nice big tree, but you did the right thing, it was a time bomb that could have done a lot of damage....

 

[smallfoot]

It was time! Oak is some heavy stuff to start with and add wet ground doesn't make moving it easy. A loader would work better than trying to drag it off if you know someone. Outside of that, you're on the right track. Cut it up until you get it small enough to handle. Wish I was closer. I could move it and make some of it usable as wood bed material or lumber. Even though it had rotten spots, that tree still had lots of good stuff left...
I have 9 trees on the rack waiting to be cut on the mill and I believe 4 of them are oak. They really make great looking wood beds for trucks. My next change on my 31 will be an oak bed. I used plywood on the build because it's what I had and hadn't built the mill yet. Shortly, it'll change!

 

[earthman]

"A stitch in time saves nine" Can't believe i even remember that one. Haven't heard it in probably 50 years.

 

[Bamamav]

Smallfoot, I have a loader on the MF 240. Just a bucket though, wish I had a set of forks. It’s diesel, so with the added weight of the loader it just sinks in soft dirt. I was pushing a couple of small tops when it went down, had to hook the 4wd pickup to it and drag it out. We’ve had so much rain this winter the ground is rotten spongy. It’ll dry out next month as the weekly rains slow down.

You’re right, some of it would make some nice oak planks. Wish somebody around here had a sawmill to cut it. I’m gonna cut some of it into firewood size then see if anybody wants some. Will have a big brush pile burning this winter!

 

[Burgerman]

Good call Bama. Rot, wind, and wet ground not a good combination.

 

[lazarat]

Was this a laurel oak aka water oak? I have one that has been dropping limbs lately. One limb smashed a small shed which I was able to rebuild, and it looks like this 40-50 foot tree is now leaning toward the back yard. They grow fast and get hollow eventually. Had one break in half up the street took out power to five houses, ripped the mast out of one of them, and lost quite a few within the past couple years, a few houses got damaged.

 

[Bamamav]

It’s not a water oak Lazarat, I think it is a white oak. Water oaks have a slender leaf, these are more a three tip leaf, wider toward the end.
I have two more in the front yard, but they are healthy. A good bit younger, too. This one was probably between 60-90 years old, the ones out front around 50-55 years old.
Any of them will cause damage if they fall on something. Like Smallfoot said, they are heavy! Hoping by tomorrow I can get back there and get some of it moved, has been dry all week so maybe the ground will hold me up. Rain supposed to be moving in again Friday night and chances of rain all next week.

 

[lazarat]

It’s not a water oak Lazarat, I think it is a white oak. Water oaks have a slender leaf, these are more a three tip leaf, wider toward the end.
I have two more in the front yard, but they are healthy. A good bit younger, too. This one was probably between 60-90 years old, the ones out front around 50-55 years old.
Any of them will cause damage if they fall on something. Like Smallfoot said, they are heavy! Hoping by tomorrow I can get back there and get some of it moved, has been dry all week so maybe the ground will hold me up. Rain supposed to be moving in again Friday night and chances of rain all next week.

Ok that’s what I have then, the tri pointed leaf you described, and what are breaking all over the hood. I got a couple sprouts here and there may keep the ones that are not near the house, I’ll be a bag of dust before they get too tall.

 

[Neto]

There should be a decent demand for white oak - I hear that it is used for wine barrels. The red oak isn't good for that, they say.

 

[Bamamav]

Red oak smells like cat crap! Literally! I used to use firewood, if I cut any red oak, I had to let it season and dry for six months to get rid of the smell, and sometimes it still stunk. I loved white oak, easy to split, no smell. That’s what this will be used for if anybody wants it. If not, it’ll lay in the back forty.

Measured the stump today, just about 60 inches.
Got a lot of the brush moved, and a lot of the bigger cuts. The guy is coming back in a couple of weeks to grind the stump, I’m going to have to get him to cut the trunk up into smaller sections, my tractor can’t handle them as is! Them suckers are heavy!

 

[hansgoudzwaard]

Epoxy and Wood.

Popular right now. 8^)

 

[Couper]

I have one of these in my front yard. Dropping limbs all the time....I used to part under it for shade but no more. I have to check to see if she is leaning towards the house...Good call taking that bugger down

 

[Bamamav]

I measured the stump, 54” where he cut it, a foot lower to the ground it’s over 60”.
Worked the last two days cutting limbs and hauling and dragging it away. Still have another day to go, but going to have to wait until it dries up again, we got about 1/2” of rain last night and expect up to 1” at the middle of the week. I’ve got to get him to cut the trunk into smaller sections, I hooked a chain to one section to try and drag it off, got about 6’ and it wouldn’t go any farther, just too big and heavy. He’s coming back this week or next to grind the stump, he can do it then.

 

[Bamamav]

Forgot to add the pic of my progress