Losing ground

[Mgderf]

Well, I'm not really losing it. It's still there. but now I can't see as far as I could.

I made a visit to the hunting property to drop off some building supplies.
I need to build a shed for my tractor, and maybe another shoot house.

When I arrived I noticed there was more light hitting the forest floor.
I lost a limb on a very big oak.
The limb that broke is 36" in diameter if it's an inch. It did not fully separate from the base of the tree, so I now have a 3' limb hanging 12-15 feet up in a tree, with the limb top laying on the ground.
The limb is about 60 feet long!

The worst part about this scenario is that I just spent 2 days clearing a shooting lane in that area last month.
Two or three weeks ago I could see for 125 yards. Now I've got 50 yards at best.
I spent two hours today in this sweltering heat just trying to take the smaller brush off of this limb so I can access the trunk of the limb.
When it came down, this limb also brought down 3 or 4 other smaller trees. A couple of these were bent over with the tops touching the ground.

Much of the tangle is spring loaded against other trees or pinned to the ground with other limbs on top.
It is a HUGE mess, and I'll probably be cutting on this dead-fall next spring.

What a mess.

[ESquared]

Sounds like a heck of a clean-up project. Must've been a big storm to have taken out such a limb, or was the tree on its way out anyway?

Sounds like you need a few buddies and a couple of chainsaws for a fun day in the woods!

[JEBar]

having run a hunting club where we spent untold numbers of hours clearing shooting lanes, I well understand your frustration .... when the stored torque from trees leaning against other trees is released, it can be dangerous .... take care .... hopefully you can start regaining ground soon

[Mags]

.
be sure to wear you wingsuit!

...
When it came down, this limb also brought down 3 or 4 other smaller trees. A couple of these were bent over with the tops touching the ground.

[BrokenolMarine]

I can feel your pain. I have had the fifty yard range here for years, but started clearing for my hundred yard range a couple years ago. I had the few big trees down, the area measured for the railroad ties and had figured out how many...

Then I fell and shattered that femur. It was nearly a year before I could get back to the range. The doc had forbade the use of a chainsaw, or any lifting or twisting torque on that leg. That hundred yard range is still pending.

[Mgderf]

Spent another 4 hours with a chainsaw today.
I've actually got it knocked down to where I can see over it.
The mess I have left is manageable, but still a huge mess.

I managed to cut a couple of small (relatively speaking) parts of the limb trunk. These were about 24" across. My chainsaw only has a 16" bar.
One side of this limb is out of bounds.
I won't go near the one side because of the precarious way it is hung up in the tree.
When this limb drops, it's going to roll, and I won't be on that side when it does.

From the looks of things, I may just let it come down on it's own.

I did try shooting the limb.
I didn't really expect it to do much, especially to a limb this size, but I did put 5 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor into the hinge holding the limb up.
Direct hits, and they chewed out some wood, but not enough.

Might try the .30-30, or the .45-70. Heck, I have a .50cal muzzle loader that would smack the crap out of it...

[BrokenolMarine]

Even if it doesn't work, you're shooting. It's range time.

[Mags]

.
The Creedmoor bullet is probably too pointy. Try your 45-70 for a more blunt force impact.

Spent another 4 hours with a chainsaw today.
I've actually got it knocked down to where I can see over it.
The mess I have left is manageable, but still a huge mess.

I managed to cut a couple of small (relatively speaking) parts of the limb trunk. These were about 24" across. My chainsaw only has a 16" bar.
One side of this limb is out of bounds.
I won't go near the one side because of the precarious way it is hung up in the tree.
When this limb drops, it's going to roll, and I won't be on that side when it does.

From the looks of things, I may just let it come down on it's own.

I did try shooting the limb.
I didn't really expect it to do much, especially to a limb this size, but I did put 5 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor into the hinge holding the limb up.
Direct hits, and they chewed out some wood, but not enough.

Might try the .30-30, or the .45-70. Heck, I have a .50cal muzzle loader that would smack the crap out of it...

[Mgderf]

Headed back down with the uncle this weekend.
I'll put another dozen or so rounds of something through the limb each time I visit until it gets close to deer season.