Tuesday, March 17, 2015

More Poles and a Stuck Tree

I should have known better. I really should have but the target was just too damned tempting. While I was splitting all that green Oak I noticed another medium sized Oak that was dead standing about another 20 yards further into the woods. I had been splitting away and looking at that tree and the more I looked at it the smaller it seemed. So I tried to fell it.

Sure as anything it got hung up. Suddenly that little Oak got a whole lot bigger let me tell you. So I went over bright and early this morning to deal with the situation. No way I was getting anything larger than a garden tractor in there and as I said that tree was a bit larger than I gave it credit for, the bottom of the trunk was about 2 foot around. The only thing to do was hump in the come along and about 40 foot of chain and bring her out of the other tree by hand.

It took a few hours of pulling and readjusting the chain lengths but I was finally able to get her pulled away from the other Oak she was in. It was actually pretty good practice solving a problem that may indeed rear it's ugly head again sometime when fuel isn't available. Whether it was actually worth the effort at this point of time however is debatable. There was a good more wood there than I had thought and once it's split out it will deliver some nice heat but by the time I had her down and cut up I realized there was no way I was going to hump those pieces up that hill and out of the woods. I think I am going to load up my garden tractor and take my little utility trailer and bring it up that way.

On the bright side I am now to the point that I started removing the old telephone poles off that property. I didn't want to start taking the poles until I had removed the nuisance trees the lady wanted out of her way but now that is done the telephone poles are fair game. I got four more corner posts out of there today and am almost ready to start putting them in the ground now. These poles are in some really good shape and going to end up saving me some serious cash over buying what I need for these corner posts.

If we don't get any rain tonight or tomorrow I may be able to start setting these posts this week even.

I got to get a move on it though because the grass is already turning green once again.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!



11 comments:

  1. I have to pull some trees with a come-a-long every once in awhile. I have used them to put pressure on a tree so that it will drop where I want it to.
    You are lucky to get some poles, I really need some but have to make poles from cedars. Lots can be done without fuel.

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    1. Sf - Yes I am lucky that so many powerline companies have easements around here and leave these poles lay. People usually are trying to find someone to take em away actually.

      Agreed many things can be done without fuel. It helps to have all the proper tools too but I had never been in a situation where I had a hung tree and no tractor handy to pull it out with. Was a new experience for me.

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  2. So that is like the alternate to the age old philosophical question" "If a tree is supposed to fall in the forest, but you don't hear it...."

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    1. Russ - It's because it hit ya on your head and you no longer care :)

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  3. There are no better corner posts in my opinion and they should last you out. As for hung up trees they can be dangerous. I remember being small and my dad coming back from felling trees in the woods and sticking his foot in a cold bath after he broke it from a hung up tree landing on it. Luckily he had steel toe caps on otherwise it would have crushed his toes. Like you said though good problem solving activity and I like a challenge.

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    1. Kev - I have seen em use RR track ties as corner posts and those things don't move at all either. Sometimes you can pick them up cheap around here but they are just a bit too heavy for me. For my sheep I think the telephone pole sections should be more than enough. Only the rams ever get a bit rowdy with the fence anyway.

      I always wear steel toes. Always. They were a bit hard to get used to tripping and kicking everything but once I did I loved them.

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    2. I love my steelies as well, I used to even wear them walking, although in the winter it's wellies all the way around here as it's so muddy.

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  4. When my father cuts, he does not even mess them anymore but has someone come in.

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    1. TB - The grape vine around here is what scares me. It can sometimes make a tree fall in the complete wrong direction.

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  5. wow phone poles! I wish I could get one or two!
    I think it may be in the 50's this weekend and sunny! Outside I go!

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    1. LW - Phone Poles are the bomb. Not sure I like all the creosote but they last forever.

      Get you outside and quickly too :)

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