Do 20-30 ft up and you suddenly hear even a faint crack! I ask this having left the house for the first time in 2 weeks to find timber sized maple tops all over on the ground. Now before you say well...... No some of them had NO sign of damage either at the top or trunk splintering. I use to climb a lot until this started happening here to my hard maples. I am thinking it is due to the sub zero temps and the subsequent trunk "popping" damaging the wood fibers. Then you have the high swirling winds we get here . They have been non stop.the last 2 days. Usually I discribe the trees looking like they are caught in a blender. Lots of stress. So I have tried to figure exit strategies in a full blown "timber" event. I can only think of one unhook from the tree as fast as possible and pray. Because was that crack above or below you? Can you ride it and roll away or are you getting yanked from the low trunk?. I have 3 times been walking a trail to hear crack behind me . I had just enough time to step in front of a tree in front of me. This ending with a tree scraping down the side of tree I was hugging with my back. Had I stopped to look on any of those times, I would have been flattened. So have you thought of what would you do?
To be honest I don't or have not. I have oaks and would not sit in a tree that has anything sizable and dead above my stand. I also do not hunt in high winds.
Well that only makes sense,though thats not what I'm addressing. The trees I spoke of that fell or snapped off were on very light winds AND in full green leaf. When I speak of timber sized trees they are 12" and bigger. Todays trees were trees that were all in full leaf last year. As far as hunting in wind ,not even a thought seeing whats happening here. Being in the woods every day(I don't have the flu) I have emergency scenarios running through my mind on many things. Hanging off a tree just presents a challenging, get around, concerning that.
I am in my 2oth year of wild land fire snags and widow makers are always on my mind. I used to love to cut down trees, the thrill is gone.
Trees can be dangerous as hell. Used to go full bore not assessing anything before hand. Had a few shat- myself experiences!! Now I do double the walk around before even starting the saw.
Lol. I have to say reading posts during hunting season where guys are talking about their butt puckering tree surfing...that pic looks about right! There are some lucky weekend warriors out there.
I live on 45 acres of wooded land. The woods is made up of oak (white and red), hickory, cherry, maple and a few pines (white and jack). The maple, by far, is the most prone to breaking and splitting or having the tops break off. It must be mother natures way of keeping the woods thinned out. Only the strong survive. Otherwise the maple out produces the other trees and would/will take over your woods. To answer your question....... no, I have not thought about what I would do in that situation. My stands are in substantial trees and I do not hunt in high winds.
I was just reading on another post about safety lines and a member listed things he concidered breaking. He actually said the tree was not one of them. In another breath he mentions being in the woods and a widow maker fell nearby "shaking" the ground as it hit. Just a widow maker mind you. I've had nightmares where sitting in a stand with my safety harness on, tethered way above my head. The tree breaks off .Between me and the tether ripping me out of the stand just as I wake up. We have massive trees with their root attached 12ft high and wide laying on the ground. Walked in one dark morning to hunt my swamp walked out in the afternoon to see a 18" diameter maple twisted off 3 ft from the ground across my trail..barely any wind that day. In fact so big I have yet to saw it up. I made a trail around it. I counted my lucky stars it waited ,not when I was out there walking "blind" as it were. I'm surprised guys don't think about this.
