Deadfalls/Dead Trees

HB_Hunter

Well-Known Member
Before I make a huge mistake, I wanted to see if others have any experience with this. The Emerald Ash Borer has killed almost every ash tree around one of my favorite stand locations (including the tree my stand is currently in). The ones that aren't completely dead are top killed and sprouting. It is a great pinch point and one of the most productive stands on the farm during the rut. Bedding flanks it on almost all sides.

My plan is to cut all the dead trees down (this is a necessity for safety). The big question is what to do with the tops. Should I burn them all and clean up the other dead trees? I'm planning to salvage any logs that can be milled.

Current Plan:

1. Cut down all dead/diseased trees
2. Burn tops and salvage any logs
3. Remove underbrush
4. Frost seed clover mix in disturbed ground

Pics

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Thoughts?
 
Lots of junk trees that need to be cut too. This was an old homesite (60-70 years ago...maybe older) and the ground was disturbed from gardening and general things. There are some healthy poplars, oaks, permissions, etc. that I will leave standing.
 
I’ve heard that those dead ash can be widow makers. We have trouble finding people to cut them around my area. I’d be extra careful before I started cutting anything. Those dead limbs in the top could come crashing down once you get some vibration and movement going with the saw.

To answer your question, I think felling and burning in a year would be a good plan.


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Before I make a huge mistake, I wanted to see if others have any experience with this. The Emerald Ash Borer has killed almost every ash tree around one of my favorite stand locations (including the tree my stand is currently in). The ones that aren't completely dead are top killed and sprouting. It is a great pinch point and one of the most productive stands on the farm during the rut. Bedding flanks it on almost all sides.

My plan is to cut all the dead trees down (this is a necessity for safety). The big question is what to do with the tops. Should I burn them all and clean up the other dead trees? I'm planning to salvage any logs that can be milled.

Current Plan:

1. Cut down all dead/diseased trees
2. Burn tops and salvage any logs
3. Remove underbrush
4. Frost seed clover mix in disturbed ground

Pics

y4mVn0tBrk3FdWfAOngbTpl0TyR7kawNCOrSbbpMYjGgbXlvKfyVytEkBjPQz4HAzTvIq1-VAjdnH05VIxEpkrDAxDrra-MykAc5SxpGMsKGxXrO9ZyFhN6c2A_TfUo_g45C_OX0HJ1LTqXcn1MTbCztc7IUxvCl7DdAMw3T9lHQWrY-c2yuJJltTL1Bp-65TTF


y4m1NDCdXBVRNcEODKrA1eWCvXxuxfLgeYEcebwbpPlz6yT0sE2XVfcbowellJTOt7V5G579dHlcLhvVVg6etzGyaixmHA3ENdpGjC1EPlKm0gPlYAEYr8gv3NnQJu60-GKZ7m9fLDkMo6fL7E7IN25ScVGeMMaBPWOW30FLbf0DPP43CUagJrS3tZjPKTOyuM-


y4mhPhqnASbByfunQVEY-8iFpYINUvSRM-F26-6-CFfgsMUPa5VboyijxLRIC5tKju8gRplBJkgcF16ZIzHFaedfK-Iu-7gibzKTFDQI97Uwn4q-r-lynEa8lay6S7SDDSzgCI5qsm_VGUCdkxNlxXJQaFvsCYO9yb7mxveHGB_wsmNnyArnAtwJ_Xoz4bZyRnt


Thoughts?
My thoughts is if it is productive...do nothing! I have done a few of these type things on our place and I actually think it has made it worse...
 
I’ve heard that those dead ash can be widow makers. We have trouble finding people to cut them around my area. I’d be extra careful before I started cutting anything. Those dead limbs in the top could come crashing down once you get some vibration and movement going with the saw.

To answer your question, I think felling and burning in a year would be a good plan.


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I'll be super careful. A logger lives close and he told me the most dangerous trees are the dead ones. I pushed one over with the FEL and it broke in half and just about killed me a couple years ago. Thankfully it missed the tractor and me to the right.
 
My thoughts is if it is productive...do nothing! I have done a few of these type things on our place and I actually think it has made it worse...
That's where I've been for the past five years. It's been awesome and I don't want to change anything. Now I've got a 80' dead ash tree hung up in a 40' dead ash tree 15' from my stand. I need to get them down. I also have a huge dead ash tree behind the stand that fell last year that is blocking the trail that use to bring the deer by. Now they are going above/below. The extra sunlight has also caused a bunch of bushy trees to grow and stump sprouts. It has really gotten messy.

It was good before it was a mess of deadfalls so I'm hoping I don't screw it up. I thought I remembered reading about you doing something similar and feeling like it was a mistake. I also remember G's Iowa pictures of the clean/burn and he thought it helped. The decisions we make and can't undo...
 
all good points re:safety with dead trees

helmet/chaps have prevented major injuries personally on several occasions

bill
 
We cut down over 500+ dead ash trees on my 20 acres in the fall of 2018. They were planted as companion trees with the walnuts about 30 years ago, but EAB got them. Most needed to be taken out to allow more light to the walnuts anyway. We took our time to cut out anything useable for firewood and the rest were burned, February 2020.
 
We cut down over 500+ dead ash trees on my 20 acres in the fall of 2018. They were planted as companion trees with the walnuts about 30 years ago, but EAB got them. Most needed to be taken out to allow more light to the walnuts anyway. We took our time to cut out anything useable for firewood and the rest were burned, February 2020.

It's crazy what that little bug is doing. I had a logger come in 2-3 years ago to take out the ash trees that were left that still were marketable. All that's left now is firewood and the burn pile. I am hoping to salvage a couple of logs out of the biggest ones, but I am afraid they are too far gone.
 
It'll be a lot of work with little return to cut, pile and burn all of those limbs and I'm not sure that it's worth your effort to cut them for safety, the woods is never safe from falling branches, but fortunately for our health most of them come down in storms. The risk to your personal health by getting clobbered with a limb falling down while cutting them is hundreds of times greater than getting hit be a falling limb while walking through the woods, logging is the most dangerous occupation there is, and hikers getting hit by a limb is rare. We've just been letting nature take her course with most of our dead ash trees and it hasn't been much of a problem, after a storm there's more branches down, but that's what happens in the woods with trees, oaks are often loosing random limbs as well. I only cut a few so they don't keep dropping limbs on our trails.
 
Nope get them down but do it carefully. A lot of the time you can position yourself where you are not under any branches i.e. already fallen or leaning trees. These big dead ash trees for the most parts are still solid to the core which makes them predictable to fell. I wont say safe because no tree is safe.


DSC04845 (1200 x 900).jpg

This area is the next 3 to 4 acres on my hit list. I start by cleaning up the down dead and then bringing down the standing dead. I will chainsaw mill some ash slabs for 1" boards and cut out firewood. Instead of just mulching everything and leaving a mess like I have been doing so so far I am planning on working campfires like I always did in Iowa and cleaning the place up.

DSC04851 (1200 x 900).jpg

After the dead and ash are being consumed by chemical reaction I will add on to the fire the rest that I want out which will be the slippery elm and sugar maples.

DSC04927 (1200 x 900).jpg

This will leave bigger walnuts, white oaks, and an understory of redbuds. The area will still have cover, mast, and will now grow more grass and herbaceous plants. I'm still planning on killing big bucks here.

DSC04928 (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
Nope get them down but do it carefully. A lot of the time you can position yourself where you are not under any branches i.e. already fallen or leaning trees. These big dead ash trees for the most parts are still solid to the core which makes them predictable to fell. I wont say safe because no tree is safe.


View attachment 20641

This area is the next 3 to 4 acres on my hit list. I start by cleaning up the down dead and then bringing down the standing dead. I will chainsaw mill some ash slabs for 1" boards and cut out firewood. Instead of just mulching everything and leaving a mess like I have been doing so so far I am planning on working campfires like I always did in Iowa and cleaning the place up.

View attachment 20642

After the dead and ash are being consumed by chemical reaction I will add on to the fire the rest that I want out which will be the slippery elm and sugar maples.

View attachment 20643

This will leave bigger walnuts, white oaks, and an understory of redbuds. The area will still have cover, mast, and will now grow more grass and herbaceous plants. I'm still planning on killing big bucks here.

View attachment 20644

G
George, you’re using fire in your hardwoods? I thought you’d had some concerns with killing your good trees. I’m following your strategies with interest. I have a place that’s basically all timber and I’m having trouble having any defined movement.
 
Cutting dead trees is very, very dangerous. A friend of mine was severely injured in a chainsaw accident involving a dead tree.

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Even on the dozer I give dead trees the utmost respect and many times I will not take one down due to the danger involved. A limb can become a spear through the front or sides of my Case. I kill a lot of Hickory on my place by gurgling and spraying the girdle with straight GLY and I always let them die and fall on their own. Mennonite man said it best...more likely to get hurt by actively engaging the trees than by just walking through the woods...
 
George, you’re using fire in your hardwoods? I thought you’d had some concerns with killing your good trees. I’m following your strategies with interest. I have a place that’s basically all timber and I’m having trouble having any defined movement.

I never had any noticeable damage to trees when I raked out around them and ran a slow controlled back burn through.

One time I had a wind shift and a fire that went up hill hotter and faster than anticipated and I damaged and or top kill some 6-8" diameter white oaks.

One study that I found about burning in Appalachia showed a decrease in oak regeneration and an increase in black locust regen, not exactly a goal of mine.

I didn't burn anything last year and will probably only burn ground this year where I want everything dead to open up for clover.

Burning is a good way to reduce the leaf litter and excite grasses and herbaceous plants.

fire in leaf liter is harder to get going than it is to stop. A leaf rake is about all you need. A fire in leaves will not jump a 3' raked out fire break.

Fire in KY is actually a big no no. There is a complete outdoor fire ban Feb 15- April 30th

G
 
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