Indian Marker Trees

[HB_Hunter]

I saw this today when I was out doing some post season scouting. My buddy was telling me about trees like this, but I never really looked for them.

Not sure it’s old enough to have been done by a Native American, but it definitely has the look of a marker tree.

There is also a huge white oak like this on a different part of the farm. I’ll get a picture of it the next time I’m out.

 

[Chainsaw]

Very cool HB. Indian marker trees are a very interesting concept. I had not heard this term or at least don't recall ever hearing it. I have seen trees grown that way and had not thought that someone had likely influenced it to do so as a marker for something. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Curious how one could influence a tree to grow in this manner

bill

 

[Native Hunter]

Curious how one could influence a tree to grow in this manner

bill

You bend it over and tie it down when young enough to still have some flexibility. When you do this, you will get some vertical limbs to start growing on the trunk. This might take a year or two. Once that happens you clip off the excess limbs - leaving just one. You keep the bottom part tied down until it gets old enough to harden off in place, and the rest just happens over time.

I have one of these trees in my woods. Will try to remember and take pics sometime.

It can also happen naturally when a young sapling gets bent over by a fallen limb. It can be hard to tell sometimes if a person did it or whether it just happened. The extra vertical limbs can just self prune, leaving one vertical limb. This happens naturally as the dominant vertical limb gets enough sunlight to keep growing, and the other limbs get shaded out. Not uncommon.

 

[Fishman]

I have seen vines bend a young live oak over in the same fashion.

 

[HB_Hunter]

Here’s an image of how they may have done it.

 

[dogghr]

Not sure I think these are markers but perhaps. I have them of all sizes and I think they are just natures hinge cutting at work. Tree gets bent over or another falls on it, it sprouts branches toward sun and rest of tree dies/rots. But maybe I'm wrong. My farm sits on the Seneca Indian trail of which the highway follows for the most part. Never heard of these trees being markers but I guess I'll look at them different and let my imagination play. Mine are pointing in the wrong way so maybe they are decoys for other tribes.

 

[Native Hunter]

Mine are pointing in the wrong way so maybe they are decoys for other tribes.

Those are "Fake News Trees."

 

[dogghr]

Those are "Fake News Trees."

That's funny right there. Guess since they were Indian then they would be called smoke screens in the day??? Yea I know that is not probably politically correct but since I have some Cherokee blood I'm allowed to say that.

 

[j-bird]

If you cut/hinge enough trees sooner or later you will create some of these over time. I have places where I cut trees or dropped trees that created similar situations before. You can do this on purpose or accident. Look at how your hinge cuts get sprouts that shoot straight up. The tree in the pic more than likely was cut off but didn't die and a single sprout survived and grew toward the sky. Mother nature can be pretty tenacious......

 

[THE LLC]

Log skidders are pretty good at making these, too.

 

[farmhunter]

neat - I looked it up - I wasn't aware, learned something - always a good thing!!

reminds me of the Kings Mark on white pines - I was always intrigued by them and would look for them growing up -
never found one.
http://ccrpa.org/km/King's Mark Why The Name King's Mark.htm

 

[dogghr]

Caught this pic for you HB while hingecutting Fri. In distance is the Seneca Trail used by various tribes that hunted and resided in the Mountain State. At least it is pointing in the correct direction for a north traveling tribesman.

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[Drycreek]

Caught this pic for you HB while hingecutting Fri. In distance is the Seneca Trail used by various tribes that hunted and resided in the Mountain State. At least it is pointing in the correct direction for a north traveling tribesman.

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You sure that's not just the number four ?

 

[JDunham]

neat - I looked it up - I wasn't aware, learned something - always a good thing!!

reminds me of the Kings Mark on white pines - I was always intrigued by them and would look for them growing up -
never found one.
http://ccrpa.org/km/King's Mark Why The Name King's Mark.htm

Thanks for that link, interesting read.

 

[THE LLC]

You sure that's not just the number four ?

That's the "4 Mile" marker back before the little green signs came along. I'd like to see their 8 mile marker.

 

[Jack Terpack]

Doing some simple math, any useful marker trees left would be over 150 years old. Anyone have an idea as to how many 150 year old trees are left in the U.S. ?

 

[Kwood]

Jack, I would guess a bunch. 150 isn’t that old for trees. Seems old, but I’d wager that there are a lot more than people think.


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[Kwood]

Northern Red Oak normally lives 200 years and can grow to be 400-500 years old. Some of the western tree species can grow to be 1000 years old.


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[Kwood]

Eastern Red Cedars have lifespan up to 300 years. Alaskan Red Cedars up to 3,500 years... crazy.


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