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Tree Risk Assessing

Allegheny Tom said:
My brother once climbed a small tree along the driveway to do some pruning. The branch that needed pruned wasn't very high so he just climbed with a small ladder and then stepped out onto a small branch. His body weight made the branch droop and it made light contact with a power line (that wasn't strung very high). He said he started getting a mild shock. Not horrible but he said it scared the crap out of him. He was afraid to move for fear of the branch making better contact and sending more voltage his way. He contemplated jumping.
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That’s because he hit a cut in line which was only 240 volts or possibly a phone line which is less than 50 v. Had it been a high voltage line it would have been minimum of 15’ or higher and it wouldn’t have been a mild shock… glad to hear he was ok.
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
That’s because he hit a cut in line which was only 240 volts or possibly a phone line which is less than 50 v. Had it been a high voltage line it would have been minimum of 15’ or higher and it wouldn’t have been a mild shock… glad to hear he was ok.
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It was an old farmstead and the line went from the house to an out building.
 
Great topic! I primarily hunt marsh and swamps in MD and I have at least a couple go-to trees die every year due to saltwater intrusion from waters rising and the land actively sinking.

I once accidentally climbed a dead tree in the dark that was alive 8 months prior. It was visibly dead, but still solid luckily. I didn’t push my luck and left that tree alone moving forward. By the end of our five month season, it was looking very sketchy and was decaying rapidly. Don’t count on the tree being safe for a while after dying.

Due to the shortage of good trees close to the marsh, I still see a lot of people who can’t resist climbing barkless dead pines that have already broken in half midway up. “Don’t Do what Donnie Don’t Does.” Stay safe!
 
MattMan81 said:
@TreeRecon maybe if you have some more info on maples. I have several in the yard. One has sap leaking out from what looks like a big crack in it. But still holding on.
Winds have taken tops out of others. Expecially when wet and full. They give lots of cover for hunting. But I know they can be soft and rot easily.
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Do you have a pic ? If it's a silver maple, I'd stay out of it. They're strong when healthy, but when they get decay, they go downhill quickly. Red maples (very common in the US) are generally bomb proof. A crack is never a good thing, but I'd need to see it. In the trunk is very bad. In a "V" (included bark) is pretty normal if crown reduction/pruning wasn't done to reduce weight
 
Another thing that keeps me out of trees is poison ivy. I've scouted areas that had it on pretty much every tree around the deer sign/travel path, so I just kind of mentally labeled the whole area off limits.
 
TreeRecon said:
Do you have a pic ? If it's a silver maple, I'd stay out of it. They're strong when healthy, but when they get decay, they go downhill quickly. Red maples (very common in the US) are generally bomb proof. A crack is never a good thing, but I'd need to see it. In the trunk is very bad. In a "V" (included bark) is pretty normal if crown reduction/pruning wasn't done to reduce weight
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Great thread!

Just an added note to the general question: is my tree ok? : tree people have discerning eyes and are generally able to make better educated guesses. But even the experienced can have a hard time really knowing what’s going on under the bark. So to all of us: if there’s anything you find questionable about a tree, just pick a different one.
 
Wisconsin had an infestation of Emerald Ash Borers about 10 years ago, last season the WDNR advised hunters not to hunt in or near ash trees. A bit late as I haven't seen a living ash tree in several years. I will say; during the height of the infestation I witnessed branches, fully-leaved with green leaves, crash to the ground.
 
Several years ago, I climbed a tree that was fully leaved and healthy looking. After hunting in it for a short time, I noticed something odd about a knot hole in it. Further examination revealed that I could see light through it--the tree was hollow below the place I had my tether.
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CZMark said:
Several years ago, I climbed a tree that was fully leaved and healthy looking. After hunting in it for a short time, I noticed something odd about a knot hole in it. Further examination revealed that I could see light through it--the tree was hollow below the place I had my tether.
e34cbd9b1e7098a035d22aff90f925f1.jpg


Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk
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Some kind of poplar?
 
Great topic and information. I cut and burn firewood to heat my home and I can’t tell you how many times I’m shocked at what a tree looks like on the inside from the outside. Several I’ve felled I probably would not have if I knew what the inside was like before. I’ve been very lucky and blessed. Usually there is some kind of a tell as you described but not always.
 
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