Widow Maker - Best Plan of Attack?

GreensvilleJay

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hmm, call whoever owns the property where it came from, tell them to pickup THEIR tree ??;)

kinda surprised no one's suggested chopping the tree it's leaning on, so it could just easily fall down....
 

NCL4701

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hmm, call whoever owns the property where it came from, tell them to pickup THEIR tree ??;)

kinda surprised no one's suggested chopping the tree it's leaning on, so it could just easily fall down....
Sometimes works. Sometimes causes the support tree to shift enough to drop the leaner before you can get out of the way. Personally, I wouldn’t cut the support tree unless the leaner is so small if it hits me I’m OK with that (which isn’t the case here) but others may have different experience.
 
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Magicman

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I didn't read where the tree was on an adjoining landowner's property, maybe I missed something? Taking down the supporting tree would be the most problematic option. I would let the fence down before attempting any removal.
 
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rc51stierhoff

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Do you know anyone that needs a place to cut firewood? Tell them they can have half of what they cut / split and they can stack the other half at your desired location. Start with the snag in the tree.
 

MapleLeafFarmer

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around here where jack pine is common on sandy soils, this is not uncommon and often we simply handled by:
- getting landowners permission(s)
- remove fence staples and lay the fence down.
- chain off the bottom
- pull the tree down with tractor or logging winch as weight of tree is plenty past center and age is well past full green.

especially when there is plenty of space and no structure risks which from the pic's looks like it might be your case.
 

GreensvilleJay

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re: I didn't read where the tree was on an adjoining landowner's property, maybe I missed something?
it's straddling a fence.....so I assume the trunk was on the other guy's property...
I have zero trees PLANTED on my property and occasionally one of the neighbour's BIG friggin maples 'donates' firewood.....
 
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Henro

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Do you know anyone that needs a place to cut firewood? Tell them they can have half of what they cut / split and they can stack the other half at your desired location. Start with the snag in the tree.
LOL... Can't help but remember the old saying "There's a sucker born every day!"

Perhaps there is a chance of this working...
 

Henro

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around here where jack pine is common on sandy soils, this is not uncommon and often we simply handled by:
- getting landowners permission(s)
- remove fence staples and lay the fence down.
- chain off the bottom
- pull the tree down with tractor or logging winch as weight of tree is plenty past center and age is well past full green.

especially when there is plenty of space and no structure risks which from the pic's looks like it might be your case.
I would not even worry about getting the neighboring property owner involved, or touching the fence. His tree fell on your property.

If I could pull it off the support tree, I would and then deal with it. The neighbor can deal with the fence, just as he would have if the tree had fallen completely to the ground to begin with.

Curious, because I have no idea. Does the tree owner have any responsibility?

I remember many years ago when a branch of a large tree on my father's property fell onto neighbors house and caused damage. Apparently it was up to the neighbors to use their home owner's insurance to pay for the repairs, Dad's insurance told him this. He paid for the neighbor's deductible on the policy.

So I am guessing a tree falling on one's property for some reason exempts the owner of the tree from liability?
 

Quick

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Thanks for all of the feedback. I think I have a plan.

I'll let you know how it goes. If I never post again, you can assume it went badly.


Anyone heard from LarryBud lately? :oops:
 

D2Cat

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Read post #19........

"I'll let you know how it goes. If I never post again, you can assume it went badly."

Might say a prayer for him and his family!!
 
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Henro

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Read post #19........

"I'll let you know how it goes. If I never post again, you can assume it went badly."

Might say a prayer for him and his family!!
I had to look back and see what your were referring to...

Doubt RIP applies...but who knows?
 

GreensvilleJay

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according to Judge Judy..... any part of a tree on YOUR side, is YOURS, you can do what you want... IF the tree from the other side of fence falls into your side, the other owner's on the hook. usually the insurance companies will fight over this of course.
I did find out in Ontario an insurance company has to settle a claim within 7 YEARS. Hmm, no wonder they low ball you and drag it out...wear you down, you'll take peanuts on the dollars...
 

jyoutz

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around here where jack pine is common on sandy soils, this is not uncommon and often we simply handled by:
- getting landowners permission(s)
- remove fence staples and lay the fence down.
- chain off the bottom
- pull the tree down with tractor or logging winch as weight of tree is plenty past center and age is well past full green.

especially when there is plenty of space and no structure risks which from the pic's looks like it might be your case.
Agree, but pull from the tractor drawbar, not the loader.
 

Old_Paint

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Gotta go with lay the fence down. If it's 4 strands of barbed wire, might even be smarter to cut it and then splice it back together, assuming you have access to stretchers. A come along makes a good stretcher, BTW. Odds are, if that fence has been there a while, it's already stretched some, and isn't nearly as taught as it was the day it went up. Just be careful of tensile strength of the wire. If you've never heard that snap from about 50 yards away, and the whistling of the wire coming toward you, count yourself lucky. There's nothing a lot more inconvenient than a huge ball of barbed wire coming at you.

Looks like the post might be compromised if you try to cut it before pulling the base to one side. Once I connected to it with the tractor and got it started moving, I'd keep dragging as long as I could and let the whole thing come down, then get rid of the waste. That's a dangerous snag, and very appropriately called a widow maker. Ther looks to be enough rot on the bottom end that it will start moving fairly easy, and the majority of the tree while rotted, it isn't decayed like the stump end. Just make sure to tie as low as possible to the log, and same on the tractor end. If you can move it enough to clear the post, then start taking chunks off (undercut first, of course). I don't think I'd try to completely cut it out, though. The top will start coming apart and falling. With it on that sharp an angle, you have a lot less to worry about not being under the top. Odds are, while the top may be rotted enough to break, it's still plenty solid to break bones when it comes down from that height.

I (barely) remember going out coon hunting one night with my stepdad and a neighbor, Mr. Jim Stout. Dogs treed, we went to them, and the coon looked down ONCE. Bright moonlit night, so he'd only look up. Grabbed a vine to make some noise and try to get him to look down, without noticing first that the tree was very dead. I did notice, however, that it was VERY tall. Next thing I know, my stepdad and Mr. Stout were picking me up. A 6-inch limb had broken off and came down hitting me right at the base of the neck and knocked me out cold as a wedge. I'd been taught to not look up if I heard the crack of something breaking, and that's probably what saved my life. I still have a healthy fear of dead snags.
 

MapleLeafFarmer

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I agree 100% with laying fence down first
I have lived a good long life and fallen a lot of trees. I plan to live many more.
I would never / ever fall a tree without first either cutting or laying down a fence.
Not because I want to protect the fence as much as I want to protect my life from the unknown happenings when a tree hits a tensile wire whether old or brand new.


🍻
 

Jchonline

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Take the fence down then drag it down with a chain from the butt end. It’s the only really safe way to do it.
 

MapleLeafFarmer

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I would not even worry about getting the neighboring property owner involved, or touching the fence. His tree fell on your property.
I know every locale may be different.

Around here though cutting a tree from public land without permission is a big no-no. Maybe the fence too is owned by some government agency. Don't know - should at least consider.

Pic seems to show ditch, right away and road on the side of fence that tree grew. Depends where OP is from would hate to have some gov't agency come down on him.
 

Henro

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I tend not to over think things.

Doesn't look like that fence is a high tensile type that would be a danger if it broke. Just seems to me to be an old, ignored fence.

Just know what I would likely do. ONLY because it looks like there is a path UNDER that tree that a tractor might use.

If it were out where I never went, it would remain as is until nature took its course, landed it on the ground, and the fence would accept the results.

As far as cutting a tree on public land, well if that were a concern, I would not cut it beyond the fence, but would weaken it with chainsaw cuts, then pull it. Naturally, the saw cuts would be on my property. I guess it gets back to whose tree is it, once it is on "my" property?

In the past I had a large willow that fell on the neighbor's property. I took care of removing it. He and his brother helped a bit. I would have done everything without their help, because that is the way I think things should be done. Also added top soil and reseeded the lawn after the tree was removed.

In the OP's case, not sure what his situation really is. But if I were the other property owner, and there was an issue, I would certainly help to resolve it.