A limb in the stump?

I don't know about the limb, I suppose anythings possible, but, it looks like you got lucky with a few close calls to nails or some kind of metal in the tree.

Young tree stressed say by heavy snow later outgrew load of winter . Or it maybe grew out around a rotting log. Just my kz thoughts

There is/was iron somewhere in that tree I'll guarantee it. Oak will often times have a remnant of a second tree that did not live past youth. Acorns quite often drop in pairs.

Blue stain may be fungi infection?

I have seen trees with a limb or maybe it was another tree sticking out of the base of the trunk. I have to idea what that would look like if the tree were cut, but maybe it would look like your tree.

Dat ain't no mineral deposit ! They's ah chunk ah metal hiddin' from ya in dat der tree. Maybe small as a nail or big as a Ford bumper, but hits metal and it be in der fo sho!

There is hardware somewhere in that tree for certain. That stain is unmistakeable. Look at the other rounds from it, they will all have the same stain at the exact same spot. Somewhere along it the metal can be found. You might be able to figure out which round holds it by the size of the stain.

As for your branch, did you cut the stump, split and examine it like a science project? It might be interesting to look at. The fact that it wasn't rotted out makes me think it was part of the same tree.

Maybe like what the Italian artist, Giuseppe Penone, finds in trees.

I find limbs in stumps of hedge trees all the time. Figured it was particular to hedge because they are so gnarled to begin with.

Out in the middle of nowhere is a good place to find trees with hardware, sad to say.

There are 4 chunks of iron in that tree somewhere. I have never seen one piece stain in four spots.

Fred Wright said:

Well if there is hardware in the tree, thankfully I didn't hit it when bucking.

Will have to examine the rounds to see how far up it goes. I trimmed the stump yesterday, no markings that far down. The tree is 'way out in the middle of nowhere... but I suppose someone years ago could've nailed or stapled something to it. Guess I'll find out when I get it split.

The tree is (or was) next to an old logging rut, right at the edge of it. I recall standing with one foot in it, making the back cut.

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The rounds in the background of photo 2 show the stains.

What are the chances this extra appendage in the trunk and the metal stains are related?

HackBerry said:

What are the chances this extra appendage in the trunk and the metal stains are related?

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Little.

I recently split up an oak that had branches like this hidden in several 24-30" diameter rounds.
On my oak, I assumed the lower branches were removed at some point by a previous owner and the trunk grew around the branches.

Looks like it's a male

weatherguy said:

Looks like it's a male

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Thank you so much.... I just shot Pepsi though my nose. It burns!