Couple ?'s for the experts.

Found a, for the lack of a better term, clump of trees at my SIL's today. Looked like the multi trunk maple I see, but the leaves (the few that remain) tell me.....oak. Anybody ever seen oak "clumps" like this?
Next ? perhaps for the foresters among us or just those in the know.
Found a few oak trees right inside the state land side with these arrows. Must have been done after leaf drop this year.
Anyone know what this signifies?

Sargent stripes.

Maybe something to do with this?...

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...t-law-20111017_1_tree-farmer-hunters-long-arm

Possible stump sprouts that are now several decades old from previous harvests.Tons of those at parent's acreage.

Two answers, the first is Thistle got it right, I guess the technical term is copicing where stems sprout from a stump into multiple trees. I learned this because I have the largest Ash tree in the state of PA and it was similiar and had 5 seperate trunks and someone told me it was copiced. They do it in Europe for hundreds of years to continually produce firewood/lumber.

The other answer you kind of hit on. I have seen it several times where a sawmill/lumber company marks the property line. The trees right on the line are typically not cut to avoid conflict with the neighbors and it you walk along this line you will typically see cut trees on one side. It makes for a good property line with several trees marked in the same manner. A tree on the corner is usually really marked with several lines designating a corner.

Arrows pointing up usually indicate a snag,broken top, widow maker,hazard,etc.

Going back over there tomorrow. I'll take a walk to the outermost reaches and check out the corner where this may have been done.

Lee, I've only seen these arrows right near the line bordering state land, none farther in. That would quite kindly of the DNR to point those out for us.
I still think they're sergeant trees.

GAWN, I remember your post about the Ash.
If I were to take down one of the trunks, would another then sprout at some point? I'll do some google-ish stuff later.

I always find it a PIA to drop those "clumps" of trees when they all grown together with the trunks pressed up against each other for the first 5-6 feet. Usually they are all leaning in different directions. Different diameters. Usually some living and some standing dead. Can't back cut on some. Out in the woods i dont have any way of dropping them top down. How do you all drop these clusters cause I always think I am playing Russian roulette when I tackle one.

Here the state park land is marked with blue and the national forest with red.
The state makes elaborate marks that I can't figure out, my assuption its a bunch of stoner forestry students on summer break making minimum wage and trying to find some enjoyment.

Border or line trees are notorious for having wire , nails & fence staples in them.
Best to leave them for MN to deal with. Can't sue MN

Dave, we have many clumps like that around here. The one you have pictured would be one of the easiest to cut because they aren't that close together. In time though.... And yes, new shoots will start after you cut.

The only problems we have with them is that some will hang up in other trees when cutting. Getting the hangers down usually is not a big problem and we cut most of them down. The questionable ones though get pulled down or let Mother Nature finish the job for us. Of course the biggest problems are the ones where, as you stated, are 5-6' up before you can get a saw in there. Hate those buggers. It is a nice place to have a tractor with a front end loader.

Dave, I have found that the smaller diameter trees often send up more shoots, in fact I cannot kill one Oak tree I have near my garden, it has been about 3 years of cutting back shoots and they keep coming back. It may also help to cut them in the winter when the sap goes back to the roots. I am not an expert on it.

Agree totally. Timbered oaks out last fall and this spring and many of the stumps have a ring of suckers coming up. For some reason they held on to their leaves the longest and turned an incredible shade of "bright brilliant" red. All the leaves are down now except beech and those blazing white oak suckers.