Tree Dropped on Dog

[qwee]

I live in Southern Idaho. Yesterday I went up into the Sawtooth mountains with a firewood permit. I stopped at a ranger station. I asked a ranger if I could cut up some blown down Lodgepole pine near a rough campground. They gave me the okay. They said don't drop any dead standing trees just cut up the blowdowns. Why, I asked? Too dangerous with campers around, they said. I agreed, just blow downs.

There were about 6 or 7 campers grouped together near where I was working. They decided to drop a 20" base dead standing pine for firewood. My truck was about 20 feet out of range if this tree fell in the wrong direction so I was paying attention just in case. Three older guys were working together to get this tree down. "Cut it here, drop it there........" The Stihl Farmboss was fired up. The chain must have been dole from the amount of cutting they were doing. Kids, wives, and other campers were gathered to observe the undertaking. Several dogs were moving about.

They got to the back cut. I noticed they didn't have any wedges. I gave them an ax and 2 wedges. Thanks, one gentleman said. The tree went down. I heard "timber". Next I heard some loud cussing. Than they went to the middle of the tree and were doing some frantic cutting. I couldn't see anything because I was blocked by trees and brush. I thought, 'they must have dropped the tree in the wrong spot?'

Eventually, I found out the tree fell on one of the dogs. Not the top but midway part of the tree. The dog either had a broken foot or broken hip. They had to cut the dog out from under the tree. They rushed their pet to the Vet. Now I understood why the Ranger said not to drop any trees near the campground with people and pets milling around.

Any close calls with pets or kids?

 

[Rusty18]

I always put the wife in the kennel and make the dogs stay well out of range when dropping trees.

 

[JRHAWK9]

There's a reason why I prefer to stay as far away from people as I can.

 

[Simonkenton]

I put the demented beagle in the house when I am dropping a tree. She runs around like a maniac, and will not listen to any commands from me. Like "Come here!" or, "Stay."

 

[Prof]

About 7 yrs ago I was clearing a spot to build the house. I only had an old logging trail to access the build site at the time and as I drove down the trail I noticed a doe run off--a common sight. I dropped a couple trees and started to buck them. When I was about 3/4 of the way done with the first tree, a fawn made a squealing sound and jumped up. It laid back down and curled up as they do when they are that young. I can't know for sure, but I bet that the fawn was hiding since mom ran off. It was right in the middle of a Y in the tree. If that deer was laying there when I dropped that tree it may have been the luckiest deer on the planet that day. I called my wife and kids and they came out and took some pics and we left it alone. It wasn't there the next day. Another time I dropped a hickory that was hollow half way up. A gray squirrel staggered out of that tree when it fell like it had more than it's share at a bar. I'll admit, I found it a bit amusing. As far as close encounters with family or pets--I only cut when everyone is well away from me. I know it isn't the best practice, but I prefer to be alone when dropping trees.

 

[Ashful]

Short story: I dropped a 80 foot tall tree on my cutting partner's son. Don't get the wrong impression, he was 50 years old, and it was his own stupid fault.

Long version: My buddy asked me to cut up and haul away a red oak blown down by Sandy, roughly 40" DBA. So being red oak, it was a big heavy mother to skid the 1/4 mile out of the woods behind the old Ford 3000.

Unfortunately, there were a few smaller trees that were blocking the tractor's path to the logs I was cutting from the big tree, so we made plans to take them down. These sacrificial trees were not big, averaging maybe only 8" caliper, but they shot maybe 80 feet straight up before branching out, growing that way in dense woods.

I told the other two (my friend and his oldest son) where I was going to drop the next tree, we all agreed, and I got to making the face cut while my friend was off hauling a load out of the woods behind the tractor. When that was done, I double-checked down-range, and see my buddy's 50-year old son standing right where we had all agreed to drop this tree. I shut off the saw, pulled off my ear muffs, and yelled to him that he's standing right where this tree needs to land. He looks up, acknowledges what I said, nods and meandered off around to my side. So, I put the gear back on, fire the saw back up, and get to the back cut.

As I finish the back cut, shut off the saw and step back from the tree, I look downrange where it's already headed with some speed... and realize this guy had walked right back to the spot we had just agreed (twice!) that tree was going. He's looking at something on the ground, no idea there's a tree headed at him, so I yell. He looks at me, I point up at the tree (now moving fast!), and he starts to run toward the monster oak that was our plan for the day.

He almost made it. Built like a hobbit, I was surprised at the height and distance he was able to dive thru the air, trying to leap over the big downed oak. Unfortunately, the tree I had just dropped caught him across the ankles mid-air, causing his belly to pivot on the fulcrum of the big oak, and sending him cartwheeling thru the woods like a thrown toy.

He was fine in the end, other than sore and bruised. I didn't actually count how many somersaults he executed, maybe only 1-1/2, but it was still some impressive acrobatics for someone of his age and relative shape.

 

[peakbagger]

At one point I got National Park Service training to be a chainsaw operator to assist on maintaining the Appalachian Trail. Certification is required to run a saw so I took the course. The Maine AT is pretty remote and getting folks to help is tough so a lot of work is done solo. Had I known one of the key requirements for running a saw is you need two certified sawyers in order to make a cut, I might have skipped the course as I rarely if ever have someone with me when working on the trail. In reality with exception of major blowdown event we are encouraged to clean up what we can with hand tools and then call in pro crew to come do the saw work.

The rational is one person cannot manage the cut and the surroundings. The sawyer after comign up with a cutting plan needs to be concerned with implementing the plan and the second person is concerned with the surroundings. There is a checklist that needs to be filled out for every cut and that means two people are involved with the decision if its safe to cut. Dogs, drunks and kids are all going factor in on a decision if its safe to cut.

 

[hedge wood]

Been well over twenty years ago my FIL pasted. He had a young Lab mixed dog at the farm. Wife wanted to bring dog home. Her brother said no Daisy the dog can stay at the farm as her brother was moving to the farm and just lived down the road. BIL was cleaning up some trees in the yard after he moved in and dropped a tree on Daisy killing her. Wife wasn't to happy as she know her brother wasn't much of a dog person. We only have our three men crew that cut firewood for me around when falling trees. Its enough to know were the other two are when a tree is coming down. Can't be careful enough. Just last month had a 44 year old farmer in the area had a tree fall the wrong way out in a pasture and it killed him. His brother went looking for him when he didn't show up to milk cows. Left wife and three kids.

 

[sloeffle]

There's a reason why I prefer to stay as far away from people as I can.

Same. I know it's not safe cutting in the woods by yourself, but I feel like having people around that aren't aware of the danger of tree felling ( Ashful's story ) can be a hazard too. I'd rather be the only person around when I fell a tree. After last weeks windstorm I won't be having to do much of that for the next few years though.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Same. I know it's not safe cutting in the woods by yourself, but I feel like having people around that aren't aware of the danger of tree felling ( Ashful's story ) can be a hazard too. I'd rather be the only person around when I fell a tree. After last weeks windstorm I won't be having to do much of that for the next few years though.

Years ago I was asked to help a co-worker clean up storm damage at his brothers. Long story short. Homeowner wanted a certain large limb cut off outside of our reach and wanted us to use a ladder. Neither I or a guy who worked for a Asplundh would do it. Then some genius (who has a Poulan Pro with a dull chain) says he will do it and acts all tough like we are being pu$$ys. I saw this guy cut earlier in the day and he was doing a hand saw motion with his saw the whole day. I flat out told him, I suggest you don't. He gets up on the ladder and starts cutting. Meanwhile I am sitting back enjoying the show. He then runs out of gas about halfway through and has to re-fill. Gets off the ladder and refills. He ends up cutting it and the limb swung down and took out the ladder he was standing on sending him crashing to the ground with his saw landing on him. I let out a nice loud "told ya so" and walked away. Lucky for that guy, a retired doctor was at the park next door and saw the whole thing unfold. He comes over and tends to the guy while the rescue squad was called. They ended up taking him away. I never heard any updates after that.

 

[Prof]

Same. I know it's not safe cutting in the woods by yourself, but I feel like having people around that aren't aware of the danger of tree felling ( Ashful's story ) can be a hazard too. I'd rather be the only person around when I fell a tree. After last weeks windstorm I won't be having to do much of that for the next few years though.

For me it is about risk. When I drop a tree I accept my own mortality. That is a responsibility I am willing to take for myself, but not for others--especially my wife and kids. I suspect a contrary argument can be made every time I get into my truck and head down the road. A good argument can also be made that I think about stuff too much. It is what I do.

 

[patrickk222]

for me i've never had a close call with pets or a kid but kinda with myself .... and it was kinda my own stupid fault and i was cuttin some wild black cherry that had 4 seperate trees locked into 1 stump and was halfway layin on a hard maple and pushed on a steep angled embankment and i was makin some good progress on the bottom 1 that had contact on the maple and i cut it off the maple and as soon as i made it through it came rollin off and slammed into my ribs and almost had me pinned to another tree ... and thats 1 mistake i'll never make again

 

[Ashful]

Same. I know it's not safe cutting in the woods by yourself, but I feel like having people around that aren't aware of the danger of tree felling ( Ashful's story ) can be a hazard too. I'd rather be the only person around when I fell a tree. After last weeks windstorm I won't be having to do much of that for the next few years though.

When I cut alone, I call my wife before and after felling each tree. That way, if she doesn't hear back from me for 10 minutes after telling her I'm dropping one, she knows something went wrong, and to send help. She'll also usually call me about every 2 hours during the day, even if I'm just cutting windfall, just to be sure everything is okay.

The guy mentioned in my post above aside, I do prefer to cut with a partner around, since things can always go wrong.

 

[gzecc]

I know someone who complained the "dog is going crazy while I'm on the mower cutting the grass". Maybe you shouldn't have the dog out while mowing!

 

[coaly]

I killed a mouse inadvertently cutting a tree down. But not with the tree.

After taking it down I squatted to count the rings to see if it was older than me. I was just about done counting toward me as I was rocking back on the balls of my feet and lost my balance. Went plop on my butt. My buddy with me said, eww, you just killed a mouse that ran behind you as you went down, and I think you’re sitting on it! That’s the only accident in my tree cutting days.