Trees You DON’T CLIMB ‼️

Experimenting in the name of SCIENCE

[@rayclark9643]

When I was a kid I liked to try & rock & push dead trees until they fell over...that is until one of them broke in many pieces overhead and came down all around me...I was lucky that time, only got hit by one of the smaller pieces...but it hurt pretty bad and I never did that again:)

[@yenerm114]

Same here, learn real fast how to rock them nice n consistent n no sudden changes or the tops coming off 😝

[@marcariotto1709]

My brother and a few friends also used to do this in our late teens. Sometimes with 3-4 of us surrounding a large dead stander and we'd get the rhythm going. It was a test of daring agility to scramble when it'd snap. The springyness in some of them would give the snaps an extremely unpredictable whiplash effect that sent them spearing extrafast downward. I still wear the scar of one on the side of my nose, 1/4 inch from blinding me 40 years later.

[@rayclark9643]

@@marcariotto1709 Wow a reminder of how lucky you were! I sometimes look back in aw of all of the narrow escapes I've had from the many sketchy/dumb things I did when I was young. My guardian angel must have a rather large hernia:)

[@marcariotto1709]

@@rayclark9643 GA large hernia😂😂🤣 Absolutely! We were smart (or lucky) enough to mostly stay out of Darwin award territory, but boy, we sure did hang with all his sibs and cousins😂🤣😂

[@t84t748748t6]

did that to big old long dead tree top broke of and landed next to me nothing happened but scared me straight but that just being kid's pushing over dead trees till the get to big

[@nickm7825]

Amazing lesson for a layman like me. Y’all are like This Old House for tree work. Been a subscriber for a long while, always amazed at the cohesiveness MB crew.

[@mbainrot]

Alternative title "Easiest tree removal ever, only used throw line"

[@bobwiese6128]

Thank you Brother August. God's Blessings to you and your team!!

[@SirensC3]

😂🤣😂🤣 taking down a top with throw line! ANSI and ISA gonna have to add that to the training and rules!

[@GeraldAlonzoMourning]

It’s part of the pruning BMP’s lol

[@f.k.burnham8491]

I used to put TV antennas up in trees. (You do remember big TV antennas?) Had a customer who wanted me to put one up in an alder that had no limbs left on it and was punky. He couldn't understand why I said no frigging way would I climb that. I tossed a rope up in the tree, backed off 100 ft , handed him the rope and said "Pull". Tree did exactly what that tree did except it broke off 6' up. The carpenter ants just poured out of the break.. His comment was" Well I guess we can't use that tree then". Sigh........ Darwin Award material? BTW August- If anyone wants you to put any type of antenna on a brick chimney,, or any other type, run away. The liability is horrible. I have seen 3-4 chimneys fall apart from the wind vibration of the antenna and go through the roof. One punched the roof then rolled down and crushed the fiberglass patio roof too. (Besides the chimney gasses and acids will eat up the aluminum antennas with corrosion. )

[@legend7ify]

...............G'day, WOW! That was very interesting to know. Thank you August. Cheers and God bless, Malcolm.

[@daveinky]

Knowledge is power ! Well done August !!! 👍 And you too Damion ya Beast 💪🤣

[@ted7x]

that was nuts! thank you so much for sharing this, had no idea that level of sketch was even out there

[@ericjane747]

This video will save a life

[@beatmycarne9021]

A couple I’m sure

[@longbar185d2]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@bfeemster2109]

Great PSA for climbers, brother. Thank you for that. One for the memory bank for sure

[@mountkushmore4205]

i run a company here in PA and man let me tell you... those ash takedowns are nightmares. they break into a million pieces, and unless theres mushrooms visible on the wood you never really know how structurally sound they are. i just had a 36"DBH i was gonna climb and bomb tops out of... was too rotted at base for me to trust so i tied a come along and sent that bitch lol.

[@rickyvonbergenjr7975]

I'm in eastern PA. Company I work for sub contracts a spider lift any time we need work done in a backyard Ash. Signs of EAB or not

[@jiffypop247]

The last couple years have been the turning point here in MN. There are dead ash trees everywhere now. In general I'll climb most of the dead ash around here, but they are starting to get pretty ugly. I climbed a couple that must have been near the 'epicenter' that were long gone. One was spongy, the other was like a giant charcoal log. the chips sounded like coals from a fire. I'm sure it's about to get nasty as this plays out everywhere.

[@krissingh4015]

Thanks for your teaching and emphasis on safety! I love the whirlybird knot!

[@jonathanschadenfreude9603]

"I did something dumb one day!" Every man worth his salt has brother!

[@CharlesJones-wi7tz]

Amen to that! Back when I was a noob climber I was rigging out a 4 or 5 inch top in a Sibo elm. Made my Humboldt, started my back cut when something stopped me (likely the good Lord). I looked up and I was still tied into it! 😳

[@Boomer_in_the_Trees]

man when you are right, you are right. That was a heck of call. Crazy. PS; yes on the ash, I myself have cut hundreds of dead dry ash here in Virginia over the last 5 years, we're almost out of them thanks to the EAB. Very few left. And you are so right, they dry hard at first like concrete, but leave em standing too long and they fall apart. I hate standing under them when 'felling them especially if they have an arm over my head.

[@danjones1365]

I’ve ripped apart a few dead Lombardy Poplars with throwline from the ground.

[@CharlesJones-wi7tz]

Yep, that’s another turd that gets punky fast.

[@jeffharvey6768]

Good one August.... sound advice.

[@jasons.248]

Same with dead standing elm (not much left here in Missouri now) or Cottonwood. I feel like our dead ash is solid for a while but most gets cut for firewood pretty quickly I guess.

[@richardhollis2530]

Bit of doughnut the more you know. I’m liking this spate of uploads! Good informative video thank you

[@dannyCOTW]

Hey man, Thank you for this video. Everyone shows the sketchy climbs, but the sketchy did not climbs are just as informative!

[@hrstuck]

Agree silver birchs are so bad once dead. I was shocked the first time I polesawed a healthy live one, peelcuts perfectly, who knew...

[@dgoodman1484]

Hmm, probably wouldn’t have worried about sugar pine but makes perfect sense now that you mentioned it 👍🏼

[@MOON_KID]

It always amazes me that trees as brittle as that aren't blown over by the wind.

[@bobwiese6128]

I will continue to pray for your safety daily, in Christ's name, Amen 😊

[@scott_small]

Congrats on making the safe call......and on Damien's hulk line towing :)

[@JMKady76]

My folks' place is littered with dead alders like that. I've been clearing them out over the past few months. wicked, unpredictable trees but it is convenient how they break into little bite sized chunks when they hit the ground. I even pulled one over on accident, just the weight of a winch line hanging from a limb took it right off what roots it had left.

[@johnmehaffey9953]

Learn from your mistakes is what was drummed into me, you got lucky this time don’t try it again and sometimes accompanied with a slap around my ears to emphasise the point 😊

[@StevesTrees]

Wreaked out an alder with a dead top today. Very sketchy, glad the client decided to get rid of it. Thanks for all the vids/advice. Take care.

[@bradywatcherson498]

Was Damien really batting 1000 with the throwball or creative editing? 🤔 Thanks for the video!

[@AugustHunicke]

He was!!

[@Kim_is_my_username]

That tree looks like its made of mash potato on the innside😆

[@amberruby4896]

Reminds me of our banksia trees we got here in Aus. I'm on the east coast NSW. Even when they're green they have a tendency to just snap at random. The dead ones just turn to dust. What's more annoying though is the wood is super heavy and it gets really heavy cone like berries.

[@kingniles]

You can usually get a good idea of age/ integrity based on how much of the leaves and small twigs are left on the tree. Also the peeling bark depending on species. I do a lot of large dead Douglas fir removals and they are pretty solid for a good while.

[@AugustHunicke]

Ya

[@roncaron-l1r]

Thank You August Good Bless

[@NHlocal]

August, I've taken down a whole lot of Ash trees that are EAB kill. Around here they stay fairly solid at the core for a few years. I have come across a few that I would not climb for exactly the reasons you give. It's a total judgement call for every tree after very careful evaluation and assessment. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your experience here. Keep yourself safe my friend. 😃👍❤🌲 Randy

[@ngnmech]

The Ash in my area start self disassembling about 2 years after death. I mean 10 inch trees breaking in half 20 feet in the air on calm sunny days. Just lost a friend and neighbor last October to a 10 inch ash that snapped in half and turned into a widow maker as he was making the back cut.

[@arborymastersllc.9368]

I've had the same experiences with alder and birch. The white firs- the beetles got to on the west coast a couple times over the last decade- were surprisingly tough though dead and brittle. I try to follow buckins advice and keep the pelvis close the tree for less sway/side pressure ( shorter flip setting) and in one of your videos you discuss how long something has been dead by how many needles are left or if there are still any dead leaves. I use that as one useful benchmark for safety. Btw I critiqued you unnecessarily in the videos videos where you pulled over back learners without wedges for security. I have since noticed I was spending unnecessary effort and that knowing you exact equipment limits and understanding how much weight in in the work is far better for success. Like many of us, I think of your videos often, and have learned much over the years. Thank you for the video and thoughtful commentary.

[@bmint]

Wind can and does blow harder than his pull on the throw line.. It was just a matter of time and that tree could have hurt someone.. Y’all are saving lives! ❤

[@sjoshuan]

I’m sure this will save somebody’s life one day. Thank you, your knowledge shared is valuable and important.

[@havespurswillclimb]

Enjoyed the video. That was a crispy critter for sure. Been dead quite awhile. Nice work pulling it down. A1

[@trappedinkalifornee]

thanks.....FOR NOT CLIMBING OR FELLING THAT ROTTON dead thing....i am surprised it didn't just turn into dust when it hit the ground

[@daveoseas]

Wonderful video. Thanks for sharing

[@JohnStanton-pr2ju]

August has alot of experience, and skill. That's the first Video I've seen where he didn't climb the sketchy Tree. Very wise decision maker on any Tree he takes down. He's one of a kind. Learn alot from every Video he makes. The Tree may give alot of adversity,but it never gets the best of his Arborist skills. Love all his Videos.

[@m2rsvp]

East coast, southern yellow, 3-needle pine (I folded one like a giant "Jacob's Ladder" kids' toy, using only a throwline, barely tugged). Also, Sweet Gum after drought stress.

[@jessel8833]

Oh man 😅 sketchy stuff. So good to have experience. The little things & thoughts & experiences that go such a long way to avoiding serious injury. Always enjoy the information & sometime subtleties that you provide -- which go a long way for the rest of us.

[@VeteranTreeService]

Ok. Hold my beer. Where's my spurs?

[@brianfloyd8033]

Note to self stay on ground! Lol

[@opendstudio7141]

Had a number of leafing trees that suffered a hard late spring freeze and they got crunchy like that.

[@edwardrook8146]

This was very educational. Thank you

[@Icehso140]

So...if your kite ever gets stuck in one of these trees, just pull on the string. LOL

[@benjaminwhiteley83]

##getaugustto200k

[@MattOrsman-p6s]

You didn’t quite seem yourself…because you know what hazards there are. Can’t beat experience.

[@HappyTr33]

Yeah, ash trees break in a thousand pieces, very similar. Sometimes, you can pull really dead silver maple tops to.

[@canoetipper019]

scary stuff...it's a pull over but not a sweater (unless you climbed it)

[@trcass1]

Great segment August. That tree was a real danger. thanks for pointing it out. stay safe sir.

[@stefflus08]

Be especially weary of climbing the Betula Nana. Those can sneak up on you.

[@PimSchouten]

Never seen an entire tree removal, just with ropes😂 stay safe peoples❤️

[@nilsgreibich2104]

We use the "Whirly Bird" knot on a stick break dead branches...😂 but never pulled over a whole tree with a throwline!!! Incredible what decay can do...good to see you are all fine!

[@carsonyoung5682]

much love from new york

[@ddalton692]

👍 I like the science experiment 😎🌲

[@almaxie342]

The priority you put on SAFETY is priceless.

[@ac2jones]

Jesus Christ is with you! that's a good story.

[@corygrossman1]

I love the whirly bird 🤣🤣 if you want something easier you can just pass a bight of line through the ring and do a midline girth hitch. Works great and easy as pie to untie

[@jeremybuchanan4759]

pin oak has fairly strong fibers but exceptionally weak junctions for oak - they are one of if not the fastest growing / softest oaks and co-dom or near-co-dom limbs inevitably grow fast enough to include bark. wind storms yield a decent harvest of pin oak for us firewood scavengers almost every year. Generally strong enough for climbing if not damaged but an extra 200 dynamic lbs should be added with caution.

[@madamecampsalot6384]

Whoa!

[@thatguy5367]

Thanks for sharing this information. I run a small tree business and this experience is crucial. Be safe brother

[@brentschuler2795]

I’ve been working for a tree company since 2018 and my boss is 70 and can’t still spike a tree and any time a dead tree comes along they are treated a whole other way and it’s a lot of skill using ropes and sometimes pulleys but there’s always a safe way to get it done just always tackle them with care and caution

[@leifvejby8023]

There used to be a house in the neighbour village, that people called the Alder Stick House to sort of indicate, that maybe not the best materials were used when building it, but that alder was ridiculous!

[@tompinnef6331]

Bad tree, I would never climb one of those. We have enough dead ash trees here. Lady out mushroom hunting had a ash tree fall and kill her a while back. We lost our archery range (70 years we rented it) last year. Owner didn't want any of his ash tree's killing someone. They where coming down every windy day.

[@justanamerican9024]

The ash trees here on the East are all dying from the emerald ash borer. As you pointed out, the danger of a dead, or even dying ash, is off the charts. I have cut over 450 dead/dying ash in the last five years and every time it has been the most danger I've experienced in over 50 years in the woods. Thank you for this video, I hope anyone thinking of cutting trees watch it.

[@leonardvirtue5753]

What’s happening 🫵😀 Family 🤠👌👌💯💯🤙💪👍Nice 😊 August 😌

[@john.massing]

That looks way worse than most of the dead ash around me. 😱

[@rickyvonbergenjr7975]

I've always been apprehensive of dead tulip poplar trees... Great video. Will share with all the newer climbers at work

[@hcwaffles8912]

climbed and removed loads of dead pines and larch trees, in fact a dead pine is the tallest tree ive ever removed at 110 feet (im in the UK so im sure ppl in the US think thats puny) removed a 60 foot dying lombardy poplar once tho and that was terrifying, so brittle and weak, wobbled so much but that was probably because the trunk was hollow at the base, havent been in the industry all that long tho so im sure ill find scarier trees

[@benjaminhadaller6448]

I’ve been having good luck with shaking the top end of birches out of them before getting into them Also judging how long a poplar has been dead by how easily their dead mid stem branches snap off on my way up by sort of hammer fisting them off has been a good indicator of its brittleness. If they don’t snap off at all, it’s still got some good lignin/cellulose. Play safe y’all

[@rogerharvey3835]

I’m from the Detroit area, where the ash borer first landed, and about five to eight years after the trees died, they began rotting off at the root crown, while the rest remained solid.

[@chrisb4419]

Good to know there are trees that even you are unwilling to climb Helps the less experienced among us make better judgements. That thing was ridiculous. Like it was made out of pretzels

[@kenbrown2808]

funny thing is dead alder can also go the opposite way - and never rot - but don't count on it. had one we finally rented a boom for because there was no safe way to climb or drop it. top was crumbly, bottom was preserved. far as I know the cuts I made in the stump to collect water and rot it, are still as crisp as the day I made them.

[@christopherjohnson1414]

im going to give that whirly bird knot a try today thank you

[@timgrant1796]

Too crispy to even touch. Good to know, thanks. You saved at least one life with this demonstration.

[@boomrooier]

Dead horse chestnuts are also very tricky to climb, breaks without warning.

[@danmcburney3247]

Dang.... that was a great one to do a video on !!!! I've got a Too dead Ash to take down in a tiny back yard. Only way is the crane but gonna have to be careful so each lead doesn't break swinging them out 🙄🙂

[@CharlesJones-wi7tz]

Similar problem with dead quaking aspens. After a few years they fail at ground level pretty easily.

[@joshpomponio2993]

Damien, I would trust it🤣👊 ya our ash trees are sketchy crap when dead longtime but still make good firewood thanks guys

[@ryobrown-mcclain805]

I like the whirly bird knot technique that Damien showed around the throwball. Yes, out east here people are not climbing dead ash trees anymore, there are fewer and fewer freshly dead specimens left.

[@JackFerrell]

Great video. thanks

[@EliR454]

"you'll just die" 🤣🤣😅 facts. Yea very much like a dead ash.

[@donaldsmith6404]

In Kentucky most the standing dead ash has been cut for firewood now. I hate a big locus. They are always over a house and the bark is so thick it’s hard to judge how much wood you’re standing on

[@losttwo704]

That's brittle and good way to handle it! I've had willows like that here in the upper Midwest. We had cable winch on a grapple and would run the cable up with throw line. Give it a few subtle tugs from 100 feet away with track machine to knock out the brittle dead.

[@rickstafford5316]

Uprooted Dang

[@Sailor376also]

Holy Wah !!! You are pulling it down with the throw line !

[@markchamberlin7990]

Good warning for amateurs too. I have pushed over dead trees in my backyard and had small (or medium) branches fall on my head.

[@marcotto4914]

Throwline pruning is fun but never seen a throwline removal before.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

A few years ago, a buddy of mine had his climber start on a dead alder removal. He went up the adjacent alder and it was an easy transfer over to the top of the dead one. His motion cracked the base and he went down about 45’. Smacked his head and died. Dead alders are indeed dangerous! Arborist Blair Glenn

[@Neighborhoodgo2guy]

👌

[@HYDETREEWORKS]

Dropped my first birch the other day. Kinda crazy how soft and weak they are. No warning it was starting to go on back cut, it just let go.

[@timhayward5429]

An alder was the one tree that nearly killed me. As in the video I was spiking up a dead alder, got about 45ft up the tree and snapped at the base. I ended up on the floor with the stem on top on me. Fortunately the tree hit a garage roof which saved me hitting the floor at full force. I got lucky and walked away with a few cuts a bruises but no other problems. Had to pay to get the garage roof repaired but thankfully that probably saved me from much worse injuries.

[@franklumpycounty7945]

Yikes!

[@AndrexT]

Wow, that tree is really scary, and 'bread stick' is a perfect description!

[@Gunnypauly73]

What are your thoughts on alive termite eating poplar trees, from the east coast. Keep safe Brother, Thumbs up!

[@robmcilroy2911]

Dead Melia street trees would shatter like glass. Heck of a mess to clean up.