Hedge Found: The Good, The Bad, and...

[osage outlaw]

Eric, I'm pretty sure its osage.  Here is the picture of the limb he cut from it.

[Poggins]

The only problems I've run into on osage that had been dozed was it it was stubborn and hard to push the dozer might twist the tree causing the wood to sepperate between growth rings or if you are in an area that get hard freezes moisture can get down in the checks and do the same thing , but if you can get a log or two out of it it's defiantly worth a try .

[Comancheria]

Thanks, Poggins.  I think the last te we had a really hard freeze in this area was 1983--no joke!

[Comancheria]

Also, I decided to put the water test into effect--took one of my Mom's crystal glasses with about 8 ounces of cold water inside.  Went outside and chipped off quite a few chips of heartwood.  Within literally 5 minutes, it was turning golden colored.  Took the chips out and showed my Mom her glass--saying I had just taken a good whiz in it.  I am still alive--but just barely.

Russ

[Dean Marlow]

you be careful when sawing a tree that a bulldozer has pushed out. usually there is a-lot pressure on limbs and when sawing will sometime make them fly back from the pressure being pushed together and break a leg.

[Comancheria]

Understood, Dean and thanks.  I have had that happen with the limbs of huge Bald Cypress, fallen across the river while canoe race training.  This one seems to be pretty vanilla. 

[Eric Krewson]

Yep, definitely osage.

[Comancheria]

Eric,

Also, I probably did not describe the root colors very well.  They were not pumpkin-colored and have been sticking up in the air for a whole, but looking at a snap I took of them, I do see a lot of light reddish hue. 

Russ

[Blaflair2]

Nothing beats the color in that dead standing osage. I have a nice set of biklets that'll be a takedown hopefully soon

[Comancheria]

Finally got to the point of getting back to the ranch and working with this already-downed tree.  Thought I would drag it out of the root ball it shared with a big downed post oak.  Turned out the root ball was about 2 cubic yards of sandy loam, Osage roots, and broken oak fragments.  So I spent about 3 hours with pick and shovel, then ruined a perfectly good 20 inch chainsaw blade cutting off limbs and roots covered with sand.  In the end, the faith I have always had in Stihl Chainsaws was justified.  And I now have a higher regard for Ram 4WD trucks.  There  turned out to be three trunks, one only about 5 inches to 3 inches thick, and two that were closer to an average of 8 inches thick and maybe 20 feet long.  Quite a number of bends, and all of them split at the lower trunks.   I was able to get a chain on each one and pull it out with 4WD in low gear.

Took pictures, and measurements, sprayed them down with a bunch of RAID, (for what that's worth), and left them in the pasture until I decide how to cut them up for later splitting and get a couple of my grandsons off their pampered butts to help the old man lift them!   I will post pics and ask for opinions when I figure out how to do so with this miserable cell phone--(without bothering Clint or Bubby).😊

All in all, I estimate there is about half a ton or more of OO on the ground, and hopefully a couple of bows.  But I expect some twist and the need for steaming techniques not yet in my list of competencies.

Russ

[osage outlaw]

Glad you are getting that tree out. Send the pics to me an ill post them. 

[k-hat]

generally it don't matter how long it's been down or dead(other than possibly getting eaten thru).  I had a student bring me a ratty looking standing dead osage that apparently had been dead for a good long while. It looked worthless, till i cut into it.  Had to go in a ways, but made two good bows from it (it was only about 5" diameter).  I made another bow from a fence post i found lying on the ground in a grove i  my subdivision....easily cut over 75 years ago, and on the ground for at least 10 years or so.  Bois d arc is amazing stuff for sure in that way!!

[Comancheria]

Thanks, Clint.  The pics did not turn out as well as I had hoped.  Somehow I fat fingered the iPhone and the last batch came out black and white!  I'll send a couple.

K-Hat: I think you are correct that the time on the ground will be OK.  Shape--twist, and split trunks at the stumps are going to be the main challenge.  Not nearly as pretty as what you found.

Russ

[TRACY]

Cattle and Osage is like a symbiotic relationship, there's gotta be more live standing Osage in the area. Cattle help with seed dispersal and don't eat the saplings for some some reason nice find and hope you get,more!


Tracy

[Comancheria]

Thanks, Tracy.  I had not heard that about cattle spreading the seeds around.  And Lord knows, cattle will eat anything--when they are hungry enough.  And there have been cattle on that place since the 1830 s--and before that, now that I think about it.  I think the problem is that we are on the extreme southern range of the species.  Between my Mom's place, my cousins', and mine, I have a lot more acres to search, but I have only found the one.  Maybe in late Spring or Summer when the apples are showing on the tree.

Which brings us back to that lucky K-Hat: Leases a place, walks out in his back yard, sees a perfect, straight tree--eighty feet tall and seven feet thick--and his Lamdlord says "Sure!  Cut that dog down!"  Did I mention I am jealous?😊

Russ