scary trees

**owl_girl** · 03-09-2009, 08:08 PM

Hi guys. havnt been on in a while, sorry but I havnt had much chance to use the net. While ive been inthe woods a lote ive come to find that my biggest fear more then any wild animal is by far falling trees. It has happened to me 3 or 4 times in the past year. Id be sleeping and id hear a thunderus crashing sound breaking the black silence and when day hit id find it was a huge tree or branch just a few yards from my camp. the first time it was an oak tree up hill from camp and it was verry close. The last time it was a huge branch that actually hit the tarp and missed me and my boyfriend by inches and could have killed us had it hit. I guess its somthing new ive learned to really watch for though i always knew it could happen i didnt think it so likely but now out of all the dangers in the woods i list that my # 1 and I think it could use a little more notice

**crashdive123** · 03-09-2009, 08:16 PM

Glad you're OK. They call em widow makers for a reason.

**erunkiswldrnssurvival** · 03-09-2009, 08:20 PM

I have had branches fall near to my camps also. i remember one time during an ice storm in mich. an elm tree split into 4 pieces. yep broke straight down the middle like a bannana skin.

**laughing beetle** · 03-09-2009, 08:23 PM

I am glad to finally speak with you, and doubly glad you are ok! Falling limbs can be a real hazard, one that I am so used to that it hadn't really come to mind as a concern to mention on the forum. Familiarity breeds contempt, I suppose. When I am camping I try to position my shelter under trees that at least "look" healthy. If I can see damage, hanging limbs, etc. then i choose another spot. Most of the time it is hard for me to tell, though. I am no tree expert by any means, and from my experience diseased trees can look alot like healthy ones. I do avoid trees that are crawling with carpenter ants. That is almost a guarantee that a limb will come crashing down. Thank you for the post. You are right, it is something that should be mentioned, especially for the new young members of the forum.

**Rick** · 03-09-2009, 10:32 PM

I've been pretty lucky in that regard. I did some tree trimming early in my utility career so I acquired a bit of knowledge. It's something I've always looked for when I camp and something I've taught my kids.

LB is correct about the ants. Not a guarantee but a good clue to move to another spot. You never know when a good wind will come up over night. Remember that soft woods will bend more than hard woods that tend to break. Maples shed limbs about like leaves. Evergreens are a bit more friendly in this aspect.

**hoosierarcher** · 03-10-2009, 02:32 AM

As I grew up in Indiana and Michigan that both get severe Summer and Winter storms that break and blow down even the most majestic of trees we were always taught to place our tents or leantos in an opening in the forest as close to edge opposite the prevailing winds. You see that will be were the trees nearest you will fall away from you in a storm. We were also trained to look for cracked branches and other damage to trees near our chosen camp sight. If we saw any we found another place to set up. We also were not discouraged from felling dangerous trees to keep a campsite safe.

**Sarge47** · 03-10-2009, 07:35 AM

Glad to hear that you & the B.F. are okay! You bring up a good point & one that needs to be talked about. When camping you should NOT camp under trees! 1st, for the very reason you mentioned, & 2nd because of the potential of lightning strikes, blow-downs, etc.. Always check out your potential camp-site thoroughly & stay out from under trees if at all possible, even if they look safe! Nice to hear from you again, old-timer!

**crashdive123** · 03-10-2009, 08:14 AM

There are a lot of oak hammocks around here that are really beautiful to explore. Camping in them can be really great - gotta try and find a clear spot for the tent though.

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**The Shadoran Nomad** · 03-10-2009, 09:46 AM

A few months ago a family was crushed by a falling lim while they where having an afternoon sleep. One of them died. It was a popular campsite, wasnt windy and the gumtree just decided to drop the lim. It happened a few years ago and killed a small boy.
I guess you can only suss out the trees around you and try not to put your campsite anywhere that looks like it could have something fall on it. I guess it can be hard. I know with the Australian Gums they can be unpredicatble when they decide to de-lim

**klkak** · 03-10-2009, 12:11 PM

Dang-gone murdering tree's. Any tree that drops a limb on a human should get the death penalty. It just ain't right killing someone in their sleep. I say an "eye for an...a...er....limb for a limb?

Now were did I put that "chopping down a tree" smiley?

**Sourdough** · 03-10-2009, 01:03 PM

Recently there has been two tent campers killed while asleep, by trees. One a father with he son on a Boy Scout Group camp out near Glennallen, Alaska.

When one considers that Alaska does not have many people or trees, it is odd that it happens at all.

**swampmouse** · 03-10-2009, 01:26 PM

Sitting here reading this and cooking backstrap, I thought I was the only one with trees that seem to attack outa no reason. 2 years ago Iwas deer hunting here in GA when a dead pine fell and I was looking like squash. Miss me because I moved when I heard the crack. I went down the tree 25 feet in a blink. Then that same day another fell in our hunting camp across the camper next to my hut. So chin up, they may be out to warn you about hidden danger.

**crashdive123** · 03-10-2009, 03:02 PM

Yeah but if you hadn't been there would it have made any noise?

**wildography** · 03-10-2009, 03:07 PM

In Yosemite National Park, the Park Service calls it "tree failure" or SLD (sudden limb drop)... LMAO

Best protection, as mentioned above, is to choose your camp site carefully. Look for prevailing wind direction (often you can look at trees to see which way the are blown as they grow up - of course, they also grow towards sunshine, so be observant). Look for strong, healthy trees (though they can blow down also). Sometimes, a healthy tree can have dead limbs, so watch for that. Bottom line: be observant, "practice" looking for good camping spots, and do what you just did by posting your message: learn.

**Stairman** · 03-10-2009, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

Yeah but if you hadn't been there would it have made any noise?

Not to him,but other animals have ears.Thats always been a strange concept.Once I was hunting and kept hearing a pop and then something hitting the grass.I couldnt figure out what it was it did it for about 10 minutes off and on.Then a real loud pop and a huge tree fell.

**snakeman** · 03-10-2009, 04:21 PM

Last summer I was putting up a hammock and a branch about 2 inches thick and 8 feet long fell on my shoulder. It didn't hurt me but I didn't sleep well either.

**klkak** · 03-10-2009, 10:07 PM

I had a dream once that I was cutting firewood with a chainsaw. Then I woke up laying on the ground with the bar of the saw only a few inches from my face and the engine screaming. There was a big limb laying on top of me.