“It’s Worth a Shot!”

This is kind of stupid, but I’m inordinately proud of myself because . . . I shot a tree.

I wrote last time about the tree hanging over the trail, and my time management regarding it (see An Unhurried Sense of Time). The same day I wrote that, Aly came home in the afternoon; Michelle followed a short time later. I hiked out to greet Aly. On my way up the trail, I looked at the tree, and realized that the come-along line I’d affixed to it pulled the tree in exactly the wrong direction. If the come-along moved the tree, it would pull it farther into the branches of the trees near it, securing it more tightly.

Michelle had suggested the previous day that I shoot a branch on the leaning tree that held it against the tree next to it. I’d rejected that idea. Even though I’ve done it in the past, I regard shooting branches as a desperate move, reserved for the very last resort. I shot branches to help fell a tree years ago, but I think I avoided blogging about that detail then (see A Tree Falls in the Forest).

However, once I realized that my efforts risked securing the tree in its neighbors, I changed my mind.

When we all gathered in the cabin, we still had daylight, and the forecast called for higher winds in the evening. I favored making dinner and settling in, but due to the conditions, I mentioned what I needed to do, and we decided to make a family outing of it.

Michelle smiled and suggested, “It’s worth a shot!”

Here’s the problem: that short branch braces the broken tree against a healthy neighbor (Photo: Sarah A. Zeiger).

We trooped up the hill with my rifle, a pair of safety glasses, and a camera. I loaded my rifle, aimed carefully, and took my shot.

Talk about your best-case scenarios! That single shot severed the bracing branch, and the tree lurched downward several feet. I secured my rifle, and climbed up the slope to the come-along. I quickly loosened it, and the tree lurched another few feet toward the ground.

Here’s my solution: a homesteader with a gun (Photo: Sarah A. Zeiger).

The particularly satisfying thing about this shot is that it’s the first time I’ve fired my rifle from my right shoulder. I used to think I sighted with my left eye; all the self tests I tried indicated that. Then, (luckily just before purchasing a corresponding bow) I realized I actually sight with my right eye. I’ve known that for a long time, but continued to fire my rifle left eyed and handed, until now. On the first try, bullseye!

Here’s the result. You can see the place where the branch rubbed against the neighbor tree (Photo: Sarah A. Zeiger).

We gave it a wide berth and headed home. The wind forecast predicted a rise to gale force winds with higher gusts. We hoped the tree would fall during the night, but no luck.

Since then, I cut the tree off its curved stump, and worried the remaining tree with the come-along, setting it at various heights and angles, cranking it tight, waiting for the big drop, and trying again. Any day now . . . .

I’ve thought about shooting some more branches, but, recent success notwithstanding, I continue to consider this a radical solution to the felling problem. Hopefully, I won’t have to take any more shots at it.