Cutting tree roots to fell?

[Thesnarlingbadger]

I was watching 'ben fogle new lives in the wild' they were felling trees for firewood in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. Now what got me was to fell these trees they were attaching a winch to the tree then digging the chainsaw in to the ground and cutting the roots at the back of the tree. I get that the were probably doing this so they didn't have stumps everywhere but can someone shed some light on if this is a standard procedure? Surely even with a tungsten carbide chain this would knacker it pretty quickly.

Did anyone else see this? Any help or knowledge on this why of felling would be great, maybe I'm just a bit ignorant and it's a tried and tested method of felling.

Thanks in advance people

[timbernut]

I haven't seen it but bein a fan of 'building Alaska' and 'life below zero' I would imagine it just because they are all crackers!😀

[Mesterh]

Never heard or seen that before! Sounds extensive ie using a tungsten chain and also a bit more like hard work to me but I guess they must have valid reasons to do it. They weren't using the roots for other things like making tools or carvings were they?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Didn't see it but it sounds like a contradiction of one of the most basic and fundamental principles of survival techniques.

 

Do only that which produces maximum effect whilst expending minimum energy / effort / resource.

[growforest]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/81477-how-has-moron-survived-wild-so-long.html?highlight=fogle

 

It's a repeat programme from 2014 - moronic but they're looking happy. Maybe they hiked in with a big supply of files and chain

Edited February 12, 2016 by growforest
corection

[Mike Dempsey]

I have a Trewhella Monkey winch that is so heavy its yet to leave the workshop. They used these to clear large trees for building works. In the manual it shows pictures of it winching trees over that have a decent size log in front of them so the root plate ends up sticking in the air. This makes it ideal for using it in remote places where they might not have access to large plant for the removal of the stumps as well. I would imagine digging around the roots as well and severing them with an axe would assist in pulling the trees over more quickly. Severing them with a chainsaw would be a bit quicker and if you didnt have to dig around the roots at all it would be a lot faster still.

Just my thoughts on it. Ebay regularly has monkey winches up for sale (and has one now, but its not mine!) so you can have a look at one if you dont know what it looks like.

[Thesnarlingbadger]

Thanks for the comments, I didn't realise it was a repeat. Yeah it makes sense to conserve time and energy out there in the wild but I still think it looked like madness. I'll read the previous there on in when I get a bit of spare time later.

If you haven't seen it it's worth watching it just to see how bazaar it looks (just goes against everything you would do usually).

[Matthew Storrs]

I saw it last night- and found the whole thing a bit bizarre- simplly because they are making a mountain out of a mole hill with it- how do they shift the rot plate for example and they mast have to fill the hole unless they want little ponds everywhere, very odd, i guess they had their reasons and i'm envious of their lifestyle, but they must spend all their spare time sharpening chains:laugh1:

[Paul Cleaver]

I have a Trewhella Monkey winch that is so heavy its yet to leave the workshop. They used these to clear large trees for building works. In the manual it shows pictures of it winching trees over that have a decent size log in front of them so the root plate ends up sticking in the air. This makes it ideal for using it in remote places where they might not have access to large plant for the removal of the stumps as well. I would imagine digging around the roots as well and severing them with an axe would assist in pulling the trees over more quickly. Severing them with a chainsaw would be a bit quicker and if you didnt have to dig around the roots at all it would be a lot faster still.

Just my thoughts on it. Ebay regularly has monkey winches up for sale (and has one now, but its not mine!) so you can have a look at one if you dont know what it looks like.

 

I know a guy who worked at kew gardens many yrs ago who used to fell mature trees by cutting the roots by hand and mounding the excess soil infront of the leaning side of the tree thus snapping the rootplate off

[MattyF]

I know a guy who worked at kew gardens many yrs ago who used to fell mature trees by cutting the roots by hand and mounding the excess soil infront of the leaning side of the tree thus snapping the rootplate off

 

 

Did they have a matador winch tied mid way on the tree as well? I've seen my old lecturer at college show me photos of such an operation from when he worked at Kew.

I never fully understood the logic of doing this in that tv program it would of cost time and money on chains and more importantly energy , I think the guy was one of those people who liked to make life hard for himself.