Best way to take down a Large snag?

Our new property is thoroughly wooded. At least one of the trees is roughly 3 feet in diameter and 75 feet tall - and very, very dead. I understand that snags are valuable habitat, but this one is in a bad spot for a large and potentially deadly falling hazard.

Thoughts on how best to take something like this down?

Not a practical answer but my first thought is "dynamite".  

Seriously, a well-rotted tree of substantial height is too likely to drop things on you while you cut it, no matter the method.  One of those high-tech felling machines with a really stout canopy is another option, but probably not much more practical than the dynamite:




On my property I would leave it alone.  Just too dangerous to tackle with any of the resources I can bring to bear.

That machine in your video is called a one grip harvester. Really a cool machine.

As to the tree what type of tree is it?  How quick/easy do 3  inch limbs break on it? How rotten is it? How much room is around it?

These are all questions that would need answers to give a good opinion.  With no answers to the questions I would say hire someone to cut it down for you.

Bernard Welm wrote:That machine in your video is called a one grip harvester. Really a cool machine.

As to the tree what type of tree is it?  How quick/easy do 3  inch limbs break on it? How rotten is it? How much room is around it?

These are all questions that would need answers to give a good opinion.  With no answers to the questions I would say hire someone to cut it down for you.

Type undetermined, likely oak. Branches? Long gone,they have all fallen away. Have not touched it yet, but it is obviously rotted, dead, shedding bark and cambrium from top to bottom. It is in the midst of regrowth woods with no clear area.
Any direction of fall will hit other trees, including some up to 1 foot diameter.

Dan, explosives are in my consideration Leaving it, not so much.  Otoh, it could come down by the next time we get out to the land...

A picture would help us give you better advice.  Does it have any lean to it and does that lean go in a direction you can live with?  Do you have a chainsaw with at least an 18" bar?  Can you do a test plunge cut to see if there is solid wood in the interior?  Hitting other trees is normal and it would do that if the wind took it down for you anyway.  If you cut it you can hopefully control which trees it hits as it falls.

Agreed with Mike,

Hitting trees is normal taking down a large tree. Since it is oak, it is likely that the tree is somewhat solid in the middle still. But if there are no branches that could be suspect. Without a picture it would be hard to provide any advice.

All that said it sounds like there is not much around it other then more trees. If so find a direction that has the least number and poorest quality trees that you would not mind loosing and fell it in that direction.

Should have taken pictures while we were there but had other priorities on this trip.

The land is a 14 hour drive away, for now, so it could be a while before we can get any pictures.