Drop 6” to 8” live standing tree with a bow saw - PEP BB woodland.sand.livebow

Again, still out in the woods as I submit this! So much fun!!

Cut down a leaning live tree that was very close to a bigger straight tree. Used a bow saw with a little help from a hatchet.

I'm using a silkie pruning saw to cut down this pine.

I felled a live tree with a bow saw!

Ok, so I tentatively hate the bow saw. It’s possible that mine just sucks or that I chose a dumb tree for a beginner, or that I’ll have better luck next time. But, man, was this rough. I’ve worked on this tree for something like six hours over three days.

I know there are more pictures here than are needed, but I had to tell the tale. And I get that this isn’t an example of perfect lumberjacking, but I got the tree down and solved a lot of problems along the way.

Felling trees with bow saws can be difficult. Easily stuck, as you discovered. I find them more useful for removing limbs.

Hard to be sure from a picture but I think you could have saved some grief & done it much faster if you would have made the initial cut about where the arrow is. It looks like the weight of the leaning tree would have brought it down without needing a wedge cut or pinching the saw.

I own that bow saw because I had to cut limbs (<3") right up against a fence at our old house and didn't want to just zip through the limb and into the fence with a chainsaw. So I agree that they have their place.

And I'm not sure if it was clear from my photos, but the wedge was basically where that arrow you drew would come out the other side and then I did start cutting along your arrow. When it bound, I thought the weight of the tree was causing it to close up and there wasn't enough cut through that I could just shove it into falling. Maybe I had the right placement of my cut but the wrong angle or something. Anyway, I'll pick straight trees for my next couple drops!