Felling a dead tree with a chainsaw - PEP BB woodland.sand.deadchain

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in woodland care.

Dead trees are good for firewood (they're partially dry already).  They also can be homes for critters.  They can be more dangerous to cut due to falling branches or weak/hollow trunks.

Felling trees is not something you should attempt on a whim.  Proper tree selection and safety planning need to be included in your preparation.  There are many videos out there that show good and bad practices.  If they are sponsored by a chainsaw company you can be pretty sure they are showing good practices.  Searching YouTube for "Idiots with chainsaws" will also give you some good ideas of what NOT to do.  This is actually a good thing to check because it's hard to always understand the problems that poor practices can lead to.

Just to further emphasize, dead trees are much more dangerous to cut down than live ones.  They can have rot.  They can have hollow centers.  They can break off branches or the top of the tree can break off unexpectedly.  The hinge can break easier than on a live tree.  



To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - drop 6” to 8” dead tree with a chainsaw.
 - Trees larger than 8" diameter are ok if that's what your woodland care plans require to be cut

To get certified for this BB, post pictures or video (less than 2 min) of the following:  

  - Your chosen tree to cut
  - Action shot about half way through felling the tree showing your wedge/notch cut completed
  - Fallen tree
  - Measurement across the stump showing the diameter