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Joe Pelonio
02-06-2008, 12:05 PM
See if you can see the dead fir branch hanging down, the broken off end is just right of center near the bottom of the pic.

This came off in yesterday's wind storm, and I spent some time trying to grab it with a weight attached to the end of a rope. I threw it and hoped it would wrap around it long enough to pull it down, but that didn't work. It's hard because the branch is vertical. If it falls straight down no one normally goes on that side unless I'm mowing and that's a few months away yet, but I'd still like to get it down.

Any clever ideas on getting it down? The bottom of it is a good 25 feet up, I took this out the 2nd story window. I have an extension ladder but there's nothing to lean it against. It's probably 12' long, and 3" at the broken end.

Rick Gifford
02-06-2008, 12:27 PM
I'd consider finding someone to climb the tree and release it from the top. Wouldn't cost much. I had a neice who's boyfriend worked for a tree service and climbed trees with a belt and strap real well. He'd shimmy that tree in just a few minutes.

Maybe a couple phone calls to the tree services would reap something? See if they would send someone over to do that.

Ken Fitzgerald
02-06-2008, 12:30 PM
A fishing rod with a weight.....cast over it.....tie small diameter rope to it and reel it in?

A bow and arrow with a string attached to the arrow......?


After you get the rope over it, ...tie a slip knot and tighten the knot up until it is tied around the branch.......

Greg Cole
02-06-2008, 12:33 PM
Kinda like hanging a tire, rope of some other low budget recreational swing when you were a kid.... tie a rock or brick on a rope and heave ho. Tie a loop in the rope and cinch it on up around the branch....Tie the rope to a frame hitch on a truck and have fun...LOL
So long as enough of the branch is broken, it shouldn't tear the bark off the trunk toooo badly.:rolleyes: And there's nothing else too fragile in the immediate area...LOL
Granted I'm about 1/2 serious, maybe a little less...:D
A tree service would be in & out in no time if ya don't have my sense of adventure.

Cheers.

Greg

Ted Calver
02-06-2008, 12:36 PM
Appropriately named. Family history has it that one of those killed one of my great grandfathers. Since it looks like the branch is hanging free and not attached to the tree, I would still try the throwing rope thing, but instead of trying to hook the broken branch itself and pulling straight down, I would try and get my rope up to the level of the hanging branch, between it and the tree and over another nearby branch, then get as far off to the side as possible and as high as possible and try and pull out (perpendicular to the trunk) instead of down.

Greg Cole
02-06-2008, 12:46 PM
If you attach a rope to it and pull down while standing underneath as Ted says... I will say that is Darwinism in action with a side serving of Newtons Theory...:D
I still like the redneck truck idea... I've done it as I said above, but with a skidder doing the pulling not the Toyota.

Greg

Scott Donley
02-06-2008, 12:46 PM
Good luck Joe. I have the same problem except the limb is a bit higher up and larger. Had a Tree guy out and the only way he would do it was to limb the tree all the way up for 900 bucks. For now I am just hoping for a couple more wind storms.

Cliff Rohrabacher
02-06-2008, 1:44 PM
Any clever ideas on getting it down? The bottom of it is a good 25 feet up, I took this out the 2nd story window. I have an extension ladder but there's nothing to lean it against. It's probably 12' long, and 3" at the broken end.

Full choke shot gun with lead bird shot?

If you got no neighbors for a half mile in the right direction or so try ringing a a few loads. Ringing a load concentrates enough punch to knock a 1500 pound moose off it's feet. Or a use few slugs.

Kyle Kraft
02-06-2008, 3:08 PM
Ringing a load?? What is that???

David G Baker
02-06-2008, 4:02 PM
I do what Ken says, use a fishing pole with a weight. I have tried to do the string and weight system by hand and have never had any luck. If you get the branch caught with the fish line use the line to pull a string around the branch and use the string to wrap a rope around it. Make sure the rope is long enough for you to get out of the way when the branch falls. I have had a few close calls with widowmakers and a few friends that have had serious injuries from them. Dead trees are the most dangerous.

Joe Pelonio
02-06-2008, 5:15 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions. The shotgun is out, we have a no firing in city limits ordinance.

The branch is totally loose, just hanging from the scraggly branches on the tip. You can see it wave a bit in the wind.

Like I said I did try the weight on rope but maybe Ted's idea would be better, also I do have a good surf fishing rod that I can try. As for the tree services, they won't even knock on your door for less than $500 and after a storm they charge even more and take a long time to come out.