buckfever321
Member
Big tree... Nature sure is powerful.
Shoot2Kill
Active Member
Wow, that's nuts.
Is it normal for a tree like that to be hollow on the inside??
Is it normal for a tree like that to be hollow on the inside??
Daver
PMA Member
I don't know how common it is for an old, old oak like that to be hollow, but I have seen it before 3 or 4 other times. I had a spectacular archery turkey hunt out of a leftover hollow trunk like that back in 1993, it was the perfect ground blind, back before we all had the tents to hunt out of like we do now.
I had 7 longbeards, various hens and long bearded hen too all within 25 yards. 5 shots later I was out of arrows and had finally spooked the birds off!
But I still consider that my best hour of turkey hunting!
Sad to see a giant tree go down though, those majestic oaks are really a beautiful sight. Perhaps you could salvage some of the wood for some sort of a memento, like a plaque for a deer mount, etc.
I had 7 longbeards, various hens and long bearded hen too all within 25 yards. 5 shots later I was out of arrows and had finally spooked the birds off!
But I still consider that my best hour of turkey hunting!Sad to see a giant tree go down though, those majestic oaks are really a beautiful sight. Perhaps you could salvage some of the wood for some sort of a memento, like a plaque for a deer mount, etc.
ironwood
Active Member
I am going to try and pull the open side back in place and make a ground blind. I may even put a roof on it. I am not sure if it will be large enough to draw in but it will be a good gun blind and a great conversation piece.
I though about everything this neat old oak had wittnessed when I bought this farm and again as I saw it laying aftrer the storm.
I will share the blind developement here. Ideas welcome.
I though about everything this neat old oak had wittnessed when I bought this farm and again as I saw it laying aftrer the storm.
I will share the blind developement here. Ideas welcome.
Windwalker
Life Member
I think oaks bur and white can live 400 to 600 yrs ? Not sure if thats right. Save bet that tree is way over 200 to 300 yrs old? Iowa wouldnt be a state. Hunters under that tree when it was young didnt use guns Be fun to hear that trees history . Make you think who or what planted it .
Be fun to hear that trees history . Make you think who or what planted it .
LANDROBBER13
Member
What a shame to lose a giant like that It is pretty common for the older trees to be hollowed out like that. On the bright side, now it's time to make lemonade. The firewood and blind are great ideas but I would salvage any straight sections; ( minimum 12" diameter and 6ft. in length) and either take them to a mill or have a portable saw mill brought in; From what I see in the photo, you should get a sufficient yield for any number of projects. coffee table, bench, gun cabinet, etc. Also, if you were to crosscut a section just above the rotten area and get a clean area for ring counting, you would have an idea of it's age when it was about 8 or 10 ft. tall; add a few years for it to reach that height and you should be pretty close to it's actual age. Let us know how you make out.
It is pretty common for the older trees to be hollowed out like that. On the bright side, now it's time to make lemonade. The firewood and blind are great ideas but I would salvage any straight sections; ( minimum 12" diameter and 6ft. in length) and either take them to a mill or have a portable saw mill brought in; From what I see in the photo, you should get a sufficient yield for any number of projects. coffee table, bench, gun cabinet, etc. Also, if you were to crosscut a section just above the rotten area and get a clean area for ring counting, you would have an idea of it's age when it was about 8 or 10 ft. tall; add a few years for it to reach that height and you should be pretty close to it's actual age. Let us know how you make out.