Went to check the deer stand out...

[AJMD429]

I hunted only briefly last year, and left the stand in place, since it is not far into the woods on our property; I just loosened the straps so they didn't tighten too much with tree growth.

This year, I am in the midst of much going on at work, so doubt there will be serious hunting-time (luckily 44MagHunter always gets us meat for the year). Nonetheless, I figured I would try to get at least one morning going through the motions and pretending I was hunting (it is still an incredibly relaxing, meditative, re-charging experience). Like many things in life, "maybe next year" (sometimes I think it should become my motto... ); most of it is due to the same collapsing socialist economy that is affecting everyone else.

Anyway . . . I went to check the stand, and - took this video [ click on the picture ] . . .


Lots can change in a year, huh. . .

(Many of our tuliptrees are similarly afflicted; it may be due to the 2012 drought, according to the DNR.)

[FWiedner]

That German sling-shot fella could do somethin' with that... uh... 'tree'...

[J Miller]

AJ,

Please forgive my being dense, but what is your video showing? I don't know about tulip trees or dear stands so I'm missing something.

Joe

[AJMD429]

Please forgive my being dense, but what is your video showing? I don't know about tulip trees or dear stands so I'm missing something.

When I put the stand in the tree about 15 months ago, the tree appeared in good health, well-leafed out, and so on. Now, the trunk has white rot-spots all over it, some major areas of loose bark, and as you can see when I pan to the top of the tree, all the smaller branches are gone (tuliptrees are in between the highly-branched form of hawthorns and the sparsely-branched form of walnuts). It may not be easy to see in the video, but there is not likely any branch on the tuliptree that is smaller than four inches in diameter.



In other words, the tree is standing-dead, and not in the dry, all-the-bark-fell-off way that some trees do it, where they are still pretty tough. This one is the kind that a good wind or vibration would make wobble, and send a couple ten foot long chunks of the top down on top of you, quite likely end-wise.

There are a couple acres there where nearly all the tuliptrees are like that, some have so much white on the trunk that at first glance they look like sycamores.

Here's a really bad one - and a milder, more typical case...

[.45colt]

AJ, I hope the DNR is correct about the drought, and there isn't some new blight or beetle from God knows where that is killing them. just a few miles from My house along a river is a stand of Tulip Trees that must be 200' tall. few people know about it, and I like to think one day I can show them to My Grandsons.

[J Miller]

AJ,

Thanks. I just didn't know what I was seeing. Hope you don't loose too many trees.

Joe

[madman4570]

I reviewed that more telling photo, listened to the presented evidence and testimony.

Can only be one thing peeing from the stand!

Yep, couldn't wait could ya? And I must say a good flow cause you reached that other little tree!

Three rules apply from now on, go before, hold it, or take a tight capped scent proof pee jug!

[J35]

AJ,

Thanks. I just didn't know what I was seeing. Hope you don't loose too many trees.

Joe

Hi Joe

Do a search for Tulip tree or Tulip poplar. pretty neat tree.

I didn't know much about them till I moved to VA.

I have noticed in the summer, if we go ten or twelve days with out rain, the leaves turn yellow and start dropping. Not very drought tolerant so in a real extended drought it is easy for me to believe the damage shown in the pictures, especially on high ground.

Around here alot of the old timers will tell you Tulip Poplar's draw Lightning and won't have one close to their house.

----J