I could not agree more...Tractors do not belong in the woods...for all the reasons you stated....
Growing up in a rural farming community I can recall quite a few accidents that happened in the field, where tractors DO belong.
After reading this thread, two humorous incidents come to mind-
Many years ago, my uncle, a farmer, was helping a neighbor clear some pasture land that had been taken over by what we call chicken trees (Chinese Tallow). Letting my young cousin get some seat time on the JD 4020 with a push blade, Uncle Dud was observing on the ground near by. So far, we have a young boy, who has a healthy fear of snakes, (remember this, it comes into play shortly), inexperienced, on a tractor, pushing the trees down. Into the mix, unseen by all involved, add a bird nest, an apparently hungry egg-eater (chicken snake) approx. 4-5 feet long, that doesn't like hot tractor hoods. Knocked out of the tree, landing on the tractor hood, Mr. snake decides the operator station would be much more comfortable. Young cousin quickly relinquishes the seat, not bothering to take the tractor out of gear. Luckily for everyone involved, damage was limited to cousins pride, the tractor continued into a small drain ditch where the blade dug into the ground. Mr. Snake was not seen again.
Second story involved a former classmate, who after graduation, went on to become a dentist in order to finance his hobby of raising cattle. One afternoon he was using the three point bale spear on his MF 235 to move a round bale of hay from a pasture to his nearby cattle. This necessitated his traveling a rural highway for a short distance. While on the highway, he was approached from behind by a young man in a pickup, and my niece in her Toyota Camry. At that time, both were high school seniors, who swear they weren't racing, just wanting to see who would get to my sister's home first. The boy made it around the tractor, however an oncoming car prevented my niece from passing; unable to stop, she avoided a head on collision by ramming the soft hay bale on the rear of the tractor. Doc happened to be standing, and his attention was focused on the speeding pickup that had just rocketed by him, so he was totally unprepared when the Toyota crashed into his bale. The impact flipped him over the seat, landing sitting on the car hood, sliding up the windshield finally coming to rest more or less still sitting, on the roof of the car.
Damage list included the Camry almost being totaled,
Doc had a severely bruised tailbone, jangled nerves, and blisters on his kneecaps from all the praying to the Lord, and my sister, to grant his wish that my niece would become his newest patient. (root canals aplenty!)
Niece claimed that her life was "totally ruined" due to being "grounded forever."
