I was reminded about the *widow makers* today

[Qapla]

Widow makers can be under the grass also.

It is not just limbs that hide in the grass. I have been mowing and hit a hidden stump that stopped the mower and tractor so quick and hard that I was almost thrown off the tractor. The steering wheel does not feel so good in the stomach and chest.

BTW - the tractor was old enough that it did not have seat belts or ROPS - then again, it was a while ago

 

[ecoslik]

Years ago we had made camp for a couple months in Wyoming on a bank of a river. We were using 2 tents: one for sleeping and one for storing gear/etc. Since we were young and :anyone:, we were unconcerned (seemed secure) with the several 36"+ diameter 70'+ tall widow makers that were at the center of our camp.

On a rainy day, we were bored and decided to break out our ice climbing gear (goretex, crampons and ice tools) and climb the dead trees for some practice. The fun was without incident.

The next day dawned clear and bright, and we left camp for an area rock climbing escarpment.

That night when we returned, we found one of the large widow makers had fallen and flattened one of the two tents. :shocked:

 

[brin]

Wow - I'll bet that made you gulp once or twice...Yikes !

 

[LBrown59]

Years ago we had made camp for a couple months in Wyoming on a bank of a river. We were using 2 tents: one for sleeping and one for storing gear/etc. Since we were young and :anyone:, we were unconcerned (seemed secure) with the several 36"+ diameter 70'+ tall widow makers that were at the center of our camp.

On a rainy day, we were bored and decided to break out our ice climbing gear (goretex, crampons and ice tools) and climb the dead trees for some practice. The fun was without incident.

The next day dawned clear and bright, and we left camp for an area rock climbing escarpment.

That night when we returned, we found one of the large widow makers had fallen and flattened one of the two tents. :shocked:

which tent did it hit the
one for sleeping or the one for storing gear/etc>

 

[/pine]

something else to be considered is wind...this time of year (hunting season and cold fronts) it can be dangerous just to be in the woods...
...when the wind is blowing...hunters have to rely more on their eyes than than their ears and often forget about the dangers that lurk above...be careful out there...

in the same respect...anyone than uses public campgrounds know that firewood can be scarce...having a length of rope and a weighted object tied to one end...can yield a number of dead tree branches that have yet to fall to the ground...

 

[merrickvilleguy]

I was cutting trees today, and one got caught up up top, so instead of falling, the base fell off the stump and hung up precariously in the other tree ... took about 10mins for the wind to finally take it down ... and suffice it to say i was long ways away when it did

 

[ecoslik]

It fell on the gear tent.

But since these tents were no more than 15' from one another, we considered it absolutely the same as if it had fallen on the sleeping tent, and we took our lesson the easy way (alive instead of dead/maimed). pfew!!