Steve's Big Drop

Outdoorsman buddy, Steve Tso, came up from Toronto.

He heard there was a big hemlock I was hesitant to drop. Hard to tell where it would fall, surrounded by trees to get hung-up on.

Dangerous.

Steve took the chainsaw and pushed me aside.

"Watch and learn, man".

Check out the action...

Soggy Trails

I took the day off my day job due to pouring rain.

That gave me time to work on Deerwood trails. Was a bit miffed that some trail sections I'd just cleared had pooled water in the middle. This wouldn't do. I week's work wasted. The trails just can't get bogged down like that.

So, the morning was spent blazing new trails, and the afternoon chainsawing them.

I think it's time I switched to the new 20 inch chainsaw bar - the sharpened 16" chain cuts on a downward curve....

And the new trails are smoother, more direct routes, so it's all for the best. I think designing trails is one of my favourite things. The way the forest is experienced when trailing through. Going off trail is always an adventure.

Turtle Up

Yesterday, whilst trudging along a backcountry road, I came across an overturned turtle at the side of the road.

At first I thought it was dead, but then I saw the head and legs-a-movin'. I guess it got flipped like a beer cap by a passing car and struggled in vain to right itself.

So, I was happy to play god, flip it over with my foot and be back on my way. Didn't even thank me.... Anyhoo, my good deed for the day momentarily interrupting my otherwise evil doing.

Fall Down

The mornings see frost now and then and the tree leaves begin to turn colour.

The last few weeks have been a nice change from a moist spring and summer. Though the plants are suffering, wilting and dying away. The lush forest undergrowth wilts and I can see through woods quite a bit better.

This weekend I finished cutting and splitting the wood for Deerwood's FMO and cleared some trails in the process. It's a luxurious feeling to ride an ATV through the woods or even walk it without tripping every few strides.

Ah...to ski the trails in winter.

Zen and the Art of Chainsaw Management

These days I'm chainsawing trees either for mill logs or fuelwood.

Because the trees in Deerwood are so tall and close together, they'll tend to fall into one another instead of falling to the ground when I cut its trunk. That means the tree is 'hung up' and getting it down is one of the hardest and dangerous tasks in logging.

I've bought and used a cable come-along to try and hand winch cut trees off their stumps, but it's damn hard if not impossible sometimes.

So, in order to solve the problem, I cut the already severed trunk in a series of extreme angles that is my best chance of getting the tree vertical and possibly falling out of the tree its hung up on. Cutting into an already cut tree is very unpredictable and just plain dangerous.

You really don't know where the tree will fall once it's cut through as the unsupported stump will fall in another unpredictable direction.

I found myself repeating a sort of montra, "I'm ready to die...I'm ready to die...". But the scarier part is realizing that I probably wouldn't die (at least not right away), but be trapped and crippled instead. It would probably take half a day for someone to find me. And for those twelve hour and beyond, I'd likely prefer death.

But as "I'm ready to die...I'm ready to be maimed..." doesn't roll off the tongue so well, I finally went with just, "I'm ready...I'm ready...I'm ready" which may be of some comfort unless you're actually not...ready.

Da Plane!

Thanks to the transport help of buddy, David 'Hardcore' Greene, I came into possession of an old Aldinger wood planer. Thanks also to buddy Steve Milne for telling me about this heavy duty planer in the first place.

You can tell from the photo below (courtesy of Mr. Greene) that it needs some fixin' to be in working order. Just a little rust. I find the expression on my face amusing in a sick sort of way.

"What the hell am I gonna do with this?"

The guy who sold it to me gave me the wrong dimension by just a couple of feet. So, the skid I built which it now sits on in the forest is too small to build a crate around. That's how I plan to store it. In a crate. Outside. Then uncrate it when I need to use it. That hick enough for ya?

I could always solve my problems by pulling it over and be crushed to death.

That's too easy.

Close Encounters of the Bear Kind

I like blackberries. Bears like blackberries.

Yesterday I was walking along the Deerwood road and peeked in to see if my favourite blackberry bush had any new stuff for me to chew on.

As I reach into the dense bush, a black, furry blur hops off into the woods. Didn't move like a fisher or a cat. No tail.

It was one of the bear cubs.

BEAR CUB!!!!!!!!

Suddenly I was on RED ALERT because momma had to be nearby. Black bear attacks, of course, will most likely occur when a momma bear believes one of her cubs is threatened.

With hand on sword grip I hastily moved on, singing "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" in a loud, but not a threatening way.

And then the bear cub starts loping back to the blackberry bush - towards me.

I walked (hastily) down the road (hastily) not seeing momma bear (hastily) anywhere in sight and got away. But where was momma bear then? At such a young age, I doubt bear cubs are often separated from their mother. As it is bear season, I wonder if momma bear is now in the form of sausages. If so, it doesn't look good for the three cubs minus momma.

Bear Sausage

Just when you thought you'd had enough bear....

JR over at work killed a bear a couple days ago. Skinned it, cut up the 150 lb bear into 50 lbs of meat and made sausages.

He came in with some this morning and I enjoyed bear sausage on the boat to the job site. Thanks, JR.

What does it taste like? Don't taste like chicken.

Boy, let me tell ya, that is some goood eatin'.

Wood Fuelin'

Today was a productive Labour Day.

Now that chainsaw season is on, I'm in a rush to get a bunch of wood cut and split for winter's fuel.

The general rule is to cut and stack the wood for a year of air drying before you burn it. Wet wood doesn't burn too good, see? It smokes mostly and it lines the chimney with something called creosote which can cause dangerous chimney fires.

Because of this, I'm mostly cutting down standing deadwood trees along with cherry and birch trees which will burn okay even if they're wet.

So, today I finished dropping and cutting up a bunch of trees, then used the ATV wagon to haul the wood to the office area. Then I towed the gas-powered log splitter to the office along the forest trail I'd just cleared with the chainsaw and split about a bush cord of the stuff. Now all I have to do is stack it like in the photo.

I don't know how many cords of wood I'll need this winter. And I really should be stacking enough for two winters - so next year's will dry properly.

After I'm done with the office wood, I need to cut, split, haul and stack about five cords for Ma Pocock's fuelwood for two winters hence.

And before you start screaming at me for poluting the environment, using gas to cut and split the wood, I gotta tell you I don't think I could do it all by hand. Chop down trees with an axe, Swede saw each 12 inch log section, then maul split each one? Maybe when I retire and have nothing else to do all day. Or I get married....

You know what the really hard part is? Comedy. No - carrying each cut log from the forest floor to the wagon trail over uneven ground covered in webwork of cut branches ('slash') and knocked over saplings. Many, many times and near tripping all the way. It's a pain in the ass, tiring, but I'm grateful I have the ATV to haul the stuff away.

Still, it's better than office work.

Black Cherries

I decided to see what all the fuss is about with the black cherries.

So, I jumped up and grabbed a handful from the cherry tree beside the office today and had a chew. Wasn't sure if they were okay for humans to eat, so I only ate few.

And you know what? The ripe ones - they're very small- were pretty sweet. Not too tart at all. I can see why bears will bend a sapling over to get to the fruit.

The pits of these wild cherries are about 90% of the fruit's volume. But the flesh is quite nice. It's an acquired taste.

Pileated Woodpeckers

Now and then I stumble into a special moment in the woods and time just stands still.

Today was warm and sunny. I took a break from chainsawing trail to mark some standing deadwood. Now that chainsaw season is open, I need to cut fuelwood for the Deerwood Forest Management Office woodstove chop chop.

I wandered along the trail into the northern compartment, spray painting a tree here and a tree there. Then I stopped at the sound of commotion above. Two, then three pileated woodpeckers were falling all over each other, squawking in their strange way in the top canopy branches above. These are the grand daddy woodpeckers of the forest and not very common to see. Part of my job as a forest manager is to develop an inviting habitat for these particular birds. So, it was a real treat for me to stop and watch them above.

When excited, they`re like sugar-powered Comic-Con nerds
with red Mohawk wigs.

At first I assumed they were looking for insects, though not pecking the tree bark. But they definitely excited about something, swooping from branch to branch. They were going from one black cherry to the next. Then I realized that they were actually eating the ripe cherries - I didn't know they ate fruit! Even though those cherry trees are infected with the deadly black knot disease, I began to wonder if I should cut them down after all. Something to consider.

And that`s when everything slowed down to a stop, watching the woodpeckers eating the cherries above, shafts of sunlight streaming through the trees on a perfect day.

(for more information on pileated woodpecker habitat, download this MNR document).

Bears to the Left of Me, Bears to the Right....

You might laugh when I say Deerwood is crawling with bears. I know the truth of it.

Was walking a Deerwood trail in the deciduous compartment yesterday when I heard a sudden crashing to my right.

At first I couldn't spot what or where it was coming from. It was the clumsy sound that only a bear makes in a rush through the forest. Then another crashing added to it - above the forest floor.

Then I saw them, two bears heard my approach from 25 metres away and were barreling down separate tree trunks toward ground. Like a pair of over sized monkeys in bear costumes. I put the whistle in my mouth and got ready to blow, dead still. They must have hit the ground and stopped, waited.

I walked along the trail a few feet and another crashing sound up and to the left as another bear zoomed down a tree trunk. You might say I was surrounded by bears.

Whistle in mouth, sword on back, I walked forward, shuffling my feet over the leaves so they could hear my movement. Because of the dense bush I couldn't see them, but I knew they were close.

To Live or Die By the Sword

Here is my reply to Steve and Jamie analysis of my likely death if I fight a bear with a sword instead of a firearm....

Believe me, I've thought hard about the firearm option. The important
thing is that it has to be practical. My weapon of choice can't
hinder my active forest activities. Considering a rifle of whatever
sort, I'd have to strap it across my back. In order for it not to
slip slide around when it's on my back (while chainsawing, or carrying
brush), I'd have to cinch it tight. This would both restrict my
movement and prevent a quick draw in case of sudden attack - which is
possible in this dense bush. Also, because of the dense bush, a rifle
barrel is difficult to quickly and accurately aim with all the
vegetation serving as obstacles.

So, then, why not a handgun (or 'kit' gun) in a holster? That would
solve some of the rifle problems. Though, getting a pistol license
takes quite a bit of time - meanwhile I'm still empty-handed in the
woods. Also, a firearm has offensive capacity. Bears are known to
make false charges, testing humans to assess threat. I'd be tempted
with a firearm to shoot first and ask the bear questions later without
actually being at any physical risk.

Therefore, the short sword which I carry strapped up the middle of my
back. It couldn't be any longer. At 19", that's the extent of my
arm's reach to draw it from the scabbard. Also, any longer, and it
would reach past my waist and the belt couldn't secure it's base for
drawing and I couldn't sit down with it on.

My strategy is to impale a charging bear. I would step right foot
forward into a deep stance and extend the sword with two hands to
impale the bear at the base of the neck. My left palm butted into the
base of the hilt so the sword isn't pushed back and out of my hands.
In this way, it is only a defensive weapon, one of last resort.

Right now I say that I'm willing to die in the attempt to defend
myself with a sword. Ask me again as the sword is failing me during
the unlikely event of a bear attack and I may have a different answer.

With a sword, I am giving the bear a sporting chance. And, let's be
honest, carrying a sword around the woods as a justified means of
self-defense is pretty cool. The idea of fighting a bear with a sword
is ice cream cold.

20s

There has been some question of late as to my ability to fend off black bears in role-playing scenarios.

With respect to said question, I reply...

Billy vs. Black Bear (A D&D Simulation)

My good buddies, Steve and Jamie, thought it would be amusing to see how I would fare with my sword in fighting off a black bear. Here's the e-mail Steve sent me for your own amusement....

Billy,

After reading your blog I decided for my own amusement to run your potential battle with a adult black bear through a combat model from Dungeons and Dragons. Apologies - I have included some simplified instructions in case you are unfamiliar with the game.

I am guessing your character class would be a Ranger and based on your various adventures and training I would say you might qualify as a Level 2 or "Strider". There was debate over this since to progress to level 2 you need to actually collect treasure and kill monsters to get experience points but since you have had many interesting and challenging adventures in your life this helps to offset those figures.

As a level 2 Ranger this entitles you to two hit dice of up to 8 points each. For simplicity sake lets do an average roll score plus one bonus point for each Hit Die. So this means 4 hit points x 2 hit dice +2 bonus points per die = 12 total hit points. Let’s assume you are probably wearing outdoor work and lumbering clothes (chainsaw helmet, chaps, gloves, layered leather jacket, construction boots) which I believe would be the equivalent of studded leather armour which would give you an armour class of 7. You have indicated on your blog that you have purchased a short sword for such encounter which according to the Official D&D Player's Handbook (Gary Gygax 1977) does damage of 1-6 hit points. As a human you have the ability to do one attack per melee round.

An adult black bear (according to the Official D&D Monster Manual also by Gary Gygax 1978) has the following stats. 3+3 Hit Dice (again - using averages plus 1 - the bear would have 12 base hit points, +3 natural bonus hit points, plus another 3 points per die for grand total of 18 hit points). Armour Class 7. A bear has three attacks per melee round using 2 claw attacks and one bite (claws 1-3, 1-3, and bite 1-6). If the Bear scores an 18 or above on a 20 sided dice when doing an attack chance roll then the Bear successfully has you in an bear hug which does 2-8 additional damage. Keep in mind you roll a 20 out of 20 then that is considered a critical hit and will double your damage. If you roll a 1 that is a critical miss and your weapon will be compromised or broken and will hit at half damage.

I have taken your assumed character stats into consideration (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Charisma). These are ranked from 1-18. 18 is the highest and is reserved for the elite - Conan the Barbarian would have 18 strength, Stephen Hawking would have 18 intelligence, etc). It is unlikely that your stats will fall in the 16-18 range so you will not get any significant bonuses to your attack chances, damage rolls, or health points.

There was also great discussion about other factors which could be determined by the chance roll of the dice. For example- if someone like your Mom could hear the cry of battle or your cries for help, whether she would make it to the scene in time to either assist with the fight or with saving your life, or if an opponent was rendered unconscious what would happen to the body at that point - i.e. would the bear continue to attack or eat your lifeless body or leave the scene to return to protect its young. But it was decided this was too complicated and we just stuck to the battle stats.

When a battle begins normally a dice is rolled to see who gets first attack. Since you have indicated that you have already prepared for such an attack (and taken steps to avoid such an encounter) I believe you should have first strike since it is assumed the bear will be charging you and you will be readying yourself. Using my D&D "attack calculator" you need a score of 13 or higher on a 20 sided dice to hit the bear's AC of 7. The bear will need a 9 or higher to hit your AC of 7. The bear's chances are higher because of its higher hit dice level.

In fairness to both parties 3 different rounds were simulated with the official dice rolls being documented by Mr. James Edward Broadley. I think round 1 offered some unique and unusual dice rolls. Perhaps a few more rounds might offer some more favourable results that what we discovered. My conclusion and recommendation: Buy a gun and get some better bear fighting armour.

LET THE BATTLES BEGIN

FIGHT 1 - ROUND 1

BILL (Ranger LVL 2 AC 7 HP 12 DAM 1-6)

Sword: 12 (miss)

BEAR (HD3+3 AC 7 HP 18 DAM 1-3,1-3,1-6)

Claw 1: roll 13 (Hit - 3hp)

Claw 2: roll 19 (Hit -3hp PLUS Bear Hug Damage: 2 hp)

Bite: roll 7 (Miss)


FIGHT 1 - ROUND 2

BILL (Ranger LVL 2 AC 7 HP 4 DAM 1-6)

Sword attack: roll 8 (Miss)

BEAR (HD3+3 AC 7 HP 18 DAM 1-3,1-3,1-6)

Claw 1: Roll 1 (Critical Miss - Broken Paw - half damage for future hits)

Claw 2: Roll 1 (Another Critical Miss! - Broken Paw - half damage for future hits)

Bite: Roll 19 (Hit -3hp)


FIGHT 1 - ROUND 3

BILL (Ranger LVL 2 AC 7 HP 1 DAM 1-6)

Sword: 2 (Miss).

BEAR (HD3+3 AC 7 HP 18 DAM 1-1.5,1-1.5,1-6)

Claw 1: Roll 14 (Hit -2hp less 50% = -1hp)

Claw 2: Roll 11 (Miss)

Claw 3: Roll 12 (Miss)


FIGHT 1 - ROUND 4

BILL (Ranger LVL 2 AC 7 HP 0 (Dead) DAM 0)

Sword: N/A

BEAR (HD3+3 AC 7 HP 18 DAM 1-1.5,1-1.5,1-6)

Claw 1: (auto hit -3hp - 50% =-1.5hp)

Claw 2: (auto hit -3hp -50%= -1.5hp

Bite: (auto hit - 5hp)


FIGHT 1 - RESULTS


BILL (Ranger LVL 2 AC 7 HP-8 (dead and mutilated) DAM 0)

BEAR (HD3+3 AC 7 HP 18 DAM 1-3,1-3,1-6)

.............................................

The results of the other two fight simulations were pretty much the same - me dead.

So, thanks guys for clearing that up for me. I'll post my reply in defense of using a sword over fire arms later.

Chainsaw Season!

I hereby declare the start of Chainsaw Season!

From the beginning of September till the end of March, it's chainsaw season in the woods.

The wildlife have had their time to raise their young, and now it's my turn to log for milling and fuelwood.

This season, I plan to clear most or all of the forest trail paths in Deerwood as the main development project.

First order of business is to get a store of wood cut for the office heating this winter. I'll cut mostly standing deadwood for this as it has already dried some.