I was hiking a local trail when I came across a weird tree a while back. It had 2 lumps at the base and from that day forward I dubbed it the "balls tree". You don't notice it at all and it's about 20 feet from the trail, I found it by just hiking off trail. Well today when I was out hiking I noticed it had leaned over and I thought that maybe the ground saturated with rain water and it just naturally fell but as I looked at the base I noticed saw dust. At the base of the tree in the pic you can see the cut marks then someone piled moss over it to disguise it. I ran home and got my trail cam and am going to catch the bastards. Nobody and I mean nobody gets away with cutting down the balls tree!! I will find you and hunt you down!!
>>776997
those burls are highly sought-after by carvists, whittlers, and similar woodfærie faggots. kinda sad when they're unscrupulous enough to just poach them like that (i'm assuming they don't own the land)
>>776997
Occasionally assholes start threads here about doing this
There was one up just last month or so
Go get em
>>777002
did they even take the burl? are they in the process of doing so?
>>777007
idunno i imagine they're coming back for the burl but idunno
>>776997
Go back with your chainsaw and take the burls before they do.
>>777002
>(i'm assuming they don't own the land)
It is 100% on Forest Service land. The trail it's next to is on the Forest Service trail map.
>>777007
>>777018
They were in the process, it hadn't even started sapping yet and smelled of fresh cut tree. I have absolutely no doubt they are doing this at night because it's near a tourist trap that regularly patrolled by the Forest Service police.
>>777023
After I noticed it I even looked around for trail cams to see if anyone else was trying to catch them. Also that would be a heavy tree to drag back.
>>777025
>It is 100% on Forest Service land.
You should report it.
>>776997
See any flagging? Could have been F.S.
>>777031
I don't think they'd just leave a tree hanging up like that.
OP why don't you report it now so the authorities can catch the perpetrator(s). They probably have better cameras than you.
>>777059
This.
Trying to catch them yourself can quite likely get your retarded ass shot. You have no clue what kind of person you're dealing with.
>>776997
Why the fuck would you cut the whole damned tree down rather than just nabbing the burls?
>>777068
maybe they want to make-off with the whole section. if i was gonna go through all this trouble to steal them i'd make damn sure i can capitalize on the wood properly. also from the things i read in the news it's common with vandals and theifs to do things one simple step at a time so they keep a low profile
>>777059
I did and they are supposed to call me back.
>>777063
I don't know if you lurk here much but I am this person (pic related I took). My stealth and spying skills are above your average burl thief.
>>777076
This. I think you nailed it.
>>777002
but OP's picture doesn't look like burl, it looks like a fungus that causes the BARK layer to look like that.
>>777114
and the mystery deepens
>>777114
Well the thief probably doesn't know that. Weather he's stealing the burls or not he still cut down the tree illegally.
>>777117
I've cut down lots of tree branches where I've been like "FUCK YEAH FREE BURL" and it was just shit fucked up bark layer. you really DON'T know until you cut it.
I've come to rely more on root balls, then I have burl hunting, its just more predictable. and makes some OKAY patterns.
plus with taking root balls, its kinda nice, wack down the whole tree, dig up the stump. take everything out with you. if you cover the area up well enough, people would be like "wasn't there a tree here....?"
>>777122
I get the attachment to your tree, I have a swamp oak that has to be hundreds of years old that if someone cut down i'd be pissed.
but going as far as it being 'illegal' idk bro. it looks like it was cut down with a chain saw to me, you're telling me some place with forest service all around, didn't notice a fucking chain saw running in the woods? most places don't allow you into parks with power tools.
>>777131
>it looks like it was cut down with a chain saw to me
It was a hand saw. There were several cuts and typically when you use a chainsaw you'd make one quick cut because of the noise. I took other pics but they didn't come out at all. (iPhone)
>>777138
is there a possibility that the forest service sold the tree to make money? around here they don't do that, because they are mostly pine trees, so they just burn the undergrowth. but I have heard people buying trees from forest service, in order to make keels [im an apprentice shipwright fyi] and I also know some places you can get a firewood permit, to cut down limited trees on public land, possibly someone had one of these permits, and is going in and removing trees with possible burls under them?
not defending who ever did this, but there is more then one possibility someone COULD of done this legally.
>>777144
>is there a possibility that the forest service sold the tree to make money?
No. They come down hard on people who take live trees for firewood. It's also about 30 or so feet from a stream which is major trouble because they always claim it may hurt fish spawning.
>>776997
I did, you mom special ordered a dido and I had to get creative.
Another idea - the tree may have been diseased and the Forest Service cut it in order to keep the disease from spreading to other trees in the area.
I don't think this is the most likely explanation, but it is a possibility.
>>776997
>muh people must not do what I do not like, people must listen to me, listen to me RRREEEEE , respect my authority !!1, I am a shark, REEEEEEEEEEEEEE
>>776997
catch us if you can
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYFD18BwmJ4
>>776997
You're doing God's work OP, keep those fucking SJW's out of my fucking forest REEEE
Is OP kill?
>>777914
I'm still here. Today is school graduation in my town and I'm thinking with all the goings on they will cut it tonight when all the police are busy with parties and such. I'm going to check on it in a couple of hours.
>>777919
And the Forest Service hasn't called back yet.
>>777920
>Expecting government employees to actually do their job.
Good on you for doing something though.
>>777920
this is what happens when government monopolizes something.
e
>>777126
>you really DON'T know until you cut it.
I don't know. I guess it would depend on the actual species of Tree. Like on a maple is pretty obvious. I helped my Grandpa cut down a Huge Curly maple that was on his property. That maple was big when he was a child but it was getting to the point to where it was dangerous to have next to his barn. That was one of the most knotted up curly maples I had ever seen.
>>776997
Cut the balls out for yourself. #yolo
>>778571
>wanting corprate run nature reserves
Hope you like your hiking trails clear cut, mined, and covered with Street lights.
tree goiter thread? I actually have OC to contribute for this one
>>776997
Go back and cut up the balls with a chainsaw. Leave a note saying "ha ha poacher, your balls are chopped now"
>>781081
>sign it with the name of your childhood bully
>>777090
Wow you took a picture of some people from hundreds of yards away next to a loud river from above im so impressed bro 10/10 sneak skill
>>781081
You can actually sell these things for a shitload of money
Did you catch them OP?
>>781112
burn them and make video of the poachers when they find the ashes!
>>781706
i think the tree ball poachers shot op dead
>>781829
i think they saw him hiding in the bushes with his Nikon and tossed him in their burl sack and brought them to their dank burl lair for terrible manlove
RIP in peace OP. you were the hero we deserved
>>781833
I wouldnt mind getting my hands on that camera whenever his mangled spooned out body is found
>>781851
And when Werner Herzog does a documentary about OP's life he'll be the only one you allow to view the images on the camera, and he'll tell you to destroy it all. So nobody ever sees them.
>>780451
This. I work with the Forest Service and they are some of the most dedicated people out there. Not your typical bureaucrat, but i wouldnt expect some shut-in retards on 4chan to understand that.
>>781081
>yfw this gets OP arrested
>b-but I was actually trying to catch the poachers
>l-look I even made a thread about it on this canadian burl forum
>stop punching me
We should have a candle vigil for OP, who was raped to death trying to stop a burl thief.
He was truly a great man.
>>781706
Not yet. I met with the Forest Service today and we walked over to where the tree was. Right when he saw it he said it was illegal, he GPS'd the location and the location of the stream that runs right next to the trail. He even pointed at the minnows and said it was definitely a trout stream.
But he said you can't cut trees within 150 yards of a Forest Service trail, or 130 feet from a fish producing stream (I think I have that right, I didn't write it down). I asked kinda jokingly if he was going to put up game cameras, I didn't tell him I already did, and he said "and some other things".
The pic I posted I am standing on the trail looking at the tree with no zoom or anything. That's how close it is.
>>781981
good work OP. glad you weren't abducted and repeatedly and painfully violated by burl poachers. even if it woulda been a little bit hot if you had.
so wait, if you put game cameras up, and then NFS puts stuff up, don't you think they will/might see your cameras and potentially think it's part of the poaching operation? aren't you just going to confuse the situation?
>>781987
I only put one camera up and all I would need to do is say it was me, the guy was very nice and respectful. They will never see it and a good camera, like I have, can stay out there for months on end and still take pictures.
I've found Forest Service cameras before at place people dumped trash and they put them out and don't really hide them that good but they lock and cable them to the trees and have a warning that if you mess with it, it is illegal.
>>777090
Is that Mineral Creek Trail?
>>782508
No it is not
>>776997
Go back and burn it. Fuck poachers.
