WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
It’s common to find remnants of prior “work” from a much more gnarly pruner up in an old apple tree. You can always tell when a black bear has been in one. He sits in one spot and feeds the fruitful branches to his mouth. These branches are usually bent and mis-shapen. They also cause the tree to grow into a tangled mess trapping the human pruner in it, like a fly in a spider web. Even better is when these sprouts load up & give you a good smack on the forehead on a cold winter day. That usually wakes me up more than a cup of coffee.
May the Forest Be with You,
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association