Poll: Christmas Tree Hunting

Do you cut your own tree?

  • Yes, we cut our own

    Votes: 30 56.6%
  • Yes, and I have used a gun when i forgot a saw

    Votes: 7 13.2%
  • No, we don't have the stomach for it

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • No, we don't celebrate Christmas

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • No, I don't have time to fill out the 4-part form at the USFS office

    Votes: 12 22.6%

  • Total voters
    53

Bluehair

Long Time Member
Messages
7,769
I have been accused of being far more picky about my Christmas tree than my trophies. This has caused "stress" in my wife, often causing her to want to kill me.

Who else tests their marriage with an annual tree cutting adventure?
 
I know of one tree I’d like to cut...into a thousand pieces with a dull hatchet.
I was unloading a trailer load week before last and pitched one up over my head, tearing my rotator cuff. Merry Christmas to me, I won’t be tying in my own boots or buttonin my Levi’s for a couple months. but yes, I love cutting trees.
 
Back in the day. I worked for Simpson Timber Co. on a logging crew. I could hunt on their property but Christmas tree cutting was strictly prohibited. One snowy November day I decided to go quail hunting on their property. I had no saw with me in case I got checked.

I didn't find any quail at the 6,000 ft. elevation in the timber with a two feet of snow but low and behold I found a perfect Christmas tree. I sawed it off with the shotgun. By the time I got back to the truck it had warmed up and when I tried to pull back onto the road I was stuck. Just then, Simpson's head forester came along. He saw it was me and we chatted a little bit and then he used a tow rope and pulled me out. He never said anything about the tree in the back of the truck.

I never poached another tree after that.
 
I suck. I've never cut my own tree. I should put that on my bucket list and do it one year.
 
Eel just maybe that head forester was up there to poach a tree himself and the tree you got was not the one he had his eye on for Christmas.
RELH
 
When our children were small we use to make a celebration out of it. We would make a bunch of hot chocolate and sandwiches then on our way thru Fort Collins we would stop at Ted's Big Buns and get hot cinnamon rolls. The USFS had an area up by Red Feathers Lakes so we would search and search until they found the perfect tree. I grew up on the Western Slope so we always cut our own tree...never had a store bought one. Good memories ! (now)
 
We’ve cut our tree every year since I was a kid, so as long as I remember. But this year there’s to much going on and we won’t be home as much so we caved and put up a fake one. But I confess it was like WaLa! Perfect frosted tree with the lights already on and it was up. My son told us he was ashamed. I was kind of too, but it’ll do this year. I definitely miss going into the mountains and the smell of a fir tree in the house.
 
I have been accused of being far more picky about my Christmas tree than my trophies. This has caused "stress" in my wife, often causing her to want to kill me.

Who else tests their marriage with an annual tree cutting adventure?
I think Clarke Griswold had the same affection for Christmas trees as you
 
I know of one tree I’d like to cut...into a thousand pieces with a dull hatchet.
I was unloading a trailer load week before last and pitched one up over my head, tearing my rotator cuff. Merry Christmas to me, I won’t be tying in my own boots or buttonin my Levi’s for a couple months. but yes, I love cutting trees.
Bummer. Careful, not being able to button my fly started me on walmart sweats and crocs. :oops: Eventually I descended into retirement.
 
The last real tree that I cut was on private property. The “caretaker” gave me a key and said I should keep it to myself. Afterwards I thanked him and told him what a nice tree it was and how much my wife loved it. He then told me that I had cut the tree on reclaimed mine property. ($$$$$$) We’ve had artificial trees ever since. 30+ years.
 
Yep it’s no different then any other hunt. Well except I use a sawzall.

A271F674-9756-44C9-83F3-AC589543594E.jpeg
 
We got flipped off by an old hippie gal in Dunton. Apparently a 20' tree is just showing off. :ROFLMAO:
My wife and I went when we were young and she saw this tree all the way across the valley we were in.
When we got up there it was huge so we cut it down and then cut it to our size (we thought) and made christmas decorations out the of the bottom.
When we got it to the house i could not get it through the front door so I cut it down and then again and then again and then we just had a big puff of a tree in the front room that left no room for anyone to sit beside it. LOL
Every time we see Christmas Vacation and him cutting the tree indoors we just die laughing thinking of our tree cutting adventure.
Fake trees after that.......
 
My wife and I went when we were young and she saw this tree all the way across the valley we were in.
When we got up there it was huge so we cut it down and then cut it to our size (we thought) and made christmas decorations out the of the bottom.
When we got it to the house i could not get it through the front door so I cut it down and then again and then again and then we just had a big puff of a tree in the front room that left no room for anyone to sit beside it. LOL
Every time we see Christmas Vacation and him cutting the tree indoors we just die laughing thinking of our tree cutting adventure.
Fake trees after that.......
I hope you used a chainsaw. I'm a little worried that I might be the only guy here who has run one in the house. :oops:
 
Nothing wrong with enjoying the fake ones. wink wink.

Honestly, the wife and I have not had a tree up in about a decade. We get plenty of "tree" at the grandkids place's to cover our holiday cheer needs.

Zeke
 
Eh, we hit the local tree farm Thanksgiving weekend and each year one of the three kids picks the tree.

$80-100.00 for a tree....I’m over arguing with the wife about fake trees and cost savings!

“But it’s tradition” She says!

Traditionally draining my wallet!

I coulda went on a decent hunt for what we have spent on trees over the past 18 years!
 
We only have 5 trees (fake) in various parts of the house. 6 if you count the one on the front porch, Ho ho ho?
 
LOL BLooD!

I Think it's gonna Cost You another Hunt or Two before it's over!:D


Eh, we hit the local tree farm Thanksgiving weekend and each year one of the three kids picks the tree.

$80-100.00 for a tree....I’m over arguing with the wife about fake trees and cost savings!

“But it’s tradition” She says!

Traditionally draining my wallet!

I coulda went on a decent hunt for what we have spent on trees over the past 18 years!
 
Working at a Christmas tree lot for about the last 10 years, I have to admit, I do get burnt out on Christmas trees. This year we started out with about 1250 trees and I think we have about 400 to sell. Normally they bring down about 2000 trees but there is a tree shortage and it's getting worse.

It's always fun when they pick out a 10' tree and then ask us if we can tie it on top of their Mini Cooper?

From 2018

Oregon tree farmer brings over 900 Christmas Trees to Eureka - KIEM-TV | Redwood News (kiem-tv.com)
 
I didn't see me. I saw my brother, his daughter and son-in-law and their 3 kids, my sister and her husband (working the cash register). I might have been across the street taking a break at Sportsman's Warehouse. :)
 
Or Maybe Chatting with a HOT Chick amongst them Tree's where nobody could See/Film You!:D

I didn't see me. I saw my brother, his daughter and son-in-law and their 3 kids, my sister and her husband (working the cash register). I might have been across the street taking a break at Sportsman's Warehouse. :)
 
Now that I’m retired and live in country that has ample fir and spruce trees within a short distance, I’ve been cutting down my own. I prefer that much more......and the price is right!
 
Time, clean up, cost and safety.
You can't put a price on fun. :D

We have had spiders before and of course pitch everywhere. This year our tree smells like gas (but that could be me).

Now that our trees are getting taller, ladders are the issue. I hope she doesn't fall.
 
When I was a kid we always went out and cut a big yaupon tree full of red berries for our Christmas tree. Kind of a different angle on a Christmas tree butt it was Christmas colors and didn't cost us any money.

Merry Christmas everyone. Jesus loves you.
 
We found out the hard way one Christmas that you can't have a semi-pet raccoon and a Christmas tree in the house at the same time. Raccoons are obsessed with bright colors.
 
We found out the hard way one Christmas that you can't have a semi-pet raccoon and a Christmas tree in the house at the same time. Raccoons are obsessed with bright colors.
LOL! I have a 10 yr old boy that I consider a semi-pet!

More energy than he knows what to constructively do with!


Couldn’t imagine a coon in the house!
 
We have cut a tree the past few years now and it has become a fun tradition. My kids are young and love the trip up the mountain to get a tree. This year was by far the best year! I hope to be able to continue this for years and years. Traditions have been so much fun to try and have with my wife and three kids. Merry Christmas!
 
That’s a beauty Clark! You cart a 12’ piñon into the house, your a lot tougher than me. I have a tough time wrestling with the 7-8’ piñons any more. I sure like them but they’re miserable heavy buggers to handle.
 
I voted I cut mine every year but i hesitated because I’ve shot my fare share down with guns, just not to bring home for Xmas.
 
That’s a beauty Clark! You cart a 12’ piñon into the house, your a lot tougher than me. I have a tough time wrestling with the 7-8’ piñons any more. I sure like them but they’re miserable heavy buggers to handle.
My back pays every year.

This year was pretty easy, only a 50 yd pack to the backhoe bucket then straight to the front porch. They’re a bugger to get stood up though.

I did buy an industrial strength stand this year, so it was a lot easier (y)

The hard ones are when my wife makes me hike all over hell in the snow for a fir tree. At least they’re 80% air.
 
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I'd Bet you Don't Waste Ammo Like That Anymore?
I don’t. I did shoot my rifle plenty before my hunts this year, unfortunately only at 100 yards but the other lonely guns in the safe are neglected. Almost three years ago I built my first AR and have only put around 100 rounds through it.
 
not gotten one yet but ya'll have inspired me. $10 tree permit to cut your own here on NF. Thought i was spending Christmas alone so too depressed to get a tree, but one of my brothers is driving out to use up some paid leave from work. We'll take dogs out to run in snow and get one between Charlie Brown and Griswold family! Real tree only. Fake trees and store -bought suck
 
To crowded on the OTC Units, I am saving my points for a trophy unit.
When I draw I won't ask for any "Honey Holes" just some starting points.
After I harvest a Trophy I will never be heard from again.
 
To crowded on the OTC Units, I am saving my points for a trophy unit.
When I draw I won't ask for any "Honey Holes" just some starting points.
After I harvest a Trophy I will never be heard from again.
Poaching trees is a serious issue around here. The pressure to have the biggest tree is intense. Soon there won’t be any big trees left. :cry:

:ROFLMAO:
 
My free ride ended last year. My brother retired from the Christmas tree retail sales. I was ready to retire anyway. :ROFLMAO: I actually had to buy a tree this year and it hurt.

 
Why pay the USFS anything to help thin and clean up the woods. They already get my tax dollar. I help keep the forest healthy every year.
 

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