# Rather large old cypress



## BuckMKII (May 1, 2012)

I took BuckMKIII for an impromptu trip to the  Altamaha river this past weekend. We walked down in the dried up swamp and came across the king daddy of cypress trees in the general area. BuckMKIII was amazed at its size and I snapped this shot of him looking up in the canopy.


----------



## mclellandk (May 1, 2012)

Cool pic thanks for sharing


----------



## quinn (May 1, 2012)

yes sir looks like a bonified big un for sure!thanks for sharing.


----------



## Hoss (May 1, 2012)

Definitely a big one and a fine prespective shot to show it.

Hoss


----------



## rip18 (May 1, 2012)

Neat, neat shot!  Great to see younguns outdoors!


----------



## wvdawg (May 1, 2012)

Yep - it's a big one!  Looks like III is checking it out real good.


----------



## Silver Britches (May 2, 2012)

I've spent a lot of time walking the woods and swamps of the Altamaha and that is just a beautiful place to me. I've seen many trees like in your picture and some a lot bigger than that. I grew up hunting what is now called Buffalo Swamp Tract WMA. That used to be a hunting club I was in for years, then the state bought it. I never hunted it by boat, I always walked to where I was going and it was a lot of walking. I mainly would just walk around taking all the beauty in. I've seen some trees so big you wouldn't believe it. There are some pine trees out there deep within the swamp that are big as some old cypress trees. That place is slap full of gators and cottonmouths, too! I've had some very close calls with them in my time of hunting there. That is a beautiful place, but it's also a very dangerous place.

Thanks for sharing! Awesome picture!


----------



## Vernon Holt (May 2, 2012)

These occasional huge Baldcypress trees exist for two simple reasons.

1). In the late 1800's when the cypress was commercially logged, these trees were determined to be cull trees with virtually all of them being hollow.  If a given tree was thought to be hollow, the logger would strike the tree with the pole of his axe.  He could readily tell from the sound of the blow if the tree was hollow.  When hollow, they were not felled.

2). With Baldcypress being an extremely long lived tree, they have continued to survive and even thrive while growing at a very slow growth rate.  It is rare for one to windthrow even though they are hollow.  It appears that a huge tree will continue to stand as long as it contains 4 to 6 inches of sound wood throughout the circumference of the trunk.

Serious logging commenced after the Civil War.  The cypress was girdled at least one year prior to harvest so as to allow the trees to die and thus lose some weight.  This would assure that the trees would float when formed into huge log rafts and floated down the river system to Darien where huge steam operated sawmills converted the logs to choice lumber.  The finished product was loaded onto sailing vessels and shipped to all points of the world.

The only reminder that we have of this great resource which once existed is the few scattered giant trees which yet remain as memorials.

Bald Cypress was found along all of our major rivers and swamps from the Fall Line southward.

It should be added that these hollow giants have been valuable den and nesting trees for birds and animals for likely up to 200 years.  Squirrels, raccoons, wildcats,  owls, wood ducks, eagles, ospreys, buzzards, pileated woodpeckers, and yes even the ivorybilled woodpecker. This adds a considerable dimension to the value of these giant trees.


----------



## shakey gizzard (May 2, 2012)

BuckMKII said:


> I took BuckMKIII for an impromptu trip to the  Altamaha river this past weekend. We walked down in the dried up swamp and came across the king daddy of cypress trees in the general area. BuckMKIII was amazed at its size and I snapped this shot of him looking up in the canopy.


Cool pic!


Vernon Holt said:


> These occasional huge Baldcypress trees exist for two simple reasons.
> 
> 1). In the late 1800's when the cypress was commercially logged, these trees were determined to be cull trees with virtually all of them being hollow.  If a given tree was thought to be hollow, the logger would strike the tree with the pole of his axe.  He could readily tell from the sound of the blow if the tree was hollow.  When hollow, they were not felled.
> 
> ...



Great info! Thanx for sharing!


----------



## BuckMKII (May 2, 2012)

Vernon thanks so much for the history info. Sure enough this tree sounded hollow when I tapped on the trunk.


----------



## leo (May 3, 2012)

Cool shot, like your model for comparison ... save it for him, he will look back on this pic, as he grows older, and remember his trip with you.


----------



## USMC81 (May 7, 2012)

Great shot!  I was just in Buffalo swamp and ran up on one of those big 'ol cypress trees.  They are awesome.  Silver Britches is right though.  I've hunted that track of land a lot and it is very beautiful, full of wild life, and can be dangerious.


----------



## Lee Woodie (May 7, 2012)

Great capture,size comparison,and history made this wonderful way to everyone.


----------



## cornpile (May 9, 2012)

Fantastic old tree shot


----------

