What it does
The notch takes out a wedge on the face side of the trunk. When the back cut is made on the opposite side, the tree tips toward the notch, and the uncut wood between the two cuts, the hinge wood, guides it as it goes. The notch's depth, angle and cleanness are what let a trained feller aim a tree within a few degrees.
This page explains the term, not the technique. Notch-and-back-cut work on a leaning, rotten or wind-loaded tree depends on the whole situation, and it can kill the person who guesses wrong.
Why it matters in Northern Nevada
Open lots and acreage can allow a tree to be felled whole, as part of lot clearing or removal. On a typical residential lot with houses, fences and wires within a tree's height, a tree is taken down in sections instead (see sectional dismantling) or lifted out by crane.
Reading the lean, the decay and the wind is where the skill is. A notch on a tree with a rotten core does not behave the way it should.
What an arborist does about it
The arborist decides whether a tree can be felled whole and, if so, plans the direction (see directional felling) and the escape. If anything stands in the way, the tree is not felled whole. Safety work follows ANSI Z133. Battle Born's crew does not hand out felling how-tos, and neither does this page: if a tree needs to come down, call 775.232.8243 for an estimate.
Hearing the word on an estimate or from a neighbor who has felled a tree before does not make it a skill to borrow. Dropped trees injure and kill experienced people every year, and the cut that looks simple depends on a dozen things you cannot see from the ground.
Sources
- International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Why Hire an Arborist (read October 17, 2026)