My local supplier won’t be selling trees this year and whilst I was out on a ride this week I eyed up a few lovely looking trees next to the road side, so has/does anyone help themself to a Christmas tree?
Is it illegal….?

Is it illegal….?

Nah. Why stop with a tree? A pheasant makes a pleasing alternative to turkey.

Considering taking windfall wood off the side of the road is illegal, yes I’d suggest digging up (or chopping off) a road side Xmas tree is illegal.

Stealing trees from city parks is fine too.

On the basis of the pheasant analogy, you just need to wait for the tree to jump into the road and someone else to run it over.

Perfectly legit then.

you could just borrow one for a few weeks

If it doesn’t have a nametag on it it doesn’t technically belong to anyone, so you can help yourself. Legally that actually applies to every object in this country, so get involved.

Trees are for life not just Xmas.

🙄

You’ll be wanting one of these:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IV10M1RbEA[/video]

why take one from the side of the road when there’ll be plenty of living rooms nearer home with a tree in them- pick the right one and you’ll get free lights as well.

As long as you only take the leaves and not the wood, and restrict yourself to wild rather than planted trees, then you can’t be guilty of theft!

same applies to flowers, fruit and fungi 😀

Isn’t the law brilliant!

wild rather than planted trees

how can I tell if a 300 year old oak was wild or planted?

Doesn’t matter I suppose if you are only taking the dead leaves and leaving the branches and trunk.

Might be a bit rubbish around Christmas sat around a pile of needles though.

As far I understand it’s theft; you might get away with it, or you might end up with the Police at your door.

My local bike shop doesn’t sell Santa Cruz bikes, I fancy a new one and was passing a local trail centre and seen a few propped up against cars. Is it Ok to take one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF6l1Syns5Y I dont go to uni here no was I involved in any movement of tree’s relocation or felling… But if I had this is what it might look like… Harper Adams isn’t your Average Uni

Harper Adams isn’t your Average Uni

It’s a farming college.

Lots of self righteous wankery on here!

I take a tree every year from the side of a local forestry track, they self seed and every few years the forestry come along and flail them all to pulp before they get too big.

Troll at heart

Lots of self righteous wankery on here!

😯

OP you have answered the question yourself in the title. But understand the question as I always think the same when riding past a forest. Imagine which one would look good. Never goes beyond that though…

Theft of trees is theft.
However, most of my old village and I would assist the local forestry guys by removing the pesky self-seeders at the side of forest tracks or under powerlines in the area. This was a community service, saving the landowner the cost of yet another mis-placed and undersized tree from being chopped in future. This was a fine judgement – and there are unwritten ethics such as only locals, only at dusk, only small trees and only from a spot where it *would* be removed rather than be crop, it must be done by hand-saw and you must take with you the internationally approved Christmas tree size appraisal tool (a small boy) and that the Tree to Villager ratio must be 1,000,000:1 minimum.
Does anyone hear a tree fall in a forest? 😉

IMGP7819 by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

IMGP7820 by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

‘Quick put this hat on and stand next to the tree looking self conscious’ 😉

That is about the sum of it!

Jamie – Member

You’ll be wanting one of these:

OMFG thats the best thing EVER!!

that tree location machine is cool.

But it needs one on the front that just digs out a hole first so they can plug the hole straight away.

andyl did you watch it to the end? That’s exactly what they do with the machine before they go and collect the tree.

I have a happy memory of being used as a lookout by my Dad when I was about 8; him with a toolbox saw up the sleeve of his coat and me not really understanding what was going on.

You ain’t seen me, roight?

if you are going ‘hunting’ for a christmas tree. i would suggest taking the top off a big one. you end up with a better form tree and you wont be killing the tree you’re cutting down. i had a holly tree once, t’was brill

My sister did it one year in rural Aberdeenshire. Patiently hacksawing away at some scrawny upshoot they heard a car coming and hid. Cue chainsaw starting up and somebody else helping themselves. Quick ask for help and both of them were on their way with the loot.

Worst tree ever, looked awful, shed all its needles rapidly and infested the car and house with multiple creepy crawlies.

They bought one next year.

Tag a good one when its light and go back under the cover of darkness. Just take it back when youve finished with it.

Just go an’ ask! Rock along to your nearest heathland where pine will be growing like weeds and ask the National Trust/wildlife trust/whoever if you can have one. They’re norrmally cleared and burned so shouldn’t be an issue.
Wait till after a few good frosts as well, the needles will stay on longer…