Bore cut first, then wedge.

You can safely fell a leaning tree with a wedge, but only if you use the bore cut technique. Standard back cuts will pinch your saw because the tree’s weight is already leaning forward. You’ll get stuck, and that’s how accidents happen.

Here’s the sequence: Make a conventional notch on the lean side. Then, instead of a back cut, bore in from the side of the tree, behind the hinge, and cut toward the notch. Leave a strip of wood (the hinge) intact. Once the bore is through, drive wedges into the back