After a close call with a dead limb, I'm all about sounding trees first.
I mean, it's basic but I used to not do it when I was in a hurry. Now I tap every trunk before climbing, maybe it's just me but it took a while to make it a habit.
My neighbor Ted used to complain about his old fence for years, it was just background noise. Then a big storm last spring sent a section into the street, nearly hitting a car. He had the whole thing replaced in two weeks. Sometimes the problem has to be right in front of you, real and messy, before it stops being just talk.