What's your question? Ask

This can be due to many reasons. Could you include pictures? This would help me to better see what the problem is.

Over or under-watering, lack of light, and lack of fertilizer are common reasons for the tree to be unhappy.

If you can include a picture, and detail on the care of these then I will be more than happy to help.

While newly planted trees should generally be watered quite frequently (https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/watering-newly-planted-tree.htm), in a dormant stage, they normally require less but should receive some, especially if it's somewhat warm in your location. If you receive a fair amount of rainfall, then this reduces the need for watering more. Usually over winter, trees and other plants need no more than once a month watering if no other moisture is available to them. I would just check them each week and see how dry the soil is and water based on that. Once new growth begins in spring, you can begin to increase the amount of watering, again depending on rainfall in your area.

If this is a very old tree then this can be normal. Can you include a photo? If it is a young tree I would look to using wettable sulfur in the soil to correct an infection.

This is normal spotting. This could be from an injury by insect, or just overall minor injury. This is nothing that would seem worrisome or out of the ordinary.

Aspens, willows, maples and birches are some of the trees that tend to leaf out before oak and elm do. It is due to differences in their biology. On the other hand, it may be that the devastating oak wilt disease has claimed your tree. I would expect there to have been symptoms last year if that were the case. Look at TexasOakWilt.org
This is a highly contagious infection and wood must be handled properly. Let's hope that a few more warm days will have buds swelling on your tree.

It is important to cut the stub but make sure you do it properly. Pay particular attention to the "branch collar". If you damage this - or don't cut the limb short enough - the wound will not heal. There are YouTube videos and a WikiHow on tree pruning to help you get it right. Do to the risk of oak wilt disease, pruning wounds on oaks must be immediately painted with a latex paint or tree-wound paint.