Tree Height

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Ace76

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Other than good ole experience, is there a rule of thumb or some other method of determining a trees height without actualy measuring it?
 
stick trick or clinometer would be a good helper. unless there is a skyscraper next to it, average 10' per storey. :D
 
Lots of methods of surveying heights of things.Laser range finder , clinometer ,mirror over the shoulder at 45 degrees ,transit .Pick your poison,they all work--to a degree .
 
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Rangefinder is a good idea. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I have one I use for hunting.
 
Throw rock to top of tree.. then count... 1 1000, 2 1000... When it hits ground.. take terminal velocity fps and divide by number ...
HAHAHA Just Kidding..:/:;)
 
the company lets me use mine for hunting;) im hoping they buy me a nice set of binocs for inspectingtree tops to:D
 
Depending on how exact I need it to be, the stick trick (or a biltmore stick). If it needs to be more precise, the laser's coming out.

love
nick
 
The rule of 45's can be used, it's not the most accurate.
Take a broom handle in your hand, put the tip against your shoulder then let it go upright. Walk backwards until the top of the tree is the same height as the top of the broom handle. Make a mark on the ground and measure it, or, there abouts is where it will land if you do your part right.
Probably not the best explanation, but someone else will be able to clarify my mess better.
 
As long as you can see the horizon --sextant--clinenometer--samo -samo .Angle of the dangle type thing .

No matter what method it is nomally you will hit within 10 percent,all things done correctly .Even a laser range finder can get a false echo .

In my opinion a transit is the most accurate but you had better be real good at trig .
 
I wonder if you take a picture of something at the base of the tree of a know height (like a person) and sorta count how many to the top of the tree, how close would you be... I wonder if camera angle would make it inaccurate.
 
Sure you could but you still have to accurately know the distance of the photograph and the exact height to work it out with trigonometry.

The study of trig is just a basic part of geometry ,which by the way is the only exact science known to man kind .However you must have things exactly correct in order for the calculations to work out accurately.
 
I take a my tape measure, mark where it is 10 ft. high, and walk away from the tree to where 10 ft. would be 2 inches on the tape held out at arm's length. Then I extend the tape to where the top of the tree is. I then figure every 2 inches is equal to 10 ft. If your tape to the top of the tree is 17.5 inches, you got a 87.5 ft. tall tree. Seems to work pretty good for me.

I have a Suunto clinometer, but I rarely use it anymore.
 
Rules of 45, is how between the legs, over the shoulder and stick trick in the lay work. But, these all presume the tree is vertical. As there becomes some lean, there is some error.
 
I take a my tape measure, mark where it is 10 ft. high, and walk away from the tree to where 10 ft. would be 2 inches on the tape held out at arm's length. Then I extend the tape to where the top of the tree is. I then figure every 2 inches is equal to 10 ft. If your tape to the top of the tree is 17.5 inches, you got a 87.5 ft. tall tree. Seems to work pretty good for me.

KOA, that sounds like a great technique. I have a spar to cut down today, probably about 20-25 feet...I'll try that before I drop it and then measure it once it is down.

Thanks for the method.
 
This can be done to see / make sure felling tree will fit inside 'box'/clear zone; or have to be climbed. Also, you can do 2x or more, and figure where you could top stick to get it to still fit inside box, and how far you have to top down to drop stick into box on final felling
 
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