Do you measure tree height?

Buddy

Treehouser
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Feb 22, 2017
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Central Idaho
I was just curious if you guys ever measure tree height before you have to fall one in a tight spot?

At work when we cruise timber we have to measure tree height. We use 2 different tools, a clinometer and a range finder, (it does the math for you).
 
Rarely. It has to be pretty tight looking for me to measure it. When in doubt, climb it and top it out. Make it fit
I do have a measure height program on my cell in case.
 
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Oops, I see it has been disussed. Thanks Cursed and Burnham, I'll read through that thread tomorrow.
 
Older thread for sure, Buddy. The original one linked in my link above was back in 2008, for heck's sake. No worries, just thought they might be worth a read.
 
Lol I've won a few beers with the stick trick. If it's closer take more off, with my luck it will throw a dirt clod or something. I also do a super wide angle notch to keep the tree on the stump, gains a few feet that way.
 
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About the same time I was learning to measure with the clino I had a tree next to the house that I needed fell. I was curious how accurate it really was. The tree measured at exactly 100' tall. After I fell the tree away from the house I measured it with a log tape and it measured 100' 6", I was impressed with its accuracy.

I think I learned the stick trick in boy scouts. Is that where you get a stick, back away from the tree and knowing the first measure height you progressively stack it to the top? Or something like that...
 
Stick for me. I like it when custy doesn't see me do it but watches me march over to where the top will hit
Freaks them out.
 
Maybe I should turn myself a wand to use for the stick method.
That would really look like sorcery.
 
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Lol, put a little knob on top of it and paint it gold.:lichmalignus:
 
I put my head all the way back on the nap of my neck, and look absolutely forward, eyes straight darted. It's the hardest part, the eyes like to follow things. In this position, I have my 45°. I take some steps back until the tree's top comes just in the middle of my field of vision. Blinking the eyes help to overcome the following reflex. Then I know the top will (or should at least) fall just 6 ' behind me.
No lean, level ground of course, and no sore neck by sleeping in front of the computer !

If I want to be more accurate, I use the sticks trick, or stick trick.

I guess stacking 10's by eye. Pretty accurate against direct measure after the fell.
Stacking many reference heights is difficult because the eyes (and brain) do that with an angular motion, but the actual height is vertical and in a tangent mode compared to your eyes. The first reference height is (almost) good, but the second one drives your eyes a little too height, and the next adds an even more big error and so on. You have to reduce the reference height each time to follow the tangent progression.
I suppose you are so well used to do that, that it's automatic in your mind.
Mine doesn't succeed in doing this correction and I was wrong each time I tried this method.
 
If I don't think it'll fit I just wear some other tree companies shirt when I make the cut that'll prove if it does or not.
 
All you need now...

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I have thrown a throwline over the top of a tree and used it to measure height in a real touchy situation. When blocking down, I often measure the height of the spar so I know exactly when I can quit blocking and just drop on down and flop it.
 
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