How to Measure the Height of a Tree

How to Measure the Height of a Tree - Simple

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2 ай бұрын

Here is an easy way to measure the height of a tree. Using just a stick and optional tape measure, it is easy to find out how tall a tree is. There are tools foresters commonly use to measure the height of standing trees. Clinometers and lasers are often used. This method is a good easy technique for those who don't have those tools. We will measure a ponderosa pine tree and figure out how tall it is.
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Пікірлер: 196

@erice9536 2 ай бұрын

Sure glad this works, it's the same method I use when I put the wife on the tractor to pull on a tree so I can make sure the tree doesn't damage the tractor by landing on it.

@mikehughes2026 2 ай бұрын

And if the wife comes away unscathed all the better!!

@mikekelley8291 2 ай бұрын

Or the wife.

@PeterEndelt 2 ай бұрын

😂😂😂

@joshlower1 2 ай бұрын

@@mikekelley8291the wife is replaceable, tractors are forever

@danvankouwenberg7234 2 ай бұрын

👏👏👏👏👏

@IvorClegg Ай бұрын

Ha! You've reminded me of my Forestry Instructor demonstrating this method many years ago: after getting the stick to the correct length, he'd say "you then put one end of the stick up to your remaining good eye..." :-)

@JoelGrant-ie4ly Ай бұрын

Not a woodsman but I do appreciate good humor. You reminded me of the old Red Green show out of Canada.

@virginiamoss7045 Ай бұрын

Oh, how I miss him!

@Bushman9 2 ай бұрын

I’ve been using a similar method for estimating how far the top of the tree will land from the stump. No stick required. Hold your arm straight out like you were doing, but bend your forearm up 90 degrees at the elbow. Now distance yourself from the tree to the point where your elbow is at the bottom of the tree and your fingertips are at the top. Now turn your forearm level to the ground. Your fingertips are where the top of the tree will land. It’s pretty accurate and quick.

@MrTrecutter1 Ай бұрын

Exactly how I do it. 25+ years in residential tree service. I've won many bets

@1SGPARKER Ай бұрын

To ensure your "stick" [Yardstick] is perfectly straight up and down drill a small hole in the tip of the yardstick and tie a piece of Paracord through the hole using a knot to prevent it from slipping out. Then cut the length of the paracord to the desired length and tie a stainless steel nut to that end. When you hold the stick at arm's length you can adjust the angle using Gravity to bring the nut alongside the stick. Viola! 90 degrees!

@grandpakevin1 2 ай бұрын

Great humor! It made the video. Based on the comments I don’t think most folks appreciated it (or understood it) but it was awesome! And the method is cool too

@bigal25938 2 ай бұрын

Simpler way. Mark the tree from the ground up to a known height. Say 5 feet. Mark that place on the tree. Back up a distance and use the tape. Hold your tape vertical at arms length and measure the height of the 5 foot measurement on your tape. Then measure the height of the tree on your vertical tape. If say the 5' mark measured 1 inch on your tape and the tree measured 20 inches, multiply 5 x 20 and the tree is 100 feet tall.

@richardpark3054 26 күн бұрын

Even simpler: 1) Cut tree down; 2) measure felled tree.

@TheOldManAndTheSaw 2 ай бұрын

Good information to know. I'm going to go over to the neighbor's from lawn and try it. To check the accuracy I'll cut down the tree and actually measure it. Of course I'll wait til they're not home to do this.

@PeterEndelt 2 ай бұрын

😂😂😂

@davesteier-xf5lh 2 ай бұрын

Presents! / Charity work! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ such a caring neighbor let’s em know “you’re watching” …out for his place …making sure it doesn’t run away while he’s gone wink Everybody loves a surprise! Like that Navy Seal and his wife jumping on his back “I yelled SURPRISE DAMNIT!?” Specially when they get back home. I’m lol ing the hell out of this post

@TheOldManAndTheSaw 2 ай бұрын

I think I'll start slowly by telling them "I'm watching you and everything you do". They'll sleep better that way.

@Colorado_Native 2 ай бұрын

Funny. And how tall was the tree? And this my friends is why almost everybody has a Ring camera.

@TheOldManAndTheSaw 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the heads up! I'll wear a mask.

@user-bv3wo2qh1d Ай бұрын

You could also put a bowl of water down on the ground and when you can see the very top of the trees reflection in that bowl of water you are exactly 💯 on brother!

@stevegabbert9626 2 ай бұрын

You're a hoot, Wilson. Sure glad you found a "thing", it must have been close to a "round about".

@twagenknecht 2 ай бұрын

Trig for trees. Love it! Who knew maths were important in the woods. Great channel. Keep up the great work!

@onthefarside2096 2 ай бұрын

I like this guy's humor and his method for finding how high the tree is.

@davidhrutfiord2537 2 ай бұрын

Another way is to walk out a random distance away, hold a stick vertical at arms length, shorten it to the hight of the tree (I've not been able to stretch them longer, so you might need bigger stick). Then rotate it horizontal. With one end at the base of the tree the other end will fall on a spot the height away from the tree. I like the 45 degree method you showed us, but I use this method to quickly see if I fall a tree to the side how far it will reach. You can measure how far that spot is if curious, but knowing what it's going to hit is usually more important.

@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists Ай бұрын

Nice explanation of the Biltmore stick ! I used this as a kid to win a Boy Scout summer camp competition. It really does work!

@GarrisonFall Ай бұрын

Thank you for the information... and your dry humor. I don't know why KZfaq led me to this video, but I'm sure glad it did!

@kenball8526 2 ай бұрын

Great video, I appreciate the subtle humor.

@MadDogClyde741 29 күн бұрын

Wilson man you’re awesome ! You cracked me up and it was a pleasure watching your video and learning how to do something I never thought of ! Thanks so much for the video and the entertainment. I’m subscribing to your site because I believe what ever you teach me will be enjoyable ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@matthewward631 2 ай бұрын

Old school, but it works. Been using this method for years. Helps to avoid hitting stuff when I’m working in close quarters.

@WilsonForestLands Ай бұрын

It helps me know where to put my stunt camera so the tree won’t hit it. 😁

@DanielAtkinsFirewood 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the class today. Never know what i may learn today 😉👍

@belowfray5251 Ай бұрын

I got some camel city mills merino wool socks. Happy with them. Good cushion

@JoshNoss Ай бұрын

Glad I seen this video.. my method I came up with on the spot was: use the stick exactly as you did, then tilt the stick over to see where the top would likely go.. trying to measure a Oak to make sure it's not going to crush a shed when I drop it. Will be double-checking with this method. I don't need to know the actual height in feet, just whether that height will reach a particular point so I assume a string will suffice in place of the measuring tape as the longest one I've got is 25'

@naturewatcher7596 Ай бұрын

Great simple method. Will try it on my giant pines. Thank you.

@CuriousEarthMan Ай бұрын

Great video! I was going to use a laser pointer and a protractor. This seems easier!

@bellowphone 2 ай бұрын

Sadder but wiser; I did the backwards crab walk and fell into a gopher hole. You were right to advise against it.

@ms.rickie Ай бұрын

Great video. I love it when I learned something new every day.😊

@oetsitty7903 Ай бұрын

😂😂 humor + explanatory = great teacher ❤

@gregdebree5782 Ай бұрын

great method ... if you are on flat ground. Never been in a forest that was that flat.

@bytheway333 Ай бұрын

An x marks the spot? You just pissed off a Bigfoot! Good luck! lol! Thanks for the lesson! God bless! 😀

@digger0429 2 ай бұрын

Thanks teacher ,reminds me of my third grade teacher with yard stick

@purryegbert8609 Ай бұрын

Love the humor.

@BandiMasha Ай бұрын

Brilliant video. Thankyou for your insight and humour 😅

@poladelarosa8399 Ай бұрын

Useful info and clear presentation. No tall trees in my area, but always wondered how #%dawlfully tall the bank sign on a pole near my place is. ¡Gracias!

@kathyhathaway8823 Ай бұрын

I learned this back in FFA in middle school. BUT that was a lot of years ago so I had forgotten all the steps to do. Thank you for reminding me of how it was done an how many yearssssssss ago that was . LOL THANKS

@birddogfarms6981 2 ай бұрын

That's exactly how they taught us in Forestry school, lo those many years ago. Tom

@brentbosworth8845 Ай бұрын

This is an OLD way but good way. I learned this in high school in the 70's. We all measured the flagpole in front of the school.

@alanross3435 Ай бұрын

Good one, thanks for your humor too.😂👍🏻☮✌🏻

@Ihavetwoearsandonemouth 2 ай бұрын

I reckon there were bears sat down In the background with a bag of berries saying....this guy knows his trigonometry.

@JimCoder Ай бұрын

Alternatively, you can use a protractor and plumb bob to measure the angle of elevation between the base and top of the tree then multiply the tangent of that angle by your distance from the tree. Add the height of your eyes above the ground to be exact.

@kenball8526 2 ай бұрын

Those socks look great too!

@janistan 2 ай бұрын

Wow, 125 feet is 38 meters. Here in the norwegian woods that's pretty high! (Everything in the US is so BIG!) The tallest tree i've felled here were 110 feet, and that had grown so tall in a deep valley. Your hightmeasure was exellent performed, but works only on a flat terrain. More difficult to measure a tree in a steep slope, then you really have to use your brains.... or pure experience!

@HubertofLiege 2 ай бұрын

Thats short here, tall is 200 ft. Or a bunch of meters, oly

@southernadirondackoutdoors 2 ай бұрын

Yup, it works. Is Part 2 felling the tree to see if it hits the 'X'???

@WilsonForestLands Ай бұрын

I was thinking I might do that at some point. I just need to find a good candidate that I want to cut down that is not in some steep nasty place that would make it hard to do that kind of a video. I already cut most of those ones down before I even thought about doing this video.

@THEOFFGRIDMOUNTAINHOMESTEAD Ай бұрын

Enjoyed the video, thanks 👍

@treedog86 Ай бұрын

Tree man here. This works well on fairly level ground but up or down hill can mess you up big time

@inregionecaecorum Ай бұрын

I use a clinometer and an app I created in Excel. I mean yes I know that if you walk to a point where the top of the tree is at 45 degrees, the tree is the distance to the tree plus the distance from the ground to your eye level, but it isn't always possible to walk to a convenient point where you can still see the tree.

@glennbastarache2310 2 ай бұрын

Love your humor, you must be a dad😂 Do you have a method for estimating trees on a steep grade?

@robintaylor-mockingeemill8223 2 ай бұрын

Thank you , you didn't touch on the technical name for this technique .

@alanmolox2095 Ай бұрын

I don't give a donkey's weight in manure about your subject, but YOU ARE A FUNNY MAN. Thank you for your video, I firmly believe you can make a video about ANY subject on earth and you would garner 4000 views simply because it was you.

@TacticalCenterfire Ай бұрын

Must have been about the 5th or 6th grade when we learned about Pythagoras and how to solve a triangle. But I like your explanation also.

@MyClutteredGarage Ай бұрын

This is helpful to estimate where the top of tree will land when you cut it down.

@davidedwards3734 2 ай бұрын

Great information!! Thanks for sharing!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day

@ecleveland1 Ай бұрын

You’re talking about geometry, I heard about it once. Something to do with triangles and such.

@jimmymundane1084 Ай бұрын

Great information. Love the side commentary. You should be on youtube.

@garryrice1954 Ай бұрын

Very helpful! Any tips on estimating the height of a tree that has been cut (unlawfully by a neighbor), based on only the diameter of the stump and tree type? Not that that has ever happened. 😗

@brucemartini2288 6 күн бұрын

I had to remove rotting short tree, no measuring, placed stick on ground where I planned top to land. It passed stick about 1-2 feet not bad for eyeballing

@mikewatson4644 Ай бұрын

Years ago, my brother went to the woods with a coworker to cut some trees for firewood. My brother told his coworker that he should move his pickup so the tree wouldn't fall on it. The coworker said not to worry, the tree wasn't that tall. When the tree came down, it hit the pickup. Sometimes trees are longer than they are tall. Best to keep that in mind when estimating the height.

@lpeterman 2 ай бұрын

In the OSU Extension "Master Woodland Manager" course, we had a field training day devoted to finding height/volume using a Forester's "Woodland stick" with all sorts of nifty calculations imprinted thereon. They can be had by searching for forestry equipment, if one is so inclined... (Sorry. Ok, not sorry.) I use the old, trusty, thumb in-line-of-sight: "Oh, 'bout 60 feet, or so..." Another installment of Wilson's Useful Tips; akin to Red Green's oft quoted: "If they can't find you handsome, at least they'll find you handy." Cheers from your less inclined neighbour to the North.

@WilsonForestLands Ай бұрын

If you were to look close at that fancy yardstick I had. It says Master Woodland Manager on it and it has those nifty imprinted calculations. I went through the Master Woodland Manager program with my dad when I was a kid in the 80s. That’s where it came from.

@jimmytate7587 2 ай бұрын

where do the sticks come from? i need some delivered so i can measure my trees.

@arunakalu Ай бұрын

Huh, try doing this is the temperate or tropical rain forest :-). Here in BC, there is no way you can see the top of the tree, as there ar so many trees around. Anyhow in clear conditions, I guess this works well.

@theofulk5636 Ай бұрын

A 45 degree right triangle, what we call a SPEED SQUARE, is likewise going to indicate the same distance in height as you would measure across the ground .

@Rattlesnake7.5 Ай бұрын

I like American made products!

@stanleyroberts4381 Ай бұрын

I do the same way,been doing that for years😊

@Scott_Shafner Ай бұрын

Good video!

@kevincorbin6273 2 ай бұрын

The funniest way to measure a person’s humor

@tutik5947 2 ай бұрын

Back in school, we were taught how to use a shadow to calculate the height of the tree.

@doughaven-rf8id Ай бұрын

I did that with my middle school students. Ratio of the shadow of a yard stick. Then measure the tree's shadow. Doesn't work very well on a cloudy day. lol

@virginiamoss7045 Ай бұрын

Does this assume your feet and the base of the tree are on the same plane, level ground, not hilly? Seems like it would be really hard to do on hillsides.

@mojavebohemian814 Ай бұрын

Tks

@farmerbill6855 Ай бұрын

It's called a Biltmore stick, used them in my forestry classes a lifetime ago.

@mosunshine326 Ай бұрын

Are you Red Green's boy? Thanks for the handy tip!

@billyfrear2340 Ай бұрын

Funny. You remind me of Red Green. That is a compliment.

@laurencemarkmallak3076 Ай бұрын

Your a funny guy, thanks.

@SummitBidTech Ай бұрын

Doesn’t this method assume that the ground where you’re standing away from the tree is flat/level with the base of the tree?

@shug831 Ай бұрын

It also allows you to estimate where the tree is going to land. 😀

@brucemalakwa Ай бұрын

Place a mark 6 ft. high on the tree with a ribbon or cut mark. Walk back and hold up a ruler at arms length, eyeball measure the base of the tree to your 6 ft. mark on the tree and the eyeball height of the tree. Use a simple math ratio to estimate the height of the tree = measured height of tree /measured base to ribbon X 6 ft.

@garybulwinkle82 Ай бұрын

I can not believe the girls who say, "I couldn't wait to get back to school after summer vacation." I hated going back to school after summer!!! Like turning yourself into jail to start serving your sentence!!!

@Colorado_Native 2 ай бұрын

You're not nice. Next time we want an illustration. Just kidding. Loved the video.

@strathspeyjunkie Ай бұрын

Similar triangles. There's a fable in the history of mathematics that relates how Thales many centuries ago measured the height of the pyramids at Giza using this technique.

@brianjonker510 2 ай бұрын

Yardstick?? Guard that treasure with your life. Literally they dont make yard sticks any longer.

@erice9536 2 ай бұрын

Our local water company passes them out at the county fair, about the only place one can find such a utensil. I guess it's not as effective of advertising as it used to be since most kids don't know how to use one.

@dgoodman1484 2 ай бұрын

Tractor Supply has them for a buck and a half. Likely Lowe’s, Home Depo, Ace ect as well. 👍🏼

@jamesmac8424 2 ай бұрын

Well, I got your joke, even if it is a groaner.

@lpeterman 2 ай бұрын

Oh.... Bad. Of course they don't make them ANY LONGER. If they did, it wouldn't be a YARDstick...

@karlrovey 2 ай бұрын

@lpeterman Yep, if you add a little bit, then it's a meterstick instead of a yardstick.

@TheJagjr4450 Ай бұрын

MY dad and I dropped 3 - 90 ft trees in a 10foot wide alley a month ago... one of his friends said they are about 45 ft tall... I said not quite... walked off until I got about a 45deg angle from my eye to the tree top... paced it off and said DOUBLE IT, it's more like 90 ft.

@stickshaker101 2 ай бұрын

Why not just slide the stick up or down to match the tree?

@highlanderthegreat 2 ай бұрын

what about the distance for your hand to the ground when you measured with the stick.. should you not add say 5 feet????

@jeffwombold9167 Ай бұрын

That's what he said near the end..

@HE65432 Ай бұрын

Very funny. Thanks.

@slowmocean1 2 ай бұрын

How bout' a demo on making a hook for your logger tape and maybe changing the tape.

@dgoodman1484 2 ай бұрын

Goggle Baileys logger tape nail

@WilsonForestLands Ай бұрын

I have been waiting for this tape to break so I could do a demo on that. If it doesn’t break I may just have to do it anyway.

@fadetounforgiven 2 ай бұрын

I don't want to be that guy but... I'm going to: yes, they are isosceles triangles because two of their sides have the same measure, and this makes things easier to measure as the ratio is 1:1 between both, but you are actually taking advantage of similar right angle triangles. Sorry for being that guy.

@grandpakevin1 2 ай бұрын

No you’re not sorry! I know because on some videos (carpentry or guns) IM THAT GUY haha!!

@fadetounforgiven 2 ай бұрын

@@grandpakevin1 shhh... you're ruining my plan...

@jamesconway337 Ай бұрын

Mr Kimball!!!!

@tonyseparovic9881 Ай бұрын

Being a retired sea captain,,, I would use my sexton and take a vertical sexton angle of the top of the tree and work out the exact height

@stevet8833 Ай бұрын

They used to teach this sort of useful information in grade school. Now they teach you how to ignore your ding-a-ling and scream at adults for anything you're told you don't like.

@soulergy1soulrgy1 Ай бұрын

I never had to run backwards in junior high, never made it there , they kick me out of grade school because I wouldn’t shave!

@stalinschicken3432 Ай бұрын

95°

@franktartan6808 Ай бұрын

45 degree right triangle

@user-fo9lq5oc8k Ай бұрын

I imagine this would be a lot harder on a hillside.

@RedStorm. Ай бұрын

lol...love it

@lpeter5781 2 ай бұрын

That’s how I estimate if a tree is going to land in the ditch, or across the road.

@iffykidmn8170 Ай бұрын

use the app on your phone to find 45 degrees or simpler yet fly a drone to top of tree and read the height on your phone.

@drmodestoesq Ай бұрын

Good Idea. And hold a straight stick on to your phone to get a more accurate sight line.

@CarlLv Ай бұрын

Hey what’s the difference between a robot and android?

@sammylacks4937 2 ай бұрын

What type pine is that? Here on the East coast Loblolly is most common with 90 to 100 feet about max. A pine 90 feet tall would have a 3 feet + trunk diameter. Not many see that size or age required. We used a device called a Sunto hypsometer to measure height . I have a cruising stick that works simaler to your stick but you stand 66 feet back. It gives no of 16 ' logs. Thanks for sharing.

@WilsonForestLands Ай бұрын

Ponderosa Pine. In this area they tend to grow a lot taller than a lot of areas.

@sammylacks4937 Ай бұрын

@@WilsonForestLands oh yea , I'm familiar with them but never seen. Maybe way back in the day we had longleaf over a hundred. Now time it's 6 - 8 in on small end they lope em for C-n-S and send top to pulp mill. Thanks for sharing and answering