Stand 66 feet (approximately 12 paces) from the tree you want to measure. Hold the stick in the upright vertical position 25 inches from your eye with the "number of 16 foot logs" side of the stick facing you. Usually this is on an edge of the stick.
The number of logs can be read directly off the stick starting upward from the estimated stump height. You are actually not measuring total height but are estimating 16 foot log sections. With this merchantable height estimated in logs, plus the diameter, you can estimate tree volume.
You can also estimate the total height of the tree by counting each 16 foot length and adding them together for a total height. Every total tree height will not come to an even log. Prorate the last log into feet by using a proportional estimate.
