Tools of the Trade

The first time you meet with your friendly Pike Lumber Company forester, you may notice them carrying an axe and a unique white stick similar to a yard stick. These are tools that our foresters use to help in making an initial assessment of your woods and its needs. A sounding axe is used to tap on questionable trees to determine if they are hollow . While we can visually see any cracks or outside damage to the trunk, sometimes a hollow pocket at the base of the tree may present no outside indicators. If we tap on a tree and hear a drum-like sound, this typically indicates at least some part of the tree is hollow.

If the tree makes a sound of a baseball hit by a bat, then typically the tree will be solid. This helps the forester to make quick assessments about the overall health of the trees throughout your woods which will influence management recommendations. The white stick is known as a Biltmore Stick. The stick is held at arm’s length (25”) at breast height (4.5 ft from the ground) and used to take a quick measurement of a tree’s diameter. When a woods is being marked, the forester will typically used a diameter tape, which is more accurate, but the Biltmore stick is great for quick measurements and ease of use.