Determining a tree's age?

[Bucket Head]

I know a tree is not tapable until it's approximately 10-12 inches in diameter. At that size, it's about forty years old.

Is there some sort of guideline that would relate diameter to age above the 12 inches?

I realize that it would vary greatly since there are many variables with tree growth. I'm just looking for a way to come up with a "rough estimate".

It never fails, whenever I'm talking about the tree's, their size and age, and tapping them, someone points to one and say's "how old is that one!?" I answer with an educated guess, which is probably close. I'm just wondering how close am I?

Thank's.

Steve

[forester1]

A forester uses an increment borer. It drills a hole and you extract a core to read the age. They are expensive. In your woods just count the rings of a stump of a tree you cut of the same species and size. That's about the only other way to get an accurate estimate.