Here is a better example. IfI used a range finderto judge the distnance to atarget then it would be farther away (the higher you go in the tree) than if I measured from the base of the tree.If you used a range finder then you would shoot a little high wouldn't you because thethe actual horizontal distance between you and the target would be shorter than the range findersays it is. So wouldn't it be more accuratetojudge distance from the base of the tree and not from the stand to the target?

That being said, if you used a range finder on a deer that was in a steep valley then it might read 50 yards. But would you actually shoot as if it was 50 yards or should you find the distance to thetop of a tree (that is eye level to you) that is growing beside the deer?