A reaping based yield monitor system includes one or more reaping yield instruments configured for coupling with a harvester head. The one or more reaping yield instruments measure at least one crop characteristic of a harvested crop in sections of the harvester head. A yield monitor determines a variable yield of the harvested crop. An apportionment module apportions the variable yield of the harvested crop to the sections of the harvester head based on the at least one crop characteristic measured in each of the sections of the harvester head. In another example, a stand counting module counts a harvested standing crop with the one or more reaping yield instruments and a stand count output module output a harvested standing crop value based on one or more of the counted harvested standing crop or filtered measured values of a stand characteristic measured with the one or more reaping yield instruments.