PAbowhunter86 Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Can some scouting be done on topo and ariel maps. If so what do you look for. I have some maps of the areas I hunt but I cant tell anything until I am in the woods and it seems the deer aren't where I think. One more thing can I get free topo and ariel maps online if so where? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfletch7441 Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... Using topo maps to scout is great. I usually look for points, saddles, draws, and bottleneck features (rivers, cliffs, and stuff that limits that ability to travel). There's no substitute for being in the woods, but good aerials and topo maps can help eliminate a lot of walking. Google Earth is great. The free version of Google Earth I have doesn't have topo (contours, vegetation, etc.), but the exagerated scales on the images is great. TerraServer also has some free data available. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Shooter Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... PA-they are great for hunting a new area as well as an area you've hunted before. 7441 is right for finding out the contours of the land and what to look for. That's correct you can't beat being in the woods, but it sure does give a good idea of where to start looking at. I've been using topo's for the last 4 years now and it's been so beneficial and saved a lot of walking the mountains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Turkeystalker Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... google earth.....and you can rotate the aireal photo to show draws and ridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... Be real careful about planning your whole hunt around them, though. This year, I used topos to plan my hunting at the Okie Bow camp. Luckily, we decided to scout a couple of months ahead of time. One thing I didn't count on was the size of the trees. I primarily use a climber and all the spots that I had picked out on the topo, except one, didn't have a single tree big enough for a climber. On a good note, the one spot that did, I harvested a 9 pointer from... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... Best use of arials in my opinion is finding funnels, general lay of the land and property lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MIhillbilly Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... If you really want to learn how to scout using topo maps, you should pick up the book titled "Mapping Trophy Bucks." It is a good read and goes into great detail on this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whttlbucksteve Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... I used google satilite maps got to see the exact area I hunted in detail try it out.It was the reason I took that 180 P&Y this year hunted a pinch point that i found and that map.good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockefeller66 Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Scouting on topo maps... we use aerial maps a lot. we look for cedar thickets, funnels, high/low points, any thing that looks out of the ordinary and points where deer might travel or enter a field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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