HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - A good problem to have...what would YOU do?
Old 09-20-2012 | 12:58 PM
  #6  
HatchieLuvr's Avatar
HatchieLuvr
Typical Buck
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 847
Likes: 0
From: West TN
Default

Google Earth is THE greatest tool for deer hunters since the nitrogen filled scope! Before the internet I lived and died by aerial photo's, but they were always of questionable resolution and certainly weren't updated very often. I have 2 P&Y 8pts & a 154" 14ptr gunkill that I killed DIRECTLY because of spots that I picked via topo and aerial maps on a farm I used to hunt in southern MO several years ago.

Using "overhead views" can save you literally YEARS of boot leather, sweat and time. They also let you know EXACTLY how the lay of the land is and how everything relates and exact position to other areas. You might "think you know" that a certain trail, or ridge or spot or whatever is a certain direction away from your current spot but many times you might be off slightly... especially if the distance is 1/4-1/2 mile or more apart!

A HUGE, MONSTROUS, AMAZING tool I've come to REALLY swear by is the Google Maps app. on my Droid phone. NOTHING beats holding an aerial map in your hands while standing ON the property and having that gps precision. OHHHH if I would've had this technology back several years ago on other properties I hunted in other states!

Walking on the ground with "live action, birds eye view" capability in your hands at the same time is dang near like cheatin!
HL

ps
First thing I'd do is look for saddles in those ridges (via topo maps) and ESPECIALLY saddles where 2 or more ridges connect, then go check those out. Deer in hilly, ridge dependent terrain are ALOT easier to hunt and predict than deer on featureless, flat sections of land. Imagine the ridges are roads and you are trying to intercept the cars/deer. In this case, large intersections (the saddles) are obviously where you'll have the most traffic confined to one central area. A good funnel like the multi-ridged saddle will be a great spot FOREVER, you'll be able to hunt them year after year after year because they are essentially choke points. Some deer travel ridge tops, some travel parallel in the middle between the top and bottom and yes I've even seen some deer travel the bottom (hollows) of the ridges but REGARDLESS which they travel, they MUST come through those saddles! Consider the ridges like spokes on a wheel, the hub is the one common place and THAT'S where you want to be. The deeper back in the woods and the more ridges that "hub" has the BETTER spot it's going to be.

Last edited by HatchieLuvr; 09-20-2012 at 01:08 PM.
HatchieLuvr is offline  
Reply