Help with TOPO map
 

Yall,

Only my third year hunting deer and am trying to read topo's (maybe its a little too early?) Anyway, I would appreciate if someone would look at the map and help identify where to put a stand/climb.

The area I am allowed to hunt is within the red box (about 60 acres---but cant cross the pond). The two red dots are houses.

I am the only one that can hunt it and it has never been hunted.

I have been reading "how to's" but cant seem to get my mind wraped around funnels, saddles, where to set up.

Hope yall can see the pic. I cant t get the bigger ones to upload.

Thanks for any insight!

The pic attached is really small, I can't read any of the lines.

Also, never hurts to learn to read a topo map... whether you hunt or not.

Psylocide,

Thanks for the reply. I have tried to upload another. My original is too big to upload. Yes, I agree its good to know.

I understand the countour lines/elevation chnages and "high" points. Just not the sadlles..etc

http://www.map-reading.com/ch10-6.php

This should help a bit... also, some pre-season scouting will do you good. See if there's a clear area where you can glass the woods a bit or even set up a trailcam near signs if you have one.

Look for signs of activity such as trails, scrapes, poo, etc... just make yourself scarce and try to remain unseen/unheard. That last part is tough, but it is possible - with a little care - to slip through the woods at this time of year, relatively unnoticed.

Triangles pointing uphill are ravines. Triangles pointing downhill are ridges.

I would highly scout the area right beneath the words, "Chester Reservior".

That area seems to be the only place that the deer can freely flow in to that area without crossing a highway and it also seems to be a somewhat pinch point. Once you find that area, do what Psylocide said and look for any signs of deer. I would set up near that preferrably on the south side to have higher elevation.

Good luck

By the looks of the contour lines, it looks like there is a pretty steep draw, draining down to the lake just north of the houses. With a ridge paralleling the highway. I would walk out that draw and see where most of the travel lanes are. My guess would be that just below the ridge would be a likely stand spot looking down towards the lake. Don't let the highway bother you! I once hunted a a high-line right of way that paralleled a highway. That narrow strip of woods held a surprising number of mature deer, within throwing distance of the busy highway! Good luck!

A saddle can be found on a topo by locating a draw within a draw. The area described above is the only saddle feature I see on the map. Look below the "v" of "Reservoir". It's appears fairly wide, but a saddle none the less.

When rifle hunting in cold weather, I usually look for a steep spot that the sun will hit around 9:00-10:00. I have done O.K. even in areas I never hunted before. The old wives tale about other hunters pushing deer around at that time does have some merit, but deer usually get up and move around on their own about then.