I want to find some new spots to hunt on my uncles property and was wondering;How can using google earth help you hunt? Like while using it, what should you look for? I use bait in all of my spots, and I want to find the deer, not really make the deer find me. Because if you think about it, baiting is the deer hunting you, not you hunting them. So what should I look for on that property for a somewhat easy setup?
I use google earth to try and find access points, travel corridors, property lines, edge areas, and generally better understand the terrain. I also mark spots with my garmin, then download the waypoints onto google earth. That helps me better relate what I see on the ground to what I see on the sattelite imagery.
Funnels and pinch points are generally a go to for me when scouting a new area with google maps. If I cant find these areas by topo I look for field edges or natural funnels, like valleys.
I'll be hunting for the first time in 20 years next year. I used to google earth to help find locations, then was able to get permission on land I found. Now I'm using it to get general ideas of where I want to look when I get to scouting it out. Seeing if it matches which what I'm seeing on google, then taking from the feet on the ground.
Look at my most recent thread, this is how I use the maps on my mac http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?t=76884
We actually just wrote a lengthy article about using google and google earth to help with your hunting. I'll post a link once its live.
Really all about transitions, if you drew lines on a map at every vegetation transition the hot spots would be where these line cross or get close to one another. Deer love edges.
I have been doing some research on this same as you,trying to use google earth to my advantage. Here are some links that helped me. http://wiredtohunt.com/2014/08/13/using-terrain-and-topography-to-deer-hunt-new-properties-fast/ http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features/practical_bowhunter/topos/ http://www.othmarvohringer.com/hunting_tips/articles/Deer/Mapping_Out_Deer_Hunting_Success.html One of the most important things you can do is corroborate what you find in the field and mark the heck out of your map. Mark creek beds, scrape lines, deer sightings and whatever else seems important. If you have an Iphone, and service in your hunting spot,you can use an app that can show your location via satalite imaging, such as the "find my iphone app" you can take screenshots of where you are exactly on the map so you know where to mark the google earth map when you get back home. Here is an example of the property I hunt, the saddle (the low point between the two hills) creates a sort of highway for the deer. Instead of trudging up a hill and exposed they can covertly sneak between both hills undetected as a creek bed and an old logging road run directly through it. the creek runs directly through the only large patch of pine trees in this area, and there also happens to be several crop fields a couple hundred yards away.I haven't scouted this property much, but I feel confident that the deer are going to be using that creek bed to move between the fields and pines throughout the day.
Use Google to find a sporting goods store, buy some boots, then put leather on the ground and find the sign. Kidding, these guys have given you good advice. I honestly use it when looking at public land spots I try to find areas far enough from parking spots that hopefully others won't go to.
I use a combination of topo maps and google maps. I don't feel like google earth makes that much difference. Once I find a coordinate for a saddle or pinch point, or I find sign while hunting, I enter the coordinates into my iPhone using an App called "explorer for ARCgis". Even if going in blind to a new area, you can get very close to where you want to be while using this App while walking to your stand. Also use your county or state's GIS system to find property lines. While these are not always 100% accurate, they will let you know when you are getting close to a border. They will also let you know who the listed owners are of property around you.
Inside corners of river bends are pretty good locations to find bedding areas, but is there anything else that can be seen on google earth that might point to a bedding area?
I generally look for thick cover around transition areas for bedding areas. So far I have been correct but I know that they bed other places on our property.
Bedding area is tough, but generally look for cover, where you think it's the thickest. That's where using satellite images of google maps comes in handy. Also, some properties on google maps are summer time pics, some are fall/winter. If you want to see a different season, try using Bing maps. They may have a different picture. I prefer winter time satellite images. You are able to see where the cover is when everything else is gone.
Heres a link to a video that helped me get started using google earth,its not necisarily all about how to use Google Earth but helps give you a idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pg17-CIXSU
GE is a tremendous tool. I use it in conjunction with my GPS app (MotionX GPS). I can mark sign, stand & camera locations, overlay topo maps, my county's platt information and property boundaries, I can download tracks of my access trail or blood trails, outline new features like clearcuts & burns, scout for soft edges like changes in timber... really it's uses are nearly endless. Using it over time with on the ground scouting is a fantastic way to learn to ID hot spots in new areas. Heck, you can even see deer trails in swampy or grassy areas. GE pretty much runs in the background of my computer year round. Here's part of my journal thread that shows a glimpse of how I like to use it. http://forums.bowhunting.com/showth...5-Season-Journal-Thread?p=1147063#post1147063
