We've had some great topo talk before, and I've learned quite a bit. This is the topo map for the state forest that I hunt. I've posted this before if it looks familiar. The red lines are property lines The contour lines are 10' of elevation change. The dashed black lines are cart roads or walking trails. there is no way to access the land from the north. Being two years out from my stroke I'm in much better condition, and I'm walking 4 miles 3 times a week with some running mixed in. I've noticed a big change in my stamina and I think it's time to go the extra mile(s). The first map is the area that I'm looking at going to. the very top. there are quite a few land features that are catching my attention. circled in blue. if it were all flat, and no hills, it would be 2.2 miles by the dashed lines(cart road) from where I park. but factoring in the hills, I'm thinking it's much more. there is some serious terrain here, as shown in the second map. Thoughts on the circled area?? The second map: Starting at the very bottom of the map at the black dot. I park maybe 50 yards to the south of the black dot. The yellow dot is the vicinity of where i shot my buck last year, and where I have traditionally hunted throughout the years. it takes me 45 minutes to get to the yellow dot from where I Park. The green dot is where I have found a major travel corridor along the blazed property line, I've been hunting secondary trails all of these years. The blue circle is the area I travelled to last year scouted and hunted. the saddle that leads to no where. There was a buck run on the military crest of the hill, but it was nothing to write home about. It took me over an hour to get there in the dark. That's the farthest I've gone and scouted. no signs of any other hunters at all, no signs of shotgun hunters either. The last leg of this trip is brutal. it's about 100' of elevation change in a short distance. the trail is very washed out with big rocks and boulders exposed. I'm postin a picture of it to give you an idea of the terrain I have to walk through to get there. Using a mountain bike is out of the question in the dark at 4:30 in the morning. I don't have the balance anymore either after my stroke. A kayak or canoe is an option to explore, but that costs $$, and getting it down there would be a nightmare. I would have to leave it down there and hide it/cammo it in and worry about potential theft. Would it benefit me that much? it would cut out that NASTY hill. Looking forward to feedback from people in the know about the first map area I have circled.
My god I think there are more trees in that picture than the whole state of ND! Looks like some fun land to try to learn. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
It's a rough go with all of the woods. Bedding areas can be anywhere. There is a lot of thick undergrowth as well. I've been hunting it since the early 90's. I still don't have it figured out. I'm learning quite a bit from the hunting beast forum, but I do not want to post this topo map there. I don't want people to think i want things just pointed out to me. I want to learn, and know why.
I also don’t want to dismiss the other side of the pond either. I like the looks of this shelf and a possible funnel between the two swamps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That swamp from the state line down to the pond would be my first choice to check, especially early season and if there is browse/sign. Edge habitat, natural funnel, water winds could be tricky (setup on the east side for evening sits and some thermal may help carry your scent up safely. The thick trees are gonna be tricky early season. Any oaks?
I havent been there yet, but I assume it’s loaded with oaks, just like the rest of the forest. Which has mad it hard because which oak grove are they eating at with so many to choose from? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As far as hunter pressure I’m thinking no due to lack of access. I could be wrong though. They might access it from the north on quads. I have to put some boots on the ground to know for sure. Hikers? Most likely a few. I’ve run into a few hikers here and there over the years. I should have also stated I’m only going this deep for a mature buck. Getting a deer out of there would be at least an 8 hour ordeal. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You need to find and hunt the closest oaks that are dropping to the bedding areas, I know, easier said than done. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
That’s the method I’ve been using for the past few years with little success. the woods are to big, to much undergrowth to pinpoint bedding areas. I’m looking for land features that lead to predictable movement. I’m putting my boots on the ground tomorrow while the humidity is temporarily away. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks brother! I’ll check those out for sure! I’ve had my eye on a few of the same ones. I’ll post updates tomorrow afternoon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Swamp, do you use Cal Topo? Good way to transfer your gps coordinates from a phone to computer and vice versa. I like the versatility and it is free. You can log in with Google, Facebook, or Yahoo and share the private maps you make with friends. Makes looking at detailed maps pretty simple and efficience. https://caltopo.com
I’ve just started using it. The topo jpg is from cal topo. I’ll have to investigate it further. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is pretty nifty! I hope I have cell service out there to use it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What’s the predominant wind in that area during early, mid and late season? That will help focus your initial efforts to where the deer are potentially bedding. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
