Bob
10-11-2006, 12:10
Stand Scouting From the Comfort of Home
Bob R. Sep. 7, 2006
The Illinois Archery season is fast approaching. (Thank You!) But trying to find time to explore new areas due to work, family time, and thick Summer cover can be a daunting and sweaty task this time of year. Luckily, if you're reading this, you also have the ability to narrow your search and maximize your time by scouting from the comfort of your computer chair. Right now there are numerous free mapping sites that will display both topographic maps, and aerial photos of potential stand locations. Some of these sites are www.terraserver.com (http://www.terraserver.com/); www.topozone.com (http://www.topozone.com/); and http://maps.google.com/ (http://maps.google.com/). Fellow SILOUTDOORS member Flatlander also recommends http://www.jdmcox.com/ (http://www.jdmcox.com/) as a FREE mapping software. Here are a few features... (Thanks Flatlander)
USAPhotoMaps downloads USGS aerial photo and topo map data from Microsoft's free TerraServer Web site, saves it on your hard drive, and creates maps with GPS accuracy. You can:
· Scroll and zoom
· See latitude/longitude
· See USGS Landmarks
· See TIGER/Line streets
· See elevation and contour lines
· Add waypoints, routes, and text
· Go to any address, populated place, USGS landmark, or lat/lon in the U.S.A.
· Transfer waypoints, tracks, and routes to and from most GPS receivers
· See your GPS location
· And much more...
I've found that it is much easier to narrow down what looks like high percentage stand locations before ever setting foot on a property or tract of land. You can get a good "lay of the land", and check the potential stand sites without hiking all over the place looking for stand locations. Some keys to finding these are using your knowledge of deer behavior, and being albe to figure out what you are looking at on the maps and aerial photos. The areas you want to find, are funnels, saddles, and ditches. Some are easy to discern on the maps, and others take a bit more map reading skills to be able to locate. These areas are fairly easy to find on maps and images, but shoe leather is the only way to be sure of bedding and feeding areas. (Which usually happen to be fairly close to the terrain features discussed above.) Crop rotation is also a factor you will actually have to get out and get a first hand look at. Regardless, with a little practice, you should be able to read a property and know what to expect without ever setting foot on it.
Funnels are great for archers who need to get the deer in close. These can be found as natural land formations, such as a hollow between 2 hills. A feeding area with a blown down tree can be effective set up on the end of the tree. A short fence row between woodlots can be especially good, as it allows you to hunt the area without entering possible bedding areas. Water can also push deer into your set-up, and block the chance of getting winded if you can put your back against the water side, and the wind is right.
Ditches are one of my favorite places to set up a stand. First off they are greatly overlooked by other hunters as too small or too isolated to be a good location. On the contrary, ditches can provide long but thin stretches of cover for travel and feeding between what one would consider "better" locations. This is especially true on heavily hunted public land.
Saddles are another prime area to keep an eye out for. They provide an easier crossing for deer that usually is not as steep, and may keep them from silhouetting on a ridge. They can also swirl wind so one has to be careful on picking a set up.
On the picture I marked a property I hunt with 2 stands of each type. The red dots are saddle examples; the blue are funnels; and the green are ditches.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/bob--o/bigalsmarked.jpg
Use the web wisely, cut down on scouting time, and use your other basic deer hunting knowledge, and hopefully you'll have that wall hanger, and your freezer full this Fall. Good luck out there.
Bob R. Sep. 7, 2006
The Illinois Archery season is fast approaching. (Thank You!) But trying to find time to explore new areas due to work, family time, and thick Summer cover can be a daunting and sweaty task this time of year. Luckily, if you're reading this, you also have the ability to narrow your search and maximize your time by scouting from the comfort of your computer chair. Right now there are numerous free mapping sites that will display both topographic maps, and aerial photos of potential stand locations. Some of these sites are www.terraserver.com (http://www.terraserver.com/); www.topozone.com (http://www.topozone.com/); and http://maps.google.com/ (http://maps.google.com/). Fellow SILOUTDOORS member Flatlander also recommends http://www.jdmcox.com/ (http://www.jdmcox.com/) as a FREE mapping software. Here are a few features... (Thanks Flatlander)
USAPhotoMaps downloads USGS aerial photo and topo map data from Microsoft's free TerraServer Web site, saves it on your hard drive, and creates maps with GPS accuracy. You can:
· Scroll and zoom
· See latitude/longitude
· See USGS Landmarks
· See TIGER/Line streets
· See elevation and contour lines
· Add waypoints, routes, and text
· Go to any address, populated place, USGS landmark, or lat/lon in the U.S.A.
· Transfer waypoints, tracks, and routes to and from most GPS receivers
· See your GPS location
· And much more...
I've found that it is much easier to narrow down what looks like high percentage stand locations before ever setting foot on a property or tract of land. You can get a good "lay of the land", and check the potential stand sites without hiking all over the place looking for stand locations. Some keys to finding these are using your knowledge of deer behavior, and being albe to figure out what you are looking at on the maps and aerial photos. The areas you want to find, are funnels, saddles, and ditches. Some are easy to discern on the maps, and others take a bit more map reading skills to be able to locate. These areas are fairly easy to find on maps and images, but shoe leather is the only way to be sure of bedding and feeding areas. (Which usually happen to be fairly close to the terrain features discussed above.) Crop rotation is also a factor you will actually have to get out and get a first hand look at. Regardless, with a little practice, you should be able to read a property and know what to expect without ever setting foot on it.
Funnels are great for archers who need to get the deer in close. These can be found as natural land formations, such as a hollow between 2 hills. A feeding area with a blown down tree can be effective set up on the end of the tree. A short fence row between woodlots can be especially good, as it allows you to hunt the area without entering possible bedding areas. Water can also push deer into your set-up, and block the chance of getting winded if you can put your back against the water side, and the wind is right.
Ditches are one of my favorite places to set up a stand. First off they are greatly overlooked by other hunters as too small or too isolated to be a good location. On the contrary, ditches can provide long but thin stretches of cover for travel and feeding between what one would consider "better" locations. This is especially true on heavily hunted public land.
Saddles are another prime area to keep an eye out for. They provide an easier crossing for deer that usually is not as steep, and may keep them from silhouetting on a ridge. They can also swirl wind so one has to be careful on picking a set up.
On the picture I marked a property I hunt with 2 stands of each type. The red dots are saddle examples; the blue are funnels; and the green are ditches.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/bob--o/bigalsmarked.jpg
Use the web wisely, cut down on scouting time, and use your other basic deer hunting knowledge, and hopefully you'll have that wall hanger, and your freezer full this Fall. Good luck out there.