Custom topo hunting and aerial map now available from http://whitetailresearch.net

July 20, 2004 -- Almost every hunter is aware of the need to scout an area before they can successfully hunt it. Many will make an attempt to learn the area they are hunting in to some extent.

The biggest obstacle in scouting an area is time constraints. I primarily hunt in Florida, where navigating around the thick swamps will consume a considerable amount of time and learning a new swamp or thicket can only be achieved over repetitious scouting trips. Southeast hunting is unique because of the flat terrain, dense under growth and numerous cypress swamps. Not a whole lot of area for glassing down here.

After the first couple of trips into a new area you will start to get a mental picture of the layout of the terrain. Once you have established an overall picture of the area then you will need to figure if the area you are scouting has a deer population worth pursuing further, or should you move on to a new location to learn.

At this point you are probably thinking, "This guy must hate the woods, he is making it sound like a lot of time wasting work." In all actuality, like you, there is no place else I would rather be. My scope is to provide a systematic approach for you to work smarter not harder in your approach to scouting. With a little planning the amount of time-spent scouting will be very productive and value added.

The first step to learning a new area in a very short time is to obtain a topographical map of the location you are interested in. I prefer a 48x36 map because it contains the most amount of area coverage and is only about $29.00 (small price for the amount of time you save). Smaller versions are available in 24x36 and priced at about $17.00. Each map is custom design by you. The software allows you to focus a center point for your map anywhere you want, making every map unique. When designing a map be patient when using a dial up Internet connection, allow time for the map to compile after each change.

Once you have a map of the area you plan to scout, study the map looking for water sources and natural game corridors. Note the small creeks, these may be dried up, deer tend to use these as natural travel routes. Use dry erase makers to make temporary notes on your map (laminated and waterproof available) or to highlight an area you plan on scouting. If you plan to make permanent notes use sharpie pens, they are great for assigning names to the unimproved roads or ponds on your map.

Before you head out with your map in hand, you will need to dip into your wallet once more. You will need to purchase a GPS. Personally I use the Garmin eTrex it has a low cost (approximately $110.00), available in advantage camo, rubberized coating and has feed times built in. The base model does not have the built in maps of the more expensive models available from Garmin, but works perfect for hunting and scouting.

Now that you have the proper tools for scouting it is time to use them. Once you have arrived at the area you plan to scout, fire up that GPS and find the longitude and latitude of your current location. Next refer to your topology map using the readings you have just taken from your GPS. Mark this starting waypoint on your GPS and name it something. Now refer to the topology map and find one of the locations you would like to go scout first, noting the longitude and latitude of the location on the topographical map. Using the waypoint setting on your GPS create a new waypoint and edit the longitude and latitude settings with a location you have chosen on your topographical map you would like to navigate to and name it. Next refer to the topology map and find one of the locations you would like to go to next, noting the longitude and latitude of the location on the topographical map. Using the waypoint setting on your GPS create a new waypoint and edit the longitude and latitude settings with a location you have chosen on your topographical map you would like to navigate to and name it.

As you can see repeating this process will quickly allow you to triangulate an area and give you a good visual reference of the region you are in. Now that you have quickly familiarized yourself with the layout you can concentrate on locating the bedding and feeding areas the whitetails are using. If you prefer to input the scouting destinations into your GPS before leaving your home it will save the added time of entering them at your scouting site. This would also eliminate the need to carry a large topographical map in the woods with you.

http://whitetailresearch.net





This article courtesy of http://thehuntingdirectory.com.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in
your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author
name and URL remain intact.

Submit Your Article