Maps, Maps,....and More Maps

[GobbleNut]

About this time each spring I start reviewing maps of the places I intend to hunt.  I have a couple of boxes full.  In those boxes are maps of every single place I have hunted.

It amazes me how often I encounter hunters,...and even property owners,...that do not have any maps of the area with them,...and often are completely unfamiliar with where they area at.  Amazing as it may sound, I have hunted on leases and properties that there were no maps available showing the boundaries of the properties.  Some of those places had been leased or owned by the same group for years,...yet they did not have any accurate and detailed maps of the place.
That's astonishing to me.

Even if I am only going to hunt a place a single time, I will either get existing maps from a source, or I will go online and print maps.  If there are clearly defined boundaries of the area I am hunting, I will mark those boundaries on my maps.  I will mark road and trail systems.  I will also do a systematic evaluation of the entire area as to where I think my best chance of finding turkeys will be.

Finally, unless I know the place I will be hunting is going to be a slam dunk in terms of killing birds there, I will look for every alternative hunting spot I might have in the area,....public lands, WMA's. and the like. 

Honestly, it is hard for me to believe that every single hunter does not go through that process.  The value of having maps and using them cannot be overstated. 

[Gobspur]

I agree.  I'm a natural resource manager, so I'm using maps about every day for all kinds of things.  They are instrumental for hunting I think.

A lot of turkey hunters probably know of this and use it.  But there are several smartphone apps for various mapping tools, which can enable your phone to work like a GPS, even without signal.  I like one called U.S. Topo Maps, about $11.  You can "cache" or store aerials, topos, etc on your phone for your whole hunting area, and access these even when you have no signal.  It will also show your location on the maps, because you phone's GPS does not require a data signal.  Can do other things like a stand alone GPS too, such as waypoints, tracks, etc.  Gotta love technology... 

...I'll also add that a lot of counties, at least in the states I hunt, now have property maps online which show property owners and boundaries.  Just google your "county GIS"

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

I'm a map junky too.  I have a lot of electronic maps from the USGS stored on my laptop and use those in a pinch, and use Google maps and Google earth to do a lot of virtual scouting, but when it comes to actual hunting, I really like having the paper maps in hand.  I make notes on them and mark them up.   Maps can be and are often wrong too.   I once followed what was clearly marked as a forest road and it dead-ended at some guys cabin.  Lots of scruffy looking guys with guns standing around wondering who the trespasser was.  It turned out okay though ... 

[drenalinld]

Agree, coupled with GPS or cell phone Google Earth or similar you can make life much easier.

[zelmo1]

  I am a map guy too, can't understand not having one

[TauntoHawk]

I'm looking at maps right now..... use them all the time

[The Cohutta Strutter]

Yep, a vital part of the arsenal! Strutter.

[Coachwate]

My Dad taught me the value of knowing the areas at a young age even though we never hunted. He being in the Army, I was taught how to read a map and compass by the time I could read. My friends all picked on me growing up because I would use maps to scout fishing spots, but they all wanted to go with me since I was always on the fish. I have been reviewing maps on Google Earth and the GIS for my county for months now. My printer died so I don't have physical copies but I have a pretty good photographic memory but would like the security. Hopefully I can use the same skills I learned for scouting fishing holes (didn't have a boat walked the lake) and apply them to the woods. We'll see on Wednesday on opening day.

[silvestris]

I have carried topos for 40 years.  Nothing like knowing the smartest way to get from pointA to point B.

[turkey_slayer]

I am always going over maps. I use backcountry navigator and it usually shows the private and national forest boundaries. I also use mytopo.com and Google earth.