How To Use Google Earth To Plan A Long Range Hunt

[Len Backus]

How do you guys use Google Earth to plan for a hunt. I'll mention my recent experience, too, when I get caught up with my other site work.

[J E Custom]

Len

I realy like google as a hunting tool.

First I find the location with the aerial view.

Then try to find the camp site (last year 2007) I actually found the
cabin we stayed in with the aerial view.

Once the base camp was located I picked a scale that showed the
area to be hunted ( A 10 mile radius )and printed several copies.

Then I switched to the topo of the same area and printed several
coppies of these.

Next I printed coppies of this area with Latitude and longitude grid
lines on the aerial view to use with my GPS and It all worked very
well.

The big plus was that I was very familiar with the area befor I even
showed up in a camp that I had never been in.

As I established way points with my GPS I could locate them on my
maps.

Google is a great tool!!
J E CUSTOM

[bitterroot bulls]

Google Earth really shines when you go into 3D. It is amazing. I have recreated photos I have taken by zooming into a point of view at the angle I took the shot. Comparing the photo to the Google Earth recreation really shows the accuracy of Google's system. "Flying" around in Google Earth can sure save some miles on the boots when you are trying to find certain terrain types!

[ss7mm]

Google Earth.....don't leave home without it.

I have used it for a loooong time in planning hunts and looking at new areas. It's about the closest thing there is to actually being there. You can save a lot of driving, hiking and looking by using it ahead of time.

Like was mentioned you can couple it with your GPS and get waypoints marked, plan hunts and virtually know the area before hand even if you've never been there before.

Find the area, Zoom to the right level, rotate and tilt and then just "hike" up and down canyons and across ridges. Kinda like a virtual hunt/hike.

If you don't have it, you can get it here. Google Earth - This week's life on Earth

[Len Backus]

I used it in planning my last MT trip. I was able to use the "measure" or somesuch name function to figure rough distances from one ridge to another in some of the draws I was considering hunting. Or...how far from the hay field I planned to set up on...to the logical "hide' locations.

I printed maps for in the field. In MT there are online maps that show private property lines and borders of public land...I hunted some of each. With GE I could see where these lines were. I printed maps and then drew on them the borders. WOW!

I input waypoints into my handheld before I left home. In the dark the first day we made our way to a pre-determined setup spot. Well almost... Now I am more proficient so I'll be able to do that next time.

I did not leave home without it. I took my laptop on the trip. At night I would review where I had been and plan the next day's hunt. Unbelieveable.

[Buffalobob]

I use it in reverse to most people, I guess. First I go to the hard printed maps and look for land ownership and road networks. I try to select areas that have no roads in them and are about 3-5 miles wide. Once I have some areas marked up on the hard maps I then use GE to look at things like vegetation, clearcuts and meadows. Once you get above tree line it can be hard to separate vegetation from talus using GE.

[bkondeff]

Len,

I to have taken my laptop with me, but unless I have an internet connection basically all I have is a freeze frame and the view gets distorted as I move around. Am I missing something on using this program when not internet connected?