Reading Topo maps

[milboltnut]

Other than elevation, saddles, peaks, draws, directional indications of draws for funneling deer, is there anything else that would be helpful to navigate ?

 

[Ol' Red]

Available water source.

 

[Mathews Diehard]

Subtle benches

 

[milboltnut]

the draws I mapped have springs

 

[P7M13]

the draws I mapped have springs

Be aware of the date of the topo.
If it's of western areas, i.e. front range all the way to the Pacific, many springs are dry from August to late September (dates vary).
Try to verify with satellite photos.
As @Mathews Diehard mentioned subtle benches -- I have seen many instances where game hides on those benches, which just happen to be a below a 20' drop cliff from where I access them. Elevation lines give an idea, but don't tell the story. A specific example of dates and benches can be seen in Oregon and Washington. There are hundreds of dozer cuts in the sides of ridges from when they laid telephone or fiber cable across the US. These don't show in topo maps, often you cannot see game hiding in the shadow of the cut from above or from below.

 

[milboltnut]

I hunt the late November and early December in PA

 

[milboltnut]

Subtle benches

Is this one ? A bench is called a saddle too, correct?

 

[Mathews Diehard]

Is this one ? A bench is called a saddle too, correct?
View attachment 337201

No, a saddle is a depression between two high points. If you look just north of the arrow in the picture you have, that is actually a small saddle.

IMO, the best benches are on the leeward side of a hill, usually near the top. They will lay on the benches looking down the hill with the wind coming over the hill behind them. Of course this is dependent on a handful of other things (Thermals, vegetation, sight distance, escape routes, etc.).

 

[milboltnut]

I saw the saddle as you said but thought they were the same, but ok, gotcha. But a bench is a wide spot between elevation lines

Help me find a bench. Pic on the right is another entry I was thinking about. But the first one where my parking walking up that draw is quite a walk. I talked to a guy near there last year and he said it was about a half an hour walking slow.

 

[Mathews Diehard]

Ok, so just a quick look and I like the spot that I circled in red, especially with a west wind. Kind of a bench on the ridge.

First, they have multiple quick exit routes, depending on where danger is coming from.

Second, and probably more important, they can watch you get out of your truck, and move the opposite way you are heading. They will figure out where you park very quickly. They won't avoid the area, but rather slip out before you know they were even there.

 

[WapitiBob]

There aren't any benches on your screen shot that I see. And if you park where that pin is you'll be climbing and not doing much hunting. I'd look at the sat imagery, they'll feed in the openings close to the tops but that road up there could be problem.

 

[milboltnut]

posted 2 more screen shots of another parking spot across he ridge.

@Mathews Diehard
the best benches are on the leeward side of a hill, usually near the top.
Leeward ? down the hill away from the wind.

 

[Longcruise]

Many good benches won't show up on your topo maps. Saddles are very productive during the times when they are moving. Benches good for extremely slow still hunting during mid day. Especially if there is water immediately available. If you hit benches hard they may move completely out.

Some good benches don't show up on the topo because the topo intervels are too far apart.

 

[Mathews Diehard]

Correct, leeward = downwind side