Google earth scouting

Yell Co AR Hunter

Very Active Member
Dec 10, 2015
842
672
Yell County Arkansas
I do a lot of scouting using maps and google earth. I was just wondering why you never seem to be able to see game when you zoom into areas. I know a couple areas that antelope always seem to be in the same area and you can not see them. Just wondering what others thoughts about this are.
 

taskswap

Very Active Member
Jul 9, 2018
523
379
Colorado
I imagine at least two reasons are that satellite photos are often very low quality - when you see super high fidelity you're probably looking at an aircraft pass, not satellite, and those are often not taken in wilderness areas. And second, they often need to be taken mid-day both because the lighting is best and because it's more likely that morning fog has burned off and afternoon storms haven't rolled in yet (depending on the area).

When the animals are bedded down, often in timber.

Below is an area I KNOW elk bed in because I've hiked it and glassed them settling into this exact spot. They were hard to see from 300yds with good glass. From a satellite I think it would be impossible:

32045
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
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Gypsum, Co
On another forum a member claims that he can see elk with the Google Earth shots.

He says that you just need to know what to look for.
 

tim

Veteran member
Jun 4, 2011
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north idaho
sometimes i think google earth is a waste of time. The place never looks like it does on google earth. one place i hunt, google earth shows clearcuts that existed in the 90's. But not today and todays clear cuts are not in the picture. to me google earth is good for the big picture, but worthless for detail. looking around town, different story.
 

JimP

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Mar 28, 2016
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Gypsum, Co
sometimes i think google earth is a waste of time. The place never looks like it does on google earth. one place i hunt, google earth shows clearcuts that existed in the 90's. But not today and todays clear cuts are not in the picture. to me google earth is good for the big picture, but worthless for detail. looking around town, different story.
Have you looked at the dates when the pictures are taken?

Most that I have looked at are within 5 years or so from now. Some are newer but very few are older.

I just looked at a lot of areas in Idaho and in Wilderness areas and most if not all images were taken in 2016 if not newer..
 
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JimP

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Mar 28, 2016
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Gypsum, Co
It would be interesting to know just how often they update their images. The one of my home town is 2017 and I looked at the one for where I was grizzly hunting up in British Colombia and it was 2003, but nothing much has changed up there except for a few trees that have fallen down.
 

Rich M

Very Active Member
Oct 16, 2012
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566
I looked for animals too and mainly have been able to see cows. Was looking for antelope and found cows...
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
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idaho
I do a lot of scouting using maps and google earth. I was just wondering why you never seem to be able to see game when you zoom into areas. I know a couple areas that antelope always seem to be in the same area and you can not see them. Just wondering what others thoughts about this are.
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