Google Earth

[Ikeepitcold]

How many of you really rely on Google Earth for your scouting?

I mean using it and then go hunting to the area you found with it? No scouting with boots on the ground, no pre scouting.

 

[Slugz]

I've found that its only useful for locating old growth dark timber/north facing to confirm its still a good stand for possible bedding area.
I never just E scout and go hunt.

 

[JNDEER]

Hunts that are hours away or out of state, GE is all I have used. I would rather use my time off hunting then scouting.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I use it some, especially for new areas to confirm roads and other access points that I have found on maps.

 

[Fink]

I'm pretty much addicted to google earth at this point, and probably spend a few hours a week on it, scouting areas. I use it to find access into areas that have limited access, and to avoid areas that have easy road or trail access.
I use it quite a bit here at home, for turkeys and waterfowl. Historical images are really nice for being able to see how much water it takes to flood certain areas, when and where sandbars on rivers get exposed, etc..
In the last 5 years, I've probably killed no less than 10 spring gobblers on ground I've never set foot on, only scouted from google earth

 

[mustang8]

Boots on the ground is obviously preferred, but when im 2 or 3 states away from a hunt, that is all I can rely on is google earth and on x maps.

 

[WapitiBob]

Most of my internet scouting is with GE pro. Best tool out there along with mapc2mapc. I also use topofusion pro because it downloads all the map/sat imagery to my laptop and imports/exports tracks/waypoints so I can still "internet scout" from my camper when hunting and transfer that data to phone/gps.

 

[88man]

I bet I use google earth almost everyday

 

[badgerbob]

I use it and onXmaps a lot. But I rarely hunt an area I have not put boots on the ground first. I shed hunt in the spring and early summer and glass mid summer until season opens. I'd rather be out there than inside....any day....

 

[highplainsdrifter]

I use it to supplement my on the ground scouting.

Anyone know how to load section lines onto Google Earth Pro?

 

[tim]

I tried using it on some remote Alaskan hunts and the images are just not good enough.
For here in Idaho where I live, maybe 2% of my scouting is on google earth. I have found it is hard to get good perspective, an inch away on a screen might be all day in reality.

 

[CODAK]

DONT DO THIS... come to Colorado and say "Oh that's steeper than it look on Google Earth", well... duh! It's CO. assume the worst

 

[Work2hunt]

Ive used it some. It definitely takes practice to become proficcient with it in understanding what the terrain will really look like and scaling of distance on your screen vs reality.

 

[7mag]

DONT DO THIS... come to Colorado and say "Oh that's steeper than it look on Google Earth", well... duh! It's CO. assume the worst

If it looks pretty steep on google earth it is VERY steep in real life!

 

[ScottR]

If it looks pretty steep on google earth it is VERY steep in real life!

Yup....sometimes you can?t replace topos

 

[hoshour]

Love it, especially with kmz overlays. The biggest problem is that as others have said, until you get used to it, it can really fool you on steepness. I do have some difficulty when I get low, like trying to get a view from a potential glassing spot.

 

[ColoradoV]

I miss the days of not knowing or wondering what was in a drainage then going to the local outdoor store with my father and buying the paper quad map, having my mom laminate it, making a plan, packing in, only then seeing what was there. Spend a day fishing then maybe or maybe not comming back.

Just today I looked over half the northerm part of NM.. Kids dont know how good they have it these days lol.

 

[kidoggy]

I wouldn't say I rely on it. nothing beats boots on the ground. but sure ain't nothing wrong with using every tool one can.

these days ,I seldom hunt a NEW area, so maps not really much of an issue anymore.

 

[tdcour]

Unless I've been there on a prior hunt, my out of state hunts consist of google earth, topographic maps, then go hunt. Usually no chance to take extra vacation to scout. Have to use it for the family and the actual hunt.

 

[tdcour]

DONT DO THIS... come to Colorado and say "Oh that's steeper than it look on Google Earth", well... duh! It's CO. assume the worst

Been there, done that. I use the tilt feature now to get a look at the steepness of the terrain. Gives a better perspective, but I just have in my mind that it is definitely going to be steeper than it looks usually.