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Getting started with a hunting plan
NOTE: to see the trip referenced below, click here.
When you are planning a new hunt it is very helpful to have as much information
on the area you are planning to hunt. Some things you need to know to plan a
successful hunt are, where is a good camp site, what kind of access is there to
the terrain you plan to hunt, what sort of topography will you encounter, where
are the water sources, and as much information about vegetation types and
stands as possible.
Typically we get this information from scouting and
asking around among fellow hunters and sporting goods stores. Maps and books are
another good source. But once you gather all this information it really helps
to have a centralized means of putting it all together and taking it to the field
with you. You can pack it all into your backpack or use Trimble Adventure
Planner to organize it and download it to your Trimble Outdoors phone*. There is no
comparison to the benefit of having this information in the palm of your hand
or shirt pocket.
In most cases you will already know the area you are planning to hunt. In
this case we will use the Adventure Planner and information from a past elk hunt
to plan this year’s hunt. After we have completed the plan we can make the
trip available to the rest of our hunting party and members of the Trimble
Outdoors community simply by sharing it on the Trimble Outdoors website. Other
members of the party can review the trip and make comments or modifications
before setting out. Once the plan is set everyone in the party will have the
complete plan in their Trimble Outdoors units. We can also keep in touch during the
trip using the Nextel Direct Connect feature of our phones.
During the hunt members of the party can upload updates to the website for
everyone to share. Someone may have seen habitat, sign or good places for a
stand. Pictures** of these locations along with the automatic GPS positions can
be uploaded for everyone in the Trimble Outdoors community to search and use.
Selecting a base camp
We already know the area we are going to hunt so now we need a suitable
campsite. We want an area with easy access for our vehicles to the camp and
easy access to the areas we are planning to hunt.
Figure 1. Street route from town to hunt area
Using the street maps function in figure 1. We can plan the route from home to
the general area of the hunt. Once in the general area street maps are not of
much value as seen in figure 2.
Figure 2. Streets overview
Figure 3. Topographic overview
By switching to the topographic view in figure 3 we can see that there is a
small service or jeep road leading into a flat area. But this is not enough
information to determine if this place will make a suitable campsite.
Now by switching to the aerial mode in figure 4 we can see the clear areas and
many trails and power line clear cuts in this area. Also there are lots of
clearings with clusters of trees for cover. Off to the west we can also see
standing water in the creek. So this looks like a very good place to begin a
hunt.
Figure 4. Aerial Photo overview
Now by zooming in to the maximum level (figure 5) we can check for camp sites.
Point F looks good. It is right at the road and has trees to provide shade,
places to hang game as well as provide wind breaks. So let’s mark this as our
camp site.
Figure 5. Zoomed in camp site
Creating a hunting plan
Now using the topographic overview (figure 3) lets look for likely places to
hunt and set up stands. We can see that there are no roads or trails in this
area on the topographic map. If this were our only reference we would likely
not go into this area since there don’t appear to be any roads or trails. When
we use the aerial view (figure 4) we can see many roads and trails around the
area, including a power line clear cut.
Looking at the distribution of cover, water and clearings we can see likely
places for game to bed, feed, water and travel between these locations. Given
the number of people in the hunting party and their various capabilities we can
now select strategies for the first day of hunting. Some of us like to sit in
cover and watch open areas while others like to sit in high places and glass
for game. We can also determine how far we can go by vehicle to the places we
want to hunt.
Now that the plan is set we simply download the trip to all the members of the
party. As each member hunts he can add POIs, pictures and comments as well as
routes for the rest of the group.
After the hunt
The hunt is now over and Moe and Bob were successful in each taking a bull elk.
We will now update the trip with information gained during the hunt. Figure 6
shows the movements of the elk and the point that they were taken. Our camp is
the POI in the center at the end of the route.
Bob hunted the upper area (points A and B) and marked the paths of elk moving
in the evening (A) and in the morning (B) when he took his bull. Moe marked the
path of elk he saw the morning he took his bull (points C and D).
On the first evening a string of over twenty elk were observed moving east
along trail A. They moved in the evening shadows of tree line along an open
creek that afforded them a clear view ahead. The next morning they were
observed moving west from the cover B. Bob took his bull while walking down the
power line toward the creek.
Moe watched several bulls moving along path C at 9:30 and took his bull when
they came out into the open at the POI above path C.
Reviewing the cover and terrain we were able to see where these elk traveled,
bedded and grazed. This information will be used on the next year’s hunt.
Figure 6. Elk movements
Settling the arguments
Hunters always seem to tell hunting stories with exaggerations of their
exploits. Using the Adventure planner we are able to verify the actual
locations and distances involved using the ruler tool. In figure 7 we can
measure how far Bob’s elk was from camp (0.407 miles) and in figure 8 we can
see how far Moe’s elk is away (0.511 miles).
Figure 7. measuring distance from camp to Bob's elk
Figure 8. measuring distance to Moe's elk
In figure 9 the distance that Bob shot is measured as 0.127 miles or 670 feet.
Figure 9. measuring distance of shot
Sharing trip and photos
Several photos were taken along the way and they were uploaded to the Trimble
Outdoors website. Trimble Outdoors members are able to view the POIs and photos
(figure 10). Using the POIs, photos and game sightings we can see what the area
looks like and plan appropriately. Having the photo of POI E in figure 10 gives
us a lot more detail about what the area is really like. We can see the ground
cover, slope, shadows, potential feeding areas, etc.
With all the new information available by using Trimble Adventure Planner
and Trimble Outdoors, we can create hunting plans with much greater
probabilities of success in the type of terrain we are comfortable with, and
share them with others in the Trimble Outdoors community.
Figure 10. Photo of POI
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