Aerial Scouting/Topography Questions

johnhroberts

Button Buck
Preface: Again, I am a relatively new hunter. Only have a couple of spaced out seasons under my belt with limited success. Seems I will have some stability this fall, so I am going to hit it hard. Please excuse the ignorance, I am learning boys.

I have spent the past several months studying aerial maps of land that I plan on hunting this fall.

One common theme I have noticed is that most of the land I planned on hunting has very few pronounced topographical intricacies. Elevation changes are slight, and topographical features are indistinct.

In circumstances like this, what are some of the things you look you look for on a map? In your experience, do deer use the topography in the same manner they would in more variant terrain? Or do they tend to key more into habitat transition lines?

For what its worth, the areas that I am looking at have a lot of habitat transition between thick/thin hardwood, dense swamps, and fields.

I have not had the opportunity to get on the ground and start scouting in person. However, I have spent a lot of time trudging through woods around where I am located, and am frequently reminded that topographical maps are not always the best representation of the true definition of the land. I am just trying to make the most of my aerial scouting, and narrow down on some spots before I can get on the ground.

Thanks y’all.
 
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BLOODBROTHER

Twelve Pointer
Find thick/cover type vegetation. Find food. Find fresh sign. Find water in the early season. Find ambush spots based on prevailing wind near those areas. May take a bit to figure em out, like when the leaves fall and you gain some visibility but you can adjust from there.

Edited to add, can’t do all from a computer or desk. Get boots on the ground.
 

ABBD

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Welcome to the forum....

Habitat transition lines are key in areas that have little topography differences. In my experience ones that lead to food/water sources get used more often and have better overall deer traffic. You can only rely on aerials so much....Boots on the ground can help identify subtle terrain differences that may not be noticeable by aerial maps but could be critical with stand placement.

I shot a buck last year that used such a transition line. It was on the edge of a low cover thicket / oak flat transition. The area also had plenty of sign... scrapes, rubs, and intersecting trails. There was also a small drainage stream nearby. Perhaps most importantly it allowed for a stand placement that was perfect for NW winds...winds that accompany fall cold fronts. The set up allowed the buck to accomplish several things without much travel.... food, water, check scrapes, and scent checking the thicket for does. Setups such as this one have been very productive for me over the years.

Furthermore, look for evergreen transitions in nasty or cold weather. They provide protection and warmth for deer... and they will gravitate to them during these conditions. Like wise during hot weather they will look to bed in areas with good air flow and shade... corners of secluded broom straw/ soybean fields that stay shaded most of the day are some areas I key in on early season.

Best of luck and enjoy the forum!
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
Get in the swamps, hunt inside corners of field edges, transition areas and pinch points.
Of course check all those areas for the best sign.

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Redneck Rocker Dude

Old Mossy Horns
Have you laid eyes on the actual property itself? If looking at Google earth images they may not have been updated in a while. Clearcuts/thinnings/etc will make a big difference in the way you go about hunting a property.

Edit: just saw you're hunting on base... PM incoming.
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johnhroberts

Button Buck
Thanks for responses. When I get back down that way I will get boots on ground and try to figure out wind patterns.

The topic of stand placement is overwhelming. Considering ground ‘still’ hunting this season. Talk me out of it.
 

ducknut

Eight Pointer
In my opinion the best way to get to know a new area is to still hunt it. It's hunting season, so all of the sign is telling you where the deer are during hunting season. Plus you're mobile. Cover some ground and make some notes. Best of all you might kill one while looking. For me a tree stand is often more of a disadvantage. Especially on bigger tracks of land
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks for responses. When I get back down that way I will get boots on ground and try to figure out wind patterns.

The topic of stand placement is overwhelming. Considering ground ‘still’ hunting this season. Talk me out of it.
What do you mean by still hunt? Slowly moving around(stalking) or sitting still in a ground blind or against a tree?

Yes, around here folks call treestand hunting "still" hunting[emoji3]

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johnhroberts

Button Buck
What do you mean by still hunt? Slowly moving around(stalking) or sitting still in a ground blind or against a tree?

Yes, around here folks call treestand hunting "still" hunting[emoji3]

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

Sorry for the confusion. I mean ‘stalking’, with some stump sitting mixed in. Seems like it would be easier to adjust tactics while ‘stalking’ if the wind changes up on you. Again, I dont know squat.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
‘stalking’,


let me put my curmudgeon hat on,,,

stalking happens AFTER game is sighted
still hunting is slowly,,,ever so slowly (or fast depending on conditions and terrain) moving through habitat to find game
stand hunting is well,,,stand hunting,,,

yes in still hunting you might stop and "take a stand" at a nice spot,,,or to rest,,,or drink coffee and eat summer sausage,,,,

yes, a still hunt might turn into a stalk once you spot game,,,,

ok,,,back to regular broadcast

and yes - the fort bragg regs call it "stalking",,,,can't help that
 
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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
when I first came to NC back in the early 80s (1980 in fact) I tried stillhunting here,,,,

yeah, no

every 100 yards there's a dang tree monkey with a rifle,,,well maybe every 400 yards,,,,

plus factor in that several of the counties,,,gamelands,,,require stands at a certain height if using rifles,,,
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
I would be scared to try stalking on public land, hell I'm scared to try it on private land but I'm sure others have had luck with it.
Where I hunt at the terrain isn't conducive to stalking anyway.

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timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
I would be scared to try stalking on public land, hell I'm scared to try it on private land but I'm sure others have had luck with it.
Where I hunt at the terrain isn't conducive to stalking anyway.

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I stalk/still hunt all the time on public land. Never had a problem. Plenty of places to roam without bumping into others if you do your homework.

To the OP, you don't exactly say where you are hunting, but judging by your description of terrain, I would guess down in the eastern part of the state. While there may be very little differences in elevation through out large swaths of land down there, I still do use topographical features to help me determine where to hunt. A mere 5-10 feet in elevation difference can mean the difference between dry ground and a couple feet of water. So, if you can find a good, detailed topo map with 5 foot contours, that can be really helpful in identifying possible travel patterns for deer. But, for the most part when hunting in flat terrain areas, I key in on transition areas, habitat disturbances and things like that.
 

johnhroberts

Button Buck
Sorry yeah, SE NC. Hunting Mackall/Bragg and surrounding public. I hear it gets crowded as hell down here, and though I’d prefer to hunt that way, I’d hate to ruin someone’s sit by walking around all over the place. Probably aimlessly, at that.
 
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