Scouting tools for upcoming season

[rhendrix]

Been out the hunting game for 7 years.

Finally at a place in life where I think I can get back into some public land bowhunting in the great State of NC.

Downloaded OnX and still have Avenza and have a few spots I wanna walk this weekend. Before I head out though, wanted to check to see if there’s any better online tools that can help me out that you like to use.

Thanks,
Ron


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[Macintosh]

Nope. Onx, google earth, boots.

 

[rhendrix]

Nope. Onx, google earth, boots.

Appreciate it. Kinda what I figured.


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[cnelk]

Trail cams are always a good scouting tool

 

[rhendrix]

Trail cams are always a good scouting tool

Public land on the east coast, I might run a few after scouting some but I don’t think they’ll last long.


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[MallardSX2]

If you’re going to run trail cameras on public land on the East Coast, I would certainly make sure you got the trail cameras and an extreme discount. Lol

 

[Macintosh]

Where on earth do you guys live that trail cams on public are so routinely stolen? In 10+ years of running a bunch of trail cams on eastern public I’ve had a total of one camera go missing, and Im not even certain I didnt just forget where it was. It’s kind of depressing to hear this…is it other hunters stealing them?

 

[Dr.Spaniel]

I do most of my scouting now. Google earth and my states online hunting atlas. It’s wet and snowy, leaves are down. Easy to see tracks, easy to see beds. Easy to see a boot print too or a tire tread at a spot you think is more remote. It’s rabbit season. Always have my .410. Bring a trash bag for deadheads and something to carry the sheds I hope you find. This is when you can easily build structure for a blind that you can leaf in later.

 

[signing off]

Hillmap.com is handy web site. Map view side by side with satellite view and zooms both as you move cursor.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Spartan Forge is really coming along to compete with onx, i use both

 

[pokes15]

For those running cameras on public, are you locking all of them up?

 

[Dr.Spaniel]

For the guys who use onX or Spartan Forge, what tools in the app do you find to be the most useful for your scouting?

 

[STL]

For the guys who use onX or Spartan Forge, what tools in the app do you find to be the most useful for your scouting?

The various sat images, slope angle, and lidar. Track function to know where I’ve gone and mark trails. Pins for sit trees and line distance for marking best access routes if I don’t have a track. Photo attach to remember the important stuff. Spartan forge journal for looking back at details from hunts and scouting trips. Super useful and crazy the amount of stuff you otherwise would forget.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

For those running cameras on public, are you locking all of them up?

I use camlockbox products

 

[Macintosh]

I have never locked my cameras on public, and never had an issue. It sounds like theft is just a lot more prevalent in some areas though. I had one camera go missing a year or three ago, possible it was stolen (or a bear messed with it, or I moved it and forgot, etc). I got a cell camera since and I have used a cable-lock on that. Recently I also often bring one climbing stick and hang the camera high from the stick, in order to keep it out of the view of animals who seem to react to them. The added benefit is theyre a lot harder to steal.

But really I dont think cameras are that great of a tool for scouting, at least where and how I hunt. They often give a false impression, they dont give me much or any info that I cant see with my own eyes, and at the same time I think they can spook animals and let others know the area is somehow noteworthy. For me its more of a fun thing than a scouting tool.