Google Earth as a tool for hunting

[ydeardorff]

I started using Google earth not for navigation, but rather as an aid for establishing the range of my prey.
It has a lot of cool features, like sunlight shadowing in 3D that allows me to establish south facing slopes, as well as where the sun will be shining first at sunrise, and last at night.
It also allows me to place pins on the map marking points where I saw scat, tracks, or even an animal itself. It can be used to effectively plan out a strategy for a hunt as well.

Does anyone here use any kind of mapping tool like this?

Another thing, it might be a cool trick for this site to have a Bear harvested cork board, overlay of the state. It could show the members picture of their prize in a thumbnail or something. Just an idea.

[ICEMAN]

I would not want to let someone know where I shot my bear...just sayin'...
 
Let me rephrase that; I would not want to post on the internet exactly where I hunt and harvested my bear...  I have shared hunt info with folks, but usually behind the scenes or in a private email......

[ydeardorff]

I see your point.

Yet it does offer a great computer based method of tracking your outings, and establishing an animals range, and usual haunts.

[rebal69972]

  i wouldn't mind giving a gmu but not anymore then that not on the open net 

i use google earth not only to help plan hunts but my wife and i put pins on the map where we r planing on hunting each day. if we stick to our plan it gives search and rescue a place to start if something where to happen

[ydeardorff]

yes, I think it can be used as a valuable tool for this rather spendy hobby.

[Raul Duke]

Been using it for years. I use it mostly for coyote stands. See where I can set up, how far apart I can set up. Great way to save gas.

[nwhunter]

Question here. Are you guys using the free google earth and if so when I use it and zoom in close to the ground it always gets out of focus to where I cant see the details I would like to see. Do I need to do something different to get more detail?Thanks nwhunter

[jess]

I use it to locate south facing slopes and ridges for shed hunting....

[SniperDanWA]

I won't post on the Intrnet.  The info on here is far too detailed and accessible by other who not want to work for their prey.  I do use Google for viewing, but I also use MapPoint (Microsoft) on my laptop.  I can do everything that I can do on Google, but it is resident on my device.  I can zoom in, print, pin, overlap FS roads, put in my own boundaries, etc. 

[Alan K]

I use Google Earth every day.  Very useful tool.  As for getting people to post locations of their kills (or at least the real ones). . . Good luck with that one. 

[840dc]

 

[SamKilo]

I also utilize Google Earth regularly, and as far as I know, the files you post in 'My Places' are stored solely on your own hard drive, and can not be accessed by other users of Google earth. If I am wrong, somebody please provide a link that says otherwise because I would like to know. (not that I have a bunch of confidential stuff on there) 

[JimmyHoffa]

Question here. Are you guys using the free google earth and if so when I use it and zoom in close to the ground it always gets out of focus to where I cant see the details I would like to see. Do I need to do something different to get more detail?Thanks nwhunter

I use the free version.  I think the reason it is blurry is the image date.  For the areas I like to look at on the OP, the areas are mostly blurry (I can still see what I need to see) and have an image date of march 2006.  There are other areas (near cities) where it is clearer, but the image date switches to July 2009 and even 2010.

[Alan K]

I also utilize Google Earth regularly, and as far as I know, the files you post in 'My Places' are stored solely on your own hard drive, and can not be accessed by other users of Google earth. If I am wrong, somebody please provide a link that says otherwise because I would like to know. (not that I have a bunch of confidential stuff on there) 

That's correct, everyone would have to submit their kml/kmz files to some sort of online file sharing site and everyone would have to download each file to their own computer to see them. (As far as I know!)

As far as blurry images, they'll refine themselves to your zoom as best they can, but if you end up zooming in and the image wasn't taken in that high a resolution you'll experience the blurriness.  Like JimmyHoffa said, the newer the imagery, generally the higher resolution the photos were taken, which in turn means clearer images.

[Arteman]

I use it to locate south facing slopes and ridges for shed hunting....

I don't know about Google Earth, but this year I used my gps to literally walk back and forth all the way down large hillsides to pick them clean of sheds.  Worked like a charm, just droped down about 15 ft every time, kept it in my hand the whole time to make sure I was keeping a consistent distance from my last mark.  I found some hard to find sheds using this method.