Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Parasite on April 10, 2019, 04:48:05 AM

Title: E-scouting
Post by: Parasite on April 10, 2019, 04:48:05 AM: How are you guys e-scouting the NE corner of the state? Been perusing it with googlemaps for whitetail and turkeys, and needless to say ... it's not what I am used to back in the midwest. Any tips?
Title: Re: E-scouting
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 10, 2019, 04:54:16 AM: No e-scouting, e-mailing though
Title: Re: E-scouting
Post by: Parasite on April 10, 2019, 05:00:37 AM: Thanks, thats the info I needed on the maps. Not sure I'll need to email anyone just yet. Time for some boots on the ground though! Plus a little road scouting. After that, I'll see if I need to play with some topos a bit.
Title: Re: E-scouting
Post by: NorseNW on April 10, 2019, 07:40:00 AM: My experience has been I suck pretty bad at e-scouting. :bash:

I wish it wasn't the case. Despite reading as much as I could and completing elk hunting 101 university none of the location I e-scouted last year turned out to be what I thought nor produced any animals. Very disappointed with myself. I guess it's a learning curve but it sure makes spending a long time driving for nothing painful. Wish I had someone with some local knowledge for areas I want to try out but I guess I'll resort to burning diesel if I want to connect.
Title: Re: E-scouting
Post by: 7mmfan on April 10, 2019, 08:08:10 AM: E scouting is definitely a learned skill. I did, and still do, a lot of it for the areas that we hunt out of state. The first year I did it I picked a handful of spots that I felt had what we needed and were huntable. I learned immediately that satellite images, and real life are two very different things. I also learned that 2000' on Google Earth, and 2000' on boots, are two very different things. One area out of all the spots I picked turned out to be productive, but I didn't find that out until a couple years later when I ventured back in there with a couple years under my hat and a lot learned.

I have had some successes now with e-scouting, but they have all stemmed from having time on the ground and learning some of the intricacies of the area. Nothing is more productive than boots on the ground.
Title: Re: E-scouting
Post by: TheStovePipeKid on April 10, 2019, 08:18:23 AM: I agree with 7mmfan. Nothing beats boots on the ground. Unless you have access to recent aerial shots most images will be outdated and the forests will likely have changed. The most effective e-scounting I've been able to do was after being in an area. It does help the next time you are out if you know they general locations for things like waterways and valleys. I live on the West side and hunt on the East side. With 7 hours of driving I don't get to scout in advance. I usally stick to the same areas and after a couple of years I'm able to pull maps and plan my trips pretty well. I've never arrived at a new location and felt it's been anything like the pictures. Like everything it is a good starting point, just don't put all your stock in places you haven't been yet.
Title: Re: E-scouting
Post by: avidnwoutdoorsman on April 10, 2019, 08:32:13 AM: Agree with the above... practice, expect it to be different, and eventually you got to walk it out

I add to tips/aids:
Tip 1, this is for elk in a different state but it tells you some different ways to eScout. Yes your asking about deer but this will teach you some things. His story is similar to 7mmfan where he picks an "A" spot, "B" spot, etc... then boot scouts them, and decides where to hunt. He repeats a lot of stuff so its a little long.... but I got a couple good take aways from it.

https://www.onxmaps.com/blog/hunting-e-scouting-elk-complete-guide

Tip 2, there is a feature in google earth where you can scroll back and forth in the time lapse. Why go back 10 years? Because each shot is taken at a different time of year typically. So you can see if there is a real canopy, where the hard woods are, possibly even what the area might look like when you get there, and lastly you can even sometimes figure out when the cuts/fire happened to age them if that is important and you are hunting cuts/fires. I know there are other ways to figure out cuts/fires but this works too.