I use Google Earth to look for new hunting spots in my area and out of State trips.. SWEET ! Anyone else use it ???
I use it for my Colorado elk trips...really shows terrain...meadows lakes ...drainages...best thing after sliced bread..dave
Yep, I use it all the time! It's even better in 3d earth!
I usually won't walk into a new area without checking the Google Earth first. :thumbsup:
Glad you guys have up to date maps for your area for Google. All our maps our circa 1997 or so and are useless after the loggers come thru.
Always.
Great tool, I use it all the time.
BOB
I used to use the free version. It helped me find one of the best spots I ever hunted. That is until some other guys found it too! Oh well...the quest is back on!
Fantastic tool out west! Make sure you figure out how to use the zooming and tilt the horizon tools that bring the 3D aspect to life. The only thing that would be better is if you owned an airplane!
Hear is a useful site if you are interested in using a GPS in conjuction with google earth. http://www.itouchmap.com/latlong.htmlh
Try this one http://www.itouchmap.com/
click on Latitude/Longitude icon.
I love google earth; and use it. But it doesn't show legal accesses and otherwise secret legal ways to get into areas.
For that I go to the BLM or Forest service and buy maps that show the accesses.
Here in Idaho I have an anti-hunter that puts up no hunting signs on public land; and tears down any sign that says a trail is open to public access.
The forest service now has a new road access system. You have to get a map from them; and it is marked with roads open to motorized vehicles; and if its not on the map- it is not open to motorized vehicles---- so if you don't know about that and are hunting forest land : check it out.
I love it, along with my GPS they are an amazing tool together.
Yea i use it all the time. I study where i think the deer travel and the areas of least resistance. Plus, i like to know my surroundings because i tend to get lost alot at night...
I love it. like Brian said, ArkyBob and I found out last year that the national forest boundary shown on GE wasn't totally accurate. We hiked down the road inside the NF to see where the boundary actually was. We were stopped by a gate and fence almost 1/4 mile inside what we thought was the line.
I use Flash Earth, it's the Microsoft version of Google Earth. I can zoom in closer and clearer for my area. It also has latitude and longitude coordinates.
I've had a lot of frustrating luck with GoogleEarth myself. I use it at times to help out my scouting, and it can be a valuable tool, but I am having a lot of trouble with unethical hunters using it. My family has several secret spots we have been hunting for 30 years that had about the maximum amount of hunters there to manage the elk herd. With GoogleEarth, more and more unethical hunters are finding these locations who are too lazy to scout areas out before the week before season. In the last 5 years, the number of wounded bulls from 50+ yard shots has increased dramatically. Many of these hunters shoot wheels, but not exclusively.
I understand technology is helping other hunters find new areas to hunt, but it is frustrating when it gets into the hands of hunters who are not normally good hunters and willing to use technology exclusively to find new hunting spots. As I'm sure you all know, it hurts when you're secret haven is found and wrecked, and when you are hearing about bull after bull that has been wounded due to an unethical decision. I guess all I'm trying to say is technology can be great at times, but it can just plain stink at times too.
I use Bing maps. They have a cool birds eye view.
Spent the morning in a new unit I have an Elk tag in then came home and covered the areas I didn't get to by Google Earth. Found 8 stock tanks and windmills I didn't get to.
Doesn't replace being on the ground or talkin with the locals but is a great tool. A brief conversation with a cowboy put me in an area where I saw 7 of the best Muley bucks just hangin out and some good Elk sign.
google earth is my friend!
Try Bing maps with the birdseye option and 3d.
I like the way I can view all my gps waypoints track etc on google earth. Besides hunting and scouting I use it for finding old trails in Acadia National Park.
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii45/heilakka/tradgang1.jpg)
metastaja,
How do you merge the files to show your tracks with google earth? Thanks George
I use a program called expertgps which is available at www.expertgps.com. (http://www.expertgps.com.) There is a 30day trail version. I have been using expert since 1994 and it keeps getting better and better and is well supported. I use the program for all my gps data management.
It costs about $75 buck now. I happen to use the pro version which is now close to $200 because of stuff I do with shape files and other strange files. Expertgps allows me to view all my data on google earth or save my data in Google Earth format (kml) which is filename.klm.
If you can find another waypoint management system supporting KML and KMZ for google you should be able to do the same. I like expert be cause I can view topos maps, areal maps black and white, google maps and it allow me to scan old maps and calibrate them for finding old logging roads and trails from the early 1900's.
Here is an example of a calibrated 1942 topo I recently used to track down some
old roads and trails. The second is a small portion in google earth
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii45/heilakka/42lakewood.jpg)
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii45/heilakka/lakegogle.jpg)
Very useful! I like the feature that lets you measure distances too.
I use most of the ones mentioned and I also use USAPhotoMaps. It's old and black and white, but has a lot of good tools and very GPS friendly. Also has topo that you can switch back and fourth to aerial and topo.
Google Earth is integrated with the mapping software I have for my Garmin. I don't see the exact software I have on their website anymore but it's just the Garmin topo CD's. I can upload all of my waypoints, tracks, and routes from the GPS and view them on my computer in both the mapping software and Google Earth. I can also use the software (which has an enormous amount of detail including stock tanks) to set up new waypoints and routes, view it all in Google Earth, and upload it to my GPS to go find when I'm in the field. It's pretty slick...
I love it! In some areas you can even make out the heavily used game trails. I also use a free program called "Easy GPS" that communicates with my Garmin GPS unit. I mark waypoints on Google Earth and then transfer them to Easy GPS which uploads them to the handheld unit. The reverse is true if you want to view waypoints you marked in the field.
A truly amazing tool, and with a little practice you can make out what types of vegetation are in what areas. It's awesome for locating large oak stands for the fall acorn drop!
Juan
I personally don't like it.
I now have other guys hunting springs that took me miles of driving and walking to find. Not to mention countless hours of scouting. These guys found my spots by sitting on their butt.
I won't ever use this high tech stuff.
I had a valuable lesson in why you should use a topo map instead, or aswell-as, on the weekend. I hiked for many miles to what I thought was a floodplain, and wound-up in awful high and rocky country, on my own. The floodplain was actually a jumble of white rock atop a mountain.
That is why I refer to or carry a topo map also. Never just the high tech.
I prefer Google Earth. I can see trails on a lot of the areas I hunt.
i use it a lot.i found a wallow in my hunting area in burns that i had no clue was there using google earth.
Its a great aid !