Does anyone use google earth for scouting and if so do you have any tips on its use? I have been looking at it the past couple of days and it looks as if it could be most useful.

I use it all the tIme, it's very helpful.

If I have to drive a ways and make a special trip to look over property, I will first look at Google Earth. I'll find areas I want to walk to from a certain location (truck) and make a track or route on Google that will hit all the spots I want.

I'll do this for all areas I want to scout and send the tracks to my Garmin GPS. Then print out the aerial photo's and tracks on Google.

By doing it this way I always know where I'm at if I find a good spot in relation to my truck..easy in and out..for future hunts. I also can look at the aerial printout and get better knowledge of lay of land in relationship of my track and also use my GPS for Topo info. Saves a lot of walking for me.

Use it all the time ...  AND our lease image was updated as of JUNE 1, 2012 ...  WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Having 4 little ones at home doesn't leave me as much woods time as I'd like.  Literally 95% of my scouting is done via satellite imagery.  I'm like Hoyt in my methods.  I pretty much know the general "spot" I'm going to hang a stand before I ever get there, and once on the ground is when I look for that funnel within the funnel that will give me a stick bow range shot.

I use it anytime I am heading out west since it is not possible to scout on site ahead of the hunt.  It is very useful for learning the unit/area you will hunt.  One thing to keep in mind is that Google Earth makes things look more accessible than it turns out to be once on the ground imo.  I can never cover the amount of ground I thought I could while looking at Google Earth.

i suggest scoutlookweather.com. I prefer it because it will give you a scentcone based on the prevailing wind. You can save your specific hunting area It has the same satellite imagery as Google Earth. It also has phone app, though I have not used as of yet.

I use it a lot. I make a digital copy of my hunt area. In photo shop I'm able to add trails, stands, scrape and other sign to the picture. Over time patterns develop which are easily seen.

Is there a way to use Google Earth and see topo maps instead of the satalite pictures?

I use it all the time. I have all my current,former and future stand areas all marked on GE. I find a place that looks promising, I transfer the coordinates to my GPS and walk in to that exact spot.
I spend lots of time prescouting with google earth and also learning a new piece of land.

Another tip is to use the "Historical imagery".  You can find areas that may have been logged a few years back or that have been abandoned and overgrown etc.Where I hunt, I like to set up near 3-5 year cutovers whereas I might shy away from 10 year cutovers that have had time to regrow some timber

Charlie,

I do the same thing-mark trails, stands, etc- right on Google Earth, just go to the icons at the top of the page.  I also GPS'ed the corner markers and entered that data so I could accurately draw the property boundaries.

QuoteOriginally posted by Recurve50 LBS:
Is there a way to use Google Earth and see topo maps instead of the satalite pictures?

There is on Google Maps (ipads and phones), you can switch the image easy, I'm sure it uses Google Earths Satellite images as well.

Just find a KML link online to topo info, such as the Geo communicator or NAtionl Forest sites.  When you open them off the internet, your computer will prompt you to open them in google earth.  I use google earth for both topo and aerial/ boundaries/ ownership/ water rights/ right of ways/ etc... all that info is on the net and Google earth will open them and transfer them to the 3D version for you.  They work very slick.

Also, KMZ files can be downloaded and opened too.

When you do get them in google earth, make sure to move them to 'my places', away from the 'temporary places' section.

We had a public land area next to the property I hunted and I got the boundary map from the DNR, cut out the area property lines and went to Google Maps. I had to play around with sizing but using a couple of landmarks was able to print the Google map and draw the property lines in red on it. Very helpful.

QuoteOriginally posted by rraming:
 

QuoteOriginally posted by Recurve50 LBS:
Is there a way to use Google Earth and see topo maps instead of the satalite pictures?

There is on Google Maps (ipads and phones), you can switch the image easy, I'm sure it uses Google Earths Satellite images as well. [/b]

This article show you how to incorporate USG topo map with Google Earth.

  http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/03/best_topo_map_i.html

Thanks for the suggestions

A lot of states have online GIS maps that allow you to overlay public land borders over satellite or topo imagery.  Here's the Indiana site:  http://inmap.indiana.edu/viewer.htm

Search for your states' GIS and I'll bet you find something similar.  These coupled with Google Earth are enormous aids in learning ground.

QuoteOriginally posted by Recurve50 LBS:
Is there a way to use Google Earth and see topo maps instead of the satalite pictures?

https://vimeo.com/45149463