Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

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blackwolf
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Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby blackwolf » Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:01 pm

I don't feel "real good" about my stand locations until I know my hunting area so well that I can clearly bring a topographic and aerial picture of the whole general area in my mind. In big woods country this takes a heck of a lot of scouting until you can see a couple square miles clearly. It is so easy to head out and "spot check" a large area of a big woods once this info is ingrained to the point you rarely use a compass or GPS. Do most of you check out these "brain maps " often when you are thinking hunting? Or do you just head out to your spot, hunt, and return without thinking about your spot location "visually" in your mind?


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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Zap » Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:46 pm

I definately like to know the areas that I want to hunt as well as possible.

Multiple trips are good, but none after middle of summer.
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Stanley
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Mar 09, 2012 6:06 pm

Great chess players can play the game with out a board.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Ack » Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:38 pm

I can pretty much remember an area after walking it once. After walking it I study the aerials to see what I saw and look for things I may have missed. Also, if I'm going into a new area I study the aerials well in advance, and sometimes even take one with me to reference while in the woods.
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Black Squirrel
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:19 am

That is one of my biggest down falls, I have a terrible memory, and really have to force my self to pay attention to details. Really wish I could do better in this department, as I'm sure this hurts my hunting.
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:42 am

Stanley wrote:Great chess players can play the game with out a board.


What's this - some ancient chinese secret:)
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
blackwolf
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby blackwolf » Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:43 am

Chess, No Way! I can't play it with a board! I better stick to hunting.
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Mountain Man » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:05 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:
Stanley wrote:Great chess players can play the game with out a board.


What's this - some ancient chinese secret:)


Calgon is the ancient Chinese secret.
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:38 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:
Stanley wrote:Great chess players can play the game with out a board.


What's this - some ancient chinese secret:)


That's exactly what I was thinking! :lol:
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:42 am

Ack wrote:I can pretty much remember an area after walking it once. After walking it I study the aerials to see what I saw and look for things I may have missed. Also, if I'm going into a new area I study the aerials well in advance, and sometimes even take one with me to reference while in the woods.


This is exactly what I do.

Recently, I also invested in a much better handheld GPS (Garmin Oregon 450T). I have aerials and topos pre-loaded before a trip. Setting waypoints to key sign can really help you put it all together once you begin studying it back home.
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:15 pm

blackwolf wrote:I don't feel "real good" about my stand locations until I know my hunting area so well that I can clearly bring a topographic and aerial picture of the whole general area in my mind. In big woods country this takes a heck of a lot of scouting until you can see a couple square miles clearly. It is so easy to head out and "spot check" a large area of a big woods once this info is ingrained to the point you rarely use a compass or GPS. Do most of you check out these "brain maps " often when you are thinking hunting? Or do you just head out to your spot, hunt, and return without thinking about your spot location "visually" in your mind?


Oh yeah, the hair-covered computer goes over memorized topo's and aerials of my hunting spots constantly... especially when I'm at work! :lol:

The big woods spots I have scouted and hunted before are typically no big deal to find and hunt- but new stand locations can be trouble when you are hunting up tight to a buck bed. The new stand locations I am putting in place will look VERY DIFFERENT when the leaf cover and thick foliage are on during early season and I can't afford to go five yards past my stand tree- or I risk blowing the buck out. The areas I hunt are very thick and make finding the stand I have only been to once or twice six months ago a chore. It is also very important for me to hide my entrance and exit trail as best I can in my heavy pressure areas, for obvious reasons. A snapped twig here or there can help... so can GPS with a careful approach. I have gone so far as to take a video camera in the spring and walk my access trail to my stand with commentary along the way as to tree's I am passing, landmarks, etc. From the stand tree I video the buck bed or where he will most likely step out as well. I review the recording prior to hunting the stand, and it helps keep me out of trouble on my approach. Again, I only get this extreme with brand new stand sites, but I don't want to put all this work in and send the buck packing either. Some of the cedar swamps I hunt are so thick I can be within twenty yards of my stand tree and not be able to see it.
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Stanley
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:00 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:
Stanley wrote:Great chess players can play the game with out a board.


What's this - some ancient chinese secret:)

p to e4 your move!! ;)
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Photographic Memory of Hunting Area

Unread postby Hunter74 » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:31 pm

Not sure I have really thought about it that way... I do imagine in my head how a property is laid out and how I believe the deer are going to manipulate that property... I can also walk a property and easily pinpoint where I was or had found something on an ariel or topo of the property...

As far as getting to a tree I'll see how true it holds on property that I only step foot on once or twice and the area I need to get to is way back in... But so far I've always had the ability to walk right to a tree that I had picked out even in the dark... I haven't used a flashlight to walk in or out in years

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