In the limited space of this article, I can’t fully describe how to interpret photos and maps. A great reference for this is Brad Herndon’s book, Mapping Trophy Bucks. My focus here is mostly on how to find map and photo resources.

However, we can take a quick look at one of the potential hunting areas in New York, the Robert Treman State Park. Tightly packed contour lines on a topo map reveal a gorge running through the park. This significant topographic feature likely funnels deer movement and provides safe bedding areas. Good bets for stand sites would include crossing points where the terrain is less steep, as well as tributary creek bottoms where deer travel between bedding areas in the gorge and feeding areas on the flats.

Looking at an aerial photo for the park, you see fields and thickets where deer probably feed and bed. Equally important, the photo shows habitat edges where two or more cover types converge. The inside edges of corners and places where fingers of cover extend into fields are almost always good places to hang stands. With these concepts in mind, a short scouting trip should produce several good stand sites. Now, it’s time to get out there, test your hunting skills, and hope Lady Luck is ready to shine her light.

For most of us, time off for hunting is a precious commodity. Collecting information via the Web prior to a hunt can put you days ahead of the game when your feet finally hit the forest floor. So the next time your wife suggests an extended trip to visit your mother-in-law, plan to enjoy a glass of sweet lemonade. Information is king.

The author is a traditional bowhunter from Van Etten, New York.