How to Read Public Land Hunting Maps Like a Pro

Apr 2

If you're hunting public land, your map isn't just a tool — it's your secret weapon. Whether you're chasing bugling elk in the backcountry or patterning whitetails in Midwest woodlots, knowing how to read topographic and land ownership maps can make or break your hunt.

Here’s how to unlock what the map is really telling you — and use it to gain an edge on pressured game.

1. Know Your Public Land Layers

Start with a reliable mapping app like OnX Hunt, HuntStand, or Gaia GPS. Enable these essential layers:

Land Ownership: Know where public land starts and ends (BLM, state forests, WMAs, etc.).
Access Points – Trails, gates, roads, parking lots
Game Units – Helps match your tag to the right hunt area
Private-In-Public (Inholdings) – Avoid trespassing and use edges to your advantage

Tip: Cross-check with state agency maps for walk-in access programs and specific regulations.

2. Read Topo Lines Like a Wildlife Biologist

Contour lines = elevation. The tighter they are, the steeper the terrain.

Benches & Saddles: Prime travel corridors for deer and elk
Drainages & Creek Bottoms: Water, bedding, and thermal cover
Ridges: Great for glassing and mid-day travel
North vs. South Facing Slopes: South slopes = sun = warmth. North slopes = cool = bedding.

Pro Move: Mark a spot where two habitat edges meet — like a bench near a water source — and watch the patterns unfold.

3. Use Aerial & Satellite Layers to Your Advantage

Sometimes topo isn’t enough — that’s where satellite views shine:

Look for browse edges: Transitions between fields, cuts, and forests
Identify feeding vs. bedding zones
Find hidden meadows, water holes, or burns

Combine this with trail cam data or e-scouting pins to form a real hunt plan.

4. Understand Access & Pressure

Public hunting success often depends on how far you’re willing to go. Use maps to:

Pin trailheads and lesser-known entry routes
Find landlocked parcels with legal walk-in access
Analyze where most hunters go — and go somewhere else

Rule of thumb: Most hunters stay within ½ mile of the road. Go a mile in, and you’re hunting different animals.

5. Build a Layered Strategy

Combine these map layers to hunt smarter:

Use public land overlays to find legal spots
Study terrain for travel routes
Analyze food, bedding, and cover transitions
Confirm access routes and backup plans

Then, save offline maps and mark up your spots like a general preparing for war.

Final Thoughts

Your map is your game plan, your scout, and your lifeline — all in one. Learn to read it like a biologist and move through it like a predator.

Need maps, agency links, or public access info by state?
Start with our State-by-State Directory and plan your next DIY hunt today.

Jamie Jent