any DIY elk and mule deer hunters on here

[big_smith]

Maybe I am in the stone ages, but I just discovered Google Earth, and it is an awesome tool. I would also recommend getting in shape, and I mean SHAPE for going. I went on 2 hunts this year that almost killed me. One was a draw in Devil's River WMA Del Rio Texas, and the other was a badlands hunt for mule deer in New Mexico. I will definately spend some time on the treadmill and football stadium stairs this year. I thought I was going to die. Of course the first day at Devils River I climbed over 2000' in about 15minutes. I was ruint for the rest of the hunt.

[letsgoboys8204]

all i can say is get in shape, glass as much as possible the better shape you are in the better the hunt will be

[Bill]

No matter how good you think you're in shape at sea level, when you get up high and the air thins out, it's like breathing through a thick towel with each breath. I was running 3 miles a night leading up to elk, plus weight lifting and 10k+ feet hurt. No matter how much running you do, your quads on the front of your thighs do not get built-up. I was talking to a friend of my son's who does forest fire work in the summer, and he's in his 20s and said the same thing, the only way to develop your legs to climb hills, is to climb hills or bleachers or stepmasters or do squats.

[ladrones]

I prefer high power binos on a tripod over a spotting scope. 15x40 or 20x60. They seem to work better for glassing a long time. We usally glass several diferent areas prior to the start of the hunt.