Game Planner Maps

Nice work and nice bulls!

Nice buck Ed!

Count me in if there's room. I can sweeten the pot with some Game Planner Maps.

Game Planner Maps also offers free USGS Topo map printing through the free Map Viewer We also provide overlays for: Unit boundaries Surface water Surface ownership Roads and trails Just register for free and check out the free Map Viewer and start printing.

I wont tell.

Drawing a leftover tag can be a bittersweet experience. On one hand you didn't get the tag you really wanted, but on the other hand you still get to hunt. You may not be hunting an area you are familiar with, but in trade, you get to explore and familiarize yourself with a new unit. One of the many virtues leftover tags provide is the opportunity to become a better hunter by forcing you to step out of your comfort zone. Leftover tags provide an opportunity to hone your scouting methods, and opportunities for future success in areas regarded as less than desirable by a lot of other hunters In the past few years the popularity of leftover tags has begun to soar. More hunters are playing the points game; applying for tags on the Kaibab, Arizona Strip, or the ever popular December Coues season. All the while relying on leftovers for their opportunity to chase deer while building points for high demand hunts. I'll admit, I am guilty of falling prey to the lure of hunting big rutting bucks and the opportunity to hunt them during the general season. Having successfully drawn leftover tags in my preferred unit the last several years I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my tag and looking forward to another back pack hunt in southern Arizona. When the Arizona Game and Fish envelope finally arrived I was a little surprised to find that I had not drawn my preferred unit, but instead, was holding a tag for my fourth choice and a unit I had never set foot in. Never the less, I had the tag and I was going to make the most of it. Almost immediately I began looking at maps. I scoured every inch of the unit with the Arizona Game Planner Map Viewer and Google Earth. My hunting partner Tom and I made a scouting trip in early October and found plenty of water, great habitat, spectacular scenery, but very few deer. In a weekend of glassing, our scouting failed to turn up a single set of antlers. After the scouting trip we contacted the units Wildlife Manager, asked about deer densities, hunter densities, and traded information about the area we had scouted. The WM was a wealth of knowledge and among his recommendations was the same area we had been scouting. He had flown it the previous winter and clearly stated "that is where I would hunt if I had that tag". That statement was a solid endorsement of our game plan. Feeling confident we returned to our area the day before the hunt opened. We spent the evening before the hunt glassing the area in which we hoped to find success the following morning. Temperatures seemed high and deer activity was quite low. We did manage to turn-up 2 small bucks and a handful of does, so we felt optimistic about coming back the following morning. As always, 4:00 am came too early and a veil of frost had covered our campsite. Fighting back the cold we hurried to dress, eat, and load up the side by side with our gear and make the 30 minute drive to the area we would spend opening morning. We had a short hike to our vantage point and quickly ascended the 800ft. of elevation. I always look forward the first moments of the daylight when the sun peers over the horizon and reveals what has previously been hidden. The anticipation of waiting to see whats to be uncovered by the first rays of light always brings an elevated sense of awareness. The desert is more fragrant, deer pop off the hill, and if your lucky you hear the sound of hooves on rocks as deer feed their way to their days bed. Unfortunately for us, sunrise revealed more hunters than deer and the surrounding area seemed to be a favorite of the local road hunters. We did manage to glass 4 doe so it was not a total bust. The rest of the day was pretty much the same, didn't see many deer, so we made the decision to hunt the other side of the area the following morning. Saturday morning came and we hiked into the area on the other side of the range we were hunting. Almost immediately we started seeing deer. We glassed until about 10:30am and had found more than a dozen doe but no bucks. Still, it was the most deer we had found in any spot and we knew if the doe's were there the bucks were not far away. We went back to camp to eat and rest with a plan to return that evening. After our mid-day break Tom and I returned to our promising new area. We quietly hiked in and setup so we could maximize the area we could glass without relocating. Time passed and we had tallied a few does when Tom glassed up two bucks on a distant mountain side, both of which were worth definitely worth pursuing. I used the Avenza PDFMaps app on my smart phone along with a Game Planner Digital Map to measure the distance we had to cover. The bucks happened to be ~1200 yards away bedded in the shade of an oak tree. With a little over an hour of shooting light left both bucks got up and moved to the back side of the mountain. After a brief discussion about the stalk, the discovery of a bad wind, and a quick analysis of the terrain on my smartphone we decided to hike out to the road and use Tom's side by side to save some time getting closer. We parked about 700 yards from where we would eventually set up and quietly made our way onto a ridge adjacent to the peak the bucks were occupying. We had about a half hour till shooting time so we diligently glassed the mountain side for the deer. Just before the closing bell the first buck appeared briefly but did not offer a shot. Moments later the other buck came into an opening at 348 yards. I was already set up prone using my Kuiu Ultra 1800 for a rest and was ready to take the shot as soon as he paused. I fell into my zone, steadied my breathing, and focused on a small area on the flank of the deer. The shot felt good. With the report of a solid hit the bullet knocked the buck off his feet. Amazingly, the deer got back up! Even though he appeared to be hit solidly, I placed another shot through his shoulders for insurance, and he was down for good. Tom and I continued to glass for the other buck till it was to dark to see, but he had seemingly vanished. We left my buck over night and went up the mountain side the following morning to get him. We were both surprised to find a nice 2X3 buck waiting for us. Initially we thought he was a decent 2pt, I am not a fan of marginalizing animals because of the size of their antlers, but I love it when one turns out better than you expected! After photos and handshakes it took us about 40 minutes to quarter him up and get the meat into our packs for the trip off the mountain. I felt good about my success given this was a unit neither of us had hunted before and we drew as a 4th choice in the leftover draw. We hunted the other buck for another day before Tom and I had to return to work. He never did turn-up. We didn't see as many deer as we were accustom to, but we knew going into the hunt that this was a low density area. All in all, we glassed 4 bucks and 32 does in 4 days of hunting. Upon returning home I spent the day processing the meat and doing a euro mount. The meat processing took longer than I anticipated but I'm real happy with the way the mount turned out. I had recently picked up a Lee Challenger Reloading kit. This was the first hunt in which I used my handloads. I was shooting a Winchester Model 70 in .270wsm, topped with a Leupold VX-III 4.5X14 40mm scope. I loaded 140gr Accubonds over 72.5gr of Accurate MagPro and Winchester large magnum primers with Winchester brass. This load shot sub-moa out to 400 yards in my rifle. It took me a good portion of the summer to develop the load and I fired 120+ rounds during the process. I felt really good about my shooting going into the hunt and was happy with the way the loads performed. In my opinion, Coues deer are one of the most admirable species of western quarry. Some of the terrain they inhabit can easily be mistaken for that of wild sheep. They have the uncanny ability to vanish in little to no cover. They are perfectly camouflaged for their environment, which makes glassing Coues a challenge and finding a good one all the more satisfying. And, when you finally find a buck you'd be happy to tag, your likely looking at a 1,000 yard stalk through canyons choked with cactus and cat claw; followed by a long shot, at a small target. Coues deer will undoubtedly test every ability a western hunter possesses. I'm always impressed with how tough, elusive, and handsome these little deer are! They make a tremendous trophy for any hunter willing to undertake the challenge of hunting Coues Whitetail.

Game Planner Maps has the maps you need if your hunting a new unit this year or picked up a leftover tag. Make sure your first stop is the the Game Planner Free Map Viewer. Just register with a valid email and you can use this free resource to map scout your unit, game plan for your hunt, and even print your own maps. If your looking for something sturdier or just want to see the big picture checkout our Red Zone Maps Game Planner Red Zone Maps are available for Units 36A, 36B, and 36C and come with two sets of Digital Maps that work with the Avenza PDF Maps app; which turn your mobile device into a GPS. Units 34A, 35A, and 35B are coming soon. Red Zone Maps are just the ticket If your picked up a leftover tag for any of the border units. Our unit specific Digital Maps are a tremendous value at only $9.99 and offer detailed coverage of your unit. Digital Maps work with the Avenza PDF Maps app to turn your mobile device into a GPS. If your a hard core DIY hunter, check out Game Planner DIY Maps use the DIY Map template built into the Free Map Viewer to build your own maps and attach them to the DIY Maps order form. Game Planner Custom Maps are perfect if you stick to the same unit and want a bomb proof map that will last for years All Game Planner Maps are printed to order and I will consult with you to make sure you get the map you need for your hunt. -Ed ed@gameplannermaps.com (480) 620-3309

Game Planner Maps can get you set-up with a map for your unit. Give me a call (480) 620-3309 Be sure to register so you can use the free Game Planner Map Viewer.

Congrats on the tag, I'm sure you will get hooked on Coues just like the rest of us. Check out the free Game Planner Map Viewer If you need to look at some maps of your unit. Just Register with a valid email and your good to go. I'm always available if you have questions or wanna talk maps. Good luck in 35B, I'm sure you'll get some good advice from the guys on here. Ed

I think I can probably work it in at some point. I cannot guarantee it will be this year. The 6 or 7 units I plan to get out this year are keeping me pretty busy. If you need something quick, I suggest you go with a Game Planner DIY Map Turn around is generally under a week and if you pick up an Arizona Premium Membership you can make your own Digital Maps as well. Shoot me an email if you have any questions ed@gameplannermaps.com

Back in May Game Planner Maps became an official sponsor of CouesWhitetail.com. Game Planner Maps offers a variety of map products designed specifically for hunters. The center piece of the Game Planner Map system is the free interactive Map Viewer. It works with any browser and illustrates a vast catalog of useful data on easy to use interactive maps for your PC. Just register with a valid email and check your email/spam for our confirmation email and your good to go. It makes researching and map scouting new units easy, and you can even print your own hunting maps for free! Before you head out to scout be sure to pick up a Game Planner Digital Map for your unit. Our Digital Maps work with the free Avenza PDF Maps app to turn your phone into a GPS, without the need for a signal and it even works on airplane mode! Once purchased Digital Maps are yours forever with NO membership to renew, and they are only $9.99! Digital Maps provide a detailed USGS topographic base map at 1:24,000 scale and include: Unit Boundaries Roads and non-motorized trails Tanks, springs, and even game and fish water catchments. Surface ownership Wilderness boundaries With our Digital Maps and the PDFMaps app you can easily log way points, tracks, and even measure distance. An added feature is the ability to move waypoints which allows you to plot your stalk on a map. The PDF Maps app also exports all your data to kmz, which is easily uploaded to Google earth. Scout like a pro and visualize your data! In the near future we will be launching our latest Map Product dubbed Project Red Zone, click here to learn more. Project Red Zone is all about providing quality maps for Southern Arizona Coues Deer hunters. Printed Red Zone Maps come bundled with two sets of digital maps to provide unmatched coverage of your hunting unit. Red Zone Maps are printed to order on the same water resistant, tear resistant bomb proof paper as our Custom Maps. Game Planner Maps offers products and resources for everyone and at every budget. You can always call me with questions, or for tech support. Thanks, Ed Ed Vergin (480) 620-3309 ed@gameplannermaps.com

I live in Chandler and have always taken mine to the post office on the Friday before the leftover draw (Monday). It has always worked out for me.

Not Yet. I can see the value in producing that map. How soon do you need it? My family has tags for the end of october. Shouldn't be a problem. I'm going to put this on the back burner for a little while to finish up Project Red Zone. I'll get the hunt boundaries squared away. We should set up a time to talk, email me your number or give me a call. Thanks Ed

I recommend you make your first download to a PC and save the map to the PC. Downloading directly to your phone and importing to the PDF Maps app is a little more advanced, but if your savy with your phone I have written tutorials here The tutorials are under the Resources tab on the main menu of my website. If you want to test out the PDF Maps app; -First install the Avenza PDF Map app -download this map to your phone and open it with the PDF Maps app. If you want to make your own maps and use them on your phone; checkout the Premium Map Viewer. Make sure you are logged into your Game Planner account and go to the All Access Membership section under the Membership heading. You can obtain a 3-day risk free trial membership to the Premium Map Viewer. Here is a tutorial on downloading/printing maps. All the maps that come off the Premium Map Viewer are GeoEnabled and can be imported to the Avenza PDF Maps app using this tutorial. Remember, the Map Viewer is a desktop tool. With the Premium Map Viewer you can make as many GeoEnabled maps as you like. I recommend you use the Digital Map output template. A one year Premium Membership for Arizona is only $9.99, that's a lot of maps! This is a 24A map I just made with the Premium Map Viewer. The base map is a detailed 1:24000 USGS topo and includes: Unit Boundaries Wilderness Boundaries USFS MVUM Roads Tanks and Springs I used the print tool to select the 24X24" Digital Map template and set the print scale to 1:42000 This map covers ~200 mi² The Premium Map Viewer is great tool if you have multiple tags, hunt multiple species in different units, or need maps to check out some new country. Click Here to view and download a full size version and zoom in to see the detail. If anyone wants to test this map in the field it is downloadable and GeoEnabled, just import it to your Avenza PDF Maps app and your phone will operate like a GPS!

Game Planner Maps is excited to provide a preview of its latest map release; Project Red Zone maps. Game Planner Red Zone Maps are built on the same synthetic media as our Custom Maps. Red Zone Maps are designed with the Southern Arizona Coues Deer hunter in mind. These are pre-configured maps and printed one at a time. Red Zone Maps are bundled as a package and include a matching Digital Map and a USGS Topo Digital Map. These bundles provide you with unmatched coverage of your unit. Combined with the Game Planner Map Viewer, Red Zone Maps give you all the tools you need for researching your unit, recording data from in-field scouting, and use while hunting. Digital Maps are downloadable immediately after purchase. Each package includes a printed Red Zone Map, matching Digital Maps, as well as, our popular unit specific USGS Topo Digital Map. Red Zone Maps Feature: 1. Roads and trails. 2. Private Land Boundaries and Public Land Surface Ownership 3. Surface Water, Springs/Seeps, Water Catchments 4. Unit Boundary and Section Grid 5. Terrain Basemap with Vegetation Landcover 6. 100' Contours Digital Maps are compatible with the free Avenza PDF Maps Mobile App. Digital Maps are downloadable items and limited to two downloads per purchase. Downloads must be made within 5 days of purchase. Download maps from your order history immediately after purchase. Click the links to preview the maps. When zooming in it will take a few moments for the maps to digitize to full resolution. 36C Front 36C Back 36A Front 36A Back 36B, 34A and 35B to follow. Other units coming soon! Don't forget to check out the Game Planner Free Map Viewer by registering here. Be sure to check your email inbox/spam folder for your confirmation email. Then just login to your acct and research hunting areas and print maps for free. Once your registered you can also take advantage of the Free Google Earth Downloads we supply. You also download your digital maps from this page. Follow the link to the downloads http://www.gameplannermaps.com/index.php/download Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Ed ed@gameplannermaps.com (480) 620-3309 www.GAMEPLANNERMAPS.com https://www.facebook.com/gameplannermaps/

The free maps are available on the interactive Map Viewer. I'm showing a user who registered the handle 'flatline' on 07/06/2016 if that's you just login and you can use the free Map Viewer. The Digital Maps you were looking at are $9.99, but once you purchase them, they are yours forever. No Yearly Membership fee like some of the other mobile map apps. Sorry for any confusion. -Ed

Not Yet. I can see the value in producing that map. How soon do you need it?

Give me a call I'll get you on track (480) 620-3309

Chandler near Alma School and Ray Excellent. I live and work in Chandler. Can I give you a buzz around 4 today? Absolutely. (480) 620-3309

Chandler near Alma School and Ray

Check out Game Planner Maps. Just register for free and use the Map Viewer to research and map scout the Unit. Pick up a 12AE Digital Map before you head up to scout and know the locations of the roads, tanks, springs, and even water catchments. Digital Maps work with the Free Avenza PDF Maps app and turn your Mobile Device into a GPS. You do not need a cell signal and it even works on airplane mode. I also make the toughest Custom Maps available and will consult with you so you get the perfect map for your needs. Email me or give me a call. Thanks Ed ed@gameplannermaps.com (480) 620-3309

Your map is ready to go and I'm looking forward to getting you setup on your phone when you pick everything up this weekend. Thanks again, Ed

Just replied to your PM. Email me ed@gameplannermaps.com I'm happy to show you some maps. You can Register for free and use the Free Map Viewer to check out all the data I have available. Maps are printed on super tough synthetic media. They are water\tear\fade resistant and you get to approve a draft of any custom map before I print it. I'll consult with you so you to get the map you need.

Lets Get things back on track. Unit 36A Red Zone Maps are available for purchase Click Here Immediately after you check out you will be directed to your order history. There will be two downloads available. Both are .zip files so its best to make the downloads from a PC. Here is a screen shot of the Digital Maps on the Avenza PDF Maps mobile device. Click here to Preview the 36A Red Zone Map 36C, 36B, 34A, and 35A coming soon! Don't forget to register and use the Free Interactive Map Viewer to game plan for your upcoming hunts!

The aerials are provided by USGS, I don't collect the images. I'll see If I can find a better aerial server and add it to the basemaps.