I’ve seen this on various forums over the years and heard it in many conversations. Mobile hunting has been the trend for some time now, as the popularity of saddles has exploded and climbing sticks and the lie have become lighter. You’ll find no shortage of YouTube videos on the matter either. Yet when it comes to scouting, not much focuses on that aspect during the season.

The key to reading topo maps starts with contour lines. When contour lines are spread apart, the terrain is usually flatter. When they are stacked close together, the ground gets steeper. When those lines are packed extremely tight, you may be looking at a bluff, cliff, or sharp elevation change.