Mike,
First, let me say thank you for your outstanding customer service! I appreciate you going out of your way to make sure that I received my maps before I left for my hunt. The maps were very impressive. The definition and detail were outstanding as well as the quality of the paper on which they were printed. I chose to hunt one of the "hotspots" on the map and it was spot on! Everything described in the hotspot definition, I found to be true when arriving to the hunting area. Not only was food, water, and cover in the hotspot, there were also plenty of elk to be found! Utilizing your map and research allowed me an opportunity to hunt a prime area in my GMU and harvest my first elk! Traveling to an area to hunt from 1700 miles away can be intimidating, but with the help of your maps, I was able to quickly identify target areas to hunt and have a successful hunt as well. Thanks again for a great product and outstanding customer service.Blake Kelly
Dothan, AlabamaSeptember 24, 2016
So I received my map from Mike and have reviewed it thoroughly.
Here is my report:
The map arrived in a cardboard tube, all rolled up.
It not a waterproof map, but it looks like the plotter paper is bonded and coated.As stated in my other post, it didnt have any 'hot spots', but that was by default. I know where the 'hot spots' are on this map.
It has 4 map inserts around the border which cover landownership w/ topo, GMUs, Elk Ranges, Colorado Reference
I liked the insert map that showed nearest trauma centers, EMS, and USFS offices.The large portion of map was interesting for the location of primary forage, secondary forage and security habitat.
It covers an area about 3 miles X 4 miles
And of course it showed motorized roads, trails and non-motorized.Upon researching the data on the map, I have now discovered 2 or 3 places that I have over-looked in the past that I will be checking out.
Possible more 'hot spots' to come.It is nice to see all the features we may know [or not know] all on one map. Aerial/topo/roads/forage/hot spots
If someone is looking at a certain area, I would consider on getting some maps that connect, as we know elk can travel quite a ways and not having an adjacent map or two to where you are hunting would not be good.
Would I get another one of these maps? YES
Would I recommend these maps to someone? YES
Are they waterproof? NO--Update: They are now Waterproof.
Will you see increased hunting pressure from these maps? IMO... NO
Are they over-priced? NO
Will they help you shoot an elk? YES, but you still need to go scout the spots for thermals, blowdowns, cattle use, etc.
I hope this review is helpful
CNELK (Brad)May 29, 2015
I've checked out these maps for some areas I've hunted and scouted for over 40 years. The information is extremely accurate. The only thing missing are labels saying "Lou's honeyhole" on a couple of them. 🙂
Someone who doesn't know anything about an area can put the pieces of the puzzle together, matching the security cover with forage, and with a little imagination can figure out where the elk will bed, where they'll feed and the topographical route they'll travel transition.
The migration routes are extremely accurate. The local WCO and Sheriff muzzleloader hunt exactly on one of the arrows on Mike's maps. They just sit there and kill elk every year.
Great tools, well worth the money.
Jaquomo (Lou)
May 23, 2015
Mike,
I loved my maps. They were great to get a jump on scouting. The hot areas indicated held elk, so they were accurate too.
Frank
May 23, 2015
From Nate about the GMU Report--
Mike,
Very interesting results and I think your metrics are dead on. I have done a lot of research for some tough country to bivy hunt this fall and I had come to the same conclusion that your report showed. I had narrowed it down to two GMUs, which were ranked numbers 3 and 10 in your report. I wanted the toughest country I could find that held decent elk within 90 minutes of Denver. I am hoping the tough terrain keeps other Denver hunters out for the most part. Glad to see your analysis seems to line up.
Best,
Nate
May 6, 2015
This seems like a really good product that ALOT of hunters would buy if they were aware of it. We spend money on all kinds of crap in chase of the elk and this seems like legitimate logic.
Tommy
April 24, 2015
I bought a map before my 2014 hunt in Colorado because I thought I was going to be on my own in a new area. I did get some guidance from a friend and then ended up hunting with him most of the time. However, when we were hunting several days into the season, the elk had changed their habits and we had to go deeper into the mountains to locate them. When I was checking the map, I noticed a hotspot on the map very close to where we were going to be hunting the next day. When we got to where we could scout the hotspot, tons of elk bedded down! There were probably 100 elk gathered in the hotspot on the map! Not only that, but the places the elk were feeding during the night were marked on the map also! This year the maps will be used to plan our hunt everyday.
Sam
April 23, 2015
The following was from Rob who ordered a map from me last year. He was interested in looking at another area close to where he was familiar with to scout out in case his spots did not work out...
Mike,
Yep, it does look pretty nice. I've been hunting this unit 7-8 season's and have done quite well, but this area is going require much more of my attention. This is definitely the right area. You have a great product here, I have another map of this area tacked up on my workshop wall, I look at it all the time, takes me right out there as if I was there. Year round scouting from 1300 miles away can't beat it.
Thanks again looking forward to the finished product!
Rob
April 10, 2015
Mike,
Your GMU Report was very helpful and saved me hours of research online.
Tim
February 20, 2015
Mike,
We had a great elk hunt last year. We had three bull tags and we went 3 for 3. Thanks for your help providing a custom map for the area we planned to hunt. The "Start My Hunt" map turned out to be very accurate and we had a very successful hunt.
Looking forward to many more successful hunts and I will be sure to "Start My Hunt" with your maps.
Best Regards, Hal
February 16, 2015
Mike,
This is the 2nd year in a row Elk Tracker Maps have put me right on the elk. I've found the maps to be a reliable indicator of elk habitat and both years they have put me places I wouldn't have found otherwise. Just finding maps with the GMU boundaries outlined is near impossible. Not only do these maps have the GMU boundaries clearly marked but they also include security and forage habitat, as well as hot spots. Obviously no one can tell you exactly where the elk will be and when, but Elk Tracker maps are probably the closest you can get that.
Bo
January 9, 2015
Mike,
No one saw elk but you did put us in their bedroom in the area we were hunting.
Byron
January 7, 2015
Mike,
The maps are centered as I prefer, so go ahead with these coordinates. I was not able to use the maps in one GMU last year, but the maps I ordered for the other GMU proved to be a good help with identifying good spots to start. We were into elk, even called in several good bulls, but no arrow connected. But that's hunting, and in particular, elk hunting. From my perspective, the maps were very useful in helping ID great starting spots that Google Earth is not capable of separating out, or at least I can't use it to that objective. My repeat order says I am satisfied with your product. Enough said.
Thanks,
Steve
January 7, 2015
Mike,
Thanks for sending me the map. I think you have an excellent product here and wish you the best of luck.When I received the map it was rolled nicely into a map tube for shipping, and was printed with a lot of detail combined into one map. As I started to study the hunting area where I have previously taken elk and spent a lot of time hunting, I realized that the map identified many of the areas where I found beds as security habitat. Right away I realized this can help someone get a feel for an area even if they have never been there.
The map also identified areas of primary and secondary forage and was very accurate, even down to the small meadows that are very secluded places where elk like to feed and linger during mornings and evenings.
By knowing the likely areas of bedding and feeding, the map gives you an area to start when you hit the woods. It lets you make a game plan knowing what the area provides. By having the contour lines on the map as well, you can also see the saddles and most likely travel routes that elk will take going from bedding to feeding areas.
I found the unit boundaries were easily identified and could easily be determined, giving you the confidence to hunt within your unit at all times.
I found the map to be up to date and accurate when it came to roads and campgrounds, which isn't always the case with maps. I have 4 different maps of this area in my truck right now, and each one of them shows different roads that may or may not be open, as well as not showing roads that do exist. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you are miles from a road and coming across a road not on the map 3 miles from the truck.
The legend also provided locations of trauma centers, emergency medical services, health centers, and USFS forest offices. This information is available elsewhere but having it included on the map legend makes it easy and convenient. An excellent feature if not familiar with the area.
Overall, the map has some excellent information combined into one map that can be used for your primary hunting map. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this map to anyone looking for a starting point for their upcoming elk hunt. This is just one more thing to help a hunter be successful in the woods this fall.Jason McBride
April 18, 2014