How to use Google Earth to find hunting spots in NSW State Forests

Using Google Earth to find hunting spots requires patience and some ground experience. It is easy to see little clearings – these obvious spots will also be obvious to other hunters. When you identify a clearing and get out and have a look, most of the time you will be disappointed. Most clearings tend to be either marginal ground where vegetation doesn’t thrive or it will thick shrubs such as dog wood or blackberries.

Join my webinar on how to identify productive hunting spots in NSW State Forest

First step is to download the latest NSW DPI Hunting Maps. These maps change every 3 months so ensure you keep them up to date.

How to download DPI Hunting Maps

Go to https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/hunting/online-services
Click on Login Now
Make sure you have entered your Licence Number and Security Pin
TIP: Use Google Chrome – it will save your login details
Click on View and Download Public Land GPS Mapping Data
There are 2 files per NSW State Forest – Google Earth will use the .kmz
Download the NSW State Forest – in this example it will be Yerriyong
TIP: Hit Ctrl+F to open the search box and type in your NSW State Forest name
Open the downloaded file – it will automatically open in Google Earth
In the Google Earth side menu, click on the Adjust Opacity button
TIP: Click on the image below to see a better quality image
Slide the Opacity down to 0 – this will remove the DPI State Hunting Map overlay
Slide the Opacity up and down – this will help you identify areas of interest – eg clearings that are inside NSW State Forests