Yes I have started using caltopo in conjunction with the google earth and Spartan Forge and Onx. Fire away on how you use it.
Incoming...
I'm going to break this post down into a couple of sections:
Layers
For my base layer, I always use "MapBuilder Topo" and with it, I almost always have on "40 foot contours" and "Slope Angle Shading (Gradient)"
Why?
MapBuilder Topo is the most clear, concise layer when hunting in the mountains. Yes, it is helpful to know what kind of foliage is where or if there is an opening, but you are going to be able to discern way more pertinent information from changes in topography. Obviously, something like a logging cut is going to change this dynamic, but I'm speaking more in generalities for big woods mountain hunting, where foliage is largely continuous.
40 foot contours would be way to large of a margin without SAS gradient turned on. If this feature wasn't here, I would go with a narrower margin like 10ft contour. Once you start plotting points, you would be quickly overwhelmed by how much is going on on your screen by using 10ft margin.
SAS gradient gives you the microscopic precision you are missing with contour lines of greater value. Using SAS gradient in conjunction with 40 ft contour allows you to see, in two distinct layers, the micro and macro terrain features. It also allows you to take full advantage of plotting markers when you are out there scouting.
Markers
If you go to the top of your screen and click the + button, a drop-down menu will show you the "Add Map Item" screen. "Markers" is what you are looking for here. The marker will pop up where your crosshair indicator is located on the screen. So, if you want the marker to pop up at your location, first click the crosshairs button in the bottom right ( I always press it 3 times to make sure it is actually where I am while the map calibrates), then click the "add map item" button and click "marker." When you are making a marker, always go with the size XS so you can be as precise as possible.
Establish a color code w/ numbers for your points. Feel free to use the same color scheme that I have: blue = deer sign, red = POI (point of interest) to scout (use this while e-scouting on the couch), yellow = visual landmark seen in-person, orange = preset tree, purple (letter/number) = camera location, purple (date) = where/when I killed a deer, light blue (date) = spot I sat without killing.
Blue- I define "sign" in the broadest sense of the word: droppings, rubs, scrapes, prints, beds, spooked deer, etc. I tried using different colors for different sign, it just got confusing. Now, I just use the same color and I'll name the point "poop" or "bed" etc etc. In the notes for each sign, I will put the date and time, and anything else I feel is pertinent to know about the specific sign. For beds, I always get in them and try to find hair and will note if I do or not. For trails, I will make a note of which directions they are going in or terrain feature they are moving along. If I spook deer, I'll make a sign called "spooked" and in the notes I'll put the date, time, wind direction, how far away they were from me when they jumped, whether they smelled me or not, how many there were, sex, and what direction they moved in. When I get home, I'll look up the historical weather on weather underground and get a sense of what the weather had been doing the day before, the day of, and the day after (I usually only do this for bucks). Marking where I have spooked deer and returning to these spots has by far been the biggest factor in my success with caltopo in the mountains so far.
Red- I use this color to mark interesting terrain features or breaks in vegetation that I want to check when I get out there. After I do, I'll either delete the point or change the color, if there is a sign or a landmark there. Sometimes, I'll make a box around an area that I want to explore, and I'll use red points to mark the four corners.
Yellow- If I come across an unusual tree, a spring, a weird rock formation, a fork in a logging road, I'll mark with yellow. It helps me visualize where I am and navigate later, especially in the dark.
purple/light blue- I use the notes here as my hunting journal. What did I see, how was the weather, etc etc.
The other colors are self explanatory
Strategy
I start by e-scouting (in the layers mentioned above). I'll find a point or a general area that I want to check out (marked red). Then, I make my way to those and mark all of the above points along the way. After doing this a couple of times, you will see a pattern start to develop for your area. At that point, you are off and running to figuring out a new area. The cycle is really easy to repeat.