How to Set Up Your Ranch Map

PastureMap recommends completing your initial ranch mapping on a desktop or laptop computer with a mouse. You’ll have more control over boundary placement than on a touchscreen.

Setting up your ranch map happens in two stages: first you add your pasture boundaries, then you subdivide them into the individual pastures you actually graze.

Start by choosing how you want to add your boundaries:

• Option A – Draw by hand using the satellite imagery as your guide.
• Option B – Import a file if you already have boundary data from Google Earth, a GIS system, or your county appraiser’s website

Tip: Zoom in on your property before you start. The closer your zoom level, the more accurately you can trace your fence lines using the satellite imagery.

Step 1 – Add Your Pasture Boundaries

Option A – Draw Your Boundaries by Hand

1. Click the Add Items icon (plus-square) in the left sidebar.
2. Click Draw Pasture. The Draw Pasture panel opens.

3. Click anywhere on the map to place your first boundary point. You need at least 3 points to create a pasture. Your drawing will snap to existing pasture boundaries automatically.
4. Continue clicking to trace your boundary.
5. Double-click or click back onto your first point to close the shape and finish drawing. To remove the last point you placed, right-click anywhere on the map.
6. Review your boundary in the Edit Pasture Boundaries panel. The area and perimeter calculate automatically. Drag points to adjust, click a line to add a new point, or right-click a point to delete it. Click Next when you’re satisfied.

7. Enter a name for the pasture and click Save.

Option B – Import a KML or GeoJSON File

If you already have boundary data from Google Earth, a GIS system, or your county appraiser’s website, you can import it instead of drawing by hand.

1. Click the Add Items icon (plus-square) in the left sidebar.
2. Click Import KML / GeoJSON.

3. Drop your file into the upload area or click Browse Files to select it from your computer. Supported formats are .kml, .json, and .geojson.

4. Review the imported boundaries on the map to confirm they match your actual pasture locations, then save.

Step 2 – Subdivide Into Individual Pastures

Once your exterior boundary is on the map, use the Subdivide tool to draw your internal fence lines and split the pasture into the sections you actually graze.

1. Click on the pasture you want to subdivide to select it.
2. In the pasture info panel, click Subdivide. The Draw Subdivision Line panel opens.
3. Draw a line across the pasture boundaries to create your first internal boundary. Click Finish Line or double-click to complete the line.

4. Continue drawing lines for each internal fence line. When you’re ready, click Continue to Review.

5. In the Review Subdivisions panel, adjust any lines if needed. Click Add More Lines to keep drawing or Next (Name) when your boundaries are correct.

6. Name each subdivision in the Name Subdivisions panel. Click a section on the map to highlight the matching name field. Click Save Subdivisions when done.

Your pastures will now appear on the map as individually named sections ready for herd assignments.

If your ranch includes pastures in more than one location, repeat both steps for each area until your full operation is mapped.

Related articles

• How to Draw a Pasture
• How to Import a Pasture from KML or GeoJSON
• How to Edit or Delete a Pasture
• Subdividing Pastures