Expect to pay over $100. Mapping software is available from the re- ceiver’s manufacturer and a growing number of mapping companies. Visit
www.huntinggpsmaps.com or call (208) GPS-MAPS. This company uses USGS maps overlaid with property ownership such as private, US Forest Service and BLM. Ownership data is updated frequently and is typically current within one year. In my land navigation classes,
I recommend to hunters that two weeks before heading to camp they take the GPS and magnetic compass everywhere they go. They should take it as they head to work, the grocery store or rifle range. Mark waypoints and return to a destination. The goal is for navigation skills to become as second nature as loading a rifle. Take a class where you will be taught the basics of how your receiver works. Check with your local community college’s continuing education pro- gram or sporting goods store to see if they offer classes. Complement GPS skills with a
good review of map and compass fundamentals. Learn to back up elec- tronic position fixing with bearing triangulation. Worst case, a broken GPS becomes a paperweight for a map while afield. Anything electronic can fail and can do so at the most in- convenient time.
Coordinates In The Backcountry It was probably in middle school
when we were first introduced to geo- graphic coordinates. Latitude and longitude defined our principal meth- od of fixing one’s position on a map. Though used for hundreds of years, latitude and longitude can be cum- bersome and not the easiest to use. The system known as Universal
Transverse Mercator (UTM) was in- spired by the military and developed in the 1940s. The beauty of the UTM grid is its simplicity. This grid is a ba- sic X/Y grid; up and down, left and right. On a standard hunter’s topo- graphic quadrangle the hunt area is divided into squares 1,000 meters by 1,000 meters. It is easily learned and youngsters pick it up quickly. GPS receivers shift smoothly from
latitude and longitude to UTM. For Garmin users, go to your main menu and select “setup.” In the setup option choose “units” or “position format.” All old waypoints saved in latitude and longitude shift seamlessly as UTM is selected. Identifying position coordinates (your partner’s location) on a topographic map comes quickly when this grid system is used. An
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM
Internet search will open the door to many easy to read fact sheets.
Selecting A GPS I haven’t used them all, but of
the ones I have used or played with, the following will give you a good place to start from. Garmin’s eTrek Venture HC
is a good starter model and can be found for $150 or less. More expensive than the basic eTrek (around $90), I have found its functions and displays to be easier to use. The GarminMap60Cx is a sol-
id receiver for under $200. Four years ago this model retailed for about $400. It receives satellite data quickly, accepts mapping software and will do just about ev- erything a hunter could want. DeLorme’s PN60 is compact,
high-tech, has crisp and clear dis- plays and sells for under $400. It receives satellite data quickly, ac- cepts mapping software and aerial imagery. The PN60w comes with a SPOT locator for backcountry emergency communication and retails for around $550. When paired with the new inReach sat- ellite communicator, a hunter can send and receive text messages in the field. The Garmin GPSMap 62 series
is the next generation in handheld units from Garmin: high-tech and very capable. It will do ev- erything the Map60 series can do and more. This model has a large display window and some models come preloaded with topographic map software. Expect to pay $300 to $500 depending on the model. The Garmin Rino 520HCx and
530HCx are the models for you if you want a GPS and radio com- bination. With Garmin’s Lithium battery pack installed the radio will put out 5 watts of power. Unique to all units, this model al- lows you to data link and talk to your hunting partners in the field (they must have the Rino too). It receives satellite data quickly and accepts mapping software — a very versatile model for the hunt- er. It is a bit bulky. Prices range from $400 to $500. *
About the author: Blake is the owner of Outdoor
Quest, a business dedicated to backcountry navigation and wilder- ness survival. If you have questions about land navigation or wilderness survival, contact Blake through his website:
www.outdoorquest.biz
Clint on Vehicle Defense:
“Either Drive Or Draw
... not BOTH!” Learn how to defend yourself from inside the car with help from Clint Smith’s Thunder Ranch DVD course.
Three Course
BONUS Carry Options
Includes: Concealed
Home Defense
Vehicle Defense
Two-disc set only $49.95 — Order Today:
(800) 628-9818 (M-F 8am-3pm PST)
www.americanhandgunner.com/TRvids
21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180