GPS- Not Just for Hunting  #10

Global Positioning System technology has been around for a long time. It was developed for the military under the name of Navstar. The technology is paid for and operated by the Department of Defense.  Other countries like Russia and China have their own variation with both of them in their various testing and working stages.  When the Department of Defense began allowing civilians access to the system, companies began developing units that could be used for the benefit of travel, both in a car and on foot.

There are several large GPS manufacturers including Garmin, Magellan and Delorme to name a few. I have used both Garmin and Delorme and both have their own benefits and drawbacks. I was first introduced to the GPS about 12 years ago while I was hunting in Chapman, Maine. It was a beautiful day and a fresh coat of snow had fallen that morning. With my muzzle loader on my back, I was in hot pursuit of a nice buck I had just gotten a glimpse of. The deer took me down through the thickets and up to a stream where it crossed much more gracefully than I. At some point, I came across two men who were hunting the same area. We talked for a short time and one of them brought out a large black box and started pressing buttons. Now, I had heard of the GPS and all it had been cracked up to be, but I was a compass guy and had no need for one. That day, he showed me things on that GPS that I had never imagined. He showed me where we were, where his truck was and how I could get there from here. Amazing technology I thought. I must have one of those to compliment my compass. So, I went out and bought a Garmin GPS. It was pretty primitive with no maps and a black and white screen, but I had one and it worked. I eventually graduated to a more powerful Garmin Vista HC unit that had all the bells and whistles I needed. I added a map chip and I had instant area maps in color. I used that unit for several years to hunt and really enjoyed it. One day, I was talking with one of my friends who had just gotten a new GPS. It was a sleek unit made by Delorme. He showed me how it worked and I immediately saw that the maps were identical to that big Delorme map book I had carried in my truck for years.  The features seemed to be a bit better than my Garmin and I decided that I really needed one of those. So, out with the Garmin and in with the GPS I currently have, a Delorme PN-60. The maps were just what I needed and the color and features were unbelievable.  I could go into the woods with this unit and it was just like having my Delorme map book with me.

Now there are other things to use a GPS for outside of hunting. About 2 years ago, I decided that I wanted to broaden my pond and fishing horizons. I made a decision to fish as many ponds in the North Maine Woods that year as I could; I just had to find them. See, it is one thing to pull out the Delorme maps and say I want to go there. It is another to actually find them.  Many of the ponds are on roads that I had never been on, some were on walking trails and some just plain were hard to get to.  That is where Google Maps, Delorme maps and my GPS came into play. First, I went to the Delorme map book and picked out the ponds I wanted to fish that year. Then I went to Google maps, inputted the name of the pond, got the coordinates to that pond and inserted them into the GPS.  From there, I mapped out the initial directions using the Delorme map book. As I got close to where the pond was, I minimized the map on the GPS to show the pond.  Once close, the GPS would give me almost precise directions to the pond. It was a real fun exercise and a piece of cake. That year my wife and I found and fished Peaked Mountain Pond, Round Mountain Pond, Little Pillsbury Pond, Bartlett Pond, Little Pleasant Pond, The Elbows, Upper Hudson Pond and Horseshoe Pond. We probably could have found all of these without the help of our GPS, but it sure made the effort easier.

The bottom line is that a GPS can be used for a lot more than just hunting. But remember it is always smart to bring fresh batteries with you and of course a GPS is no substitute for a compass. You can and should bring both. And oh, by the way, during this past hunting season, I just had to find Weeks Pond so I could fish it this summer. I knew the roads that I needed to be on to be close to it and once I programed the coordinates in and got to where I could see it on the GPS, I just hit the go to button and it took me down through the woods directly to the pond. I added a way point of it on my GPS and plan to return to it sometime this year.  It’s as easy as that.

On another topic, the North Maine Woods has unveiled a new look on their website. I encourage you to take a look at it. It is very well done and the photos are out of this world. Great work folks!

www.northmainewoods.org