To GPS or not to GPS

[pianoman9701]

Assuming you have orienteering skills and keep a map and compass on you, why would someone not use a good GPS all the time? I can use an abacus, but I much prefer to do payroll using a computer. 

Weight and loss of "experience"

I teach map skills to kids. I'll never lose the experience. I can't imagine that anyone would forget to know how to use a map and compass once they know how.  Weight? Not a big factor for me. If it gets to be, I shouldn't have any trouble losing another 12 oz! 

[pianoman9701]

Something I’ve used a GPS for on multiple occasions is creating a waypoint for an animal I’m hunting, and making a blind stalk. I range the animal, take a bearing on it, and plug the waypoint into my GPS. I can then “go to” the animal’s waypoint staying completely out of sight. The GPS tells me the distance to the animal as I stalk it. When I get to a shootable distance, I can start looking for a good spot to shoot from.  I’ve done that innumerable times with antelope, and a couple times with elk.  The last elk I did it with was 1360 yards away when I started. I blind-stalked within 115 yards before peeking over a ridge to see and shoot it; it never knew I was there.

With mapping programs I know exactly where I am, and where the boundaries are of the property I’m on. I can see landowner information for private land. I can find access to public properties that have just a tiny sliver accessible that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.

I know which GMU I’m in, which deer area I’m in, which elk area I’m in.

I can mark my dead animal and easily find it without flagging tape when making multiple retrievals. I can leave a bread crumb track of the path I walked out, so if I need to return in the dark I can follow it.

Sunrise/sunset information is available for my location, and any location I choose. I’ve hunted some special hunts in February and March. When does the regulation pamphlet indicate that legal shooting time ends on February 15?

If I get lost or injured I can give my exact location. With RINO models the information is transmitted automatically.

I do use maps to see the “large picture” sometimes, but just can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to also take advantage of the many functions a tool that weighs half a pound offers.

To each his own.

All of the above.

[Fl0und3rz]

Something I’ve used a GPS for on multiple occasions is creating a waypoint for an animal I’m hunting, and making a blind stalk. I range the animal, take a bearing on it, and plug the waypoint into my GPS. I can then “go to” the animal’s waypoint staying completely out of sight. The GPS tells me the distance to the animal as I stalk it. When I get to a shootable distance, I can start looking for a good spot to shoot from.  I’ve done that innumerable times with antelope, and a couple times with elk.  The last elk I did it with was 1360 yards away when I started. I blind-stalked within 115 yards before peeking over a ridge to see and shoot it; it never knew I was there.

Nice.

[kselkhunter]

The Ops original question was GPS vs. Phone map.   My vote is GPS.  While newer phones have GPS receivers these days, a dedicated GPS has a much more powerful receiver. 

That said, I always carry a compass and topography map for the specific wilderness I'm hunting.  And have done multiple scouting trips to learn the general topography.  I love my GPS for finding backcountry camp in the dark at night after hunting, even though it never gets signal in the dark timber I can always get to a clearing for it to work.  But I still check it against a map and compass, as my GPS is an older unit whose compass feature really sucks unless I'm moving.  :-)  (learned that the hard way once). 

[Taco280AI]

What do you all use your GPS for? I just get out and hike, hunt, evaluate the terrain while I'm there. Beforehand I do look at aerial images and get an idea where I'm going, but after that I just go out and do it. Sometimes I use my phone to mark a point, but thats it.

[Stein]

What do you all use your GPS for? I just get out and hike, hunt, evaluate the terrain while I'm there. Beforehand I do look at aerial images and get an idea where I'm going, but after that I just go out and do it. Sometimes I use my phone to mark a point, but thats it.

About 90% of the time, I am using it to see where I am in relation to the boundary between where I hunt and where I can't.  The other 10% is figuring out where the nearest road/trail is to get out, how far I am from the truck, updated weather info or something like that.

When I am hunting a boundary, I might have it in my had for an extended period of time, several hours sometimes.  When I'm not on a boundary, I might check it once or twice a day for a few seconds.

[Dhoey07]

What do you all use your GPS for? I just get out and hike, hunt, evaluate the terrain while I'm there. Beforehand I do look at aerial images and get an idea where I'm going, but after that I just go out and do it. Sometimes I use my phone to mark a point, but thats it.

99% off the time I don't use it.  When I do, it's to mark a location of my trail cam, kill spot, good looking sign, wallow, bedding area, etc.
 
Marking the truck is something I usually do as well. 

[pianoman9701]

What do you all use your GPS for? I just get out and hike, hunt, evaluate the terrain while I'm there. Beforehand I do look at aerial images and get an idea where I'm going, but after that I just go out and do it. Sometimes I use my phone to mark a point, but thats it.

Hunting new areas. Tracking hit animals. Finding out the shortest route to the road from a downed animal. Finding my buddy who's let me know he's in trouble or needs assistance (big deal with us old guys). Finding my way in thick fog when I can't recognize my surroundings. It's also my radio and weather radio.

[boneaddict]

Assuming you have orienteering skills and keep a map and compass on you, why would someone not use a good GPS all the time? I can use an abacus, but I much prefer to do payroll using a computer. 

Weight and loss of "experience"

I teach map skills to kids. I'll never lose the experience. I can't imagine that anyone would forget to know how to use a map and compass once they know how.  Weight? Not a big factor for me. If it gets to be, I shouldn't have any trouble losing another 12 oz! 

Not what I meant by experience exactly.   Ever like to take a step back to what it was like? Along the lines of less tech is better.  As Bob said, to each is own.  I just was trying to answer your question.   

[Alchase]

What do you all use your GPS for? I just get out and hike, hunt, evaluate the terrain while I'm there. Beforehand I do look at aerial images and get an idea where I'm going, but after that I just go out and do it. Sometimes I use my phone to mark a point, but thats it.

I use mine mainly for waypoints, back trail.
I mark kill sights, trails points (where I leave a trail), intersections, nice hunting spots, whether I saw deer/elk how many etc...
When I get home, I load my tracks into Basecamp, and document what I saw (deer other critters), weather, etc.
I have a pretty good historical collection of the areas I have hunted over years.
Then I also upload waypoints and tracks that I have researched before my hunt.

I still breakout the compass now and then to knock the rust off, LOL

[Stein]

It's certainly a decision that each hunter makes.  As long as it is legal, "right" is in the eyes of each hunter.  After all, we all use a heavy dose of technology - everyone drives the animal home in a vehicle and puts it in a freezer.  Most of us use a rifle, carbon fiber bows & arrows, binoculars, scopes, range finders, synthetic clothes, packs, tents, fuel and an endless amount of stuff that wasn't available even short while ago historically speaking.

Some of us want the greatest opportunity at killing a legal animal.  Some of us want a specific experience (or budget!) and thus only employ certain technology while not using other technology.

Heck, for a big bunch of people on the planet today, a compass and map is high-tech.

[andrew_in_idaho]

Something I’ve used a GPS for on multiple occasions is creating a waypoint for an animal I’m hunting, and making a blind stalk. I range the animal, take a bearing on it, and plug the waypoint into my GPS. I can then “go to” the animal’s waypoint staying completely out of sight. The GPS tells me the distance to the animal as I stalk it. When I get to a shootable distance, I can start looking for a good spot to shoot from.  I’ve done that innumerable times with antelope, and a couple times with elk.  The last elk I did it with was 1360 yards away when I started. I blind-stalked within 115 yards before peeking over a ridge to see and shoot it; it never knew I was there.

With mapping programs I know exactly where I am, and where the boundaries are of the property I’m on. I can see landowner information for private land. I can find access to public properties that have just a tiny sliver accessible that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.

I know which GMU I’m in, which deer area I’m in, which elk area I’m in.

I can mark my dead animal and easily find it without flagging tape when making multiple retrievals. I can leave a bread crumb track of the path I walked out, so if I need to return in the dark I can follow it.

Sunrise/sunset information is available for my location, and any location I choose. I’ve hunted some special hunts in February and March. When does the regulation pamphlet indicate that legal shooting time ends on February 15?

If I get lost or injured I can give my exact location. With RINO models the information is transmitted automatically.

I do use maps to see the “large picture” sometimes, but just can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to also take advantage of the many functions a tool that weighs half a pound offers.

To each his own.

Last spring I spotted a bear from over a mile off. I was able to mark which basin it was in from where I was sitting in my car, I then drove around to the opposite side of the ridge where I had planned to set camp, set my camp and made about a mile and a half trek to the basin where I knew the bear to be. I did all of that with onx maps on my phone. After I shot the bear I switched over to phone and called my wife and a buddy to let them know of my success. There is almost no reason in this day for a dedicated GPS. I have yet to see a time when my phone could not be used for navigation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pianoman9701]

Assuming you have orienteering skills and keep a map and compass on you, why would someone not use a good GPS all the time? I can use an abacus, but I much prefer to do payroll using a computer. 

Weight and loss of "experience"

I teach map skills to kids. I'll never lose the experience. I can't imagine that anyone would forget to know how to use a map and compass once they know how.  Weight? Not a big factor for me. If it gets to be, I shouldn't have any trouble losing another 12 oz! 

Not what I meant by experience exactly.   Ever like to take a step back to what it was like? Along the lines of less tech is better.  As Bob said, to each is own.  I just was trying to answer your question.

I got it. I'm just really well served by a good GPS. 

[boneaddict]

That's  .    That's better than getting a message I need to go look for you.

[pianoman9701]

That's  .    That's better than getting a message I need to go look for you.

Well, you may indeed get the message. But, you'll have exact coordinates to find me!