Okay guys, now that I am going to have to hunt unfmiliar land and on top of that, from reading all the input from around the state, it seems that in order to get some good hunting in I really need to go in deep to get away from the masses. So I am looking into a handheld GPS, what are your suggestions.
I use the Garmin etrex Legend with topo map usa and absolutely love it. It is possible to loose signal if you are in areas with very heavy foliage though, but if you walk 10 feet in any direction you can usually pick it up again.
I have a Magellan with Topo Map features. Not sure of the model, but I think Sport Trac or something like that. Works great in the woods, hardly ever loses the signal.
I'd stick with a Garmin or Megellan, especially if your gonna do uploading to your computer.
I'm currently using a 60C Garmin and it is much better holding on to a signal than their Etrex series, because it uses a Helix type antenna.
I'm 58 and found the color screen much more friendly during daylight than a LCD screen.
I spent some time on wMA area, during late last winter's snow, walking runs, which I felt were bucks. They're all in thick areas. I've got them stored in my computer and will see how they apply this bow and gun season. It will be much easier locating them and the funnels while the woods are still dense.
Whatever brand and model you get, learn to use it and it's features, before you need it. It sucks to be fumbling thru menus out in the wild.
I bought a Magellan Explorist 100 because of it's low cost ~ $100. Personally if I had to do it again, I do not think I'd buy another. So far, the best accuracy I've had in the woods was like 50 feet, and in an open area like 20 feet. It claims to get 3 yard accuracy but I haven't seen it yet. Plus, something happened and I had to reset the memory on it. I had to write down all of my waypoints, and I'm going to have to put them back in by hand. I'm glad I didn't have more than 15 or so in there.
I just take Dragthor with me!!! He brings so many electronic devices with him in the woods if we ever got lost we could probably contact aliens from space to come down and save us!!!!
I have an etrex vista non-color that hounddawg sold me last year, it was amazing, works great in the field and on the water as well. Links to the PC so you can store tracks, rubs, scrapes and pattern the deer. Thanks again hounddawg
Hey drome, I didn't know that was you. How ya been? Glad the 'ol Vista is serving you well.
Sometimes, I'm not sure if all this electonic stuff is fair for hunting, but I know it does make it "funner", so when you don't get any game, at least you still get entertained [up]
Good luck this season bro.
My Garmin eTrex is great. Integration with the PC is absolutely fool proof. Get the unit and the cable and download GoogleEarth (the $20 version) and you are good to go. It allows you to upload routes, tracks and waypoints into the satellite image maps with road overlays. I think you can also download the same elements to the GPS from GoogleEarth but I'm not sure.
Magellan Sport Trac w/ topo map,works pretty good.I also have an older Magellan 2000XL.I had 2 Garmin E Trex's but had problems with both of those. A couple buddies have E Trex's and they seem to be working fine w/ no problems.
My wife gave me a Magellan Meridian Color for x-mas two years ago. I have the Mapsend Software, the Topo software and a few x-tra chips.
I use it as a backup GPS on my boat and have a perminant mount in my truck to go from customer to customer (I'm an exterminator). I will not leave home without it. I have two friends that saw how I use it and they bought the exact same model. Love It. [up]
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