Navigating the Hunt

Knowing that preseason scouting often defines the success or failure of a hunt, I had begun scouting by obtaining topographic maps and identifying land features that might attract and concentrate deer.  A remote spring located between two nearby saddles looked very interesting.  The spring was located up the mountain nearly a mile from the nearest road.  Excellent!  I read the coordinates from the map and then entered them into my GPS.  

With the location translated into a waypoint, I optimistically planned scouting trip to locate the spring, find out if it held water, and determine the amount of game using the spring.  During the map scouting session, I had also created waypoints marking the key intersections of the backcountry roads and the best place to park.   Doing so greatly simplified navigating through the maze of unnumbered and unmarked forest roads. 

Soon after reaching my personal parking place, I was ready to head up the mountain in search of the hidden spring.   I activated the “GOTO” feature and selected the previously entered waypoint.  Like magic, the GPS responded with the bearing and distance to the spring.  I grabbed my compass, identified the proper heading, and started up the mountain. 

Almost immediately, I began noticing lots of sign.  Quite obviously, there were a lot of elk in the area.  The bulls had ripped several small trees to shreds.  Rubs of different ages indicated the elk used this area during the rut for many years.  Tracks and droppings simply littered the ground.  Yup, the elk liked this area.     

Along the way, I had to work around several steep areas and thickets.  My GPS showed I was making steady progress toward my objective.  The steep terrain and thick canopy made using my GPS to establish direction a little difficult, so I used my compass to make minor corrections to my heading.

Although it was tough going at times, I was constantly encouraged by the sign.  About a quarter mile from where I hoped to find the spring, I found a beautiful Aspen grove where several trees had been marked by the resident black bear.  Cool!  Several Does were passing through the Aspens as they walked down the ridge.  I smiled a lot as they slowly passed by.  I think they knew I was there, but they were not alarmed.  Needless, to say, I was thrilled.

My GPS told me, I was getting close.  Very close.  When the GPS said I was within 15 meters, I began searching for any sign of a spring.  Amazingly, there it was.  A small toilet bowl sized depression filled with water. 

The spring turned out to be one of those sacred places that can only be entrusted to the closest of hunting buddies.   It is no wonder.  Situated between two nearby saddles and adjacent a long narrow meadow this spring served as a Mecca for the resident creatures.  Basically, this place offers everything the animals need:  food, water, and shelter from the endless stream of road hunters.

I was able to navigate to within a few feet of the spring by applying a complete navigation system including GPS, compass, and topographic maps.  Each tool played a key role in navigation.  GPS is the position locator.  It does an excellent job of telling us where we are and the distance and bearing to distant locations.  However, unless your GPS has a built-in compass, it can only tell you which way you are heading when you are moving.  A compass remains the best tool for determining direction.  While navigation is undoubtedly possible using only GPS and compass, topographic maps are extremely valuable to the hunter.  Topographic maps allow us to identify our location and analyze our surroundings.  By analyzing the surrounding landforms, hunters can easily find otherwise secret locations like my beloved spring.  Topographic maps also help us to navigate around difficult and even dangerous terrain.  If nothing else, topographic maps help us understand where we are so we can get where we want to be. 

While GPS technology may be rocket science, using a GPS can be very simple.  Turn the unit on, store a few waypoints, and activate the “Goto” feature.   It really is very simple provided that you know how to use your GPS.  Since all GPS models are a little different, investing a little time in reading the owners manual is highly recommended.   Let me stress that.  Reading your owns manual is highly recommended! Grab a cold one, pull up a lawn chair, turn on your GPS, and walk through the manual. 

You will want to familiarize yourself with the units many menus and screens as well as a few important settings.   Some basic skills that you will need to familiarize yourself with are acquiring a lock, storing a waypoint from your current location, creating a waypoint for a coordinate taken from a map or another GPS, selecting a waypoint, and activating the “GOTO” feature to obtain bearing and distance information.  In addition to these basic skills, you will want to familiarize yourself with a few basic settings such as selecting the coordinate system and map datum.  Become familiar with changing the coordinate system between UTM and the Latitude/Longitude system.  When maps include UTM coordinates, I prefer to use UTM coordinates.  Because they are based on a metric grid, I prefer using UTM coordinates when taking coordinates to and from topographic maps.  Entering the correct map datum is important before entering coordinates taken from a map or another GPS.  Not entering the correct map datum can account for considerable errors in the actual location.

Many GPS users assume that because they have a GPS, a compass in no longer required.  This is far from the truth.  It is best to always carry a compass.  GPS is a position locator.  Unless your GPS has a built in electronic compass, a GPS can only determine location.  When navigating, a GPS determines direction by keeping track of where it was and comparing it to where it is now.  This works well as long as the GPS is moving at a rate of a few miles per hour.  However, a GPS can not determine direction when it is not moving.  Typically, I have to stop walking in order to read my GPS.  As soon as I stop moving, the GPS can no longer determine which way it is being pointed.  This is why a compass is required along with a GPS.  Some GPS units have built in electronic compasses that allow them to determine which direction the GPS is being pointed at all times.  Currently, this feature is only found in higher-end models.  To know for sure if your GPS has a built in compass, just stand in place and spin around slowly while watching the heading indicator.  If the heading updates as you turn, then you have a built-in compass.  Regardless, carrying a compass is always a good idea, even if only to provide a backup means of navigation.

While one can navigate flawlessly with only GPS and compass, topographic maps greatly enhance ones navigational experience.  Topographic maps allow us to determine where we are by analyzing our surroundings.  While tracking a deer in Northern Wisconsin, a total white-out came up rather suddenly.  A quick consultation of my GPS told me that I was located a little over two miles from the truck.  Given the thick cover, near zero visibility, and the rapidly accumulating snowfall, the journey would have taken most of the night.  Having no desire to weather the storm, I consulted my topographic map hoping to find a better way out.  I determined that a logging road was located only a quarter mile away, but in the opposite direction.  I opted to head for the roadway where I was able to make radio contact with my Father and obtain a ride back to our warm cabin.  Without the topographic map, I would have had little choice but to trust in the GPS and head in the direction of the truck.

In order to effectively use a topographic map along with GPS and compass, one must become comfortable taking coordinates to and from the map.  This allows us to determine our current location and to enter locations from a map into our GPS.  Although I find it easier to work with UTM coordinates, not all maps include this system.  I recommend that hunters learn to read both UTM and Latitude / Longitude coordinates. 

The best topographic maps for navigation in the United States are based on the US Geological Survey or USGS.  These maps are available in paper as well as in electronic form.  Mapping software like Maptech’s Terrain Navigator provide all of the USGS topographic maps for an entire state.  I find this software economical and highly beneficial.  In addition to allowing me to print out and carry all of the maps for my home state, it also allows me exchange coordinates with my GPS.  This makes map scouting and keeping track of coordinates really easy.

Many of the high-end GPS models allow the user to download and use proprietary topographic maps.  Typically, these maps are on a 1:100,000 scale.   While a mapping GPS is convenient for navigating backcountry roads, I find it lacks the detail and the size that I’ve grown accustomed to using the USGS 7.5 minute or 1:24,000 scale maps.  For this reason, I carry printed maps in addition to my GPS’ internal map storage. 

Using a complete navigation system including GPS, compass, and topographic maps, has added greatly to my enjoyment of the hunt as well as helped produce a little more meat for the table.  Undoubtedly, it has saved on sore feet and even gotten me safely out of some not so pleasant situations.  So grab that GPS, get out the owners manual, put the compass back in your pocket, study those topographic maps, and go find your own secluded mountain spring.