GPS suggestion colorado elk hunting
Elk
im looking for GPS suggestions for this falls colorado elk hunt. ive been told Garmin 750T Garmin 650..........what type of program should i get for it?
Do you have a smartphone? If yes, checkout Backcountry Navigator for Android or Gaia for IPhone. Download maps at home and you don't need cell service to use in the backcountry. I haven't Used a standard GPS since 2010.
Get the DIY Hunting Map chip for whatever GPS you choose. It has more valuable info than OnX, and I've never found a major error with it like I did with OnX. And the price is much less too.
As far as a GPS, lots of good ones out there. Some like the touch-screen that feels like a Smartphone. Some guys like Smartphones with mapping apps. I like a compact Garmin with lithium batteries that last forever and don't need to be recharged. Depends on your personal preference.
DIY Hunting Maps. Good service, quality and pricing. Based here in Colorado and a Bowsite Sponsor. http://diyhuntingmaps.com/
Oldgoat, do those apps have land ownership information?
Backcountry Navigator does, not sure about Gaia
I use phone and backcountry... It shows land status such as private/blm/forest/state. It does not show who the land owner is.
$20 for Gaia. Geesh. I can buy a few years of batteries for my Garmin gps for that price
The land ownership (specific landowner) info has been extremely valuable for me several times. I was able to look up the name, get to cell service, and do a search for phone number and where they live. Have gotten some access to cross private to reach public that way. If you don't hunt near any public-private overlap then it doesn't really matter, probably.
If I'm not navigating around private, I use the cheap, yellow etrex and my paper map. I can get to anywhere I want to and back to where I started.
If navigating around private, definitely want to have the maps on your phone showing the boundaries!
Camofire .com has some really good deals on garmins at times. You just need to check them out daily. They have had quite a few the last couple months cheap. Good luck Leo
Hunting alone or with a partner? I like the garmin rinos with walkie talkie. If your partner has one you can see exactly where he is on your GPS. And you can communicate to some degree if no cell service. It has turned out a good deal handier than I thought it might. Weather radio too. I have the onx chip, if i recall the DIY only had CO and I think either WY or MT. I was hunting different states.
Actually last hunt I had both a map gps for my cell and the garmin. They each had their strong points. The GPS was more accurate, faster and acquired satellites even in canyons and forest. The cell had a higher def screen, better touch control. Battery on the cell was OK if I put it in airplane mode. If not it ate up juice at a good rate. Durability, not like we play hockey with them, but the rino is a good bit tougher than any cell phone I am aware of.
I've not tried Back Country, but I have used Gaia for several years and I love it. You can download topo and satellite imagery maps ahead of time at a very high level of detail. It works on your phone while its in airplane mode. I carry a GPS with me to only to use my GoHunt chip if I'm near private land however it's no comparison to an iPhone and Gaia. It's one of my favorite elk hunting tools. Much larger screen, works 10 times faster, zoom in and out, switch from topo to satellite in seconds. You can snap pictures and tie them to a waypoint. I could go on and on... seriously, no comparison to a GPS, it makes a GPS feel like surfing the internet on a flip phone.
I'm ready to buy Gaia. Couple questions for the experienced gaias (sorry..).
Assume Gaia topo is what I want? If I buy it can I use it on both my droid phone and tablet, or do I need to buy a separate app for each?
I had Gaia for a few years but then dropped it. If I remember correctly there was an annual fee for their premium which is what I wanted for GE images and it became too costly. Think $20 per year. I purchased the ONX for my phone the last 2 years but for what ever reason I didn't care for it. Too hard to learn with all the layers. GPS is just much simpler.
No fee after the $20 initial purchase and purchase is good for up to 5 devices when I bought mine. It came with a lot of Topo and maps to choose from. I just use "Imagery and Roads" all the time but looked at the others. Seems like the best for a hunter. There are no private land layers in the version I have.
As for Gaia Topo, I have it on my home screen but never use it.......don't really like topos after using Goggle Earth with roads. But it came with my $20 package and I downloaded it. Might be good for the time you are remote and did not download any GE type photos?
When I got a new iPhone all my points and tracks in Gaia switched over without loss (Beats the old broken yellow Garmins and Oregon 450T I have laying around with stranded points).
Thanks, Kurt. Imagery and roads is really what I want for hunting and scouting unfamiliar places. I'm going to give it a try. Appreciate the input. I can use my little Garmin when I'm near public/private concerns.
Did you upload your stranded Garmin waypoints to Garmin Base camp? Seems to work pretty well to back them up.
I am a fan of both OnXmaps and DIYhunting maps, both are quality tools. if $$ is a big issue, the Dakota 20 is the best bang for the buck (Factory rehabs $120)...or if you are OK with a little extra weight, the Montana series is awesome (big screen). my 2 cents worth..
Joe
I am a fan of both OnXmaps and DIYhunting maps, both are quality tools. if $$ is a big issue, the Dakota 20 is the best bang for the buck (Factory rehabs $120)...or if you are OK with a little extra weight, the Montana series is awesome (big screen). my 2 cents worth..
Joe
I think Gaia is a bargain. So many layers, so easy to select. I don't think it has property boundaries though, so if you need that, it may not be the best choice.
One tip on battery life is to not keep "Track" on, which draws a line where you went. The phone has to keep getting reads on your position to do so. Better to mark waypoints when important, unless battery life is not a concern.
