First year with GPS

This season was my first deer hunting season using a GPS unit and I don't think I will ever go out in the woods without one again.

I own a Lowrance iFinder Hunt Handheld GPS Unit. Before the season, I walked around the land and marked all of the stands and blinds I knew of and also marked out the property lines, cabin, driveways and more. During the season, I used the GPS unit to cut across the property through thick wooded areas that I would normally have skipped for easier routes down trails. It's reassuring to know exactly where you are and what direction you're headed in at all times as you crash through slashings. It's easy for anyone to get turned around when every direction looks the same. I know the land well, but my friends will tell you that I am not a "direction person". I do better in the woods than on streets, but it's still easy to get turned around. Not anymore.

As I used the iFinder, I found that I was learning the lay of the land a lot better and discovered new areas I want to hunt in the future. Hours sitting on the stand also allowed for some exploration of all the iFinder's features. I am a novice GPS user and by no means a technological mastermind, but I am very comfortable using almost any of the features the iFinder has now. My only complaint with the iFinder is it's limited battery life. It seemed the two AA batteries were drained pretty quickly.

The only thing I regretted as I used the iFinder was that I hadn't purchased the other available features for this season. I will definitely be looking into purchasing the MapCreate U.S. Topo mapping software, an MMC/SD card reader and some MMC/SD memory cards. With that technology, I will be able to make customized, high-detailed maps of the hunting property that will include all of the land's features and any data points that I want to include.

I also plan on using the iFinder for fishing more often this summer. Pinpointing exact hot spots so I can return later will be a simple process now. No more lining up landmarks on the horizon and guessing...