GPS and Compass

[300RUM]

A compass? Anyone still use one of those things? I still carry and use one even in the GPS age. There is always the possibility the GPS will die. Another use is to help project a waypoint. Say you shoot a deer 600 yards away. Finding it can be a challenge. Even though you can see it laying there you will have to go down through a canyon to get to it and will lose sight of it. You probably ranged it with a laser so you have an accurate distance. If you shot was inclined use the “corrected range” or “true ballistic range”. With a decent compass you can get an accurate degree reading. You can enter this information into most GPS units under the “project a waypoint” function and create a waypoint where your deer went down. You go to the waypoint and your deer is nowhere to be found. Why? Because your waypoint is over 100 yards off. The problem is that you entered a magnetic degree reading into a GPS unit set to true north. In Arizona that causes roughly an 11 degree error. If you still use a compass you may want to set your GPS to magnetic north. I talked to someone the other day who made that error this season and it caused him a lot of stress. Just thought I would throw this up here and maybe save someone from experiencing this problem.

[Wetfinn]

That is a really good point. Not many people use a map and compass anymore. I personally think the GPS should be a backup to a map and compass.

[PRDATR]

I keep one in my GPS case. I really only use the GPS to mark camp of things I find while hiking. It has a topo map but the screen is tiny and doesn't do me much good and it can only zoom in so far.

[AzDiamondHeat]

My bow won't shoot 600 yds.......

 

I learned the hard way that GPS is not a safety net. While elk hunting years ago I went out in the dark in my rhino to drive to my hiking spot. I set my GPS in the seat next to me, in a puddle of water and it fritzed. "No worries", I thought once I arrived. "Once the sun comes up I will be good" (I was very familiar with the area.

 

So I went off into the dark chasing bugles.

 

The sun never came up as it was a heavy overcast day. I was lost . Fortunately I DID know the area very well and even after having been turned around in the dark, after many hours of wandering I stumbled across a road I knew.

 

I do carry a compass as well so I at least new which direction I was going.

[Zeke-BE]

That is a really good point. Not many people use a map and compass anymore. I personally think the GPS should be a backup to a map and compass.

 

What??? Do you mean a map and compass should be a back up?

[AZLance]

My gps has a laser range finder, and once calibrated, it will project a waypoint up to 100yds away within 2 meters.

[goinhuntn]

I'm old school I use a compass & topo map. I carry a gps but rarely use it I like looking at the map

[CouesWhitetail]

My bow won't shoot 600 yds.......

 

I learned the hard way that GPS is not a safety net. While elk hunting years ago I went out in the dark in my rhino to drive to my hiking spot. I set my GPS in the seat next to me, in a puddle of water and it fritzed. "No worries", I thought once I arrived. "Once the sun comes up I will be good" (I was very familiar with the area.

 

So I went off into the dark chasing bugles.

 

The sun never came up as it was a heavy overcast day. I was lost . Fortunately I DID know the area very well and even after having been turned around in the dark, after many hours of wandering I stumbled across a road I knew.

 

I do carry a compass as well so I at least new which direction I was going.

 

 

hahaha, I had a similar experience during elk season. I parked the vehicle in the predawn darkness at a spot I had never been to, but wanted to hunt that day. I got out of the vehicle and there were elk screaming and fighting right near me! I turned my GPS on and set it on the ground next to my vehicle so it could be searching for satellites while I was very quietly gathering my gear. I took off in the dark to follow the bugles and it wasn't until later in the morning when I took a break that I stopped to check where I was on the GPS....but I couldn't find my GPS...I had left it at the vehicle. A bit of panic flowed over me when I realized I didn't have my GPS. This was a place I had NEVER hiked in or even driven around! So I was completely unfamiliar with the area. Luckily I always carry a map and compass with me, so I took a couple bearings to some hilltops I could see and figured out where I should be on the map and roughly how I should get back. The difficult part was that my map didn't show all the dirt roads and I crossed a couple on the way back to my vehicle. It was hard just putting all my faith in the compass and not just getting on one of those roads and walking them. I didn't cross any roads in the dark on the way in, but somehow the route I took back took me over some that weren't on my map. Anyway, I have used the compass enough to trust it, so I just kept going and found the vehicle .

[forepaw]

This.

 

"Anyway, I have used the compass enough to trust it, so I just kept going and found the vehicle".

 

forepaw