Tag Archives: best gps to buy

Archery Talk - Posts, Hunting Equipment

Bwana Bubba’s Thoughts – You just have to ask!

2 Comments

Just asking you might gain access…

Getting permission to hunt a parcel of land is just like being a salesperson. If you don’t ask for the sale, most customers don’t think you care…   You won’t get the Sale!

2017 is know ahead for all of us to hunt.  The 2nd Amendment is safe.  Most states have the 2017 Hunting Regulations out.  Doing your research early, before having to put your applications can lead to success.  Scouting prior to application deadline and or long before your chosen hunt unit is critical for success.   I write and talk about onXmaps HUNT all the time about being one of the great keys to un-lock hunting success.  It is all true!  To be one of the 10% that take 90% of the game, then you have to absorb the positive and proven tips that are given to to by the successful 10%…

I want you to think about this scenario, you have been driving by a ranch, vineyard, farm, tree farm or just some private harvested timber land.  There are No Trespassing Signs and No Hunting posted on fence posts and trees, with game animals abounding and you notice a number of Coyotes working the area.  The signs have no phone numbers or names.  What to do you ask yourself, there is no way I am gaining access to hunt…  

There are many ways to get it done and as great salesperson you can make it happen in many cases.  First off I would purchased  onXmaps HUNT and have it on your Smart phone,  I suggest to have a Garmin GPS (colored screen-micro SD chip slot) also.

Working the different parcels of privately own properties your interested in, you will know the land owner’s name/names and in some cases the Trustee because you have onXmaps HUNT.   Now via Whitepages, and other public knowledge websites, you can get the phone number.  Relax, take a breath and be sure you have a smile on your face when talk on the phone…

Getting out early to scout prior to the season, you can find the game, such is the case with Rocky Mtn bull that was sleeping.

So many times over the course of life, I meet people while in the field, so asking who owns the land when you see a neighbor, should be no big deal.  Even going so far asking the neighbor how can I get a hold of the landowner is not out of the question.  Many times in the remote area, there might b an old cafe or gas station.  Another great way to gather information.

This Willamette Valley Blacktail buck was on private property that I gained access to. He was harvested the following year from this picture. 3X3 w/eye guards are fairly typical in Blacktail deer.

For many years I drove by a large piece of rural land that was growing wild radishes.  I thought they were weeds. I would see a couple of B&C and many P&Y Willamette Blacktails.  Finally when I got my first sample of HUNTINGGPSMAPS (onXmaps HUNT) from the company, I was able to dial in the future vineyard owner’s name.  I did a little background on the owner to make sure I had the correct person.  I called and told the owner that I drove by his place almost everyday.  That I would love to be able to take pictures of the deer on the property.  I asked permission to be able to photograph first.  It was early May, within  couple of months noticing the Coyotes and that he had chickens and geese free ranging, I called him again, I told him I could help reduce the Coyote population.  Finally in early August I asked for permission to bow for the deer.  I was informed by Michael (owner) that he intended to raise grapes.  In the State of Oregon to have venue events, you need a vineyard…  The following year with a rifle tag and bow tag, I asked if I could hunt deer with a rifle.  That privilege was also granted.  It also help to have a common bond.  Micheal was a Combat Engineer in Nam and I was a Navy Spook attached to the Marines in Nam. Brothers…

You have to remember that not all ranchers, farmers, and landowners are in it monetary when it comes to hunting.  I would bet that if a landowner is approached in the proper mindset, permission would be granted more times than rejected. 

This Oregon Mule Deer buck worked both B.L.M. and private land.

Over the years, hunters that I have met and talked to about the subject, give me back positive feedback.  Yes sometimes  they mend fences, bring a bottle, bring Salmon, ride a fence line, give a knife, buy dinner in town, but that is from the heart to a new friend.  Myself, I have hunted more ranches and farms than I can count. Many have border public land that I primarily hunt or fish during my lifespan! I have never paid cash for access, yet at certain times of the year, they might have something on their doorstep…

Use onXmaps HUNT products to gain the knowledge to gain access to private land.  It also will be the tool to know the landowners that border public land and vice versa.

IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU’LL NEVER KNOW!

Frank Biggs aka Bwana Bubba

 

 

 

Archery Talk - Posts, Hunting Equipment

Bwana Bubba’s Hunting Equipment-GPS & Mapping Systems

2 Comments

The following article are my thoughts and opinions on the subject of GPS & Mapping Systems
Private land in middle of National Forest!
Private land in middle of National Forest!

 

I would have to say my interested in the GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment started in or around 1998 after I started to work for a large Sporting Goods Company in the Portland Metro Area in Oregon.

This will be a two part (2) article about GPS Products and then about Topo (Topographical) mapping that is designed for hunters, hikers, walkers, fishermen and anyone else that might use a GPS in the great outdoors of the U.S.A.

Over the course of many years of working with GPS products I have come to the conclusion of what I feel is the best GPS products to use in the field. Now this is my opinion and may not be everyone’s opinion!

Having known many small private plane owner pilots, they all seem to have one GPS product system that they rely on.   I will tell you it is GARMIN and be truthful about it.

I have had the opportunity to try every large name GPS products out there that have Topo mapping that is their branded line of mapping.  There are many good GPS products out there, but they are not the best!

I want you to think about support, updates, ease of putting in waypoints, transferring waypoints to and from the computer!  Garmin is by far the easiest that I have worked with.  With Garmin one can zoom in to about 80’ and that is great when you have detail TOPO (Topographical) mapping to go with it.

As for support it is the best out there via the net or on-line, as I have used both and the last time when I could not get it done on my own, I called support and actually got tech support in my local state, which meant a lot when I was communicating my problem.

Another item of importance is that you need a GPS that has a high sensitivity internal antenna and WAAS system.   It also needs to be a colored screen vice black and white.  It should have capabilities for an SD Micro Card or have enough internal memory.  Much of our hunting, hiking or exploring is done in dense timber, or in areas that there might have a canopy.   My latest GPS Garmin Montana will work inside of my office building.

A well used Garmin Montana with lots of secret spots!
A well used Garmin Montana with lots of secret spots!

Most of my hunters that I help did not realize that Garmin has a free software download called Base Map (Computer interface program to GPS device).  This is a big deal to me and my hunters that are willing to get the proper mapping and GPS.

The mapping is from another company (Hunting GPS Maps) that is not a Garmin product, yet is able to be used with the Garmin Base Map and Garmin GPS products.

I believe that Garmin’s Blue Maps and City Streets mapping is great, but I am not a fan of the Garmin Topo Mapping.  There is not enough detail or no detail of private lands within National Forest and it does not show B.L.M. Lands.   Matter of fact there is only white (no way to know other public lands) for all other lands except National Forest which is green.

The inner face is easy and once you have the software load on both the computer and the GPS you have one of the greatest tools in the world.  

If you are not computer sassy you can obtain a HUNT ONXMAP Micro Chip and install it in a Garmin GPS product.  The importance for those using the product is that you will know the public land (BLM, State, and Federal) private lands and in many cases the landowners name, then there are the private timber lands that are white with dots.  Much of the private timber lands in the west are open to the public.  The information regarding which timber lands that is open to the public should be listed with the most State Game Departments, which it is in Oregon.  Everything is color coded for the easy identifying of lands, National Forest is Green, State Lands are usually Blue, Private Lands are White, BLM is Yellow, City Properties can be purple or maroon, and the Private timber lands are White with Dots.

Just think about being out there hunting and crossing into a piece of this land thinking you are hunting National Forest and it is a Gold Mine in Eastern, Oregon or maybe a mine in Utah.   One might not like the experience they might have with an old miner. 

A GPS is one of the most important pieces of equipment to have when you are hunting in areas of mixed land.  

I will tell you since I first started to write this page, that my friends a HUNT ONXMAPS have come out with a new product for those I Pad and I Phone users, such as my son.  You are now able to get the same mapping for their usage.  Hopefully you have a connection when out there, as least you can be legal when working the zones.

My I Pad with the new HUNTING GPS MAPS installed!
My I Pad with the new HUNTING GPS MAPS installed!

I tell my DIY Antelope-Pronghorn hunters that it is a must for them to have a product that gives the boundaries.  Just look at a place like the famous Steen’s Mountains in Southeastern, Oregon.  There are many parcels of private in the middle of BLM that is hard to tell what is what, since there is so much cross fencing.  Yes you can have a paper map from the BLM, which is fine for reference, but of course you’ve had the map for 20 years or got it from a buddy who had it for 20 yards and BLM had done land swaps.  Don’t get me wrong, I came from old school with paper BLM and N.F. maps.

I know from experience how important a GPS is with trespassing and these products can save a hunt.   How many times do hunters get stopped on B.L.M. or even N.F. by ranchers that might have cattle rights on the public land?  Telling the hunter they are trespassing!  Oh!  It happens a lot in the West!  The Foreman of the famous Hay Creek back in the day would stop hunters on public roads going along the ranch and into B.L.M. and the National Grasslands.  It is one thing to get stopped by law enforcement, but not by a private citizen on the public land!

Private land in the Steen's Mnts of Oregon that may not have a fence or may have a fence and you think it is BLM.
Private land in the Steen’s Mnts of Oregon that may not have a fence or may have a fence and you think it is BLM.

When I help hunters find places at this point for FREE, I expect it to be quick and easy on my part.  The idea of helping hunters in this hectic busy lifestyle we have to shorten the scouting time in land they know nothing about.  Get waypoints to them in good hunting areas and go from there. 

There is some much one can learn about a spot that they might only get to hunt a few times in a lifetime, since most special tags take so long to get.   With a Garmin Colored GPS with SD Micro slot, Garmin Base Map (Computer), Hunting GPS Maps and Google Earth, you can go from Novice to Expert in a very short time prior to your outing.

Do you really want to get Coordinates and plug them into your GPS without knowing what you are looking at? 

Be smart and move up in technology and you’ll find new avenues to hunt and be confident in the hunt!

Frank aka Cobra

 

Hunting Equipment

Hunting with onX HUNT & Garmin GPS

Leave a comment

HUNT with onX HUNT & Garmin GPS Products

The Winning Team for the Outdoors

(Global Positioning Systems) for many years.  I would have to put myself back to around 1998 with the first being a Garmin XL.  I have had many Garmin GPS’s over the years and still have some that are pretty old.  Those are ones that I will loan out; knowing I might not get them back or in good shape.  A number of months back I bought a new Garmin Montana 600, the latest in technology and very fast in the field.  I loaded it with the onX HUNT software that comes out of the great state of Montana.  One of the reasons I am posting this post is about the great service I received about 3 weeks ago.  I was having problems with the Montana 600 when it came to typing in names of waypoints and locking up while doing so.  It had made it through the fall hunting season which was good.  This is the first Garmin to ever give me issues that I could not fix by doing an update on-line.  I sent an email to technical support at Garmin and told them the numerous issues on the Montana 600 I was having.   When I sent the message off, I got an email back to my home email that it would be three (3) working days for a response on my issues.   The next day I get another email that had someone to call and a name, if I remember it was James M.   In the message I was told that Garmin Technical Support felt I could do a Master Reboot on the device and that should take care of it.  I did the Master Reboot and it helped a little, so I did twice more to see how it would really work.  It did not fix the problem!  Now what was I going to do!  The next day I decided to call the 888 number and explain that the Master Reboot did not work and that it was the first Garmin of the many I have or have had to not work properly.  I got a young man name Chris on the phone within like one (1) minute of the call!  Such a deal someone answers the phone and was very polite.  I talked with Chris for a few minutes and within those few minutes he told me he lived in Salem, Oregon and had worked for Garmin for a number of years.  Now I was floored that I had someone living in the U.S.A., doing support and be able to understand them.   Now here is the good part of our conversation about the Montana 600, Chris felt that I needed a replacement (new), since the Master Reboot did not work.  He told me to get it in the mail and that he had sent all the codes and address to my email with instructions.  The next day I got the Montana 600 into the U.S. Mail to Kansas, yes the U.S.A. Kansas.   Chris told me that it would be about 3 weeks before I would get the replacement in the mail.  Well turn around was 2 weeks total for me to get my hands on the Montana 600 new in the box. Before the Garmin Montana 600 was sent off, I contacted Matt with onX HUNT software Matt let me know that he would give me a new un-lock code to load the Hunt Oregon for Garmin or Hunt Northwest for Garmin on the new Garmin. Two great companies to work with when it comes to GPS products! Garmin makes a superb product for everyone, whether it for the hunting, aviation, hiking, fishing, automobile, motorcycles, Recreation Vehicle and runners.  There is software updates for the devices that are always Free.  You can do this via your computer via the Free Web Updater software.

How to from Hunting GPS Maps

Cobra