Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine

Take your next trophy with the help of GPS software

By Brian Miller

As I walked through the woods during one of my whitetail scouting trips I carried my GPS and aerial photos. As I looked under every rock, I continued to mark waypoints into my GPS. Additionally I penciled in details on the printed maps. By the end of the trip, my map looked like a cartoon drawing with circles and marks covering it. As I left the area I looked back and smiled. I was thinking to myself, “He’s not going to beat me next year.”
Arriving at home I connected my GPS to my computer so I could begin to analyze the data I just collected. The more I scout the woods the more I realize all the information I need to kill next year’s buck has been left in the woods. Tell-tale signs of rubs, scrapes, game trails and more are all left there for anyone to interpret. It’s up to the hunter to decipher the data and pull together educated guesses on what happened during the previous hunting seasons.
To help me decipher all of the data I collect I have begun to use several high tech solutions. My GPS is often hanging around my neck as I walk the woods. But anyone can use a GPS; it’s what you do with the data and how you interpret it. Taking the data and plugging it into mapping tools and software programs to analyze it will give you a technical advantage. These tools have really helped me get both a bigger picture and refined my use of the GPS.

EasyGPS
EasyGPS is free GPS software which allows users to create, edit, and transfer waypoints and routes between your computer and your GPS unit. This is a feature which can go a long way. When I mark waypoints I no longer take the time to name the waypoints. Instead I transfer the data to EasyGPS, modify the name accordingly “Monster Buck Stand” then transfer the waypoint back into the GPS. It’s much easier typing on your computer keyboard then using my tiny Garmin joy stick.
Backing up any type of data is important. Think about how many different things you’ve lost in the woods. Additionally I’m not getting any younger and can no longer remember the exact location of the 1000 waypoints I have marked, from rublines to hot fishing holes to where I parked my car at Walmart. GPS units are electronics and can break. EasyGPS allows me to have a backup of data on my computer. So if anything ever goes wrong I’m covered.
EasyGPS also connects your GPS to the many mapping sites on the Internet. This gives you easy access to street maps, topo maps, aerial photos, weather forecasts, and even nearby attractions.

MyTopo Map Pass
I’ve used MyTopo Map Pass for the past several years and have been very happy with their service. Map Pass is an economical alternative to purchasing paper maps or purchasing expensive mapping software. Map Pass offers national coverage USGS topo maps with enhanced relief shading. They have color satellite images for over 40 states and black-and-white imagery nationwide. This also comes with a powerful set of tools that you can use to mark-up your maps, plot latitude/longitude points, measure areas and distances and save the maps you create in your own online database.
I’ve found it very helpful to print out a topographical map and high-resolution aerial photos of a new hunting property. When I visit the property it allows me to mark up the entire map. And since it only cost me the price of printer paper I can make as many copies as needed. This has really helped me get crazy on the amount of details I write down.
Using EasyGPS, I transfer my waypoints and routes to make customized maps. I add icons, text, trails and outline boundaries fairly easy. What a great way to plot out my entry routes, stand locations and more for hunting. Nothing beats a complete map.
Map Pass allows me to use a virtual mapping software. This means MyTopo stores all my data on their secure servers. Regardless of which computer I sitting in front of I can log into the Map Pass servers to view my saved maps. From work, home or a friend’s house accessing my maps is only a few clicks away.
It’s so easy to create, save, and print an unlimited supply of maps. They also pride themselves of providing maps at an economical price.

MyTopo
Once I’ve gathered enough information about a hunting property I’ve found a custom topo map or aerial photo is just what I need. MyTopo allows me to have a topo map or aerial photo printed and shipped to my door. These can be made waterproof, glossy, or laminated. All maps are GPS and compass ready since they include navigation grids. The rugged waterproof maps are ready to ride along the trails with you.

Google Earth
Google Earth has also provided me a great deal of insight over the years. Earlier this year, I picked up another piece of hunting property. But since it’s over 300 miles away I can’t just check it out on the way home from work. Google Earth gave me a great view of both the topography and ground cover. It simply helps me visualize the change in height from hill top to valley. And in the Ohio Valley those height changes are important to hunting effectively.
There are instructions on how anyone can download waypoints from their GPS to Google Earth. Again I use this as a tool. I like to look over several different maps. Looking at aerial photos of several different years can really help you understand the changes that have occurred; new growth, unbroken oak flats and new development. Maps over 10 years old can be very outdated. The way houses are popping up in the past years will throw a wrench into your best laid hunting plans. You can’t bet current maps.

In Conclusion
Next time you’re marking waypoints on your GPS remember there are additional technical solutions to help; from software programs to high tech mapping tools. Look over the tools available on the internet and pick those which work for you. It helps get a bigger picture so you can be more effective at interpreting data. In this high tech world it’s O.K. to bring some technology into the field. Anything that gets me one step closer to next year’s trophy.