I have a Garmin etrex.

We have 500 acres that I hunted for several years before I started using the GPS. I thought I knew the 500 acres, but I didn't really learn the land until I started using it. It wasn't so much that I felt free to just go anywhere, because I knew the land well enough not to get lost. What I learned was how all the landmarks were in relation to each other. By looking at my waypoints, I was amazed at how close and how far away things like stands, land borders, trails, roads etc. were, and it took my knowledge of the land to another level.

Most of the time I don't even have it on me while I am hunting, because I think a compass is quicker. To me a compass is "real time." But, you can bet if I'm scouting before the season, and I find a new rub line, or a trail I had not noticed before, it becomes a named waypoint. Then I compare it to other waypoints and I learn even more about the land.

C. Davis