A gps can be used for so many more things than just getting one back to the truck. When they were first available i wasn't interested. In my pockets were paraphernalia i could use to make fire should i have to spend the night whilst hunting. Thirty year i hunted in the mountains, and got along just fine; never spent a night out.

One day a fella came fishing with a gps. As usual we marked where we hooked walleye, with a buoy we tossed over. As we fished, the chop really really blew up. There was near zero chance of ever finding our buoy(s). We couldn't no way find buoy in the chop. Well wouldn't you know, the gps took us right to them buoy, and allowed us to pick them up, then allowed us to catch more and more fish.

Next day, i now owned a gps. It wasn't so very good compared to what is available today. It did have the ability to have maps loaded into it; so we purchased a map, and installed it into our gps. What a wonderful change the gps brought to my life. The map showed contour lines, creeks, and roads. The unit could leave tracks on the map for where i walked. I was able to learn, learn, learn, about the country i hunted. I could hunt an area one day; leave tracks, and come in from a different drainage the next day. The tracks from the day before i could hunt toward by walking over the mountain. No spot was unknown.

These day i hunt with a machine that is so cool compared to what i used a way back then. Color screen, electronic compass, better antenna. The first gps had a hard time seeing satellite through trees; these new one see so much better. The color shows blue cricks, red roads, brown contour. One of the best feature for me is the map shows property ownership in different colors. I can readily tell whose property i am walking on, and this is so valuable to one like me that hunts only government land. One thing i never worry about is trespass.

That first gps was like Dave described; one had to be moving to get it to point in the true direction. We used to run through the timber to get the gps to tell us the heading to a dead elk. Before owning these new gps, i always carred a compass along with the gps to really be able to figure a path. Today the electronic compass reveals true direction to anything whilst standing still in thick timber. Nowaday with the electronic compass, however one holds the gps it is aimed like it say it is. One can hold the gps, and see what is ahead. If a road is up ahead, one can veer away from it or toward it. One can see a land mark, and point the gps at it. The mountain, or whatever, will be revealed on the map in the machine.

There is no sense for me to mention the model of my gps. They are no longer available for purchase; too old. I do feel strongly, that one should use a gps with an ability to install a contour map. An ability to utilize a micro-sd card is good. A color screen really really is a good thing to have. The electronic compass is not something i would like to be without. The last gps i purchased has all these feature, and cost less than $200.

Last week i went for a hike. I left the truck, and headed up a drainage with a good trail and climbed to the top, and out of the drainage into the adjacent. I used the gps to help decide a path back to the truck. I could see i could follow a trail around the mountain and connect to the road the truck was parked on. I didn't want to walk that far. The gps showed no easy path other than that one. So, i put the gps into my pocket, and followed a deer trail up the mountain. I let the terrain and deer tell me where to walk. It worked good. After a ways, i wondered what was up ahead. The gps showed a steep steep slope on ahead. It didn't seem prudent to tackle that slope, so i changed my heading and dropped toward contour lines spaced further apart. This took me through some wonderful bench terrain covered with browse. This spot i will remember if/when i get a deer tag for the area. The path i walked is still in the gps, and it is also in my computer. My hike was safely on government land with no chance of trespass. Becoming tired, i decided not to walk too far out of the way back to the truck. The gps was used to pick a path with gentle contours, and kinda direct to the truck.

But sometimes that isn't the shortest route and then you have all that non-biodegradable flagging all over the woods. Not nice. Your better off using toilet paper if you're going to do that. One good rain and its pretty much gone. (especially the fast disolving stuff for camping)
And hell yes you're a redneck. We all are on this forum. And like Ron says, they are good for a whole bunch of things. Finding tree stands in the dark without the need for flagging or reflective thumb tacks that lead other slob hunters to your spot to steal it. The better ones can show you trails, roads, etc you would never know were there so you can have easier access to pack out that elk, deer whatever. And some people (my cousin for one) have absolutely zero sense of direction.

I agree that a biodegradable material would be the best by far. Some of the plastics take eons to degrade.

Kind of takes the adventure out of it Ron. I like wondering what's over the next rise.

Besides, getting lost is fun.

I don't understand that? I always come back the way I went it.

I DON"T LEAVE TAPE HANGING IN THE MOUNTAINS!!!

Come on Muley - really? You mean you've never walked in a loop in the woods? Went in one way and made a big circle and came out somewhere else. You cover a lot more ground especially if you're still hunting. (why backtrack).
I've done that out west (Idaho) walking for miles on ridge tops using just a couple mtn peaks as landmarks. I would have need 1/2 doz rolls of flagging to mark my trail and another day to go pick it all up.

In 45 year of hunting, i can nearly remember every single time i ever walked out on the same path i walked in. Umm...........no not really, but as a rule i usually walk a loop when hunting. It is extremely rare when i walk out the same path i walk in. Oh, them plastic flagging tied on branches, i do despise, yes i do.

Twice last year when I was hunting I came across orange flagging tape tied around little branches in some trees. Once I got curious and even followed it a little ways. Now I know where it came from. I should have kept following it , I might have met up with muley heading down his back trail

i also have to say hate seeing flagging on public lands,
In PA see many mark trails to stands and such,
an area can look like a parade passed through there.
if its on private land, thats your business, on public land keep your trash to yourself.

when i see orange tape, I usually follow it to see what the other guy knows LOL