How many times have you gone to your favorite hunting spot in the woods in the wee hours of the morning when it is pitch dark only to make that wrong turn at that tree you thought was the land mark only to get lost and not knowing where your tree is to put up your deer stand?
Well it has happened to me. I remember going down the hunting trail and making my normal right turn at a stump near the trail, then walking a hundred yards through a marshy area and running into a deer trail.
Once on the deer trail, I would make another right and trek through some brush for another 100 yards or so until I ran into a small drainage stream in the woods.
At this point I would turn west and go about 30 yards and find my tree I normally put up my deer stand.
I knew I had to turn west for when the sun goes down, it is behind my tree I put my deer stand in.
Well when it is so dark there is no moon light, things can kind of confusing.
I know the Indians would use other things like glowing mushrooms as navigation aids, but I have not seen this type of mushroom in Maryland yet.
Plus given Kenny Dement has taken down all his political signs, navigation can get downright impossible. What does one do?
Well you can wait for day light and risk getting detected by the deer.
You can turn on your flashlight and try to find your hunting spot at the risk of spooking the deer that are watching this foolish human fumbling on the woods.
Or you can invest in a GPS unit that has your favorite hunting spot with a Latitude and Longitude.
That is what I did.
I purchased an Earthmate PN-40 GPS from Delorme. I got it from Bass Pro Shop and appears to be a pretty good unit. You can download other more detailed maps that have more topography if desired. Plus you can track on the map the path you take.
Plus if there are other areas you want marked, like places of a buck rubbing, you can add these in the GPS unit. Just ask Santa Wife for an early present for this hunting season.
So get out there and find your favorite hunting spot in any light conditions. Get that deer, don’t get lost and be safe.
Remember That Reference Point or You Will Get Lost
