Just purchased Garmin Montana 600. Important functions?

[Josh7711]

I just purchased Garmin Montana 600 for a hunt into X3b and X10. I've never needed a GPS but from here on, i will. Hopefully someone who had used a GPS for a while can help me out here.
1. What kind of map should I get for hunting? Topo?
2. Do I by "area specific" map or map of all 50 states? I'm not sure how that works.
3. Does the U.S. Forest service provide maps that download into GPS or just paper maps?
4. Why do I need U.S. Forest maps if I purchase topo maps from say Garmin?
5. What are the primary functions a hunter uses with a GPS unit?

Thank you in advance for any help!

Josh



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[Brnsvllyjohn]

I think you are going to get a lot of different opinions on this one. I use a Garmin Vista HCX that is about 5 years old and I can tell you how I use mine. Others will use their units differently.
I purchased a map from Garmin that shows multiple western states but I gave up some detail to do this. I feel I have enough detail when I zoom in to satisfy my needs and when I leave Ca. I still have decent base maps to use. My multi-state map shows 99% of the trails and streams and all of the landmarks that make a difference to me so far. Which map to purchase is a decision only you can make. I still carry forest service maps or BLM maps and I always will. I still carry 2 old schools compasses but rarely use them. I prefer opening a larger paper map to orient myself and to look at the big picture rather than looking at a small screen and then zooming in and out to see the entire area. Once you zoom out you will have very little detail on your gps screen.
I will set waypoints on my GPS if I think I may want to return to a given area for whatever reason and I can delete them if I decide to at a later date. I leave my tracks turned on when the gps is on but I do not leave the gps on all of the time. I make that decision depending on how I am traveling or what I am doing. I get about 20 hours out of my batteries so I try to not use the gps all day. I do not like changing batteries every day. I mark kill locations to return and get my game if I had to leave it to go get help or packs. I also like to keep track of where I shot my deer so sometimes those waypoints will stay on my gps for years. I hunt alone a fair amount and I will mark the location of my camp and or my vehicle in case I need to return in the dark. Sometimes those trails after dark all look the same. I found that I use it more than I thought I would but not 100% of the time. I never ask it to plot a track back to my truck because it will do it in a straight line and I cannot walk a straight line in the hills. There are obstructions that you will need to avoid so I just look at general directions or try to reverse my course if that is the safest way back.
I have no idea if you can get maps from any public agencies for your gps I have only purchased paper maps from forest service or BLM or whatever agency was appropriate. I see no way to eliminate the paper maps. If I had to give up one or the other I would give up the gps long before I would give up my paper maps and compass. Way easier to plan a hunt by looking at the paper map. Maybe I helped and maybe I confused you but I am sure others will give their opinions also. Bottom line is I like it and would miss it if I did not have one but it is not a have to have unit IMHO.
I am returning to Idaho this year and I marked some vantage points last time I was there and I can find them in the dark if I need to. That can help a lot.

 

[Josh7711]

Thank you Brnsvllyjohn! Thank you for taking the time. That's a lot of great information, I appreciate it.


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[Bubblehide]

Josh, I have the same unit, I love it. I purchased the 600T, so it came with preloaded topos of the country. If you purchase them separately, you can get the more detailed version (I find it unnecessary). I also use "Hunt Maps" (http://www.huntinggpsmaps.com/pick-your-state#.VZgcCFKzkYQ), it's a mini SD card that the Garmin color GPS models accept; it overlays onto the topo map and provides private and public land boundaries. If you purchase them by individual state, it will also provide the private land owners name. Some of the areas I hunt are adjacent to private lands, or state lands that do not allow trespass, so the hunt maps is invaluable. You will enjoy the large screen that units provides, but it is bulky and weighs more than, say the Oregon model. My suggestion would be to load topo maps for wherever you plan on using the unit, a national base map topo, or the world, if the unit will support that much data, and then get the individual state "Hunt Maps" that you plan on using it in.

If I hunt lands adjacent to any private lands, or lands I should not be hunting, I leave the unit on, in the tracks mode so that it clearly shows that I did not trespass. Otherwise, I mark where I parked and camp, so that if the fog rolls in, or after dark, I can find my way back with no problems. I also mark any spots that I want to use as blinds, along with storing my intended route to them (tracks mode), so I can easily follow the trail in the dark, which is at best just a minor inconsistent animal trail; this is where a GPS really pays off, aside from not getting lost.

 

[jindydiver]

5. What are the primary functions a hunter uses with a GPS unit?

Finding your car and finding your stand in the dark. Also marking places of interest (either to you or to someone else). Sometimes you might see a weed on a farm and it is good to mark it so you can tell the farmer exactly where it is.
If you carry a rangefinder it gets even handier. If you hunt gully country you can shoot across gullies and use your range finder to get the distance to your downed animal. Then you use the inbuilt compass and project a waypoint out that distance and you have a mark of where you animal is. You then can walk any way you want to get there and still find it. You can do the same to get yourself to a good vantage point near game, just project a waypoint to the place you want to get too and then you will find it no matter how convoluted the route you need to take to get there. I have used the feature to find arrows I have shot up or down steep draws, no need to climb to get your arrow, just take a different route later and return at the level your arrow is at and pick it up.

 

[Josh7711]

Thank you bubblehide! I appreciate the info! Quick question - what are the trackback capabilities. Does unit have to be on in order for it to leave step by step trail? I noticed it was leaving "as crow flies" track when unit was off and in my car. It would be nice if it would record my exact track so I can track exactly back later. Also - if batteries die in middle of your track, does it erase your track? When you put new batteries in, does it bring up the history of your current track? Thank you again!


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[Bubblehide]

Thank you bubblehide! I appreciate the info! Quick question - what are the trackback capabilities. Does unit have to be on in order for it to leave step by step trail? I noticed it was leaving "as crow flies" track when unit was off and in my car. It would be nice if it would record my exact track so I can track exactly back later. Also - if batteries die in middle of your track, does it erase your track? When you put new batteries in, does it bring up the history of your current track? Thank you again!


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Josh, good questions. The unit has an option for being in the tracks mode where it records your exact trail, but yes, the unit must be on to do this. It will also automatically save the tracks if you set it to do so, so if the battery runs low or the unit shuts down, it will do an auto save. It saves by date in an auto save mode. I hunt pigs in one location where I go off trail through a maze of brush, the tracks feature is invaluable when coming back in the dark. So, if you want to view your tracks from a previous trip, you need to pull it up by date. However, if you mark key locations, they will show up when the unit is on; so I mark specific locations in the maze for convenience so I don't have to take the time to go through the functions or leave the unit on all the time on every trip . You can also change the color of the tracks (step by step trail). So, in short, no it does not erase your tracks if you change batteries. This unit does so much that at first, it feels like you need a degree just to use it. But play with it around town, in the car (let someone else drive), and you will quickly get the hang of the features you will be using on a regular basis.

I have a solar charger I have used with mine. The only problem is that you need to leave both in the sun all day, and it takes a long time to charge those lithium batteries. I have also recently purchased two "Power Add" batteries/recharging units. You can recharge devices like cell phones, laptops... and the GPS unit. One is a 23000 mAh Li-Polymer battery with a solar panel built in so I can recharge it (it takes about 3 days to fully recharge it in the sun when it is completely depleted). The other is a simple 32000mAh Li-polymer battery. They both charge by plugging them into a household plug. I got them for extended trips, to recharge my re-chargeable lanterns, gps, cell phone, and eventually a satellite communicator. It's just an option to consider for extended trips. But, it also means more to carry.

 

[Josh7711]

Thank you again bubblehide! That's a lot of great information and I really appreciate it. Definitely shortening the learning curve for me. I'll be trying it about around town and learning from there.


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[Josh7711]

Thank you jindydiver for the reply. Those are some good tips! I never thought about GPS tracking to downed animal or vantage point. That's a great idea. I appreciate the knowledge!


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[Josh7711]

Bubblehide sorry last question. You recommended buying a topo map and also a nationwide topo map. But would the nationwide topo map cover the area that I'm looking to hunt? Or is the area specific topo map better because it's more detailed? Thank you!


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[jindydiver]

A good tip for learning how to use your new toy, geocaching. I take the kids out and we have a bit of fun searching for caches, and I get to use the gps without any real pressure and experiment with the functions.

 

[Bubblehide]

Bubblehide sorry last question. You recommended buying a topo map and also a nationwide topo map. But would the nationwide topo map cover the area that I'm looking to hunt? Or is the area specific topo map better because it's more detailed? Thank you!


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The unit should be more than capable of storing the entire nation in topo. You can purchase this in 2 different detail levels. So if you purchase the higher detail one, no an area specific topo will not be more detailed. My opinion is that on the screen size of the unit (the largest of any handheld GPS units) the lesser detailed (which is what I have) is more than sufficient. I suggest that you go into a store or two that sell GPS units with preloaded topo's (the lesser detailed) and play around with them; the odds are they will also sell the national topo version. The units have a zoom function, so if you get the more detailed one, you will still be able to zoom in and out as you need. So in short, if I were to make that purchase, I would buy the more detailed version because I could always zoom out to a lesser detail. However the lesser detail version can not zoom in to the detail of the detailed version. I would also purchase the "Hunt maps" I mentioned and provided the link to in my previous post. The individual state version are the ones I would purchase. you do not download these to the device like you do a national topo. They are stored on a mini SD card that the unit accepts, and the information on the SD card overlays onto the topo and provides information like what zone your in, property boundaries, zone boundaries... some of which is color coded. So, the Hunt Maps, is very user friendly.

 

[Josh7711]

Thank you Bubblehide! Again last question - I'm going to purchase the hunt map for California but it comes in "download" and "sd card." Are there any cons to either? Thank you!


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[Limited Out]

Finding a decoy spread, on a body of water, in the morning (in the dark) that you set out the day before with your boat ranks right up there. Marking as waypoints every spot you find different upland game over the years. This usable history from over a long time frame works pretty good as well. This gives lots of options when in the field.

 

[jindydiver]

Thank you Bubblehide! Again last question - I'm going to purchase the hunt map for California but it comes in "download" and "sd card." Are there any cons to either? Thank you!


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I would go download every time. The sd maps are notorious for being copy protected and not allowing you to add maps to your card later. With downloaded maps you have the option of adding them to the "custom maps" folder and not replacing your base map with them. This gives you more options for viewing also.

 

[Limited Out]

A bit off topic, but how's hunting in the "Lucky Country". I have been there 3 times and never had the opportunity to do any hunting. I noticed you are from Canberra.

 

[shoottime]

This thread has turned out as very useful for me. Lots of great info and new ways of using a GPS that I've never considered. Thank you to everyone with all the helpful tips. Keep them coming!

 

[Bubblehide]

I would go download every time. The sd maps are notorious for being copy protected and not allowing you to add maps to your card later. With downloaded maps you have the option of adding them to the "custom maps" folder and not replacing your base map with them. This gives you more options for viewing also.

The mini SD maps do not replace your basemap, they overlay onto it while allowing everything from your basemap to still be seen.

You may eventually want different SD card maps for different states, having them in SD form saves memory, allows you to use it on your home computer, or another unit... So all you need to do is pull the SD cover from the unit, and insert the SD card, or do the same to remove it, change it.... the mini SD cards are pretty tiny, so you do need to be careful to not drop and lose them. Additionally, the insert port is poorly designed, and you need to use caution when inserting and removing; you will however quickly get the nack of it. IMNSHO, your better off with it in SD form.

 

[Bubblehide]

Finding a decoy spread, on a body of water, in the morning (in the dark) that you set out the day before with your boat ranks right up there. Marking as waypoints every spot you find different upland game over the years. This usable history from over a long time frame works pretty good as well. This gives lots of options when in the field.

I do the same thing with my fishfinder/GPS, especially for halibut. After a few years of fishing some of the same spots, patterns start to become very clear, and you can then hone your fishing to smaller areas and increase your catch rate.

 

[jindydiver]

The mini SD maps do not replace your basemap, they overlay onto it while allowing everything from your basemap to still be seen.




You may eventually want different SD card maps for different states, having them in SD form saves memory, allows you to use it on your home computer, or another unit... So all you need to do is pull the SD cover from the unit, and insert the SD card, or do the same to remove it, change it.... the mini SD cards are pretty tiny, so you do need to be careful to not drop and lose them. Additionally, the insert port is poorly designed, and you need to use caution when inserting and removing; you will however quickly get the nack of it. IMNSHO, your better off with it in SD form.

Here is screen shot of my basecamp program with the downloaded AusTopo basemap info. The map is downloaded and safe on my computer (and all my maps are backed up on memory stick) and I can put the map on a 8gig card and have plenty of space to load on other custom maps I might want.
If I have a better map for an area I am visiting I just turn on custom maps and overlay it on to the austopo map. No need to fiddle with pulling microsd cards out of your unit.
You do have this capability in your internal storage as well, but you only have about 2gig of internal memory (I already have 3.5gig of birdseye and custom maps, made from scanned maps, on my memory card). Josh, how you want to set up your unit will depend on the sort of uses your GPS will be put to and you can always edit your preferences and change your system later if you want. Either way, you are going to have fun with your new unit.
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