One of the biggest complaints of landowners is that of hunters committing trespass.
Montana Mapping & GPS, LLC (www.HuntingGPSmaps.com) has a solution that will immensly help all hunters from committing trespass, in the form of software for the hunters computer and Garmin GPS reciever. At the time of writing this writer has only had a chance to test the computer software side of this equation, and that just for the state of California, but can assure readers that it is worth the cost of the software package.
Montana Mapping offer the software in two forms, that of a download from their site (that is what the writer is testing) or an SD card preloaded with the software for your Garmin GPS. The download allows the user to install the software both on his/her computer and on their GPS. The advantage of the latter obviously, is that upon returning from prehunt scouting one can overlay one's tracks, and additional data upon the maps, and print hard copies to take into the feild when hunting.
In reality Montana Mapping offer several map products for several states.
BLM4GPS: Shows color coded land ownership in statewide maps for AZ,CO, NM, UT, WY, and CA-NV, WA-OR-ID
PLAT4GPS: Are they same as the BLM4GPS, but include private landowners names and parcel boundaries, for AK, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY. This is the product that this reviewer sees as having the most potential use for the hunter in terms of prevention of committing trespass and of determining who to ask for permission.
RECMAP: Same as BLM$GPS map but named differently for midwest and eastern states, available for IA, IL, MI, MN, <O, ND, NE, OH, OK, PA, SD, WI.
Some of the map features include public land ownership color coded for the type of use, landowners names and parcel boundaries, topo 1:24k data, roads, springs, waterways, Big Game Units, hunting zones, timber company lands, and much more.
The software is compatible only with Garmin GPS recievers of the following models for the SD card: All Montana, All Oregon, Dakota 20,, all Nuvi, GPSMAP 62s, 62st, 60Cx, 60Csx, 78s, 78cs, 76Cx, 76Csx, Rino 650, 655t, 520HCx, & 530HCx, Astro 320 & 220, eTrex 20 & 30, all eTrex Cx & HCx models, all Colorado, and all newer units that accept data cards.
Download version is compatible with ANY Garmin that has a color screen, and is both MAC & Windows based PC compatible.
Maps are updated annually, and an update costs $20, and customers are notified with an email regarding update availability. The cost for each map is $99.99, and requires the free BaseMap download from Garmins website first. Montana and Garmin have extensive video turials available here to guide one through the installation process.
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