Well over a year ago, I purchased a micro SD card that inserts into my Garmin GPS device. It has all of the state and public (BLM) lands highlighted and gives detail on public/private borders down to the GPS accuracy levels (usually a couple feet). This map enhancement to my GPS has provided invaluable. A couple years ago, I visited a piece of state land that bordered up against a ranch with a barn building and house, etc. There were several fenced pastures with a slough that ran just below the house. I had a couple paper maps that indicated there was state land that bordered the private ranch land, but it wasn’t a straight line – the map showed a couple of blocks that created a zig-zag border. I really wanted to hunt the slough right below the house - but wasn’t sure if the slough was state land or private. Because I was uncertain, I didn’t hunt the land. I actually stopped by the farm house, but no one was home, and I ended up hunting some grazing land that I was certain was state property. I managed to bag a sage grouse, and I kicked up a few pheasants that flew into the slough I desperately wanted to hunt.
A few weeks ago, with my Montana map loaded into my GPS, I revisited this same slough that looked so promising in the past. I was extremely curious to know if the slough was state land, and guess what – it was. In a few places, the state land didn’t match up with existing fence lines, which made it harder to determine the boundaries. But with my GPS hunting map loaded in, the state land was clearly marked, and I always knew exactly where I was with regards to public and private land. I flushed several birds in there and ended up bagging a couple roosters. I knew there were birds in there – it was just a matter of knowing if they were huntable.
I carry my GPS on me every time I go afield. I hunt a lot of public lands, and my GPS map is invaluable. Despite me using this GPS map and viewing it as a critical tool in my bird pursuits, it never dawned on me that I should probably sell the maps on our Uplanders Warehouse site. When I finally woke up to this fact, I felt a little stupid – which was only compounded by the fact that the maps are created by another local Montana company (in Missoula) named HuntingGPSMaps.com. I contacted Eric – the owner of HuntingGPSMaps.com – to see what it would take to get setup as a dealer. And later that day, I was officially in the GPS map selling business 
There are maps available for most of the states with any hunting to speak of. And there are a couple different options when buying them – the actual micro SD or SD card, or a downloadable product. The SD card version is much easier to use in my opinion. You simply drop it into your Garmin GPS unit, and you’re good to go. With the downloadable version, you have to download a sizable file (up to 750 mb), then transfer it from your computer to your GPS unit. A little more complex, and requires some technical expertise that at times is a little beyond me. However, with the downloadable map you can also use it as a Google Earth overlay on your computer – which is handy when trying to scout out new areas for your next adventure. Due to the extra value in using the download version on your desktop – and to help cover additional technical service requests, the download version is priced at $129.99 while the SD card version is only $99.99. Despite the cost on these, the tool is worth it. Go check these out on our website at this link.
Shoot me a note or post a reply to this blog if you have any questions or need any additional info on these map products. -JT
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