I've been reading a lot of Leopold's essays lately. It is striking to me, how much of what he wrote about in the 30's & 40's, presses deeply into issues we're grappling with today. Wildlife in American Culture was written in 1943. Here are a few brief excerpts that jumped out for me as I read this morning... Now here is one area where there has been big changes.... Interesting stuff! ... for me anyways. I highly recommend picking up some of Leopold’s writings if you've never read them. If you have, read them again. Every time I do, it makes me step back and look at what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and to what value.
Good read, Fitz. Makes you think, and puts some ideas into perspective. Looks like Quick would appreciate this.
A Sand County Almanac was on my freshman reading list at ESF...good stuff and I agree very applicable today.
I would agree that GPS is legitimate.... sometimes. With a GPS, anyone can navigate to the far reaches of wilderness. Where I think the legitimacy of it can wear thin is when it becomes a crutch or distraction. I cannot truely take in the essence of wilderness if my eyes are glued to my GPS. I visited my friend out in San Diego a couple years ago. He had lived there for 2 years. Every time we went anywhere, he'd plug in the destination into his car's GPS and go. If it said turn, he turned. If it didn't, he didn't. It controlled him, not vise versa. By the end of our 3 days there, I new the area far better than he did. I even found a better route than his GPS. I use GPS. I use my iPhone. I love technology, but I'm cautious to not let it take away from my outdoor experience.
I use mytracks on my phone.....and when im finished ill put it over on google maps or just a satellite image and look. I do not use mine to actually navigate through the woods though. A lot of times ill walk in a little circle where i find sign instead of actually marking with a point.
Also i was on the way back from a hunting trip with a friend this past year and i turned the gps off because it was getting on my nerves. I told him thr exit to take and he drove right past it...because it didnt say 'turn right here'
I agree with Fitz, I think a lot of things we use as a crutch. I started bow hunting in 1978. Look what a bow was back then to now. Dont get me wrong I am going to buy a new bow this month so my boys wont make fun of me any more . I do own a GPS I have never used it bow hunting but I do use it here and there duck hunting. This is my opinion but I think we over gadget ourselves and lose why we do what we do.
Same could be said for a compass or the stars and I can use those too. The GPS just gets me to a specific location much faster.
