new tool for hunting in MN

[Dbl]

I ordered mine this weekend, can't wait to try it out.

[Kirsch]

Realtor,

Please send me your email address to [email protected]. I have a screen shot of the area you are referring to near Hillman and I want your opinion, if a change I have will correspond to what you are expecting. The image is too large to put here. Thank you.

[RBuker]

I'd go with the disclaimer and keep the county land on it. There's so much of it in certain areas of the state that having on your chip is hugely important. I think that because of it's changing nature, you do the best you can. It is always the sportsman's responsibility to know where he's hunting. Each person should buy or consult a new plat map if planning to hunt a certain area. Or just go by postings and home. Obviously if there's a house sitting where you want your bear bait, go elsewhere.

My two cents. And, I'd best hurry and get mine ordered while the county land is still on there!!!

[Realtor Boy]

Realtor,

Please send me your email address to [email protected]. I have a screen shot of the area you are referring to near Hillman and I want your opinion, if a change I have will correspond to what you are expecting. The image is too large to put here. Thank you.

Hello kirsch... Email sent!

[Kirsch]

Realtor, thanks for confirming the data matches the area with the recent changes. I just wanted to post an update. I spent the last couple of days pulling up known maps which have this type of data, used information from hunters such as Realtor, and compiled a list of State land, DNR, and county tax forfeit that should be very helpful and less prone to issues.

What I ended up having to do is the way the data is mapped, everything is to the 40 acre level. I was able isolate records that indicated they were not 40 acres and/or were not 100% owned by the State/County. This allowed me to filter out some of the most questionable records. We still are left with counties not keeping data potentially updated, but at least I found a way to get a lot of the problemmatic records off the map to start with the most data possible.

I picked 50+ spots in Becker County as they have an online map and they were all correct, so I am feeling more confident in the Tax forfeit land. WPA, WMA, and many of the others have been solid all along. I did the same thing to the State Forest land as well.

Thanks for all the input and will continue

[RBuker]

I ordered mine on Monday and had it in my hands by noon on Wednesday. I'm eager to get home with it and see how it looks. But, I'm impressed with the speed at which you got it to me.

Thank you.

[Realtor Boy]

Kirsch,

I just received mine in the mail and will be bringing it with me for this wknd's muzzy hunt. Thanks for getting that updated and sent back to me so fast. For those of you who do not have one of these it is a great product and also a GREAT company to do business with!

[duckster]

Sounds like a great tool but remember there are limitations as far as knowing "exactly whose land you are on" using GPS. I use it routinely for work in northern MN and have noticed that it can be off as much as a few hundred feet from the survey markers. Since the survey markers are the legal standard the GPS is "wrong". That means using a GPS alone you could easily wander onto private or closed area and think you were legal.

GPS is a great tool but I still am a firm believer in using a map and compass with it.

-Duckster

[Kirsch]

Duckster,

You are exactly right as this is a tool like anything else is and it has to be used with common sense. If the map is showing a property border is 20 feet past a fence line, it is highly unlikely, the property really extends just a bit past a fenceline as an example.

Commmercial GPS units are typically + or - 40 feet as a rule anyway, so there is always this factor to consider. Plus, as you are saying, there is always the potential of a margin of error on every map. It is a guide and it will help the majority of sportsman be able to help be as good of land stewards as possible.

Give 1 sportsman a paper map and compass and the other a GPS with the same data. For the majority of sporstman, which do you think will have a better chance of knowing where a property begins and ends? Trying to figure out a property line on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and a compass is no easy task. It is always nice to have a compass and paper map as well in the event the GPS batteries die or you wish to have another view of the same area. Both are good and both are useful tools.

I know this product has changed the way I hunt and fish for the better. Many other sporstman are finding the idea of having their hunting, fishing, and road maps all on one card right on their GPS as an incredible help in the outdoors as well. Thanks for your response.

[Islandlaker]

I just got a GPS thanksgiving night at gander and have been playing around with it a bit, and I think your product would be great. I have the etrex summit HC by garmin, I don't so a SD slot though on it anywhere. WIll your product work with my GPS?

[Kirsch]

IslandLaker,

Only the Garmins which end in an X take an SD/microSd for Garmins so for instance the Summit HCx would. I do have a Mapsource plug-in that allows my maps to be included with MapSource allowing you to send my maps to the GPS units main memory. If your GPS came with a MapSource program like Trips and Waypoints or City Navigator, then you could use the MNTRAX - Garmin MapSource program. Just an FYI, in case yours is the HCx, look under the batteries as this is where the card slot is on many of the units.

For ND, 24MB would be fine which is the memory available on the Summit, but for MN for now, it isn't enough memory. I am planning on putting out one more update for MN. It will not change the land elements, but it will decrease the memory the map takes, and at that point, 24MB could be enough if you want to upload the land elements during hunting and the lake elements during fishing season. Watch the K outdoor products web site and when it says MNTRAX 2.6 releases, then it would probably be fine.

[shunker_lure]

I just ordered the mntrax last night and was just wondering about average how long it takes to come?

I also would like to see the tax forfit land stay on the program.

[WalleyeGod]

Scoot:

Can you check and see if that will work on IP man's gps for MN?

I am interested.

WG

[Kirsch]

Shunker_Lure: The order came through today and was processed and shipped today as well. It went out USPS First Class from Fargo, so I would expect you have it by Thursday most likely.

Per your comments, tax forfeit is on the map currently and hopefully if the feedback on it continues to be good will stay.

WalleyeGod: if you let me know the make and model number I can tell you if it will work. Thanks. As a rule if it is a Garmin or Lowrance (with the exception of the Endura) which accepts a memory card, it is fine.

[rogrod]

Would this work on a garmin astro?

[Kirsch]

RogRod,

As long as your Astro accepts a memory card (which I believe they all do), it will work fine. I have many customers using them. Pretty neat to see a dog working on your GPS unit for instance in ND and see how close they are getting to the edge of a PLOTS field or in MN seeing how close the dog is getting to the edge of a WPA, WMA or even a tax forfeit property.

[WalleyeGod]

Kirsch:

Unit is a Garmin 60c.

Thanks,

WG

[Kirsch]

60CSx, yes as it has a memory card slot, 60C, maybe. For units that don't have a memory card slot, I do provide a purchasing option called MNTRAX - Garmin Mapsource.

It is compatible but the issue is storage for map data. The 60C has 24MB of internal memory. This would be enough for most of NDTRAX but it a stretch for MNTRAX. I plan to run through a map optimizing process this week to try and trim a bit of size from the overall map as additions such as tax forfeit land has dramatically increased the dataset size. After this is complete, I will let you know if 24MB may be enough. The entire map will not fit not matter what I do to it but you may be able by using the MNTRAX - MapSource program to load land elements in the fall for hunting and lake elements in the spring, summer and winter for fishing. I will keep you posted on final sizes when this optimization process is complete.

[crestliner16]

Are these chips available at any stores in central MN?

[Kirsch]

They are available right here on FishingMinnesota and also at Reeds currently. Gander Mountain will hopefully be picking it up very soon as well. One of the great advantages of ordering through FishingMinnesota.com is they take the order, and I fill it, so you will always get the latest version and even with mail, it usually only takes a few days.

[crestliner16]

Does the reeds in walker have the updated version with the tax forfieted land?

[Kirsch]

The version at Reeds does not include the tax forfeit land at this time but after purchasing it, you could send it to Kirsch's Outdoor Products at 7915 Aquarius Drive Fargo, ND 58104 and you would get a free update shipped right back to you at no additional cost.

I will be contacting Reeds in the next week and seeing how many MNTRAX they have left and updating their stock with the update but for now, it is the version before the tax updates were released.

[snapcrackpop]

Got my update back. Thanks.

Is there a way to upload the info (especially the tax forfit land) to my Google Earth? I'm impressed how much der is up-nort! Just browsing on my little XOG screen is hard to do. Would prefer to look at it on my computer.....

Thanks.

Chad

[Red Cabin]

I broke down and ordered mntrax last night, anxious for it to get here!

[Realtor Boy]

Got my update back. Thanks.

Is there a way to upload the info (especially the tax forfit land) to my Google Earth? I'm impressed how much der is up-nort! Just browsing on my little XOG screen is hard to do. Would prefer to look at it on my computer.....

Thanks.

Chad

Great question!