A GPS - Global Positioning System - unit can help your arrowhead and artifact hunting expierance.. Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for military purposes, the technology has become increasingly available, and more affordable, too. The way they work is both simple and amazingly complex - the unit bounces a signal off of multiple satellites orbiting the Earth, factors in the location of the unit and - bingo - the location is found. The way they report the information varies, but the most common identify latitude and longitude.

A GPS unit can easily become a vital part of your hunting gear, helping you to calculate walking distance, find your way to hunting grounds with absolute precision, estimate the time it will take for you to reach a destination, and record the position of your hunting areas so that you can return to them later. Many hunters who buy GPS units use them to map the area. When out hunting, you can store the coordinates of significant features in the landscape - memorable rock formations, creeks, bends in trials, etc. - and then later use those coordinates to create a map either on paper or on the computer. You can then mark the spots on your map where you've seen signs of past presence - by comparing those sightings with the surrounding landscape, you should be able to get an idea of where other sites may be..

Of course, you can also use your GPS to help you figure out where you are - we've all gotten lost, if only for a short while, when out hunting, and a GPS is a real help when that happens. If you've marked a waypoint on your GPS and designated it as "truck" or "camp," you can use your GPS's "go to" function to lead you back home. The same function comes in handy if you find your spots and want to come back later - log the location as a waypoint, and you can find your way straight back.

While hardly a necessity, a GPS can be a great gadget to bring along next time you hunt - just make sure to pack fresh alkaline batteries, because you never know when your GPS will run out of juice.