Knowing how to navigate your way through the woods is a valuable skill. Everyone in your hunting team should be familiar with how to get from point A to point B. A little navigation training before you head out on your Bigfoot Hunt could save your life if you get separated from the group or if your primary navigator gets injured during the expedition. I will give you the basics of map reading and land navigation on this website, but I strongly urge you to do some reading at the websites linked on this page and practice some of these navigation methods in areas that you know well before heading out into the wilderness.

Map Reading

Maps are great. They can tell you where you are and what kind of terrain is coming up in front of you.they can also tell you how to find help quickly if you should need it. You should spend some time becoming acquainted with a map of the area you will be traveling into before your departure on a bigfoot expedition.

Maps can be ordered from a number of different places. If you search Google for hiking maps, you should find some resources fairly quickly. I will try to place links here on this page in a future update of the website.

Here are some links to help you get smart about map reading. Read through all the information on these pages and practice some of the lessons with topographic maps of your own:

The US Army Map Reading and Land Navigation Manual (FM 3-25.26)

Map Reading: A Free On-line Book on How to Read Topographic Maps and Use a Compass

Using a Compass
Using a compass may seem kind of “old school”, but unlike a GPS, they are very reliable in bad weather and heavy brush. They don’t add a lot of weight to your load and can be put in your pocket until you need it.

Measuring Distance on Foot
You will want to establish your pace count for measuring distance while you walk. If you know how many of your steps it takes to travel a given distance, you can count your steps and determine a rough estimate of the distance you’ve traveled. Mark off a known distance and count how many  time your  right foot  strikes the ground  while walking  the distance. You now know how many strides it takes to go 200 meters (and so on.) Once you get a walking pace count, try it to get a running pace count. This method of measuring distance isn't precise, and can vary quite a bit when you are traveling uphill and downhill, but it gives you a rough estimate of how far you have traveled.

Using a GPS
Modern technology can make navigation easier. GPS is certainly a tool that can make land navigation a lot easier. The downside of GPS is that it doesn’t work well in all conditions. Poor weather, thick brush, and other conditions can make your  GPS work  less well. For more on GPS click here.

Terrain Association
Being able to look at a map and mentally translate the symbols on it into what it represents in the real world is a skill. This skill needs to be developed through practice. Some people are naturally better at it than others, but almost evryone needs to work at it a bit before being really good at it.