How important? Depends on where and how you hunt. There is no replacement for some compass skills used with a map. Electronic devices fail for a number of reasons. I've owned a Garmin 45 and 12. Rigged my 45 up for use in my boat. I'll carry the 12 most of the time when hunting. When hunting a new area it's a great time saver when you range far and wide and it's time to get back to the truck. Often I'll mark my rig, get dropped off miles away and make my way cross country for a few miles mainly following my nose till I get somewhwat close to the rig then I'll turn on the gps to get an exact bearing to the rig. This saves alot of hunting time. Making a waypoint on a promising hunting area can also help you return to this area a different way if the wind has changed.
It's been 3 years since I bought the Garmin 12 so I'm sure a few things have changed since then. I paid about 130$ for it at the time. The new Garmin etex looks interesting. A bit smaller than the 12 too. Have spent some time with a Magellan gps and like the Garmin software better.
__________________ Proud Member of the Coastal Conservation Assn, Columbia County Chapter www.joincca.org
NW Guides and Anglers, NSIA
The GPS can be handy by providing you with a panic azimuth. Sometimes you drop an animal deep in the woods and don't know the quickest way to the road. Knowing where the road is has made a bone out and pack out into a .25 mile drag.
Learn to use a compass, as well, because you will have issues in heavy timber with a GPS.
gps ?
Fish Hunter
Proud Member of the Coastal Conservation Assn, Columbia County Chapter 
Linear Mode
