The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become a technology common to many aspects of everyday life. GPS is a radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. These manmade "stars" are used by GPS as reference points to calculate positions accurate to within meters. Hunters, anglers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts now use this same technology employed by the military and aviation and shipping industries. Most often, GPS has been used by sportsmen to mark favorite hunting, fishing and camping spots. Land managers are now finding GPS can be used to more effectively manage wildlife habitat, timber stands and even food plots. When used properly, GPS technology can aid in producing more efficient and effective wildlife openings.

Most of us feel reasonably confident in our powers to determine acreage from a cursory glance. The truth is, far more often than not, our guesses are significantly different from the actual area in which we are working. There are more mathematically sound ways to determine plot acreage that include calculating measured distances such as length times width. Such techniques are far superior to the educated guess. If every plot was a perfect square, rectangle, triangle, or circle, accurate acreage could be determined for any plot for which we knew basic measurements. However, very few plots are configured in perfect geometric shapes, and most of us have forgotten so much of our high school geometry that it wouldn't matter anyway.

A GPS receiver can be used to measure the area of every food plot on any given property. Regardless of the shape of a plot, a GPS measurement can determine plot acreage can quickly and accurately. Some may argue that knowing the precise acreage of plots isn't really that important, but I submit that it is for several reasons. Knowing precise acreage will prevent over applying seed, fertilizer, lime, herbicide and other costly products used to produce food plots.

For example, a food plot manager has always assumed, from his best assessment, he is managing approximately 10 acres of cool season food plots. Based on his assessment, he annually plants 1,000 pounds of a preferred seed blend (100 lbs/acre) at $60 per acre; applies 2.0 tons of triple 13 fertilizer (400 lbs/acre) at $116/acre, and applies a follow up application of 1,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate (100 lbs/acre) at $26 per acre in late December. The costs for this basic plot management system will be approximately $2,020 based on current retail pricing at local farmer's co-op stores around Alabama.

Let's assume our food plot manager has over-estimated his plot acreage by 10 percent and he is actually working with 9 acres instead of 10 acres. An error of only 10 percent results in an unnecessary expense of $202. Multiply that over five hunting seasons and $1,000 was unnecessarily spent on plots. In this example, if plot acreage is over-estimated by 20 percent in any given year, the unnecessary annual expense is $400. A good, map-capable GPS unit can be purchased for $250. Knowing the precise acreage of plots can provide substantial savings and is an investment well worth the money.

In addition to the financial savings, better crops are always produced when the correct amount of seed, fertilizer and lime are applied. The correct amount can't be applied if an accurate acreage isn't calculated.

As hunters, landowner, and deer managers, we are awash in gadgets and gimmicks that promise to make everything bigger, better, faster and easier. GPS technology is one gadget without the gimmick. For those inclined to continually search for a better way, GPS indeed offers a better way to manage not only food plots, but many other aspects of wildlife and land management.

--- Bill Gray
Article taken from The Outdoor Wire