CONTACT:
Patty Marcum, (603) 536-1290
Jane Vachon, (603) 271-3211
December 11, 2006

Workshop on Basic GPS for Hunters Offered

CONCORD, N.H. - A beginning course for hunters on using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) will be offered on Saturday, January 6, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, N.H. There is no charge for the workshop. Please note that pre-registration is required. To register for the class, call (603) 536-1290. Participation is limited, and registration is handled on a "first-come, first-served" basis.

The course will be taught by Phil Haskell, a Fish and Game Hunter Education instructor and Owl Brook volunteer. It will introduce participants to what GPS is, how it works and how to use it as a navigation aid. A large part of the class focuses on helping participants learn how to use the unit, including navigating through the menus on the equipment. No experience is necessary. The Owl Brook Hunter Education Center will provide GPS units to use in the class, but participants may bring their own if they want practice.

The course includes an outdoor component, so it is important to bring warm clothing and be prepared for any kind of winter weather. After the classroom session, there will be an opportunity for participants to use the GPS to travel to and mark a position, as well as using the unit to establish and retrace a route.

Managed by the N.H. Fish and Game Department's Hunter Education Program, the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center was established to educate individuals in the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to become responsible hunters, trappers and stewards of the state's natural resources. It is the first facility of its kind in the state. The center was made possible through a grant from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, as well as private donations. For directions to Owl Brook, and to learn more about the facility, click here.
 

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