Every autumn about this time, I dedicate an article to new or improved hunting gear and outdoor equipment. My aim is to offer options that increase success, improve safety, heighten enjoyment and enhance efficiency for sportsmen before, during, and after each outing. The problem is, so many new guns and so much innovative clothing and inventive sporting gear and gadgets appear on the market each year, it’s difficult to select what to review.

Certain members of my immediate family have voiced the opinion that my annual field trails are just a smoke screen to purchase more hunting gear. I maintain that being steadfast in the constant scrutiny of technological advancements in outdoor equipment is my duty, and great burden that it is, I try to bear up. Having stated that with a straight face and proper dignity, let me also say there are some great toys for big boys out there this fall!

Star Trek travel

More and more outdoorsmen each year find a GPS unit to be an invaluable tool for safely navigating woods and waters. This becomes even more important when visiting and exploring new and unknown territory, not just in Maine, but across the U.S. Sportsmen who visit Florida to fish tarpon, travel to Arkansas or Maryland to hunt waterfowl, trek to Alaska for a camp-and-cast outing, or cruise across Canada for a whitetail, waterfowl, and fall salmon fishing trip need guidance.

There’s only one thing men hate more than getting lost, and that’s asking for directions. In defense of outdoorsmen, I would offer that hunters and anglers often travel in predawn darkness and through remote areas where people, places, and signs are scarce. I’ve even had a route explained as a friend drove me around in the afternoon, only to get completely turned around the next morning in the predawn gloom. No more – thanks to the Magellan RoadMate. If you ever wondered how the Starship Enterprise of the Star Trek series found its way around the galaxy, I’m betting they had one of these babies.

RoadMate 760 is the newest version of Thales’ portable vehicle navigational systems. At 3.3 by 6.6 by 1.5 inches and 13 ounces, this high-tech GPS offers a remarkable lineup of features. There’s a 3.8-inch anti-glare color screen that offers self adjusting backlighting for night travel, and touch control routing directions can be selected for the shortest distance, shortest time, most or least use of freeways, and avoiding toll roads.

Directions are offered via screen text or by speech prompts for distances, towns, and points of interest, of which seven million are logged into the memory. SayWhere is the industry’s first text-to-speech program that announces upcoming streets and highways for planned maneuvers, and offers a choice of 12 languages. Magellan units are ready to operate out of the box and the 760 has a 20 gigabyte hard drive loaded with extensive mapping for the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and 27 European countries.

Sportsmen on tight schedules will appreciate the feature that automatically offers alternative routing options for traffic jams, construction delays, or unexpected detours. Up to 20 destinations can be entered for routing and the 760 will sort them by shortest distance to set up the best route between addresses. Just the touch of a fingertip will locate a bank, ATM, hotel, gas station, hospital, or specific business from the database or a screen icon. If the driver still messes up and misses a turn, the RoadMate automatically recalculates a new route.

When trying to find a salmon river, a harbor to launch a sea duck boat, or the secluded turnoff to a remote deer camp, RoadMate will guide you without fail. GPS products have aided sportsmen over, under, and through the woods for years; now they can pilot you along roadways from one outdoor adventure to the next. There are five models of RoadMates from the 300 up to 800 and suggested retail runs from $499 for the low-end unit up to $999 for the 760. There are some rebates and certain locations offer cheaper pricing, so check your local sporting goods store, favorite outdoor catalog, or visit www.magellangps.com on line.

It’s in the bag

When I first began duck hunting, my meager half-dozen rubber and plastic decoys were carried in a big burlap turnip sack. Over the years my decoys improved in quality and increased in number, and I required bigger and better bags to ease transport and protect their realistic appearance. I’ve tried a dozen sizes and styles of decoy bags, from huge mesh backpacks to floating pouches to segmented shoulder totes to satchels. Some were good, most were just fair.

Since decoy setup and collection often takes place in the glooming of dawn and dusk, simplicity and quickness are the keys. Tangled weights, knotted lines, and jumbled dekes create frustration and often a delayed start with birds already in the air. Avery has come to the rescue with the most efficient, easy to transport and carry decoy bags I’ve ever used. And since the quality of my decoys has improved significantly, I want them well protected so they remain realistic and effective for several years.

Durable 900 Denier polyester in a choice of three camo patterns forms the shell, while PVC backing adds strength and maintains shape for easy packing and unpacking under any light conditions. A vinyl-coated mesh bottom offers quick easy draining. This bag comes in six- and 12-slot versions, with each slot measuring 71/2 by 71/2 inches to hold even magnum-size decoys. Individual weight and line sleeves for every compartment prevents tangling.

Avery bags feature padded handles as well as a wide padded shoulder strap that can be detached and rearranged to convert two bags into an easy-to- lug poncho. There’s an open top bag, but I opted for the model with a zippered lid to keep debris and water out during travel to and from the blind. A 12-slot bag is perfect for trekking in to small ponds or bogans, and also fits well into a small canoe for setting up along a riverbank. Check your favorite gun shop, outdoor catalog or visit www.averyoutdoors.com. Prices run from $24 to $39 for six- and 12-slot open tops, and $60 for the deluxe 12-slot zipper top, not bad for the best decoy bag you’ve ever owned.

Take a rest

Shooting offhand or even from a sitting position seldom provides the accuracy of aiming from a firm support. Often, however, a fence rail, tree limb, or stump, or even a backpack, isn’t available to support and steady your firearm for a precision shot. For long-range scoped rifles, moderate range open sights, and handgun hunting, a dependable rest is always a benefit, so rather than depending on Mother Nature to provide a gun rest, I carry one with me on every hunt.

Two years ago it took a spring turkey 10 minutes to finally walk into range, and without my shotgun rest I never could have held the 12 gauge shouldered that long. Raising and lowering the gun surely would have spooked the sharp-eyed tom, and prolonged aiming without support would have severely taxed accuracy. My 250-plus-yard shot on last September’s bull moose was also aided by a light, portable rifle rest. Not only do such supports work for shooting, but they are exceptionally useful for steadying spotting scopes, binoculars, and even cameras.

Stoney Point Products carries a wide selection of monopod, bipod, and tripod gun and glassing supports, and their new Polecat models are top of the line. Telescoping and folding models can simply and quickly be extended to fit any shooter’s correct aiming height, whether standing, sitting, or kneeling. Each has a no-glare finish, a strap for easy attachment to belt or pack, and a coated V-notch gun rest. A sturdy, rubber tip prevents the shooting stick from sinking into the ground or making noise when setting up on rocks. On many models the V-shaped gun rest unscrews so a camera or spotting scope can be secured in place.

My two favorite gun rests are the four-section Polecat Yukon II, which carries at 19 inches and telescopes from 52 to 65 inches when joined, and the Explorer Monopod, extendable from 25 to 62 inches. Each is sturdy enough to use as a walking stick, and the foam grip makes such use very comfortable. On uneven ground or ice, the rubber tip comes off to expose an all-terrain carbide tip. I’ve seen anglers use these sturdy staffs as wading sticks and I’ve no doubt they could serve as a crutch in an emergency.

Polecat monopods, of which there are half a dozen models, range from $25 to $40. If your favorite sporting goods store doesn’t carry them, I’m sure they can order one, or check out L.L. Bean or Kittery Trading Post. For photos and more information, fire up the computer and check www.stoneypoint.com.

This trio of outdoor items is guaranteed to improve your sporting experiences, from traveling without getting lost, to packing your decoys, to steadying your aim. They make great birthday or anniversary gifts, and Christmas isn’t that far off. Come to think of it, there’s nothing wrong with buying yourself a gift once in a while, and it is prime time for such equipment. Food for thought!

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com