Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

By Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post

Autumn offers a smorgasbord of sports to satisfy almost every appetite, outdoor pursuits among them.

With a wide assortment of big-game hunts, small-game hunts, waterfowl, upland birds, fall turkey and some stellar fishing, the table is set for a sportsman's feast brimming with variety. It's nearly impossible to take it all in.

It's during this potential upheaval of our autumnal equilibrium that we give thanks for inventive folks like the guys at HuntingGPSmaps.com, who have taken it upon themselves to help hunters manage their time more effectively by simplifying what can be one of the most confusing parts of the whole process: figuring out where to hunt.

While it could be rightly argued that many modern outdoorsmen have become overly reliant upon gadgetry such as GPS units, Hunting GPS Maps is a hunter-built product designed to enhance the hunt with no promise of saving your life. The maps are primarily made for Western hunters, crammed with relevant details in a simple package.

If you bought an elk or deer tag in Colorado this year, you were probably among the 30,000 hunters who received a promotional postcard for the local map that plugs into most Garmin GPS units. The color-coded map identifies land ownership throughout the state, displaying its status — private, state-owned, BLM, National Forest, National Park, etc. — just by toggling over a parcel. That alone is enough to make the map worthwhile.

Read more about Hunting GPS Maps, an update on pheasant season, and more on the mistaken identify with moose in Scott Willoughby's column at denverpost.com.

Read about the state's Walk-In Access program at the Parks and Wildlife website.

PHOTO:  Hunters in search of grouse.  Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Dennis McKinney