This is a plea for help, and my offer to help where I can, to get a set of ArcView - or other mapping program - compatible maps of the main hunting areas in Africa.

I have downloaded Terry Carr's Maps as posted in the Africa - Reference and Information section. I've written ArcView 'world' files for these and they have been roughly georeferenced. My problem is that by the time I've increased the scale to a point where such a map would be useful in the field,it is clear that the pixel size is simply to big to make the image useful.

Does anyone have some ArcView feature files of the hunting areas? Does anyone have any high resolution images that could be georeferenced and used to make feature files by digitizing?

I will gladly offer my limited expertize in converting such high resolution map images into georeferenced ArcView Shapefiles to be shared by all. But to do this meaningfully to the accuracy where a hunter can use the map and his GPS to be sure that he stays on his own allocated area, I would need some high resolution files of the areas. Is there someone who has any real expertize [unlike my own very limited and largely self-taught skills, if what bit I know could qualify to be called such.] in georeferencing/digitizing and making accurate shapefiles to be used by all?

Anyone any ideas? Suggestions?

Lastly: Does the users here feel that there would be some merit in establishing a GPS Waypoint Reference list that could be used by all. Here I envisage a list of GPS Waypoints of airstrips, lodges, major drinking points and sites of interest to hunters?

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

quote:

Lastly: Does the users here feel that there would be some merit in establishing a GPS Waypoint Reference list that could be used by all. Here I envisage a list of GPS Waypoints of airstrips, lodges, major drinking points and sites of interest to hunters?

Good idea Andrew. Some outfitters will likely be reluctant to have watreholes posted, as there competitiors taking over an area might benefit from this. I still think it should be done, and will give you my GPS to download some of above.

Andrew,
You should contact ESRI directly for assistance.
http://www.esri.com/

Rather than inquire for hunting purposes, I would keep the the discussion with ESRI centered around conservation principles. ESRI has been fairly liberal in helping conservation organizations in the past with data and resources.

Andrew,

Are you working in Raster or Vector format with that pixelation?

If they are scanned, you will need to geo-reference them as you have done with accurate /precise co-ords and them make sure you PROJECT them with the proper projection system (you may well know this). Obviously the pixelation is from the source data...

ESRI may help but are such a monopoly they seldom give anything away for free...
I often try to get GIS data sets from various places and man, people are protective as all hell of these data...good luck...it would be a great project!

I would love to get J. Michael Fay's Spatial data of his African work! National Geo may help??