Contour lines

Contour lines give important information about ground elevation, including how steep the ground is. This information is important, so you can travel safely while moving and hunting. A contour line is a continuous line of elevation or height around the edge of a feature. For example, contour lines close together signify a steep slope. Contour lines further apart signify a gently rising slope.

Grid coordinates

You can identify a location using the geographic coordinates of latitude (north or south — horizontal lines) and longitude (east or west — vertical lines). A grid reference is used to identify a position on a topographical map. These are described as degrees, minutes and seconds. An example of a geographic coordinate is:

35°26’35”S         149°48’21”E

Latitude and longitude coordinates are shown at each corner on a map. When expressing coordinates, latitude is given first.