The Best Apps to Aid Your Hunting Expeditions
Category: article
Nov 19th, 2019 by Keith Worrall
Modified Nov 19th, 2019 at 10:21 AM
The Best Apps to Aid Your Hunting Expeditions
Hunting methods have definitely changed from what they were in the 20 th century. There was a time when hunting – and other outdoor activities – prized word of mouth instruction passed down from expert to beginner. You focused your eyes outward-looking for targets and kept your ears open listening to the advice given to you from your guide.
How times have changed! Now, it’s just as likely that a hunter will have their eyes glancing downwards at their smartphone because there are a variety of apps you can download to aid your hunting expeditions. You might think that buying hunting equipment is more essential, and you’re right. But, the technology discussed here is more about strategy like property boundaries, demarcations, landowner information, etc.
Get comfortable and start your read!
Smartphone as Hunting Gear
Any of the apps on this list will turn your smartphone into the must-have outdoor hunting tech tool. It’s very natural when someone wants to keep their smartphone with them in case of emergencies. Remembering to pack a smartphone along with your guns and bows has become second nature to every outdoor pursuit enthusiast.
The handy little devices are good for more than just playing app games to keep the boredom at bay, texting your buddies updates, or even live streaming events when something exciting happens. When you download useful hunting apps onto your smartphone they actually help you bag more games. And that’s reason enough to test out the best apps for hunting we have listed here.
As cell coverage has become more reliable, and smartphones more high-tech, it means the devices we carry in our pockets are capable of doing far more than simply making a call home or taking a snapshot. Many models feature built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) which makes satellite imagery and mapping available.
Batteries have been developed to last longer (especially if you remember to turn the screen light right down), and plenty of hunting tools and vehicles have a USB charger integrated somewhere in the design. Smartphones are shockproof, waterproof, and mute. It is understandable that developers would create applications to harness all this technology in
order to make hunting top-notch. Hunting-focused apps are here to stay, and they can assist you find your way in the densest woods, check the weather, and even store all your fishing and hunting license information in
one place.
Maps and More (iOS and Android Compatible)
HuntStand by TerraStride Inc. : HuntStand is a useful app to download because it allows you to select different map views. Anything from topographic viewing to aerial satellite imagery to standard road maps are available for any hunter with access to adequate cellular signals. The map functionality and image quality are excellent, and the user is able to view parcel boundaries and property lines by turning the feature on or off.
There are some areas that have not yet had parcel details added in, but every boundary line is there to see. Unfortunately, no landowner info is provided on this app; a drawback for those of us who like to enquire if the landowner needs or allows hunting on their land. If this is a problem for you, all you have to do is download the app onto a desktop. The desktop version includes these details upfront. You can gauge from the property owner’s
details provided on the desktop app as to what land is public and privately owned. Hunt Stand limits the number of parcels you can access for details to 10 every month. Charges apply for additional parcel information.
The one drawback to downloading this app is the constant ads which can become annoying, but this is standard practice for a free app to include them.
Also includes:
* Weather
*Tracking
*Wind direction
*Social features
HUNT by onXmaps: The HUNT app ushered in a new era of GPS functionality when it first launched. It has stood up well against the other apps that followed in its wake. It remains the standard hunting app against which all other apps are measured. HUNT still can hold up when it comes to data management and in-field navigation.
OnXmaps were the first developers that allowed hunters to view property boundaries quickly in real-time while out in the field. Even though the app itself is completely free to download, the parcel info layers and real-time property boundaries demarcation can only be obtained by signing up for a subscription. Package prices begin at $15 per month. This is a reasonable price to have access to such excellent information:
*Landowner information
*Acreage details
*Clear private and public demarcation
*No ads
Be warned, the HUNT app does consume a hefty chunk of data. It also takes longer to load and open its maps then HuntStand. This is most obvious in places with sketchy cell reception, and this can make it very tempting to switch to data use. However, to save on mounting data charges and hassling to load the page in areas with marginal cell service, you can download the maps you need onto the HUNT app when you are at home with your wifi.
Then the maps open any time you need them, regardless of data costs and cell coverage.
The SAS Survival Guide: Ultimate SAS Survival (iOS and Android)
Just one look at this app and you know you have to download it, just for interest value alone. It’s like having a tiny survivalist in your pocket to help you out if you hit a rough spot. There are plenty of online testimonials to say that the Ultimate SAS Survival app, overseen by former SAS instructor and soldier – John Wiseman – is the definitive guide to wilderness survival.
This app can assist you in any outdoor survival situation, and also brings the elite specialist training techniques and skills of Britain’s toughest armed force to you anywhere in the world. If being prepared for anything is part of the hunting skillset, then the SAS Survival Guide makes this app the clear winner.
Accuweather by Accuweather International (iOS and Android)
There is one weather app that is used by emergency personnel, search and rescue teams, and first responders: Accuweather. It is the best weather app because it provides hunters with the information they need through the hunting calendar year.
Accuweather is better than other weather apps because it has live stream forecasts, weather updates, and incoming data being continuously uploaded onto the app. Other weather apps are just fed data intermittently from an online source, even the ones that come as a standard-setting on your smartphone. Besides the standard weather reporting Accuweather provides, it also gives sunrise and sunset times, local alerts, and radar. This is very handy information to have when you are out hunting afield. The apps also have historic weather trends and a long predictive forecast summary.
There is nothing as irritating as being caught outdoors in unpredictable weather. Accuweather does a very good job of keeping hunters, hikers, and birdwatchers prepared.
Hunting Apps Worth a Mention (for Teaching, Not Hunting)
Deer Hunting: Buck Shooting Simulator by Creative Titans (iOS only): This app can help introduce new hunters to track the shot they just made by using animated deer. It helps develop a better understanding of the anatomy of the animal and can bring improvements by assisting the user to make a better shot next time. It’s a simple process where the user positions the deer and then calculates the shot and angle. The app then simulates the hit from the selected angle. The imagery doesn’t stop there: when the animal receives a kill shot, it’s then possible to peel away the layers of the deer in a simulation of a dressing. You are able to see at what angle the arrow hit and which
organs were damaged. Buck Shooting Simulator is a great app for teaching the younger generation all about shot placement and angles.
Primos Hunting Calls by DataRiver LLC (iOS only): The calls on this app are for teaching purposes only. They give instructions on how you can use your calls better, and none of the sounds on the speaker sound realistic enough or are loud enough for use in the field. That said, Primos is definitely the king of animal calls, and there isn’t a calling technique they don’t know how to perfect.
You might not use this app much once you have a good understanding of how to use your calls, but it’s a great app to have for amusing relatives at turkey hunting season and lots of fun for the kids.
As hunting skills and activities open up to many more people, these apps can provide a useful bridge between those who are wanting to learn, and those hunters who want to pass on the old skills to others. There is equal value in preserving the old ways and embracing newer technology. So, give these apps a tryout on your next hunting expedition.