Heath Wood
In the technologically advanced world that we live in, it is no surprise that hunters will most likely say that they always have their phone with them even when hunting.
For one, it is always a good idea to have access to communication with your loved ones for safety purposes. For example, most hunters in today's world carry their mobile phones with them while in a tree stand or ground blind. Suppose one was to get hurt and require medical assistance or become lost; help is a phone call away. However, as hunters, we use our phones while in the field to take selfies, scroll and post on social media to pass the time while waiting on a trophy buck to make his presence.
A mobile phone is a great device to carry along while hunting. Companies have caught on to this by designing gloves that feature unique grips on the fingertips for using phones without removing the gloves. In addition, hunting clothing, such as outer layer jackets, now comes with a zippered pocket on the chest for easy access to a cell phone. But did you know that other than for safety, selfies, and passing the time, your cell phone could make you a better hunter? Have you ever heard the saying, “there is an app for that?” Of course, that includes an app for the modern-day deer hunter as well.
Hunting Maps Apps
For the past couple of years, hunters have been using their phones as a tool to gain more information while scouting and hunting. One of the number one mobile tools hunters use is a hunting map or GPS app such as OnX Maps. These apps allow the hunter to view satellite images in 2D or 3D of their hunting area. In addition, they allow the hunter to find water sources, food sources, pinch points, and other landmarks that could help them find areas that are good hunting sights in much less time than if one was looking by foot.
Another great feature from apps such as OnX Maps is seeing boundary lines and who owns specific property pieces. Property ownership information allows the hunter to know who their neighbors are; this allows for scouting reports and helps with their management practices. It also gives information on who to contact for hunting permission when looking for new areas to hunt. As for being a tool for hunters, if that wasn't enough, hunting map apps also have information on wind directions, current and forecasted weather to plan accordingly, and hunting regulations and laws for the area that you will be hunting. Use code "mossyoak" for 20% off a subscription.
With the amount of information from a hunting map app, hunts can be planned weeks prior or spur of the moment when the need to move to a different area is needed—all by opening an app on a mobile phone.
Best Time To Hunt Apps
Several years back, as a teenager, I remember having a moon chart to help predict deer movement. It was made of two pieces of cardboard, cut in the shape of a circle. You then rotated the circle to line up which moon phases would occur, and it would tell you when deer movement would be most likely. As mentioned earlier, now there is an app for that.
Another hunting app specifically designed with tools for the deer hunter is the popular DeerCast app from Drury Outdoors. The DeerCast app is most famous for its hour-by-hour, algorithm-driven deer movement forecast for a specific area that will be hunted. In addition, the DeerCast app provides information such as weather forecast, wind direction, barometric pressure, moon phases, and other resources and information gathered from Mark and Terry Drury themselves. This array of information allows the hunter to determine the best days to hunt, which stand they should be hunting that day, and more importantly, what part of the day they are most likely to have success.
Being a better hunter doesn't stop after the shot has been made. After the shot, it is crucial to recover the deer. The DeerCast app can help with that information as well. A newer feature of the DeerCast app is called the DeerCast Track. It allows hunters to obtain information and knowledge from the Drurys as well as two other legendary trackers. After making the shot, this feature allows the hunter to analyze the shot placement by placing the cursor where the deer was hit. After data has been entered, the app will play a series of videos based on the specific hit location to give information on penetration and time before recovering the deer. Again, all the information to help the hunter can be accessed from a mobile phone in the field.
Cellular Game Camera Apps
In the last decade, hunters have become accustomed to using game cameras for scouting the deer on their property. The technology of game cameras has gone from a massive box that held a 35mm camera and film that had to be mailed in and took a week to receive back to a smaller camera and the technology to view pictures in mere seconds. Hunters can now place game cameras in strategic locations, sit back and watch what is happening on, you guessed it, an app on their phone. The benefits of viewing photos from a phone can help a deer hunter become more successful in many ways. Some of the benefits include less human scent due to not having to check cameras. In addition, having minimal human activity in these areas means less pressure, which keeps deer on their natural travel routes, making deer easier to pattern for hunting season.
As technology improves each year, hunters will continue to see further benefits. For example, I recently started using the Stealth Cam Fusion X cellular camera. With the Fusion X, I can adjust the camera's delay times, dates and time, and quality of megapixels, all from the app without having to push buttons on the game camera itself. The benefits do not stop there; it can improve the hunters themselves by using the cellular camera during the hunting season. For example, when hanging cameras on a scrape during the pre-rut, the hunter will know when a buck uses the scrapes. At the exact time, it is happening, resulting in the hunter being able to make the proper adjustments to make the harvest. Before this technology, it was still a guessing game.
The technology that has been developed in recent years builds the hunter's confidence by allowing access to vital information and resources to help plan the hunt, increasing the hunter's advantage. Once the harvest has occurred, the mobile phone can capture the moment and share it for everyone to see.
