With 17.8 huntable acres per licensed resident hunter, and some of the finest pheasant hunting in the country, South Dakota is a leader when it comes to developing unique partnerships between private and public entities with the goal of conservation and hunting access. PATH was created to help accelerate that model, and its immediate success is worthy of celebration. 

PATH provides first time enrollees a sign-up incentive of up to $25 per acre, paid in advance, in return for a minimum of 10 years of undisturbed habitat and access on private lands. This incentive for landowners is in addition to Game Fish and Park’s Walk-In Area program, and the inaugural year was made possible by a donation from onX Hunt. 

“PATH had all the ingredients to be a major success right out of the gate, and our enrollment during the first six months illustrates its immense value to landowners, wildlife, hunters, and rural communities in the pheasant capital,” said Matt Gottlob, Pheasant Forever state coordinator in South Dakota. 

This unique access model is timely, as small game hunting license sales in South Dakota are on the incline. And it isn’t just resident hunters taking advantage of the state’s impressive hunting access. Ryan Lewis of Lebanon, Missouri was drawn to South Dakota for its bird numbers and public access.

“I had heard about the PATH program from The Flush Podcast, and traveling to South Dakota was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Lewis. “I was able to hunt a PATH property and shoot my very first limit of wild pheasants. I had such a good time, and can’t wait to get back and do it again.”

To learn more about the PATH program, join Pheasants Forever and onX Hunt at Pheasant Fest, March 1-3, 2024 in Sioux Falls. Attendees can listen in on two Public Access to Habitat seminars, hosted by Ryan Callaghan on Friday at 5:30, and Saturday at 4:30. Panel members include Kevin Robling, South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department Secretary; Ben Brettingen, onX Hunt Wingshooting Manager; Sam Soholt with Public Land Tees; and Jake Hanson, Pheasant Forever’s Director of Development in South Dakota. A PATH Happy Hour will directly follow each discussion.

Additionally, the event will be raising funds for the next 10,00 acres of access in the Public Lands Pavilion. Each $25 donation will result in a new acre of public access.

About Pheasants Forever

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 400,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 580,000 habitat projects benefiting 26.5 million acres.

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about. 

The post South Dakota’s Public Access to Habitat Program Quickly Approaches 10,000 Acre Goal of New Hunting Opportunity appeared first on onX Maps.

onX Hunt, the industry’s leading GPS hunting app and navigation platform, today announced the launch of onX Hunt Research Tools. onX Hunt Research Tools is an immersive platform designed to help hunters intuitively research and understand draw odds, tag trends, harvest statistics and more so that they can create the best application strategy to reach their goals this season.

At the end of 2022, onX Hunt acquired TopRut, helping Elite Members navigate application season and draw odds across the West. Over the past year, onX has rebuilt that experience, adding more insights and interactive capabilities to better guide hunters at a time when tags are increasingly more difficult to understand and to draw.

“TopRut was built on the industry’s most powerful dataset. We’ve taken that underlying data and rebuilt the user experience, making it more intuitive, immersive, and informative,” said onX Hunt General Manager Cliff Cancelosi. “What was once a spreadsheet, is now like the Airbnb of application season. We’ve made it easier to parse the data and understand what it means for your hunt, directly on the map.”

A “before and after” look at TopRut and Hunt Research Tools

onX Hunt Elite users can search for hunts by species, sex, state, hunt type, method of take, and date range. Interactive sorting helps narrow down the possibilities by draw odds, harvest rate, hunting pressure, and amount of public land in a unit. By clicking into a hunt, users can easily see what that unit’s terrain looks like on the map in high-resolution satellite imagery, in 2D and 3D. They can also assess public and private land opportunities, access points, and roads. For more in-depth mapping, the tool links users directly into their onX Hunt Webmap, with the ability to apply all of the app’s layers and features to each unit for further analysis.

“We wanted to design an application tool that would empower all hunters to discover access and opportunity,” explains Cancelosi. “onX Hunt Research Tools will help out-of-state hunters planning a bucket-list trip and in-state outdoorsmen and women who need a new plan after winterkill affected a herd, a unit changed, or their go-to camp hasn’t produced the same experience as years past. We’ve taken what was once a pretty tedious, confusing, and complicated process and streamlined it, making it more informative and interactive.”  

onX Hunt Research Tools Guided Research Process

onX Hunt Elite members can log into Hunt Research Tools and successfully navigate draw odds, tag trends, and harvest statistics to build an application strategy, find overlooked opportunities, and save both time and frustration throughout the application process. For 2024 Hunt Research Tools covers 12 Western states: Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and Alaska. Plans are underway to expand into additional states in the near future.

Hunt Research Tools rounds out onX Hunt’s full suite of application services, including access to Huntin’ Fool and HuntReminder that aid users with boots-on-the-ground knowledge and application reminders.

onX Hunt Research Tools is part of the onX Hunt Elite Membership. The membership includes access to application tools, hunting tactics education, nation-wide mapping, and exclusive pricing on products and services handpicked by the onX Hunt team. To learn more about onX Hunt Elite Membership, visit: onxmaps.com/hunt/app/elite/benefits.

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps that are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2017, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding, and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. 

The post onX Launches Hunt Research Tools for Application Season appeared first on onX Maps.

onX’s mission is to awaken the adventurer in everyone. To protect and improve access to the diverse natural landscapes that fuel and inspire recreationists, the company created a Grant Program. To date, onX’s Grant Program has helped fund 53 projects in 20 states, partnering with organizations like land trusts, park foundations, trail associations, and recreation clubs to improve access to 154,688 acres of land and build or restore 255 miles of trails. These projects–from land purchases and easements to trail restorations and clean-ups–have directly impacted the recreational opportunities available to anglers, backcountry skiers, bikers, climbers, cross-country skiers, equestrians, hikers, hunters, motorsports enthusiasts, and paddlers alike.

To put these numbers into perspective, 183 Central Parks, three Acadia National Parks, or one Zion National Park could fit inside 154,688 acres. While those acres represent recreation potential, they also symbolize the collaboration of like-minded people coming together to make these projects a reality–from onX customers who support the company’s values to partners who bring each of these projects to fruition.    

“Outdoor recreation participation is at an all-time high right now, but our access to the landscapes that make these opportunities possible is threatened by industrial development, urban sprawl, land ownership changes, and more,” said onX CEO Laura Orvida. “Improving access to our natural landscapes is important to us and our community, and it’s part of onX’s DNA. I’m proud of our Grant Program and the direct impact it has on outdoor recreation.”

Over the past few years, onX has built a framework that gives back to the land that makes our recreation experiences possible. As the company looks ahead to 2024, onX’s Access and Stewardship Team wants to hear from the outdoor community about what’s important to them. The team encourages all outdoor enthusiasts to fill out a one-minute survey here: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/grant-program-milestone-celebration

To learn more about onX’s Access and Stewardship Grant Program, head to: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives 

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2018, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about

The post onX Grant Program Celebrates 150 Miles of Trails and 150,000 Acres of Improved Public Access appeared first on onX Maps.

According to onX’s latest report, walk-in programs account for nearly 30% of South Dakota’s huntable acreage, adding over 1.4 million acres of habitat. With 17.8 huntable acres per licensed resident hunter, and some of the finest pheasant hunting in the country, South Dakota is a leader when it comes to developing unique partnerships between private and public entities with the goal of conservation and hunting access. PATH was created to help accelerate that model.

“Traditional state and federal funding aren’t always competitive enough to entice landowners to enroll in long-term conservation programs,” said Pheasants Forever Development Director, Jake Hanson. “PATH provides additional incentives via an up-front payment of $25 an acre, providing a compelling option for first-time enrolling landowners. This additional incentive was a direct result from the unique collaboration between onX Hunt, Pheasants Forever, and South Dakota Game Fish and Parks.”

South Dakota has a rich history of creating community-based conservation programs like PATH. It’s part of what makes the state one of the premier pheasant hunting destinations. Not only do producers and landowners receive financial support for their conservation initiatives, the resulting improvement to bird habitat attracts hunters, providing a boon to local economies. This multi-layered impact inspired onX Hunt to make PATH the largest-ever single project investment of its Access and Stewardship program.

“Pressure on public hunting land is increasing, and quality bird habitat is on the decline,” said onX Hunt General Manager Clifford Cancelosi. “We believe that the PATH program will create a profound impact to help reverse this trend. We’re proud to support Pheasants Forever and South Dakota Game Fish and Parks in preserving the sporting tradition and some of the most productive upland habitats in the country.”

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about.

The post Pheasants Forever Creates New Hunting Opportunity with Support from onX Hunt appeared first on onX Maps.

onX Hunt, the market’s leading hunting GPS app, today announced an integration with Bushnell and other industry-leading manufacturers that will completely reinvent the way hunters use cellular trail cameras this season.

onX Hunt members can now receive images from select cellular cameras directly in their onX Hunt app. By logging into their Bushnell Trail Camera app, hunters can connect their cellular cameras with onX Hunt. Images will then seamlessly flow into the onX Hunt app, populating at each Trail Camera icon that marks individual camera locations on the map. In addition, they can also see their cell camera’s battery life, exact location, and, over time, a comprehensive history of the cameras’ previous locations.

“Trail cameras are one of the most important tools a hunter can use,” said onX Hunt General Manager, Clifford Cancelosi. “But historically we’ve relied on a tedious process of managing that imagery and making sense of our data. In close collaboration with Bushnell, we’ve pioneered a solution to change that.”

This integration will not only simplify the trail camera management experience, it also sets the stage for future analysis–so hunters can better understand how, when, and where game uses their property. By analyzing factors associated with each image–like wind direction and speed, barometric pressure, moon phase, and more–hunters will soon be able to build a more comprehensive understanding of the deer on their property and find more success this season. 

“In addition to having a holistic view of all their cell cam images, we’re putting analysis at a hunter’s fingertips, so he or she can better pattern that buck more effectively,” explained Cancelosi.

“The ability for hunters to track and predict whitetail movements just became a lot simpler thanks to our new partnership with onX Hunt,” said Primos Director of Product and Marketing, Jason Harris. “By simply adding your Bushnell cellular trail camera to your onX Hunt account, users can easily collect images from every camera in one app. This new feature goes a long way in solving a common need shared by millions of whitetail hunters.”

Currently, onX Hunt integrates with Bushnell, Covert, and Exodus cellular cameras. For more information, head to: https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/trail-camera-services

Bushnell is also an onX Hunt Elite partner. This fall, Elite Members can take advantage of 25% off Bushnell trail cameras and three months of free cellular data with that purchase. To learn more, check out: https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app/elite/benefits/bushnell

About onX Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about.

The post onX Hunt Announces Industry-First Integration with Cellular Trail Cameras appeared first on onX Maps.

The John Day River is the longest undammed river West of the Rockies and is designated Wild and Scenic. From its headwaters in the Strawberry Mountains near Prairie City, the river runs, unencumbered, nearly 284 miles through archaeological sites, historical areas, and canyons. The varied sections of habitat provide life both above and below the water line. It hosts runs of Chinook salmon, steelhead, and other game fish including great bass fishing in the heat of summer. The riparian areas are filled with bighorn sheep, deer, game birds, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and countless other species.

The river is an exceptional float and attracts rafters from all around the Pacific Northwest to its tranquil waters. That is until, the notorious Tumwater Falls—a class-five waterfall that is surrounded by private land. So where are rafters, boaters, and floaters supposed to take out? That’d be McDonald’s Ferry Ranch. This 4,054-acre parcel near Wasco, Oregon is a place where recreationists have taken out from their multi-day float, hiked along the Oregon trail, and chased chukar through the rugged John Day valley.

Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC), a conservation group dedicated to protecting rivers in the West, first purchased land along the John Day in September of 2008. Their strategy is to acquire, and then convey these properties to federal, tribal, local, or state land management agencies. In the case of the now-named Cottonwood Canyon State Park, upstream of McDonald’s Ferry, they purchased that property to turn it over to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).

Since then, local businesses such as the Wasco House Bed and Breakfast have seen an uptick in visitation to the area. “When they (WRC and OPRD) first developed Cottonwood Canyon State Park, we weren’t expecting to get much business from it. However, we have several guests come out every year to fish the John Day and one or two groups that float it,” share Dave Bergmann and Lisa D’Arcy, who own the hospitality business. They remember a time when they used to be the only two hiking the area, yet now, there are 20 or 30 people out there on the trails. Not to worry, “It’s a huge park and it’s not crowded,” they say. For them, Wasco seems to be a stopover town for folks heading out to the Painted Hills, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, or even the farther reaches of places like Smith Rock, however, the hope is that the recreational gem of McDonald’s Ferry Ranch might just slow them down a little bit and adventurers might stay a while.

McDonald’s Ferry Ranch Walk-In Program

While under the management of WRC, which has been about three years, the McDonald’s Ferry Ranch has provided recreational access to hikers, boaters, and hunters. WRC’s dedication to hunting access propelled them to seek out Brandon Dyches of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who manages the state’s Hunt By Reservation program. WRC enrolled the ranch into the program which granted Dyches administrative oversight of the property’s hunting access. This ensures rich hunting experiences and empowers landowners to allow access and manage their property the way they want to. “They were a small landowner willing to allow hunting access, but didn’t have the time or resources to do so,” says Dyches. In the first year, they had 85 reservations and 155 hunters. Harvest was mostly chukar. “Access is the biggest problem. There’s Bureau of Land Management peppered through there that got locked up by little ranchettes or old homesteads. We were able to handle that access and keep hunt quality really high,” reflects Dyches. 

Opening up these parcels, including McDonald’s Ferry Ranch and Cottonwood Canyon, allows people to break up their explorations into smaller chunks, “The spirit is now that the average recreationist doesn’t have to commit six days to the John Day.” Day trippers from Portland, Hood River, and nearby areas can experience this valley. This access and the proximity to his then-home in Portland, are what drew hunter, Jesse Abel, to the program and McDonald’s Ferry in the first place. 

The Hunt

As a new hunter, Jesse needed to know where he could hunt. He had picked up hunting to eat sustainably, learn about ecology, and get in better shape. Like most new hunters, he didn’t know where to go. “onX has been helpful because I didn’t have any idea about land ownership, so the (Hunt By Reservation program) was really comforting to know ‘I’m allowed to be here.’ There wasn’t anyone to tell me to ‘get lost.’” He goes on to say, “You’re pretty nervous your first time, so the Hunt By Reservation was really nice for getting started and to know this is totally sanctioned.” 

The morning started with a car camp on nearby BLM land and a drive over to the parking lot at McDonald’s Ferry. He started up a few drainages whacking at shrub brush coaxing a chukar, a bird he’d never seen before, to emerge. As the dawn light cast its warm glow deeper into the canyons, around 7:30 a.m., a herd of deer crested a ridge in full sprint. “They were all huffing and puffing, and you could see the steam because it was early and cold.” Something, perhaps one of the coyotes Abel saw or the nearby pheasant hunters, had spooked them. “It was fun because I watched them approach me for a long time. They had no idea I was there,” he reflects. 

“The whole property is dynamic. There are all these big rocky cliffs. I only covered about half of it.” Following up on a tip from another hunter, he ascended a draw where they were known to be and where the only escape would be direct flight descending the drainage—exactly where Abel was standing. “About 30 of them go flying past me making a big commotion. I shot the tenth one or whatever—I wasn’t quick or skilled then. I’ve since gotten better. They’re so camouflaged that I didn’t want to lose that one, so I didn’t shoot any of the others, and just kept eye contact with that one.” Even then, he walked across the ravine to near-ten feet of where it dropped and still had to use onX to recover the perfectly blended-in bird. 

In total, he walked about 12 miles around the ranch including walking along the Oregon Trail. The trail switchbacks down the canyon to where a ferry would shuttle wagons across the river in the 1800s. The wagon ruts are still visible on the property. The terrain that chukar like to live in is tough. “Since picking up chukar hunting, I’ve bought a pair of mountain climbing boots, really really stiff ones so your ankle doesn’t roll.” It’s amazing that pioneers in their wagon carts could do this across such rugged terrain.

Connecting Parcels and Dissolving Landlocked Boundaries

As of Wednesday, August 30, WRC conveyed the property to the Bureau of Land Management. While the management plans are yet to be finalized, users can expect that the property will fall under the BLM’s plan for the John Day as a whole. As Dyches referenced, the property, at 4,054 acres, is neighbored by parcels of both private and public. 

One particular piece of land is a 598-acre BLM-owned area that was previously landlocked. This result is what makes the work of WRC so special. “This opened up acres of public land, in a county that doesn’t have much of it on a wild and scenic river,” shares Alex Barton, a Project Manager for Western Rivers Conservancy. “The vast majority of these projects have a natural, long-term steward.” There’s a Plan A—meaning that the property of interest is adjacent to a land management agency like the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or BLM. “In the case of McDonald’s Ferry, the BLM was motivated to acquire it and they managed lands adjacent to it.” Between their first project in Cottonwood Canyon and this, they had worked with the BLM to protect the lower nine miles of Thirtymile Creek—a coldwater refuge for steelhead. “We had a recent history with them, a positive working relationship, the funding from Land and Water Conservation Fund, and they are the big public landowner in the area which makes them a really logical long-term steward.” While there are countless factors that go into these transactions, and oftentimes a Plan B or C, the proximity to adjacent BLM land and their existing presence in the community will hopefully position the property for success in the years to come.

All Ahead

These types of projects—the ones where access is needed, in areas where an acre conserved opens up a multiplier effect, and where the landscape can support the changes—are what make a great onX Access and Stewardship story. We’re proud to contribute to WRC’s strategy of finding long-term land stewards. Take the chance to visit McDonald’s Ferry Ranch if you’re traveling through Oregon. Visit the local lodging options, try your hand at chukar hunting, or find yourself walking through the history of the Oregon Trail.

Learn more about onX’s ongoing access and stewardship initiatives.

The post Passing the Baton: Chronicling the McDonald’s Ferry Ranch appeared first on onX Maps.

onX, a pioneer in outdoor navigation and industry leader in recreation analysis, today released its annual access report, Private Land, Public Access. The report analyzes more than 40 voluntary public access programs–where willing private landowners open their properties to hunters–across 27 US states, revealing a combined 30 million acres of hunting opportunity.

In the continental United States, roughly 443 million acres of huntable public land fuel outdoor pursuits and provide wildlife habitat. But over the years, those lands have seen increased pressure from development and a pandemic-fueled boom in outdoor recreation participation. While it’s possible for states and federal entities to obtain new public lands, 60% of our country is privately owned. As a result, public land is feeling more crowded than ever and these private acres constitute land that hunters can’t afford to lose.

Every year, private landowners across the country voluntarily open up access to their land. Together, they provide an additional 30 million acres of hunting opportunity and wildlife habitat–an area equivalent to the size of Pennsylvania.

Private land acreage enrolled in public access programs varies by state, but their impact is significant. For example, in Kansas, home to one of the country’s oldest private access agreements, a program called Walk-In Access more than quadruples the state’s huntable land acreage. Nearly a quarter of Michigan’s total hunting acreage exists thanks to the state’s Commercial Forest Program. And in Utah, the Corporate Wildlife Management and Walk-In Access programs provide an extra 9 acres of hunting ground per licensed hunter.

These programs, according to private landowners and program managers, are threatened by hunter misbehavior and funding uncertainty. Hunter respect and consideration on these private lands is critical to keeping landowners enrolled and maintaining access into the future.

“onX conducted this analysis to understand how vital voluntary public access programs are to hunters,” said onX Hunt General Manager, Cliff Cancelosi. “Our report also explores what challenges face these 30 million acres, and topping the list is enrollment. Every year, landowners can choose to unenroll–and some opt out. While various reasons contribute to this churn, a leading cause is frustration over hunters who lack respect for their land or who don’t follow the rules. As a collective group, we must do better–there’s a lot of opportunity on the line.”

Additionally, these programs face unique funding challenges. Funding comes in part from Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPR-HIP), a provision of the Farm Bill, which is up for reauthorization every five years. General tax revenue allocated via the Farm Bill to keep these programs active averages out to less than a dollar per acre per year for the American taxpayer.

“While hunters pay into these programs through their license sales and other state initiatives, federal funding, earmarked by the Farm Bill, also helps keep these programs afloat,” explains Cancelosi. “For taxpayers, that averages out to pennies per acre per year, which just might be the best value in American conservation. But unlike other conservation programs, the Farm Bill is up for debate this fall–and its outcome is uncertain.”

Whether these programs provide hunters with more opportunity or an undeveloped habitat for wildlife, they require a delicate balance of participation, incentivization, and maintenance. To better understand these perspectives and read interviews from landowners and program managers, read the Private Land, Public Access report here: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/private-land-public-access

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt make up the company’s suite of apps, and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2017, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding, and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about

The post Public Access Programs Open 30M Acres of Private Land to Hunters Every Year appeared first on onX Maps.

onX, a pioneer in outdoor digital navigation, is collaborating with Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of global satellite imagery and geospatial solutions, to launch an all-new feature: Recent Imagery. Recent Imagery provides onX users across its suite of apps-onX Hunt, onX Offroad and onX Backcountry-with satellite imagery map views, updated every two weeks. This capture frequency provided by Planet’s fleet of imaging satellites puts critical information about current recreation conditions at outdoor enthusiasts’ fingertips, helping them stay safe, achieve their goals, and exercise good stewardship while recreating outside. 

“Whether someone is looking to see if a high mountain pass is dry for an upcoming hiking or overlanding trip, exploring the availability of water sources or ice cover, checking to see if an area is muddy and thus more susceptible to erosion, looking into impacts from recent wildfires, or seeking out the last remaining strip of snow to ski, Recent Imagery helps “fill in the blanks” for folks as they’re planning their adventures,” said onX Senior Director of Geospatial, Brian Riordan. “Planet’s imagery is twice as detailed as other imaging sources-we’re talking five meters per pixel compared to 10. That level of detail means onX users have exceptionally reliable data to make well-informed choices about when, where, and how they recreate. As a result, we can better steward our outdoor places and public lands, avoid putting pressure on critical areas or habitats, and reduce the burden on land management or emergency response teams.”

Planet operates hundreds of satellites that together provide an unprecedented dataset of Earth observation imagery. With a unique combination of coverage, frequency, and resolution, Planet delivers geospatial insights “at the speed of change,” helping users get the most nuanced understanding of changing ground conditions and validate on-the-ground information. Its constellation of satellites orbit the poles every 90 minutes, capturing the entire Earth’s landmass every day. 

“Planet’s combination of high-frequency and high-resolution imagery provides a unique experience for outdoor enthusiasts to better understand current conditions, landscape changes, and historical trends in their area of interest,” said Planet Account Executive Zach Precious. “We’re thrilled to be providing data for onX’s Recent Imagery feature, allowing their users to gain confidence in planning their next adventure and maximizing the best possible outcomes. On top of the natural fit between two geospatial industry leaders working together, our collaboration will work to promote and enable better stewardship of the land and our planet!”

Recent Imagery is a high-frequency complement to onX’s existing, high-resolution satellite basemap, updated every few years. While the high-resolution satellite basemap is available to all levels of subscribers, Recent Imagery is an Elite member feature, accessible on both mobile and desktop App versions. Because Recent Imagery is taken every 14 days, users also have the ability to explore and compare what the landscape looks like now and what it looked like “then” by scrolling through onX’s archive of historical images.

onX aims to provide its app users with continuous innovation, and Recent Imagery is one of the company’s latest updates. Other key features launched in 2023 include Route Builder, Terrain X, in-dash integrations with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an industry-leading, immersive 3D experience.

For more information about onX’s Recent Imagery, visit onxmaps.com.

To learn more about Planet, visit planet.com.

About onX 

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about

The post onX Leverages Planet Data to Launch New “Recent Imagery” Feature appeared first on onX Maps.

onX Hunt is announcing eight new features that will help hunters find more success this fall, including: A new mapping experience powered by a suite of aerial imagery, hands-free navigation, and the industry’s first trail camera integration. 

Fresh Perspectives: New Aerial Imagery 

onX Hunt has launched never-before seen perspectives, while improving the overall clarity and recency of aerial imagery. The new features include:

• Imagery on Demand: onX Elite members can now order custom, high-resolution satellite images of their hunting grounds and stitch those images onto their map. These detailed perspectives allow hunters to see current conditions, such as habitat management improvements on their whitetail property, or make critical and time-saving decisions, like whether a go-to duck pond has melted in a neighboring state. On-demand images can be viewed in 3D mode, and customized further with markups like Waypoints, Tracks, and Lines. Each image costs $59.95, and will be delivered to the onX Hunt user’s account in less than a week, on average. 
• Terrain X: onX’s first proprietary 3D mapping and analysis tool allows onX Hunt Elite users to narrow in on potential hunting and habitat areas by filtering for slope aspect, angle, and elevation. For example, elk hunters can zone in on elevation bands, and look for bedding areas on mellow north-facing slopes. Furthermore, the View Shed tool helps hunters pinpoint glassing areas, visualizing what they can see from that spot, before they set out.
• Recent Imagery and Historic Look Back: Recent medium-resolution imagery gives hunters an idea of what the terrain looks like now, and what it looked like “then.” Updated every two weeks, onX Hunt Elite members can scroll through previous weeks to get a historical sense of their hunting area’s macro trends–such as snow lines, agricultural work, timber cuts, water levels, and fire impact over time.
• Leaf-Off Imagery: Available later this month to onX Hunt Elite members, Leaf-Off Imagery provides the valuable perspective of seeing a hunting area without the interference of foliage and undergrowth. This high-resolution perspective is initially available for southern and eastern states.
• 3D for iOS: onX Hunt’s powerful and immersive 3D Mode, previously accessed via the Webmap, is now available on iOS. Following suit, the 3D Elevation Exaggeration feature will also be available on mobile devices later this summer. This feature, currently accessed via the Webmap, provides comprehensive terrain analysis in places with subtle elevation changes. 

“Successful hunters need to know their terrain inside and out,” said onX Hunt General Manager, Clifford Cancelosi. “We’re investing in imagery and powerful tools that give hunters boots-on-ground knowledge they can access from anywhere, year round. This level of data and detail is only available in onX Hunt. So whether you’re scouting a new area or looking for that perfect tree stand location–all the information you need is at your fingertips.”

^{onX Hunt’s New “Terrain X” Feature}

A New Way to Navigate: In-Dash Integration

• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Integration: onX Hunt is now available in the dash of Apple CarPlay-enabled vehicles, and Android Auto will soon follow. Offline maps, public and private land boundaries, trails, lines, Waypoints, Tracks and more are accessible hands-free, so hunters can scout from their trucks while keeping their eyes on the road and surrounding fields.
• Route Builder: This new navigation feature, initially available on the onX Hunt Webmap, allows hunters to quickly create a route from point A to point B with snap-to functionality. Routes can be built in a matter of seconds on any road displayed in onX, and can be followed in-dash or on mobile devices. 

“Hunters spend a ton of time in their trucks, covering ground and searching for new spots,” said Cancelosi. “With onX Hunt now available in their vehicle’s dash, they can easily see private and public land information, as well as all their map content on the fly, without taking their eyes off the road.”

^{onX Hunt in your truck’s dash}

A Better Way to Find Game: Trail Camera Integration

onX is revolutionizing the way hunters use and manage their trail cameras. Trail cameras are a hunter’s second favorite tool, after binoculars, according to an onX research report. Yet, hunters have historically relied on a tedious process and multiple apps to manage their imagery and make sense of their data. onX is changing that. 

Today, onX Hunt members can pinpoint trail cameras on their map and directly import each camera’s imagery–storing all their intel in one app. This process is currently available via the onX Hunt Webmap and will be available via mobile app later this summer. No other hunting map application on the market allows for this seamless transfer and storage of trail camera data.

In the near future, a collaboration with industry-leading, trail camera hardware partners will take this integration to the next level. Cell cameras will automatically send imagery to the onX Hunt App, reducing digital clutter, and setting the stage for additional analysis capabilities so hunters can build a comprehensive look at the game on their property. More details on this integration will be available in August.

“Trail cameras are an integral part of hunting today,” said Cancelosi. “Yet trying to manage and organize imagery from different cameras is cumbersome. To solve that problem, onX Hunt is committed to building a holistic solution that allows users to not only organize incoming content, but also analyze and recognize imagery for the specific game they are interested in–down to ‘that buck.’ App users can combine that information with relevant weather, rut, and other data to determine when and where to go harvest that animal.”

^{Marking and organizing trail cameras in onX Hunt}

For more information about onX Hunt’s suite of new aerial imagery, visit https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app/features/aerial-imagery 

For more details on how onX Hunt now integrates with in-dash screens, visit https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app/features/carplay-android-auto-in-dash 

And to learn more about onX Hunt’s trail camera integration, visit https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app/features/cellular-trail-camera-hub

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about. 

The post onX Hunt Adds Game-Changing Features for the Upcoming Season appeared first on onX Maps.

onX, a pioneer in outdoor navigation, will host a live virtual event on June 21, 2023 at 6 p.m. MDT called “A Hunter, a Backcountry Skier, and an Off-roader Walked Into a Bar.” While the “bar” is virtual, onX Ambassadors and Partners–including Skull Bound TV’s Jana Waller, MeatEater’s Randall Williams, big mountain skier Griffin Post, off-roader Jeremy Evans, and Tread Lightly’s Matt Caldwell–will metaphorically pull up their chairs to have a frank conversation on how members of different outdoor communities can rally together to protect public lands.

Last year, onX hosted an industry-first event called Shared Ground, inviting representatives across various outdoor activities to discuss land conservation and stewardship. This event was born out of the curiosity of what would happen if these diverse folks walked into a bar and discussed public land usage over a beer. On June 21, onX is bringing that conversation to a public audience–to discuss our outdoor differences (there will be many!) and find a common ground when it comes to enjoying and protecting public land access. 

Event attendees will learn inspiring ways to get involved, and hear how they can help mentor others in their own outdoor communities. Attendees will also have a chance to win a YETI traveling bar set-up valued at over $600, with additional YETI giveaways and a cash-back beverage rebate or chance to win more gear from Sierra Nevada.

The Live Virtual Event is part of onX’s ongoing efforts to inspire outdoor stewardship. According to its recently-released research report, Breaking Trails, outdoor enthusiasts recognize the importance of taking care of our shared outdoor spaces–but only one in five actually engage in stewardship acts on an ongoing basis. The outdoors is suffering from a “stewardship gap.” By rallying together we can help improve the collective outdoor experience.

Live attendance to the virtual event is limited. Attendees can register here: bit.ly/livewithonx

Virtual event participants had the following to say about stewardship:

“My commitment to conservation and stewardship is rooted in an understanding that the outdoor opportunities I’ve enjoyed throughout my life did not happen by accident. They were only made possible by a long tradition of dedicated individuals speaking up for smart policy, helping with hands-on service projects, mentoring newcomers, and in countless other ways strengthening our legacy of shared access to nature.” – Randall Williams, MeatEater senior editor

“Hunting and protecting public land are key components of conservation and wildlife management so that ALL end users can enjoy both.” – Jana Waller, Skull Bound TV host and executive producer

“When you’ve had so many formative experiences in the outdoors, it’s only natural to want to protect and share those spaces.” – Griffin Post, professional big mountain skier

“Living in Oregon has taught me the extreme value and need for protecting our broadline access to public lands for ALL user groups through stewardship activities.” – Jeremy Evans, Public Land Stewards of Bend

About onX

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt make up the company’s suite of apps, and are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land. Since 2017, onX has worked with various partners to secure and improve public land access through direct funding, and by supporting key legislation with data analysis and research. Learn more: https://www.onxmaps.com/about 

The post onX to Host a Live Virtual Event with an Unlikely Coalition of Outdoor Enthusiasts appeared first on onX Maps.