How To Set Up the onX Hunt App for Turkey Hunting
The onX Hunt App is the #1 GPS Hunting App for turkey hunting. Read on to learn how to use the App to improve the odds of punching your tag on a big tom this year.
The onX Hunt App is the #1 GPS Hunting App for turkey hunting. Read on to learn how to use the App to improve the odds of punching your tag on a big tom this year.
Step 1. Create an Account and Select a State or Log In
If you’re new to onX, create an account and start a free 7-day trial. It’s easy and free. If you already have an onX Membership, log in here.
Step 2. Find Where to Turkey Hunt (Private Land or Public Land)
In the onX Hunt App, turn on the Private Land and Government Land Layers in the state in which you’re planning to hunt. These Layers can be accessed within the Layer Library and will not be accessible after your 7-day trial ends. If you have created an account, purchase a single-state Premium Membership now to ensure continued access.
If public land is limited in your state, asking for permission to hunt on private land is your best strategy. After adding the Private Land Layer, tap on any parcel to view the landowner’s name and address. Knock on their door and introduce yourself, or write them a letter using this guide on how to ask for permission to hunt someone else’s land. Additionally, you can use onX Hunt’s Possible Access and Walk-In Layers to find more publicly-accessible hunting areas.
Step 3. Start E-Scouting
Once you identify the general area in which you intend to turkey hunt, spend some time browsing those areas from the comfort of home using the onX Hunt Web Map. Use the Satellite, Topographic, and Hybrid Basemaps to identify choke points, funnels, benches, and other topographical features that influence turkey movement. Identify a few areas where you expect to find birds and mark those locations with Waypoints. If you’ll be hunting with a buddy, easily share those Waypoints from within the App.
New to turkey hunting? Check out our awesome article on 10 Tips for Finding Spring Turkeys.
Step 4. Use Compass mode paired with the Line Distance tool to pinpoint gobbles.
To utilize compass mode inside the Hunt App, simply tap on the ‘crosshair’ bubble in the bottom left corner twice and you will get a blue cone showing the direction in which you are facing. Use this in tandem with the Line Distance tool (found in your Map Tools tab) to pinpoint in what direction and how far away a gobble is.
This will help you to determine where the best set-up location is and whether you can close the distance between you and the bird.
Step 5. See Turkey Hunting Zones for Any State
To see turkey hunting zone boundaries in your state, go into the onX Hunt App, tap “Map Layers,” tap “Layer Library,” select your state, and tap on the “+” sign next to the GMU Layer to add to your map. Then, tap “My Layers,” select your state, tap “Layer Settings” on the GMU Layer and select the sublayer option for turkey. Not all states have units unique to turkey, however, so you may simply use the general option. For more information on how to use the GMU Layer on iOS, Android, and the Web Map, click here.
Once the GMU Layer is turned on, tap on any area of the map to see the turkey hunting zone and high-level regulations for the area. Where available, you will also see a link to your state’s official turkey hunting regulations. Learn more about a specific turkey hunting zone by visiting the onX GMU Hub.
Step 6. Using onX Hunt In the Field
Now it’s time to test your e-scouting skills. As you begin to zero in on productive areas, keep the following tips in mind.
Download Offline Maps of the area in case cell coverage gets spotty, and follow these tips to preserve the battery life of your phone.
Stay legal by keeping tabs on property lines using the public and private land layers.
Know what turkey hunting zone you’re in with the GMU Layer. Get access to regulations if there’s cell coverage. Use Map Tools, including Photo Waypoints, to mark locations, track your hunt, and measure line distances and areas. Don’t forget that all of these Markups can be shared with your friends!
Step 7. Add the NWTF Wild Turkey Records Layer
onX and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) teamed up to bring you the NWTF Wild Turkey Records Layer. This new layer utilizes nationwide records from NWTF and has everything turkey hunters need for scouting new hunting areas. You can find records for overall score, weight, beard length, spur length, and more, helping you pinpoint counties with mature toms across the country.
Add the NWTF Wild Turkey Records Layer by opening My Layers, expand the Hunt menu and scroll down until you see the NWTF Wild Turkey Records Layer.
Set Up onX Hunt for Turkey Today
Keep Scratchin’
