Hunting GPS apps are now taking the torch on digital navigation. They are easier to use, more practical, offer better map detail, and allow you to save weight in your backpack by leaving the Handheld GPS unit at home.

Does GPS work without Data?

When it comes to relying on a cell phone for GPS use in the field, the number one concern is access to cell service. Let’s face it, it’s not uncommon to lose service while out hunting. On the surface, one would think you need that in order to utilize a fancy app on your phone. These days, that’s just not the case.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. Your phone is constantly receiving signals from one of 32 GPS satellites. The beauty of this is that your phone doesn’t need cellular service or a data plan to connect to these signals. GPS navigation actually works independently from data connection. With the offline mapping services offered in hunting GPS apps, you can head afield and know where you stand at all times.

Phone GPS Technology and Trends

If there is one thing true about technology it’s that progression is imminent. The world of hunting GPS apps is no exception to this and the future is bright. 

Starlink

In August 2022, T-Mobile and Space X announced “Coverage Above and Beyond.” Using the industry-leading wireless network of T-mobile and the constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that Space X deems “Starlink,” both companies intend on providing nearly complete cell coverage in most places in the U.S.; including remote locations that were previously unreachable from traditional cell coverage.

So, theoretically, a lack of cell service could cease to exist in the next 3-5 years. This feat could completely eliminate the need for a handheld GPS unit. T-mobile users would automatically have this coverage, with no action needed on their part. Other providers will inevitably follow suit.

Apple Satellite Feature

Apple recently unveiled a new emergency SOS via satellite feature built into the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Users will have the ability to reach out for help anywhere in the world, far from cell/wifi coverage. In fact, this feature won’t even work if there is cell coverage and remains buried in the menu. Apple hopes that nobody will ever have to use this, but it certainly provides comfort when far off the beaten path.

The SOS button on some handheld devices is appealing to many. We want that sense of security in knowing that if something happens we can press a button and help will be on the way. Between this new emergency SOS feature from Apple and utilizing offline maps on your phone, the thought of carrying a handheld GPS for emergency communication and navigation starts to feel less and less necessary.

Convenience of Hunting Apps over Handheld GPS

Hunting GPS apps are much more convenient than handheld GPS units. Here are a few reasons why:

• Easy access – Our phones are always in our pockets at the ready. This provides much easier access to hunting GPS apps than digging in the pack for a handheld GPS. Even if you wear the GPS on your backpack, turning on a GPS is not nearly as easy as swiping your phone to unlock it.
• Carry one less item – Ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain.  Hunting GPS apps allow for carrying one less item. In the backcountry, efficiency is everything.
• Constant updates to app – Hunting GPS apps are constantly being updated and improved, meaning that the sky is the limit for possibilities, literally. Handhelds get updated, but not nearly as much. There is a ceiling there that limits capabilities.
• One thing, multiple functions – While a GPS does GPS things well, our phones do a number of useful and practical things: communication, photo/video, ballistics info, and onX Hunt, to name a few.
• Feature-rich – The features within the onX Hunt app absolutely crush any feature in a handheld in efficiency, ease of use, and effectiveness for navigation.
• More user-friendly – Hunting apps are more user-friendly than handheld GPS units. Phones are so familiar to us that they’re almost an extension of our bodies at this point. Exploring our way through a hunting app is easy, familiar, and not clunky in the least like a handheld GPS can often feel.
• Bigger screens – We live in a visual age. The screen size and resolution of a smartphone is indisputably more visually appealing than that of a handheld GPS. The bigger screen and higher resolution offer much better detail and make navigating more seamless compared to a handheld GPS.
• Touch screen – Touch screens on smartphones is the standard.  It’s what we’ve come to know and it is extremely easy to use. Touch screen is not the standard on handheld GPS units, and several of them don’t even offer this feature.  

Pros Who Use Hunting Apps Over Handheld GPS

“The OnX Hunt App makes things so easy with the ability to cache in the maps! There’s no worry if you run into zero cell service and no need to carry a GPS or Garmin anymore. One less thing to worry about charging, packing or losing! It’s all right there in the Hunt app.” – Jana Waller – Skull Bound Tv

“At age 65 bringing new technology into the woods isn’t my forte, but the onX Hunt App has become a staple for me. Using it to mark buck sign, points of interest, and track my hunts I no longer even bother to carry a handheld GPS, it’s become obsolete. With the Hunt App and an old school compass just in case, I’ve got all I need.” – Hal Blood – Big Woods Bucks

Conclusion

When they reigned supreme, a handheld GPS unit offered confidence and peace of mind for any excursion. With the progression in technology, smartphones have grown by leaps and bounds, and their momentum isn’t holding up for anything. The hunting apps we use within them have begun to take the wheel from the handhelds we’ve known for so long. It’s a classic case of “out with the old, in with the new.” 

FAQ

The post Handheld GPS Units Are Out. Hunting Apps Are In appeared first on onX Hunt.

Obviously some tags are just downright incredible, and perhaps a few offer a reasonable chance of success on an exceptional animal with minimal effort. But those tags are few and far between, and as point-creep sweeps across many Western states they’re becoming increasingly unattainable, especially for younger hunters. Among other things, most controlled or special tags provide hunters the opportunity to hunt more mature animals, be afield with less competition or hunt during a certain time of year. And while it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a special tag, none of those things are a guarantor of easy success. 

Every hunter has a different rolodex of hunting experiences and their own personal metric for what success looks like. That said, managing expectations on special tags can be a critical component in having an enjoyable and “successful” hunt.

In a perfect world, I like to allocate three full days of scouting prior to the season. One full day is often consumed with learning roads, popular areas and campsites, the other two for actual boots-on-the-ground scouting and locating animals. Unfortunately prior commitments, family, and work can all whittle down your time budget, leaving you in a new area with no prior scouting. 

For example, last fall I applied for—and drew—a controlled permit for elk in Idaho that offered non-resident hunters a 6-10% chance of drawing, depending on the year. Everything I could dig up about the unit referenced a healthy elk herd, with hunters doing well on six-plus point bulls. But the reality of the situation was a bit different. The unit was an eight-hour drive from my home in southwest Montana and I wasn’t familiar with the country. My sister drew the tag, too, along with a good friend from back home, and my dad offered to bring stock and tend camp in case we killed a bull in a tough spot. I sandwiched the hunt between an already busy fall schedule and headed for the unit a couple of days before the opener to meet my father. 

Despite what I thought to be effective research, ample time, and excellent rifle dates, I struggled to find a bull of the caliber I’d expected. Two-tracks criss-crossed the unit and wound upward into the best looking habitat. Bowhunters swarmed the unit during the last days of September while I scouted and glassed and grew increasingly anxious. Back in Montana, my freezer languished, void of fresh elk steak and burger. I was torn between hunting hard from dawn to dark, and spending time with my father as he closed in on his seventieth year. 

In the end, I killed a younger bull after a fun morning chasing bugles in an alpine basin. I was pleased of course, but I’d be lying if I said that the hunt was everything I’d hoped for. Often the pressure to kill the biggest buck, bull, or otherwise can sap the fun right out of the hunt if you’re not careful. In hindsight, I’m incredibly grateful for the time spent with family and friends and fresh elk meat in the freezer, though at the time I’d been a bit disappointed with the quality of the hunting. 

Controlled hunts are great, and I truly enjoy hunting and learning new country—a large part of why I often apply for units I’m not familiar with in states I haven’t hunted. If you’re after antler size, getting to know your own backyard can produce more mature animals than traipsing cross-country into unknown areas with the expectation of an easy hunt for mature game. Taking into account the distance to your unit, your knowledge of the unit, and how much time you can realistically spend are all critical factors. Are you willing to eat the tag? Or is your freezer running on fumes? What kind of animals does the area consistently produce, and what does success look like to you? Is it inches of antler or just the opportunity to hunt a new area? 

At the end of the day, controlled hunts are an awesome way to see new country and put more tags in your pocket, or to build points until you draw a really special hunt. Using resources like Toprut, Huntin’ Fool, and Hunt Reminder (all available with onX’s Elite Membership) are another great way to maximize opportunity and time in the field. Tracking application deadlines with Hunt Reminder, and utilizing Toprut’s accurate draw odds can also help you make the most of your points. And, if you are lucky enough to draw that once-in-a-lifetime tag, Huntin’ Fool provides previous tag holder lists for many draw areas across the West, giving you a great place to start your research.

The post Draw Tags: A Double-Edged Sword appeared first on onX Hunt.

So what does this mean for the average guy or gal planting food plots on their property? Depending on your location and stage of wildlife management you’re in, warm season food plots can have different purposes. Let’s look at a couple of different scenarios. For a guy who lives and plants in the rich and fertile soil of southeast Minnesota or other prime areas of the upper Midwest, a warm season food plot such as BioLogic Spring Protein Peas may be planted mostly for attraction and keeping some deer at home. The surrounding ag fields of soybeans and alfalfa in this area are hard to beat when it comes to spring/summer nutrition for does that are carrying fawns and bucks that are rebuilding their bodies and growing antlers.

With other high-protein food sources around, a warm season food plot may not be as critical in this area for nutrition but can be a major attraction when it’s in the right place. This far north, a warm season annual like peas and beans may only have 90-100 days to grow before it’s time to turn the field over for a cool season planting. For this area, mid-July through early August is the prime time to get crops like turnips, radishes, and other brassica crops planted to get the amount of growth needed to feed the deer in a northern climate throughout the winter. This is something to think about when making your food plot plan for the upcoming year. 

The polar opposite of this would be someone planting in the pine plantations of Georgia or neighboring states. The southernmost states have many agricultural crops that have a positive impact on wildlife, but they also have millions of acres of poorer soils that are covered in pine trees and low-quality native habitat. Warm season food plots in these areas can be very beneficial from a nutrition standpoint because they may well be the best source for miles around. With soils that warm up enough to plant in mid-April and frosts that may not arrive until mid-November, these areas can get up to eight months of growth and forage out of a blend like Protein Peas or Game Changer Forage Soybeans. These long-lasting, slow-maturing annuals can have a major impact on nutrition for the deer when it is providing high-protein food for an extended time. 

As of the writing of this article, I have a Spring Protein Pea food plot planted in early May in southern Tennessee that has matured and produced a lot of bean and pea pods and is still producing forage today. The downside to having such an extended growing season is these crops may still be producing great forage when it is time to get your fall/winter plots planted in that same field. This is when it is really beneficial to have fields large enough to utilize two separate crops, or at least leave some of the warm season crop standing while you prepare the other portion of the field for cool season food.

Cool season food plots in these areas may be more about attraction than nutrition. Although most anything you plant for a fall/winter crop in the South is going to have more nutrition than any native plants at that time of year, Southern deer aren’t relying on these as a survival source like they may in areas with much colder temperatures and heavy snowfall.

The ideal situation for anyone planting food plots—regardless of location—is to have enough available acreage to devote certain areas to warm season crops and others for cool season crops. I realize not everyone has this option but for those that do, it can make things a little less complicated on timing. If you have fields that are large enough to split in half (or even into thirds) you can utilize several different plantings and allow each of them to reach full maturity while also planting at the ideal time for that crop and your region.

Another scenario for those that have plenty of tillable ground available is to use some areas solely for destination feeding fields (particularly in the spring/summer) and others for hunting set-ups. Having multiple food plot crops in the same field can also do a lot for attraction; whitetail can sometimes be picky eaters, and the plant diversity gives them options depending on what their taste of the day is. 

There are a number of advantages to plot partitioning or planting several crops in the same area. Regardless of where you live in the whitetail range, your deer are going to go through several changes in their nutritional needs throughout the course of a year. Having a diversity of crops planted on your property that meet these needs increases the attractiveness of your land and your chances of holding quality deer.

Plot partitioning works best when you have larger fields to work with; two or three acres seems to be a good starting point. This doesn’t mean you can’t use this technique in smaller fields, but it can limit its effectiveness. I have found the Line Distance and Area Shape Tools within the onX Hunt App to be a major asset when sketching out these food plot ideas. Accurate acreage measurement is a necessity for seed, fertilizer, and herbicide application and planning.

One question I get asked quite often is “What should I plant to keep deer in my plots for the entire hunting season?” Regardless of where you live, just one planting would have a hard time being everything your deer herd needs for the early, mid, and late hunting seasons. Plot partitioning can really help in providing an attractive and nutritious food source throughout the changes that take place from September to January, as well as the warm growing months.

When you start to decide what you want to use in your food plots, pay special attention to your growing season, maturity of the crop, and how you plan to use that plot as a hunting/feeding plot. Timing is everything in farming, and paying attention to the details can help you be a more successful gamekeeper.

The post Know Your Growing Season appeared first on onX Hunt.

Like most other apps on your device, the onX Hunt App is an internet-based service, meaning it must contact our servers every so often to keep your account up-to-date. Each time the app performs this check, it sends a message through the internet and receives a response. This type of Wi-Fi or mobile data communication uses more of your device’s power than almost anything else.

To reduce power consumption, newer versions of the onX Hunt App will automatically refresh themselves less often than previous versions. By putting the ability to refresh in your hands, onX Hunt gives you more control over the battery life of your device.

For a useful tip on preserving battery life from our founder, click here.

Since the app refreshes itself less frequently than in the past, this may lead to situations where the map does not immediately reflect changes you’ve made. In these circumstances, you can manually refresh your account:

1) Open the Map Layers menu.
2) Press your finger on the screen at the top of the menu just below the “My Layers” and “Layer Library” headings.
3) Swipe toward the bottom of the screen. A white circle icon will appear and move downwards as you swipe.
4) Release your finger from the screen. The circle icon will spin for a moment or two as the refresh completes.

Check out our FAQ about refreshing map layers for more information.

When Should You Refresh the Layers Menu?

– After purchasing or renewing your Membership.
– When you enable or disable a layer in the My Layers menu.
– When you add or remove layers from the Layer Library.
– Your app version gets updated.
– A layer is turned on, but it isn’t displayed on the map.

The ability to refresh manually preserves your device’s battery while still allowing a high degree of map customization. Striking a balance between these two factors has been an ongoing challenge, but we feel that saving as much power as possible while giving our customers more control over their map is the correct approach. Whether you’re a casual user or an onX expert, learning how to take full control of the onX Hunt App allows you to spend less time worrying about your maps and more time exploring the unknown.

header image: Jess DeLorenzo

The post Refresh Your Layers for Maximum Performance appeared first on onX Hunt.

When draw near to the whitetail opener, it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of the season. Days are getting shorter, nights are growing colder and—if you’re like us—you’ve spent recent weekends sorting gear, sighting in rifles and digging your favorite cold-weather layers out of storage. You’ve spent the past few months e-scouting, setting up deer cams and planning just the right spot for your tree stand. And now your favorite time of year is nearly here; the work is about to pay off.

We’ve compiled a quick, customizable list of the basics you’ll need in the field. (You know, that mental checklist you run through as things are loaded into the truck.) Download it, make your own notes for your favorite gear and print it out so you can enjoy the satisfaction of crossing off each item as it’s loaded up. Then, the morning of the opener, enjoy a cup of hot coffee on the drive to your favorite spot knowing that you’ve packed along everything you’ll need for the day.

Now get out there and get it done. We can’t wait to hear your stories.

header image: Sam Soholt

The post Download Your Own Whitetail Hunting Checklist appeared first on onX Hunt.

The Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem is a unique place. Home to more than fifty grizzlies as a result of sustained recovery efforts over the last few decades, the Cabinet-Yaak is a case study in how human interaction and rugged wilderness can collide. A long history of logging has left the million-acre Kootenai National Forest with more than 10,000 miles of roads, more than any other national forest in Montana.

In these fractured forests, mountain grouse have thrived. From the wet, dark creek bottoms holding ruffed and spruce grouse to the fire-scarred, open hillsides harboring flighty blue grouse, the area is a joy to explore with friends and pointing dogs. onX Creative Director Dave Fields and Copywriter Christian Fichtel made the trip to spend a few days with Tim Linehan, a longtime Montana outfitter, friend of onX and one of the best woodsmen we know. Tim and his wife, Joanne, have spent thirty years offering everything from trout fishing to big game, predator and upland hunting through Linehan Outfitting Company, one of the most respected outfitting operations in the West.

Photos by onX Creative Director Dave Fields.

The post Montana’s Upland Northwest In Photos appeared first on onX Hunt.

What Will Make the 2022 Whitetail Rut Different?

The last few whitetail seasons had prolonged, or two-pronged, trickle ruts, meaning the rut unveiled in waves of activity over longer periods during the season. This was supported by the fact that in 2020 we had two full moons in October, and in 2021 we had two “rutting full moons” occur during peak rut activity, plus a super new moon happened on November 4, which was one of our predicted “best rut hunting” dates (+/- 1 day). We heard from onX Hunt’s own Jared Larsen that he bagged his big buck on November 3, 2021. Naturally, we weren’t surprised.

For 2022 the signs are pointing to a more classic, intensified rut, where the bulk of does will be bred in a shorter window than in most recent years. That means we’ll see more defined high points of scrape visitations and intense lockdowns when bucks are locked on the doe(s) they want to breed. For hunters to have the advantage this year, they will need to pay attention to pre-rut behaviors and read early signs so they can be in the right woods at the right time.

Scrapes, Rubs, and the Rut

One of the primary ways whitetails communicate with one another is through scent. Deer have highly sensitive noses so by leaving scrapes, rubs, and licking branches they can mark their territory, demonstrate their presence, or show they’re ready to breed. From October through November, when whitetail bucks are laden with testosterone they are aggressively scraping and checking on those scrapes. 

Discovering, marking, and watching over scrapes and rubs is one of the best ways to understand when the rut will turn on in your local hunting area. If it’s unclear what the difference between a scrape and a rub is we’ll help. 

A scrape is on the ground (as shown above), typically in the shape of an oval and likely under a low-hanging branch that the buck has licked. Scrapes are dug with hooves and the buck urinates over his tarsal glands to disperse his scent onto the scrape. 

A rub is created when a buck rubs its antlers on saplings, brush, trees, or even fence posts. While rubbing, scents from the buck’s forehead gland press into the wood and bark. Research has shown that mature bucks make most of the rubs in an area, with yearling bucks making half as many rubs as a mature deer. Bucks also make rubs throughout the breeding season.

Here’s how some of our Ambassadors decipher and hunt over scrapes and rubs leading up to and during the rut. 

“When hunting fresh scrapes or rubs I will tend to hunt over the scrapes if I am to choose one. Late October and that first week of November scrapes seem to be action-packed with bucks. If it has rained, I notice even more activity on the scrapes where bucks are freshening them up. If I am hunting public land it often seems tougher to find deer sign with competing hunter pressure.  At that point, I will hunt the rubs or scrapes depending on which I find first.” – Heartland Bowhunter’s Shawn Luchtel

“If we find a fresh scrape near a bedding area, we’re going to pay close attention to it. Sometimes we’ll set up right over the top of them. Most of our success has come from mid- to late-October hunting scrapes but they can certainly be great spots earlier and later in the season—even during the rut. “Fresh” is the keyword for either scrapes or rubs. If a scrape is the size of a car hood but hasn’t been worked in the last few days then we aren’t messing with it. However, if it’s got fresh dirt that’s been stirred up or a wet spot in it where a deer just peed within the last 12 hours or so, we’re looking to hunt it if it’s within a couple hundred yards of bedding cover.” – The Hunting Public’s Aaron Warbritton 

“When scrapes start popping up you know the bucks are starting to travel and that means they are looking for the first available doe to come into estrus. The best tip I have for hunting scrapes is as soon as you see one pop up, get a trail camera on it immediately. I will start to hunt over a specific scrape when I see daylight activity or more frequent/close to daylight activity from a target buck. If he’s hitting that specific scrape in daylight, you better be there within the next couple of days because your window of opportunity could be short.” – Tag N’ Brag’s David Giarrizzo

Full Moon or Full of Baloney? 

Some swear by it and others ignore it. Hunting in accordance with the moon’s phases, particularly when there’s a full moon during the rut, is something on which even the most experienced hunters disagree. So of course we had to poll our onX Hunt Ambassadors to get their take on whether the moon’s got anything to do with the rut and their success in hunting during it. For reference, in 2022 there will be a full moon on November 8.

The Moon Skeptics Say 

“I pay no attention to the moon in relation to the rut. Deer have a pineal gland that controls their hormone levels based on the length of the days and therefore the moon has no effect on it in my opinion.” – Have Bow, Will Travel’s Tanner Edenfield

“I honestly don’t put a whole lot of weight into the moon phase during this time of year. While I feel it can influence a deer’s behavior, I think there are other, much more important factors such as weather/barometric pressure and moonrise/moonset times. I will say that when there is a full moon, the deer do tend to feed later in the evenings so mornings can be much better with those conditions.” – Heartland Bowhunter’s Michael Hunsucker 

“I don’t adjust my hunting at all based on the moon phase. I know that a lot of hunters do, but I hunt when I get the opportunity, regardless of conditions. A lot of the beliefs around deer movement and moon phase, or specific weather conditions, involve private land where hunters are looking to preserve deer movement and hunt only when everything lines up for the best odds. If you hunt public land, or pressured private ground, the biggest influence on deer movement will always be hunting pressure.” – Wired to Hunt’s Tony Peterson

“Anytime I’m hunting after October 28 I pay absolutely no attention to the full moon. This is a great time to be in a stand or blind ANY time of the day since bucks are beginning to cruise, looking for the first hot doe in the area.” – Realtree Outdoors’ David Blanton

The Moon Believers Say

“I’ve had the best luck hunting the morning time frame during full moons. I’m not sure why that is but I have definitely noticed more daylight movement during the early morning time frames with near or full moons.” – KEO Vlogs’ Clifford Bailey 

“I’m no biologist or scientist but I have an opinion on the full moon. The best records I’ve seen on this is at Bent Creek Lodge, a hunting lodge in the Alabama Black Belt. They keep precise logs from each daily hunt, including temperature, barometer, wind direction, and moon phase. They have done this for over 30 years. Although the best deer movement is almost always after a cold front has passed, when temps dropped and high pressure is settled into the area, their biggest bucks have always been close to or during the full moon phase. People think that full moons allow the deer to feed at night because of light conditions, and that may be true to a point, but I never avoid [hunting during] a full moon when the rut is on.” – Mossy Oak’s Cuz Strickland

Somewhere In Between

“I don’t change my hunting plans as much for a full moon as I do the time of the year or the weather. However, I do tend to hunt more midday hours on and around a full moon.  In my experience, especially in the mornings of a full moon, my hunts have been slower until closer to midday.” – Midwest Whitetail’s Jared Mills

“When I am deer hunting, I don’t follow predictions or moon data. My thought process is to be in the woods and create as many opportunities as possible. I am a firm believer that the more a hunter is in the woods, the better the odds of harvesting an animal. I will say that there are days when the moon is above me midday that I normally will not take a midday nap or break. I will hunt/glass all day because midday movement seems to pick up.” – The Untamed’s Josh Ilderton

Hunting the Rut in the Midwest

There are plenty of excellent whitetail hunting states in the Midwest and in those states rut activity is fairly dependable season after season. In 2021 most rut reports classified the rut as “on schedule,” but whitetails were showing some atypical behaviors, including engaging in much of the rutting activities at night. This was attributed to the fact that 2021 had higher than normal average temperatures, not only in the Midwest but across the country, so bucks were hooking up with their does in the cool of the night. 

To understand what the 2022 whitetail season may have in store for us we turn to some of the most experienced Midwestern hunters who were willing to share parts of their gameplan. 

Missouri / Kansas

“The last week of October and first week of November have always been my favorite weeks of the season to be in a stand in the Midwest. Providing the weather conditions are right, you can almost guarantee you will have a run-in with a target buck within that time period. Hunting the wind and putting in time will ensure that opportunity.” – Heartland Bowhunter’s Shawn Luchtel

“In Missouri and Kansas, given typical conditions, peak rut usually happens in the middle of November. That is when the most amount of does are in heat and is a period often referred to as ‘lockdown.’ It’s a term that I really dislike because it’s often used as a nationwide assumption, when in actuality it varies from region to region and even property to property. My favorite time to be in the woods during the rut is on the front end of peak rut when the first few does are coming into estrus. Usually the first week of November is my favorite.” – Heartland Bowhunter’s Michael Hunsucker 

Michigan

“If I had it my way, I’d be in the woods November 1-14 every day all day for the rest of eternity. You just can’t beat that period of time across much of America, and fetal measurement studies back this up, as most states’ peak of breeding has been found to be right around mid-November year after year. The two weeks preceding that peak of breeding is usually the most ‘rut activity’ rich, making the first half of November about as good as it gets. If I had to narrow it down even further, I’d pick November 6-12 as my favorite seven days. I’ve shot and killed a pile of bucks in that window, and missed a few big ones too.” – MeatEater’s Mark Kenyon

Iowa

“If I had to pick one day for the peak rut, I’d put it on or around November 12 here in Iowa.” – Midwest Whitetail’s Jared Mills 

“Halloween has always been good but I don’t have a ‘favorite’ date per se. I’m more concerned with the specific conditions on each individual day and how to deal with them. Windy and damp days are my favorite!” – The Hunting Public’s Aaron Warbritton 

Ohio

“October 31 (Halloween) is the best day I have found to be in the woods there.” – The Untamed’s Josh Ilderton

“My absolute favorite time to hunt Ohio is the last week in October, specifically the 25th and 28th. The last three years of hunting I have either had encounters, screwed up opportunities, or shot a mature buck on those two days. Most encounters have been in the morning, and most were either coming from or going to a fresh scrape. I love that time because they aren’t with the does quite yet so you can still get a shot at a buck you’ve been watching all year. Once they get their first does and they start really roaming, they could be miles away for weeks and you never know where they are.” – Tag N’ Brag’s David Giarrizzo

Pro tip: Get the best shot placement from every angle, even from a stand, with our deer shot placement chart.

Minnesota

“The peak rut, at least in the northern half of the country where I hunt, doesn’t change. The fawns have to drop at a specific time in the spring, so the does have to be bred in the first couple weeks of November. This means that from Halloween until the middle of the month, it’s better to be in a tree than at home. If I had only couple days in that two-week window, I would pick November 7-10. This goes for any state, and any type of land (public or private).” – Wired to Hunt’s Tony Peterson

2022 Peak Rut Dates for the Midwest

October 25, 28
October 31
November 6-8
November 12-15

Hunting the Rut in the South

The whitetail rut in the South is a fickle thing. It is nuanced and can vary from county to county, if not even from one side of a county road to the other. We’ve covered hunting the southern rut in more detail in the past, and onX Hunt features a unique Southern Rut Heat Map Layer to help those in the South decipher peak rut activities and locations. But there is no substitute for boots-on-the-ground (and backsides-in-treestands) experience from those who hunt southern whitetails every season. 

Georgia

“In Georgia our deer are ‘mutts.’ They were stocked from different places, which had different rutting times. Also, we have a lower buck-to-doe ratio than many other states, which means there’s a higher likelihood of a doe not being bred on her first cycle. The observable peak of rutting activity (not the peak of conception) is typically going to be those few days around the time that the does are starting to come into heat. Here in middle Georgia that is generally around the beginning of the second week of November.” – Have Bow, Will Travel’s Tanner Edenfield

“Anytime from the October 20th to November 3rd or 4th we will hunt scrape lines and rubs heavy, but it seems those scrapes start to dry up soon after that timeframe and by the end of the first week of November some of our Georgia deer will already go into lockdown mode, so the window to capitalize can be short. That’s why if you do have a buck showing up on a scrape somewhere you better make a move within the next day or two before they change up their pattern.” – Realtree Camo’s Tyler Jordan

“What I’ve noticed through the years as the optimal day to be in a tree to encounter a mature buck is Halloween. Especially if it is along with cooler-than-normal temps. Super great day to be out there!” – Realtree Outdoors’ David Blanton

Arkansas

“My favorite days to hunt Arkansas are November 5, 6, and 7. Buck sign starts escalating by October 15 and peaks during the last week of October. By the first week of November scrapes are dead. Bucks aren’t checking or making many scrapes because they’re in active pursuit of does.” – MeatEater’s Clay Newcomb

Mississippi / Alabama

“One is the opening day or first day of early season I can go with the right conditions. Bucks are so much less nocturnal! Secondly, December 10 here in Mississippi has been a date that it’s always ‘on’ by and a great beginning-of-the-rut day. The same for December 27 in Alabama. Can’t tell you why, but I think it is early rut without a ton of does in heat to create a wide-scale lockdown. Bucks just travel more and are very aggressive.” – Mossy Oak Founder Toxey Haas

“Our rut on my farm is always between December 15-30. Three of our best bucks were taken on Christmas Eve, several years apart. The best person to ask when is the rut in your area is the local deer processor. If he keeps records, he can tell you exactly when the big bucks come in.” – Mossy Oak’s Cuz Strickland

Texas*

“I really like the first couple days of the second week of November for rut action. I’ve killed lots of bucks in December, but if I had to choose a day it would probably be November 7. It’s the only date I’ve killed multiple bucks. I feel more confident in late October up north, but in most midwestern and southern states I really like early- to mid-November. Particularly, our cameras in Texas have shown November 14 to be the best day for picking up daylight bucks.” – The Element’s KC Smith

West Virginia

“Between November 13-15 movement seems to really pick up and I always seem to get on deer over these days.” – The Untamed’s Josh Ilderton

2022 Peak Rut Dates for the South

October 31
November 5-7
November 14
December 10
December 24-27

*The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has published a very interesting study on the whitetail deer rut in the state, creating one of the most detailed reports on peak breeding dates and activity. If you’re going to hunt in Texas this season, it’s worth a read. 

We hope you’ve marked some of these dates on your calendar for the coming deer season. Maybe you’ll look at fresh scrapes and rubs a little differently too. Let us know how hunting the rut goes for you this year. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram (@onxhunt).

The post 2022 Rut Predictions appeared first on onX Hunt.

I had only several precious hours to get in an evening whitetail hunt one day last year. As soon as the office clock struck five, I raced to my car, leaving a cloud of dust and loose papers in my wake.

I picked up my wife and we sped out of town. We were ready to spend another fall evening outside.

We parked the car, put on our camo and slung our packs. When I went for my bow, however, I realized my mind had been so full of important tasks, facts and knowledge from the workday that there was no room left to remember my weapon. Of course I took it graciously and refrained from any sort of overreaction or cursing. I assured my wife I would be just as happy, if not happier, to simply watch her hunt.

We don’t like to admit it, but regardless of time spent preparing, hunters can be a forgetful bunch. In our effort to help even the sharpest of minds remember the essentials for opening day, we’ve created the essentials checklist for archery elk hunting in the West. We kept it to some of the most basic needs for hunting, harvesting, cleaning and generally surviving a mountain elk hunt.

We hope everyone enjoys the gift of elk season and want all hunters to be far more prepared than I usually am.

The post Archery Elk Hunting Checklist appeared first on onX Hunt.

It’s high summer here in Montana, and typical morning conversation at the onX office revolves around evening mountain bike rides, lunchtime trail runs and the weekly fishing plans. Area rivers are finally dropping to summer flows and the onX parking lot often houses a raft or two, ready to roll out for post-workday floats and take advantage of the daylight that stretches until 10 PM.

And while much of the team is already scouting on Web Map and planning fall hunts, we’re also striving to take a moment and enjoy the summertime—it goes by far too quickly! It’s not uncommon to see a group of onX crew getting together after the workday finishes and heading off to Rock Creek, a short 30-minute jaunt from the Missoula office. It’s an easy escape after a day in the office, with the added bonus of a bit of product testing on the side.

Read through our “Top 10 Ways to Use the onX Hunt App for Summer Fishing” post for a primer on how onX Hunt can be used for fishing. Learn how to drop Waypoints at put-ins and take-outs, leave a trail with our Tracker feature or download Offline Maps before you drop out of cell service.

Tips from Team onX

We asked a few of our onX team members how they like to use the Hunt App for their summer adventures on the water:

Chris Fedyschyn, onX Customer Success Technician, notes, “I frequently use the Tracker for the first few miles of a float to help gauge river speed / my speed and then adjust things accordingly. I also use the “Go-To” feature to get an approximate distance to the takeout.”

GIS (geographic information system) Analyst Jordan Laughlin starts exploring new fishing areas with Web Map, ensuring that the Trails and Recreation Sites Layers are turned on. He notes, “I always have these on, as they typically help me find access to where I’m fishing or the closest campground to where I plan to stay after fishing. I typically use our Hybrid Basemap to find areas that I would want to access based off both topography and aerial imagery.”

Jordan makes use of Waypoints to make notes of areas with good, consistent bug hatches or particularly “fishy” locations. He also makes sure he has downloaded an Offline Map to his phone before heading to the areas he’s identified while scouting—ensuring he has full access to his map markups and notes even when outside of cell service.

Customer Success Technician Zach Condon uses a few different map tools to find success on the river. He shares, “I use the Line Distance Tool on my Web Map to know how far different sections of river are that I have not floated before. I also use Web Map to scout what look to be “fishy” back channels and mark them with Waypoints.”

Keep ‘Em Wet This Summer

Late summer can bring warmer water temperatures, so consider making the hike into high streams and lakes for fish who are more willing to eat. As water temperature rises, fish often move to water with increased oxygen. So look for them along seams near active riffles and in water that may seem a bit quicker than you’re used to fishing. Rise early, take a siesta midday and stay out late.

And do the fish a favor—keep them in water and handle them as little as possible. Warmer water temperatures in late summer stress the fish. Strive to make the catch-and-release process faster and easier. Sometimes, in the dog days of summer, this can even mean choosing not to fish certain bodies of water. If the water temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, let the fish rest and then come back once cooler fall days come around.

Summertime Flies

We’re big fans of summer terrestrial season, when the big bugs are on the water and fish are looking up. And though summer has been slow to arrive, we’re finally trading out the streamers and nymphs for summertime favorites. In our summertime trout boxes you’ll find big foamy hoppers (such as the infamous Chubby Chernobyl), and classics such as Stimulators, Adams and Elk Hair Caddis. There might even be a few Purple Para Wulffs and special home-brewed flies. Dry fly season is short here in Montana, so we do our utmost to enjoy it.

We all find different ways to leverage the onX Hunt App for our summertime adventures, and certain features work particularly well for fishing. What’s your favorite way to use onX for non-hunting pursuits?

The post Summer Fishing With the Hunt App and Team onX appeared first on onX Hunt.

To celebrate the dog handlers featured in the film, onX hosted a live screening of Dogmen at the Thomasville Center for the Arts in Thomasville, Georgia, a historic town in the heart of the Red Hills. Following a screening, Durrell Smith, the narrator of Dogmen, led an audience Q&A with handlers and others in the community.

Family Roots in the Red Hills

Many stars of Dogmen have been in the game a long time, but what we learned from the Q&A following the film premiere in Thomasville is why some of them got involved in the first place. Peppered with questions from family and close friends, we learned that many dogmen entered the sport because the path helped them find a place on the straight and narrow. Mothers encouraged their sons to work with dogs—and work with the men who worked with dogs—because it was honest work that provided a future. As we heard from Neal Carter Jr.’s sister, their mother got him a job working dogs as a teenager just to “set him straight.”

After these boys became young men and young men became mentors, the path for African American dogmen was further paved by the founding of the Black Dog Handlers Association, or simply the Black Handlers Club, in Thomasville around 1979. Through this organization, African American handlers owned, trained, and ran dogs in their own field trials—trials that became the envy of their white counterparts and nearby plantation owners.

Charlie Chapin, owner of Elsoma Plantation, put it best to the live audience following the showing. “The folks at the Black Handlers’ field trials had a lot more fun.”

“Do You Want to Be a Dogman?”

For Durrell Smith, the film has produced a swell of interest in everything from the history of black doghandlers in the South to upland hunting and dog training more generally. Turns out, Dogmen even spawned a new phrase that we’ve seen gaining traction throughout the bird hunting world. 

“Dogmen has been impactful on my life and practice as a dogman because it is the definitive unveiling of a culture that has existed on the fringe of an already niche community in the Red Hills region of Georgia. This film highlighted the allure that I felt riding through the longleaf pines, watching my bird dogs press forward in the pursuit while embracing the pull of the Spanish moss as it hangs, quietly suspended in a palace already frozen and maybe even a bit lost in time. 

“Thomasville itself has become a second home for me, and the men of these plantations have become my extended family. And that’s what the film is about—the men, the horses, and the bird dogs, a triumvirate holding court as marshals within the pines. But we are never the judges, the birds are. The dogs are conduits of a longstanding brotherhood, unbroken by the trials and tribulations of Georgia’s fraught history. Dogmen is a testament to the resilience and fortitude of African Americans who stayed in the South and prevailed in spite of adversity and doubt. We are here, and we always have been. 

“So, yes. Hell yes, I want to be a dogman.”

The post Dogmen: Live and on Stage appeared first on onX Hunt.