Organizing Your Layers in the onX Hunt App

With the onX Hunt App, a wealth of information is available right at your fingertips. Our map data is organized into a series of layers that can be enabled and disabled as needed. This allows you to customize your map to show only the information you need to see, but the sheer number of map layers can sometimes be overwhelming.

To help you manage all this information, the Layers Menu is organized into two sub-menus: “My Layers” and “Layer Library.” The My Layers menu contains the layers you can enable for viewing on the map, while the Layer Library is a storage location for the ones you don’t use regularly. You can move layers from one menu to the other, but only the layers in the My Layers menu can be turned on and viewed on the map.

Besides “My Layers” and “Layer Library,” the Layers Menu is also sorted into folders containing related layers. Each state has its own folder and there are three additional folders as well: “Hunt,” “Trails & Rec,” and “Water.”

• State Folders: Our land ownership data is broken up by state, so each state will have its own Private Lands, Hunting Units (GMUs), Walk-in Access (or Block Management), Possible Access and Government Lands layers (which includes National Forest and National Park boundaries). Many folders will also have layers unique to that state, so it’s a good idea to take a look and become familiar with all the information available to you.
• Hunt Folder: Here you can find layers specifically related to hunting, such as the Current and Historic Wildfire Layers, Timber cuts, Roadless Areas, the RMEF Layer, the NWTF Layer and the QDMA Layer.
• Trails & Rec Folder: Open this folder for our nationwide Trails map, Trail Slope and Trail Mileage information, as well as Recreation Sites and the USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map.
• Water Folder: River Stage Forecasts, Nautical Charts for coastal regions, and bathymetry for the Great Lakes can be found here.

The Layers Menu is one of the most important features on the onX Hunt App, and learning how to make use of it will vastly improve your experience. Below are our pro-tips and best practices for using the Layers Menu:

• Turn on only the layers you need at the time. Having more than a few layers enabled can make your map appear cluttered and cause your device to run more slowly.
• Move any layers you don’t use regularly into the Layer Library. This makes it much easier to find your relevant layers in the My Layers menu.
  

• Refresh the Layers Menu if something doesn’t look right. Whenever you refresh the Layers Menu, the onX Hunt App will download information from our servers. This updates your map with any recent changes and can fix many issues where a layer fails to display on the map after being enabled.
• Check the Layer Library for any missing layers. If you’re unable to find a layer you need in the My Layers menu, most likely it has moved to the Layer Library. Tap on “Layer Library” at the top of the Layers menu, locate the layer and add it back to the My Layers menu to make it available for viewing on the map.
• Customize layers using the Layer Settings menu. Many layers have sublayers that change the information displayed. For example, you can change the species displayed on the GMU Layer in the GMU Layer Settings menu. Check the Layer Settings menu on each layer and adjust the settings to see how it changes your map.
• Many layers will only display in certain areas of the map or at certain zoom levels. If you enable a layer and don’t see any change on your map, try panning to another location on the map or zoom to a different level. Map data may take several seconds to load, so if it doesn’t appear right away wait a moment or two before trying again.
• When saving an Offline Map, make sure to turn on any layers you may need when using the saved map. Only the layers that are enabled when you save a map will be available when you’re using it. Additionally, a few layers cannot be saved for offline use. Check the Layer’s description for more information.

Every hunt is unique, so the map layers you need will change depending on the species, time of year, local geography, and many other factors. Keeping all this information organized and available when you need it will save precious seconds when out in the field- and as we all know, every moment counts.