I had finally drawn a
tag in a coveted area of Idaho for Mule Deer. It was one of the highlight of my
hunting career, or so I thought. As dawn broke, I found myself sitting on a
boulder overlooking a long valley where I dreamed of giant bucks wandering through
the backcountry. As the sun rose higher in the sky, I panned the distant ridges
for mule deer. Instead my binoculars were being filled with orange. Blaze
orange. Everywhere I looked I saw orange clad hunters wandering along looking
for the same deer I sought. Angry and frustrated, I picked up my backpack
and headed deeper into the wilderness.
This was many years
ago, long before handheld GPS units and certainly before smartphones. As the
day drug on, I knew I needed to start heading back. Taking my compass reading,
I began heading back. Mile after mile and hour after hour passed with no sight
of my camp. I don’t like to say I was lost, but I was confused for several
hours. Finally after topping the eleventh ridge I saw a light in the distance swinging
back and forth and I knew I was on the right path. My hunting partner grew
worried and climbed a tall tree and began swinging the light in hopes I would
see it. Dragging in to camp at 3:00 a.m. taught me a valuable lesson about orienteering. Today, I
never go out of state, or on any unfamiliar land without a GPS and extra
batteries.
Many hunters like
myself spend a lot of time and dollars applying for tags in mid-western and
western states in hopes of drawing a tag for the animal of our choice.
When the day arrives
and you get the notice that your dream tag has been drawn, the planning begins.
Thankfully today’s technological world allows for detailed planning. Much of
this planning can be done online. Selecting hunt zones, regions, or even specific
creeks can be done with satellite imaging software. But what happens when you
are not in the field.
Today’s GPS units such
as my Garmin Oregon 650 are designed to get you into and out of the woods
safely. But they are only as good as the mapping software installed. This is
where OnX excels. (www.onxmaps.com)
OnXmaps offers the user
a variety of options that should suit the needs and usages of all different
types of hunters, anglers and adventurers. From a micro SD card of specific
states to an APP that can be downloaded onto any IOS or Android operating
system. These maps offer the best of the best of information available today.
OnXmaps for IOS and Android
First the APP. The
hunting app from OnX turns your phone into a high end GPS unit. OnX hunt 3.0 enables the full GPS functionality of your phone and combines it with
the proprietary mapping tools. This allows hunters to use their phone as a GPS
and know exactly where they are at any given time. But the best feature in my
opinion is the detail it provides in property boundaries. Using this APP I can
see precisely where I am and prevent me from accidentally trespassing onto land I
do not have permission to hunt.
When hunting out of
state in areas where seasons, legal animal requirements and boundaries change
per species, it is vital to know exactly where you are at any given time. For
example if I have a license to hunt in game zone 18, I need to know when I may
cross that boundary line. Many of these boundaries are fairly random. A ridge
top here, a valley there and none of them are straight. If for example, my zone
allows for bulls of any size to be harvested, while the adjoining zone has size
restrictions. If I inadvertently pass over into another zone, I can be in
violation. OnX enables me to know exactly where I am at all times thereby considerably
reducing the chance this can happen.
What if I do not have
cell service? OnXmaps provides the option to cover this situation. The app for
my iPhone allows you to download maps and features directly into the memory of
your phone so that you can use it offline. Cell service is not needed which
saves battery life. I simply place my phone into airplane mode to prevent it
from searching and killing the battery and use the maps I have downloaded.
Another great feature
of the OnX, is the ability to adjust layers. The NEW upgrade for OnX, includes more layers and more detail. Each user can determine how
many layers they want to see on their map. Satellite images, satellite images
with topo overlaid, migration routes of game animals, prairie dog towns, and other details are available with the app. These use a bit more storage but can make a huge
difference when plotting your route.
Even if you do not have a GPS, the offline feature allows you to download onto your smartphone maps ahead of time to get you oriented. These maps are available whether you have service or not.
Using your OnX on your Garmin GPS
Personally I love my
Garmin Oregon 650. (unfortunately the 650 is no longer available but the new and improved Oregon 750 is available. (https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/550463) It has saved my tail a lot of walking and wandering around
confused. On many occasions I have arrived in states where I have never hunted
before and gotten to predetermined locations in the dark using my Garmin Oregon
650. With the addition of my OnX micro SD card, I can make these travels a
lot less stressful having the details of the terrain in my hand. With my Garmin
loaded with OnX, I never have to worry about crossing into other game
units, or onto private property. The area I hunt is loaded with BLM land,
private parcels, and a national park within walking distance. The accuracy
OnX provides means I never have to worry about accidentally crossing over
into land not allowed.
The accuracy of the OnX is so specific that it often is more accurate than fences. One truth about western fences is that they are placed by convenience and not as property lines. Fences can and often are off the property line by a great deal. Some are off by as much as several hundred yards because of the terrain and difficulty of erecting a fence along the actual line, the ranchers build the fence where they can.
The added features of weather reports, radar maps,
national trails, forest service roads, it all allows me to be the most
efficient and the safest I can be in unfamiliar country.
As an old timer in many
ways who still uses a compass for most of my orienteering, I also like the
accuracy and detail of the compass OnX uses. Sure it is still electronic,
but when I compare it to my exceptional floating compass the accuracy is excellent.
It is nice to have a backup if needed. Add to this the tracking feature, it
will trace my track and allow me to find my way back simply by backtracking.
My Assessment of the OnX
The OnX are
definitely something I would never leave home without. Especially on an out of
state hunt, scouting trip or hike. The features of this mapping software and
app allows users the fullest benefits of the GPS units whether it is a
standalone unit or on their smartphone. Any GPS unit is only as good as the software
it is running and the addition of OnX enables the units to exercise the
fullest of their capabilities.
Planning for an out of
state hunt can be a daunting task. Spending thousands of dollars and precious
vacation days to go hunting thousands of miles from home. The planning that
goes into these hunts is very in-depth. Modern technology allows us to do a lot
of scouting from our computers at home. The detail of programs like Garmin
Basecamp or Google Earth allow us to see clearly locations that are worth
checking out. Being able to load these into our GPS units or smart phones
will save precious time and miles of walking.
There is no way I would ever consider an out of state hunt without my
Garmin GPS loaded with OnX.
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