10 Best Smartphone Apps for Hunters

Modern technology is great, isn’t it? My smartphone allows me to pay my bills, have food delivered, check the weather, and watch the highlights of a football game with a device that fits neatly in my chest pocket. And while many of us head to the field to escape the grip of modern technology having the right apps on your cell phone can make you a more successful hunter.

But which hunting apps are best? There are literally hundreds of shooting and hunting apps waiting to take up space on your phone, but only a handful are truly worthwhile. We’ve whittled the list of available hunting/shooting apps down to our favorite 10—plus a bonus app.

HuntStand

HuntStand is one of the most widely used hunting apps on the planet, and it serves as an invaluable resource for hunters. The advanced mapping feature allows users to view property lines nationwide and customize maps by drawing roads, food plot boundaries, fence lines, trails, and more, and you can view these maps against seven different base layers. The app also allows you to measure the distance between two map points, organize and store trail camera photos, accurately predict wind and weather, and collaborate with friends. There are so many tools available on this app that it’s a must-have for every hunter. There are both free and premium versions, and while the premium version does offer some substantial upgrades (nationwide property ownership data and offline mapping are premium features, for example), even the base version of the app is beneficial for every hunter. There’s also a new HuntStand Ultimate subscription, which includes cool features like a proprietary 15-day game movement forecast, exclusive rut maps, enhanced 3D mapping tools, and members-only pricing on gear and accessories. Huntstand.com

OnX Hunt

OnX offers mapping for off-road and overlanding adventures (you might want that one, too), but OnX Hunt is geared specifically toward hunters who favor the road less traveled. OnX Hunt started as a GPS mapping service that offered hunters a clear view of topography and property boundaries, but since its inception it has morphed into an all-purpose app that offers many valuable features. In addition to nationwide public and private land boundaries onX Hunt also provides trail camera integration that allows hunters to organize and analyze all their trail camera pics, and there’s also an optimal wind and wind calendar that provides detailed information regarding the best time to hunt your favorite stand based on forecasted wind conditions. Custom map tools allow you to share your entrance and exit route with fellow hunters, and with multiple map layers, it’s a valuable scouting tool that simplifies scouting. Maps are also available offline for those times when you’re far off the beaten path. As with other apps listed here, some features are reserved for subscription customers, but OnX Hunt is a tool that should be on every hunter’s smartphone. Onxmaps.com

Hornady Ballistics App with 4DOF

Being a hunter means being able to hit your target accurately on the first shot, and there’s no better tool for that than Hornady’s Ballistics APP. The app comes with 4DOF (4 Degrees of Freedom) which offers trajectory solutions based on bullet drag coefficient and physical modeling of the projectile including mass and aerodynamic properties. 4DOF is the first free ballistic app to measure aerodynamic jump (vertical shift that occurs in a crosswind). Instead of the traditional three degrees of freedom measured by ballistic apps—windage, elevation, and range—4DOF also accounts for a bullet’s movement around its center of gravity. For this reason, 4DOF offers accurate ballistic data that hunters can use to ensure that their first shot counts. Hornady.com

DeerCast

DeerCast is one of the best all-purpose smartphone apps for hunters, and it offers a long list of useful features including forecasting of prime times for animal movement (up to 14 days in advance) and multi-layer maps with wind and weather forecasts. But perhaps the most valuable feature found on DeerCast is the in-depth expert advice that is available with the touch of a button, everything from shot placement charts to individual recovery plans for your deer based on shot location. As with so many of the other apps listed on this site, there are basic and premium packages, but DeerCast’s basic package offers a robust suite of features that includes a one-day hunt forecast, mapping waypoints, food plot area measurement, straight line distance measurement, thousands of hunting articles, and access to the DeerCast social feed. Deercast.com

Spartan Forge

There are plenty of mapping apps for hunters, but Spartan Forge is different. This app uses LiDAR and UAV which provides a clear map of the ground topography without tree cover. Understanding the topography of the land you’re hunting helps identify travel corridors and suitable bedding habitat. This app also offers hunt forecasts but it’s the only one that uses artificial intelligence to determine the optimum hunting times. You can invite hunting buddies to join your group for easy pin sharing so that you and your hunting team can stay connected in the field. With so many map layers and overlays this is a wonderful tool for hunters regardless of the terrain or landscape, so this is an app you’ll use while you’re hunting whitetails in the Midwest or elk high in the Rockies. The map and forecast quality on this app is simply superb, and while you have to pay for a premium subscription to unlock the most advanced features even basic subscribers receive valuable intel that will help you punch your next tag. Spartanforge.ai

Applied Ballistics Quantum

Applied Ballistics Quantum—or simply AB Quantum—is an advanced ballistic solver that makes it easy to store load data. The app connects with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as your Kestrel 5700 and the Custom Drag Feature (CDF) allows shooters to tune the custom drag models provided by Applied Ballistics. The Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) provides hit probabilities for targets of specific sizes based on real-world data, a feature that can be beneficial when determining whether or not to take a shot. You can customize range cards and the new library of scope reticles allows you to match the ballistics of your firearm to your scope for accurate holdover and windage adjustments. In truth, Applied Ballistics Quantum offers more detailed ballistic data than most hunters require, but it’s a great tool in the field because it enhances the odds of making an accurate first shot. It’s also a must-have app for anyone who hunts and shoots long distance or competes in matches. Appliedballisticsllc.com

HuntWise

On the surface HuntWise offers many of the same features you’ll find on other mapping apps like HuntStand, DeerCast, and OnX Hunt. In fact, all three apps offer very similar features that include map layers, property boundaries, and weather forecasting. The various engines in each of these apps are slightly different, but you’re getting much of the same data with HuntWise as you will from the two other apps, and like the others, HuntWise offers a premium subscription service that allows you to access certain features. However, it was HuntWise’s Huntcast and Windcast features that set it apart from the other apps. Windcast provides specific forecasts for each of your favorite hunting stands based on wind conditions and the HuntCast feature allows you to view predicted optimum hunting times up to (depending upon subscription level) 15 days in advance. HuntWise also offers premium members some outstanding deals on hunting gear and it’s a great option for whitetail hunters. Huntwise.com

Windy

On the surface Windy seems like a basic weather app, but in reality this is one of the more sophisticated and useful forecasting tools for hunters. It offers 50 different interactive maps and 13 different weather models which means that you can customize the app to your needs. I like the detailed wind mapping feature because it offers me a detailed forecast of wind direction and speed. Every hunter knows why this data is important, but very few apps offer wind forecasting that’s equal to Windy.

That is not, however, all the important info that Windy provides hunters. You can adjust altitude in mountainous areas, and since weather conditions may vary substantially from the base of a mountain to the summit, you’ll have an accurate forecast no matter how high you’re hunting each day. Other key environmental factors like barometric pressure are also available on Windy. This is an essential app for both hunters and long-range shooters. Windy.com

State Hunting Apps

Whether you hunt in a single state or across the country it makes sense to download the app for any state in which you are hunting. Having an account with the state wildlife agency via their website simplifies and streamlines license and tag purchases and maintains a file of hunting licenses and tags that you have purchased. I frequently use the app for my home state of Ohio not only to verify season dates and bag limits but also to keep record of my license purchases. If I need to renew a license, I can do so easily within the app.

I believe that state hunting apps are critical for non-resident hunters as well. When I install the app for a specific state hunting agency on my phone, I can quickly access my account without having to remember multiple passwords. I can also quickly check point totals and draw application status in multiple states.

Moultrie App

The Moultrie App allows you to view your cell camera photos and video, and the quality and consistency of the photos is superb. However, it does much more than that. You can seamlessly manage your cameras, feeders, and power accessories from your phone, which is a major benefit for hunters with large acreage or lots of devices. Interactive maps with street, satellite, and terrain layers allow multiple views of your hunting area and activity charts allow you to examine activity charts based on time of day, day of the week, moon phase and temperature to determine peak hunting times. You’ll also appreciate the game plan feature that uses local weather and trail camera sighting to determine the most productive times to be in the field. Moultrie.com

Bonus App: Merlin Bird ID

My wife’s an ardent birder, and two years ago she suggested that I download the Merlin Bird ID app. I begrudgingly said yes, and although I admittedly didn’t look forward to filling limited storage space on my device with an app that recognized bird calls, I’ll admit that I’ve passed many boring hours on the deer and turkey stand identifying local birds using the Merlin app and it has become one of my favorites. It’s made me appreciate the wildlife that’s all around I had previously ignored (have you ever seen a scarlet tanager or prothonotary warbler? Striking!) and I’m mastering a few of the simpler calls. It’s also nice to know if that chortle you heard from the trees just behind you in the pre-dawn hours is a chupacabra or a barred owl. https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

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