OnX Hunt supplies a strong software for hunters. Its mapping talents, private-public land boundaries, and satellite tv for pc imagery are extremely regarded within the looking group as a result of they’re invaluable within the area.
However it has rather more to supply than even most energy customers understand.
I not too long ago traveled with onX leaders to study extra concerning the app and apply it throughout a grouse hunt in northern Minnesota. What I discovered opened my eyes to a complete new means of scouting.
Hundreds of thousands of hunters use onX Hunt each season, and for a decade, I’ve been one in all them. However with a refresher course from onX’s on-staff consultants, I discovered about some options that permit you to actually dial in on particular habitat varieties. These options enable hunters to focus extra time on seemingly honey holes and fewer time on burning boot leather-based.
So, let’s break down a few of my favourite hidden capabilities. When you haven’t tried these, you’re lacking out!
Most of those settings are discovered below the “Layers” tab on the underside left of your telephone display when logged into onX. I’ll clarify the place to search out every setting as I talk about them.
1. Timber, Crops & Soil
What it does: That is my new favourite set of map layers. It’s a strong scouting software if you understand what cowl you need to discover. This layer highlights particular forms of timber, crops, and soil by means of an in depth set of dialogue containers.
It provides 10 layers: Timber cuts, historic wildfire (which incorporates the 12 months of the fireplace), U.S. crop distribution, wetlands, acorn-producing oaks, thermal deer cowl, deciduous versus coniferous timber, coniferous tree distribution, deciduous tree distribution, and younger aspen forests.
Use instances: The Timber, Crops & Soil layers needs to be a place to begin for scouting for a lot of looking types. It provides you a tough concept of what you’ll discover on the bottom while you begin strolling a given piece of land.
For instance, grouse looking in northern Minnesota, our crew was considerably unfamiliar with the particular space we have been staying among the many huge nationwide forest of the area. So we used “younger aspen forests,” “timber cuts,” and “historic wildfire” to hone in on areas the place ruffed grouse are inclined to populate. Whereas not 100% correct, it labored to place us in the proper course. As soon as on the bottom, we might instantly inform if the nation was what we have been in search of. More often than not, it was.
The place to search out it: Open “Layers,” after which scroll under “States” to “Timber, Crops & Soil.”
2. OnX Sprint
What it does: Like every app, onX can distract drivers. So, onX Sprint permits the app to perform completely on the bigger dashboard screens of most trendy autos.
Use instances: This one’s fairly easy — hold your eyes on the street. For these looking pheasants, for instance, onX Sprint permits you to navigate to publicly accessible parcels extra safely than by means of the on-phone app. It really works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrations. Study extra about onX Hunt In Sprint.
The place to search out it: Simply plug your telephone into your screen-equipped car, and the app will combine robotically.
3. Compass Mode With Rangefinder
What it does: This slick compass function orients the map to the course you’re going through (nicely, that your telephone is pointing) whereas concurrently breaking your display into 4 equal segments marked by their scale. This offers you a really clear “rangefinder” so that you perceive the dimensions of the land in entrance of you.
Use instances: When looking new areas, it may be difficult to guage map scale — like whether or not a creek is 500 yards or 2 miles away. So whether or not navigating in thick terrain, mountains, or the duvet of darkness, the Compass Mode with Rangefinder lets customers rapidly estimate distances. It’s extremely helpful and intuitive.
The place to search out it: Open the onX Hunt app and click on the “compass” image within the backside proper. It would then flip right into a “rangefinder” image, which you’ll be able to click on to get precise distances to particular factors by touching them on the map.
4. State-Particular Layers: Forest Disturbance, WI Recreation Fowl Layer, Timber Cuts
What they do: This software reveals forest disturbances like logging or fireplace and particularly managed grouse habitat. It shows them clearly on the map and notes the 12 months of the disturbance.
Use instances: Grouse want early successional forests to thrive. Grouse hunters ought to key in on a lot of these forests to search out good chook numbers. The factor is, they’ve traditionally required a number of boot leather-based to search out. Not anymore. Use these layers to rapidly decide what 12 months the timber was harvested and hone in on key habitats.
Minnesota has the Forest Disturbance Layer, which reveals color-coordinated cuts by 12 months; Wisconsin has areas highlighted in peach shade for grouse and purple for woodcock. Each present knowledge on county and state lands. When you’re looking federal lands, activate the Timber Cuts layer to get related intel. For grouse, the best cowl is from 5 to fifteen years outdated. After all, you can even use this info for different sport species.
The place to search out it: On the onX Maps Hunt app, scroll to your particular state, after which search for forest disturbance, timber cuts, or sport chook layers.
5. Attainable Entry Layer
What it does: This software provides customers a view of lesser-known but doable public entry lands.
Use instances: The Attainable Entry layer in onX Hunt might be very useful for grouse hunters because it reveals publicly accessible lands that is probably not clearly marked or extensively recognized, similar to timber firm lands, sure state-owned properties, or areas with shared entry rights. By figuring out these extra entry alternatives, hunters can increase their huntable territory, uncover much less pressured areas that will maintain extra birds, and guarantee they’re inside authorized boundaries.
The place to search out it: The Attainable Entry Layer is positioned inside the State Layers dialogue on the app.
6. View Shed
What it does: Hidden away on onX’s desktop-only, elite-level Terrain X scouting software, it permits customers to forecast their view from scouting areas to search out the very best glassing or vantage factors.
Use instances: This one’s for western massive sport hunters. View Shed is a super-cool scouting software that’s out there solely on desktops. It permits customers to preview their vantage from any given level. For instance, if you happen to dropped this pin excessive on a ridge, it might present you what areas you might count on to see from that time.
This might be very helpful for hunters in search of good glassing areas in new looking areas. This can be a scouting software greater than something, however it’ll save a ton of legwork when wanting to search out new glassing or long-range looking factors.
The place to search out it: Log into onX Hunt. You should be an elite member to entry this one. Click on into Elite Instruments, after which log in to labs.onxmaps.com/. View Shed is then seen as a binocular image within the higher left nook. When you haven’t been to this web page earlier than, take pleasure in. It’s like Google Earth on steroids.
