Cell GPS

[MCNSC]

Wondering what GPS apps folks find useful for hunting. Would be nice to have satellite views and of course marking waypoints.
I have a Garman GPS unit that works great for finding waypoints But was hoping for something with more detail.
Thanks in advance

[Roy from Pa]

I have a Samsung cell phone with a built in GPS unit. It doesn't need cell tower reception as it works off satellites like other GPS units do. The app I use is Google maps and it works great. It shows your exact location and soundings like a picture taken from a plane. Wherever you are it has an indicator marking your exact location and as you walk you can see it moving on your screen.

[McDave]

Can you use waypoints with Google maps, for example, set up a waypoint so you can find your way back to your truck, or another waypoint so you can come back later on and find your way back to your deer?

[Roy from Pa]

Yes you can mark a location where you are and save it in your favorite places within the google maps app.

If I'm inside my house at one end of the house looking at the location icon, and I walk 40 feet to the other end of the house, the icon shows me on the other end of the house! It is that senstitive.

[stevem]

I use GAIA in the field with my cell phone, and HILLMAP.COM for my computer.  Hillmap works really cool, and is a free program.

[strick9]

As much as I despise Google period, their map app is very hard to beat. I do also use OnX but mainly for their topo overlay. With google maps it shows the direction you are pointed " most of the time" so no need to plot a way point. Just look at your current icon and move to the direction you want to go, pull out a compass or mark a landmark up ahead a 100 or so yards and get to walking. I check my pointer direction by either knowing the sun path or using a compass. If it doesn't align then just swing your phone in figure 8 and it will realign. Once you learn to identify various forest colors pines versus hardwoods, bottoms vs ridges etc it becomes an invaluable tool.

[Michael Guran]

I’ve been using Basemaps for about 3 years and I’m happy with it.  I hunt in 3-4 different states each season, and it makes it easy to store stand locations, landmarks, tracks, etc.  And you can download and save maps ahead of time if you know you’re going into an area without cell service (which tends to be the case in most places I hunt).  And it syncs between my phone and IPad.  I’ve never had a dedicated GPS unit so I can’t compare, but Basemap is well worth the $30/year in my opinion. Mike-I can give you a quick rundown on it in camp next month if you want…

[alaninoz]

Just be aware that many of the cell phone GPS apps rely on having cell coverage to display the maps. No coverage, no map. Some of the apps allow you to download the maps to the phone while you have coverage, but not all of them allow this. Look at the specs before you make a decision to use a particular app.

And take a map and compass and use know how to use them. Cell phones and dedicated GPSs can run out of battery, GPS position can be degraded - particularly in heavy tree coverage.

I'm a belt, braces, and bit of string in the pocket kind of guy.

[bridgedout]

I used On X Hunt for the first time last season and found it well worth the yearly fee. Have all my stands marked on the family farm topo map. Let's me know wind direction so I can plan my approach before I even leave my house.
I'm not the most tech savvy 40y.o. out there but I have the basics down and got my 65y.o. father in law on board too.
*Always keep a paper topo map and cheap Boy Scout compass in your pack. Networks fail and batteries die*

[Kirkll]

Just be aware that many of the cell phone GPS apps rely on having cell coverage to display the maps. No coverage, no map. Some of the apps allow you to download the maps to the phone while you have coverage, but not all of them allow this. Look at the specs before you make a decision to use a particular app.

And take a map and compass and use know how to use them. Cell phones and dedicated GPSs can run out of battery, GPS position can be degraded - particularly in heavy tree coverage.

I'm a belt, braces, and bit of string in the pocket kind of guy.

The whole trick to using these gps units on your phone is to download the maps of the areas you plan on hunting in without cell service ahead of time. Once they have been downloaded it will still show your location on the map via satellite.

Having a portable power bank in you pack fully charged is I good idea. Here is a link to the top 10 power banks.

https://www.bestreviews.guide/portable-power-banks?bs=&dest=0&gclid=CjwKCAiA3KefBhByEiwAi2LDHHPvgrZjptdHqBlI7xnnXmms9yU2EUpCqHoD0RI8W6fDoJEft92ESxoCbZwQAvD_BwE&google_params%5Badgroupid%5D=148069816011&google_params%5Badposition%5D=&google_params%5Bcampaignid%5D=18588799371&google_params%5Bcreative%5D=630729347512&google_params%5Bdevice%5D=t&google_params%5Bdevicemodel%5D=&google_params%5Bfeeditemid%5D=&google_params%5Bkeyword%5D=best+power+banks&google_params%5Bloc_interest_ms%5D=&google_params%5Bloc_physical_ms%5D=9032861&google_params%5Bmatchtype%5D=e&google_params%5Bnetwork%5D=g&google_params%5Btarget%5D=&google_params%5Btargetid%5D=kwd-47945318671&origin=google&sys_id=0%7C903

[CRM_95]

I've had good luck with GAIA. If I know I wont have service I download the maps before I go. Then I leave my phone on airplane since I don't have service anyway, and the battery on my phone lasts pretty well this way.

[Stringwacker]

I also say that I like GAIA. I've tried OnX and I didn't see anything that was better than I was using on GAIA. The big difference is for the same money (roughly) you get all 48 states...instead of one. If you travel to hunt, that's a huge additional benefit.