Best Bowhunting Apps for 2019

Unlocking your potential as a tech-savvy bowhunter is a game-changer.

These apps will change the way you hunt by making you more effective and better prepared. They are designed to help you find your way in the woods and make the most of your time once you get there. But the best thing about these apps: you will learn to be a better bowhunter without them.

Here are five of the best archery apps that will turn your smartphone into a must-have bowhunting tool:

HuntStand

The HuntStand app has a lot of different functions and does all of them well. Among other things, HuntStand is a mapping app. It allows you to take existing map data and customize it to your needs by adding marker locations, lines for trails and roads, and even area mapping to cover your whole hunting area.

But it doesn’t stop there. You can measure any distance or area on the map and even log sightings and kills. The most advanced mapping features are the one that allows you to see your scent spread for deer and calculate landing sites and direction for waterfowl. HuntStand also tracks weather, wind direction and speed, and solunar cycles.

There is also a social aspect to the app. You can use it to locate and keep track of hunting friends and share your success stories, create or find events in your area, set up message boards for local hunters, and even share your maps.

onX Hunt

If you are looking for a pure mapping app, onX Hunt is it. This app doesn’t have a lot of features to outshine some of the other apps that provide a mapping service but it does have some of the best maps and map data available.

There are a few features that make this app better for mapping than others. The first of which is its amazing dictionary of data covering all 50 states. It has great maps of public and private land, parcels and ownership, and over 400 overlays to accomplish a variety of tasks. The second feature is the ability to layer map data so you can see things like topographic lines on aerial photographs. You can also create your own waypoints for navigation and use those to get directions as you move around your hunting area.

But by far the best feature of this app is the ability to save maps for offline use. No data, no problem! Upload your maps from Wi-Fi and take them with you.

Quiver

Quiver is designed to make hunters more effective by helping them understand the tight relationship between weather conditions and deer activity.

Weather patterns play a crucial role in triggering deer activity. The changing conditions, wind direction, and moon phase are all part of the mystery of deer movement. Right from the home screen users can save their favorite hunting spots so that they can easily check the key weather details across their various hunting locations. From here, hunters can make a more informed decision on where to hunt given the conditions.

Quiver also provides a summary of an entire season. You can see how many hunts you’ve had so far, how many hours you’ve slugged through in the woods, and how much deer activity you’ve recorded.

ScoutLook

ScoutLook is like a light version of HuntStand with a lot of the same features, except it’s free with the option to upgrade to the paid version and get rid of the ads if you choose.

ScoutLook’s maps are rather limited compared to some of the other apps, with only roads, topography, or aerial photography available as a base map. You can overlay plats like you can with the other mapping apps and use markers and navigation with your phones internal GPS. There is even a cache function to allow you to view maps offline.

ScoutLook also has a solid weather app that does what all weather apps do as well as offers data on peak hunting times and game activity by the use of the data it has on hand such as cloud cover, solunar data, weather, precipitation, and barometric pressure.

Powderhook

Though there is a mapping component to Powderhook, you don’t get Powderhook for the maps. You get it to get it for the amazing people and places it can help you find.

If you are a first time or novice hunter, Powderhook has the best feature to help you: Mentorship. You can get on Powderhook and ask questions that will be answered by experts in the field and even find someone to take you under their wing and teach you the ropes. Of course, if you are a more experienced hunter you can sign up to be a mentor.

A lot of the brands we love as hunters are also Powderhook users and they share a lot of content about their stores including sales and special events to keep you up to date on the hunting community in your area.