The gun deer season is here in Minnesota. It opens soon in Wisconsin and other states around us. While I’ve been busy with my bow this fall, I’m excited to try my new muzzleloader.
Despite seeing a few decent bucks on camera, I was yet to encounter one during the day. It was time for a new strategy. I’m going to deploy new ground blinds, new camera locations and a new gun. Just being able to reach out farther than what a bow or shotgun can offer was like being on a new property.
Last week, we had Ben Brettingen on Sporting Journal Radio (watch or listen here, or where ever you get podcasts) to learn more about new features on the onX app. Here are 5 tips to help you this fall.
Save 20% on a new onX membership by using the code SJR20. Download in the app store or here.
- 3D Basemaps:
While you may think a 3D map is only for mountain hunts, it actually comes in really handy on the prairie. Locating shallow draws and short rises can help you target escape routes and travel corridors.
There are times I’ll be glassing across a field and all of a sudden a deer will disappear. During dry years, seasonal streams dry up and give animals a nice trail that they can utilize and stay hidden. Patterning those deer and where that low area starts and stops can be a great place to set up. Older bucks will use whatever they can to hide so this can be key for ambushing bruisers.
2. Tree Layers:
If you’re hunting big tracts of public land in northern Minnesota, there’s a chance your woods may look different from year to year. Logging and other clear-cutting operations can change deer patterns and be the difference between a successful hunt or a long, miserable season. You can utilize the tree layer to find new places to sit. If it’s a good year for acorns, you can look for oak stands. Or steer clear of thick, young aspens which limit your visibility. You also have a toggle for “leaf off imagery” to see what the landscape might look like after the leaves have fallen.
This allows you to look at a calendar in the app to see what days your stands have the best wind. Wind is the number one thing that will determine where I’m going to deer hunt. It’s important to skip certain stands if the direction is wrong. Using the Optimal Wind option in your onX hunt app saves you time by using your local weather forecast to show which stands have the optimal wind direction for the days ahead.
This new feature allows you to connect your trail cameras to the onX app so you can manage your images and create a comprehensive hunting plan. At this time, you can use cameras from Bushnell, Covert and Exodus for this feature.
They are also rolling out even more tools with this including insights. According to their website: By analyzing the data in your images, we’ll give you knowledge on what deer are doing on your property based on the conditions. We’ll analyze temperature, wind direction and speed, moon phases, barometric pressure, time of day, and more to help you be more efficient with the time you have to hunt.
I can’t wait!
5. Tracker:
This isn’t a new feature, but one that you should be using every time you pull the trigger. Start the tracker where you hit the deer and then drop a way point each time you find blood. This will help you stay on track with deer that circle, keeping you on the freshest trail possible.
Good luck this fall and be safe!
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