Hunting Smarter: NavBoard FlipLite x Phone Apps
For years, hunters relied on paper maps, journals, and sheer intuition to plan and execute successful hunts. Today, smartphones have become just as essential as your bow or broadheads. With the right apps, you can track game movement, monitor weather conditions, and sharpen your skills, all from your pocket. But as with any tool, there are both advantages and drawbacks to relying on technology in the woods.
Pros of Using Hunting Apps
- Real-time data: Weather, wind direction, and barometric pressure updates are crucial for scent control and optimal stand placement.
- Navigation Confidence: GPS and offline maps can prevent you from getting turned around in unfamiliar terrain.
- Scouting Efficiency: Satellite imagery and topo overlays make it easier to locate potential bedding, feeding, and travel corridors.
- Tracking Tools: Many apps allow you to record blood trails, track game movement, and save waypoints.
- Skill Development: Archery-specific apps can help with shot placement visualization, arrow trajectory, and ballistics charts.
Cons of Using Hunting Apps
- Battery Drain: Cold weather and GPS tracking can quickly drain your phone’s battery, leaving you without tech when you need it most.
- Overreliance: Relying too heavily on your phone can dull natural instincts and woodsmanship.
- Connectivity Issues: Not all areas have cell service—though many apps now offer offline features.
- Noise & Distraction: Checking your phone too often can pull your focus away from the hunt itself.
If you’re ready to integrate your smartphone into your hunting kit, here are some top apps worth considering:
- OnX Hunt – Excellent for property boundaries, public/private land access, waypoints, and offline maps.
- HuntStand – Great for mapping stand locations, tracking weather, and sharing data with hunting partners.
- ArcheryPal – Archery-focused app for recording arrow setups, trajectory, and sight marks.
- Bowhunting 360 – Offers shot placement guides, tutorials, and hunting education for bowhunters.
- Windy or HuntWise – Reliable wind and weather tracking apps to help you plan your stand based on scent control.
- Google Earth – Still one of the best tools for e-scouting terrain before you ever lace up your boots.
Technology can’t replace woodsmanship, but it can enhance it. The best hunters use apps as supplemental tools—not crutches. Ensure you strike a balance between your reliance on technology and your instincts, preparation, and fieldcraft. Carry a backup battery pack, download offline maps before you head out, and don’t forget: at the end of the day, it’s your skills with the bow and your knowledge of the land that make the difference.
NavBoard® FlipLite™: Purchase Here
Chest Rig Adapters: Purchase Here
Photos by Clair Marie Creative
