From – Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network

One of the most valuable hunting tools available today is the GPS.

The ability to identify exactly where you are out in the wild, where your best hunting spots are, where your game cameras are, and where your hunting buddies are, is critical both for a successful hunt, but also from a safety standpoint.

Long gone are the days of carrying a compass and having to master land navigation – though that’s a helluva skill to have, so don’t dismiss the old school approach.

Today’s hunters have gone high-tech. And with the nearly universal acceptance and use of smartphones, with their built-in GPS capability, the phone is replacing the handheld GPS in locales where cell service is available.

Why carry a specific piece of additional gear whose tech is already replicated on your phone? Especially if it’s on your phone in the form of an app that is designed for hunting.

For hunters of all skill and experience levels the onX Hunt app is an ideal solution for searching and mapping your hunts. And because it sits right on your phone it adds exactly zero extra pounds, or even ounces, to your hunting load out.

I have the onX app, and I use it. I am far from a super-user because my needs are fairly limited in scope. As a dove hunter I need to confirm my distance from the nearest structures and roads. I also need to mark my hunting spots, though none are what I would call a ‘prime spot.’

And since I live in Arizona, and I need to be out there and ready to hunt 30 minutes before sunrise, it’s kind of important I have my route mapped out. I am not hunting in a sunflower field – or any kind of field for that matter – but in the desert. A rocky terrain pockmarked with areas of uneven footing due to monsoon season erosion.

I prepped specifically for dove season the first year I used the onX app by walking the best, least restricted route to my spot and marking key points along the way so I’d know I was on the right path and not about to stumble down a four-foot drop in the dark to take a face full of rocks, or worse, cactus.

Knowing exactly where I was going in the early morning darkness is arguably a trivial thing, but after several seasons of high school basketball I have become a big fan of no spraining my ankle…particularly if it happens to be on Opening Day.

onX has two tiers for their Hunt app. The Premium level is what I used in the past and is limited to a single state for a $29.99 annual fee. This gave me access to Arizona’s land ownership maps, 3D, satellite, topo, and hybrid basemaps.

It also allowed for offline maps, customizable waypoints with optimal wind and is accessible on iOS and Android phones, as well as a desktop.

However, for this upcoming dove season I will be using the Elite membership version of the app which has several more features starting with access to nationwide land ownership maps, and Canada hunting maps…not that I plan on hunting in Canada, but one never knows.

The Elite membership has other advanced tools such as their Terrain X 3D Viewer, recent imagery, and Route Builder.

The Elite membership is $99.99 annually, and while it is far more than I need it does give me some cool features to test. The route builder is top of my list of features to try since with the Premium version I just dropped waypoints, which certainly worked but this will be better.

onX has recently announced a host of new features available in the app, and while they may be a bit of overkill for my purposes, they will be a welcome addition for hunters who are far more serious about hunting season than I am.

Hunters interested in signing up for elk permits left over from the permit drawing can do so between today, July 21, and Aug. 4. This new process for the sale of surplus licenses began in 2020 in response to issues in years past. The old process was vulnerable to long lag times, confusion, and a perception of inequity for those unable to use the first-come, first-served online option starting at 5 a.m.

There is no prerequisite required to sign up for these permits, but if you are selected to purchase one you MUST hold a general elk license. Read more

WEST POINT, MS – Mossy Oak, the industry-leading camouflage brand, is pleased to announce its collaboration with makers of the Heat Hog brand of innovative heating solutions. This partnership aims to introduce a new line of portable propane heaters decorated in the iconic Mossy Oak Original Bottomland camouflage pattern. The camouflage heaters will be available in two three models, with BTU outputs of4,000 9,000, and 18,000, catering to outdoor enthusiasts and individuals seeking easy-to-use, reliable heating options for their outdoor activities such as in the hunting blind, camping or ice fishing

The ONLY tiltable portable heater, Heat Hog is a new breed that helps you command the cold and runs on the 1-pound propane cylinder or a 20-pound tank, is indoor and outdoor safe, and doesn’t require any electricity. It includes a warming dock in the back allowing you to get more fuel use out of each tank, a curved heating plaque which provides 33% a wider heating area than other heaters, and its patent-pending tilting design, so you can control where the radiant heat goes.

Jon Thelen, with a 25-year fishing industry career, expressed his enthusiasm about the product by stating “Whether talking portable fishing or in my deer stand, I want and need a heater I can rely on to keep me warm and stand up to the elements. Heat Hog uses every ounce of propane in the can meaning I have no waste and on top of that it has proven durable enough to ride in my sled at 40mph up the trail to the hotspots and fire right up! Read more

The Last Alaskans’ trapper Heimo Korth to be among the presenters

The largest trapping event in North America will be held July 27 -29 at the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba.

Many legendary trappers from around the U.S. will be selling their wares, giving demonstrations or just enjoying the show. There will be something for everyone in the family to enjoy, with many activities for kids.

An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people will attend the event, which will be held each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for a 1-day pass, $20 for a three-day pass, with children admitted free of charge. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase, and camping is available on the grounds.

One of the featured speakers will be Heimo Korth, known to viewers of the Discovery Channel program “The Last Alaskans.” Read more

Castle Rock, CO – The world’s most watched outdoor television series celebrates the challenge, tradition and pageantry of traditional driven boar hunting in this week’s episode of Sporting Classics with Chris Dorsey on Outdoor Channel. Chris Dorsey and his close friends immerse themselves in the spectacular action and history of hunting for driven boar with host Peter Horn, who is the only American to ever receive the prestigious St Hubertus Medal from the nation of Hungary, an honor bestowed to those who go to extraordinary lengths to champion ethical hunting and conservation across the country.

Sporting Classics with Chris Dorsey is a joint venture between Dorsey Pictures, the largest producer of outdoor lifestyle programming in history and Sporting Classics magazine, the award-winning 40-year old premium outdoor magazine that showcases the history, art and romance of the outdoors. The series airs on Outdoor Channel every Monday at 12:30 pm, Tuesday at 7:30 am, Thursday at 2:30 pm, and Sunday at 4:30 and 10:30 am (all times ET). Read more

BOZEMAN, MT. – Merino wool base layers have long been relied on for key features like temperature regulation, breathability and odor resistance properties, with one drawback—longevity. Now, SITKA, the leader in high-performance hunting apparel, is introducing its new ArmorSpun Merino Wool that allows for the best of both worlds with materials built for rigorous, extended use while maintaining the properties of wool that outdoor adventurers demand in the field.

The Core Merino Collection features a simple, intuitive and easy-to-shop three-tiered system that allows consumers to easily adapt their comfort level given their day-to-day needs. Unlike other wool products, the easy-care Merino fabric is pre-shrunk and can be washed with other active gear with options in three weights – 120 gram, 220 gram and 330 gram – the SITKA Core Merino Collection offers endless possibilities when worn on their own during warmer early season temperatures or as foundational base layers in colder late season weather. Read more