GPS, mapping, OnX? others?

HuskyMusky

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,323
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IL
I know there are a few gps options out there....?

it's been years since I bought one.

Is OnX the one to get? other options/brands/apps?

also do these just work on your smart phone now? or do you still want to a buy a handheld gps?

anyone know if these show landowner info as well?

Thanks!

ps- a quick look at onx website....they have onx hunt, backcountry, off road..... was unable to see if onx hunt includes trailheads etc... like they advertise on onx backcountry....?? if anyone knows please inform me. If not, why not? i feel this would be a key component for onx Hunt.
 
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Bullcan

Member
Oct 6, 2016
78
27
I have used ONX for a few years now and really like it. I use both my smart phone and GPS. With the GPS you do have to buy individual state chips. It does show landowner info. If using the smart phone, you do have to buy a yearly subscription. It is $100 per year and it covers all states.
 
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Rich M

Very Active Member
Oct 16, 2012
758
566
The phone application for onX is neat - like the ability to drop a point. Say you need to sneak around a ridge and come out at a given tree and there are 6 similar trees. Drop a point on the one you need and Whalla!

I have the onX chip for CO and will get a second one for WY if I get pulled - sold my chip and gazetteer after the 2017 hunt. Oops!
 
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JimP

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
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Gypsum, Co
The problem with OnX now is that they want you to sign up for a membership to update your GPS chips. I looked at it back in 2019 to update my Colorado chip since I was helping my brother in law in a area that has a lot of private and you can't just pay XX anymore to update it.

I don't know if they have changed their policy since but I figured that I would just worry about where I was and not who owned it.

On the phone app I have heard people swear that it is the best thing out there, I have also heard of those that do nothing but swear at it.
 
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kidoggy

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
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idaho
I had base map two years ago onx for the past year . both were alright but I think I prefer onx. with the hunts I am planning for next year I doubt I will bother with either. they both will kill a phone battery quick so I never used em much anyhow.
 
JimP

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
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Gypsum, Co
The trick to using a phone is to place it into airplane mode where all that is working on the phone is the apps and not the phone part. It will still kill a phone but not as fast. But that is where I prefer a dedicated GPS, the batteries die you just replace them with some spares.
 
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mallardsx2

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
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I only use my phone with OnX.
I have a charging case for my phone and it lasts literally all day and then some.
I check for updates and update it well in advance before every trip.

Dont leave on the tracker feature....or it WILL kill your phone.
Leave it on airplane mode and download the offline maps for the areas you will be hunting while you have WIFI BEFORE you go on your trip.
 
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taskswap

taskswap

Very Active Member
Jul 9, 2018
523
379
Colorado
I only use my phone as well. Provided I stay in airplane mode and only check it occasionally, it easily lasts two days. My wife likes to see photos of my trips so I use it for that too. With a battery pack I can stay out as long as I want. It's easy to forget that besides cell access, a major battery draw for a phone is its screen. If you check it constantly, it's not going to last long. I turn mine off completely when I don't need it if I'm backpacking (at night), but note that it is NOT helpful to turn it on and off multiple times a day because the boot process is very power-hungry.

I don't use OnX while I'm hiking or hunting. Their desktop app is great but their mobile app is really primitive, particularly the functions for managing offline regions and tracking routes. I only use the Web version for e-scouting and planning. I can't speak for others, but where I hunt in CO, property boundaries are pretty recognizable. There's not much danger you're going to "accidentally" be on somebody's land because there's almost always a fence line. I just plan ahead of time so I know where the boundaries are going to be.

While I'm out in the field, I use Locus Pro to track my hikes. I take note of streams and other water sources, bedding and game trails, and sometimes just "the easy way up that hill" or "this was the best spot to glass from". I take all these tracks and import them into caltopo.com later. I hunt the same areas a lot, and seeing my tracks over the years helps me find gullies and timber pockets I may have ignored on previous trips.
 
idcwby

idcwby

Administrator
Jun 23, 2015
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Idaho
It all depends on what you want out of the map. OnX is good on the phone, but I still like the gps version better because you don’t have to have service and downloading maps for offline use can fill up your phones storage fast, depending on the size of areas you hunt. When downloading to your phone you need to do the one with the list detail or you won’t be happy with it. I’ve been buying the yearly subscriptions off Camofire for a discount and you get it on your phone and be able to update chips.
I learned Garmin is doing their version of onX now and some of their new devices won’t work with onX anymore.
 
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