Map apps could make perfect holiday gift for outdoorsmen

If you are looking for that last-minute holiday gift for the outdoor enthusiasts in your life but don’t want to mess with shipping, you might want to consider something that can be downloaded from the internet or app store.

Available in the digital marketplace is a growing number of map applications that offer hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts far more than a paper map could. Keep in mind that I am just old enough to have one foot firmly entrenched in the paper world and the other is not too far behind, so it takes something more than a few bells and whistles to get my attention.

The map apps come with names such as ScoutLook, Gaia GPS, onX Hunt and HuntWise, and each one offers either a free version or a free trial period to give the user a taste of what the full version offers. Once the user decides he either wants more information or a subscription, that is when payment is required.

ScoutLook is free, but you get what you pay for. Basically, this app facilitates access to Google maps, though it responds quickly to finger strokes on the screen of your digital device so long as you have cell service. You can select among satellite, terrain and roads views depending on your preference.

The app also provides current weather information as well as an extended, day-by-day forecast for the user’s current location. You also get an hourly look ahead if you want it. And with the weather information, users will find the major and minor hunt times listed for each day of the forecast period.

Property ownership information is available for all 50 states, but the cost is $5.99 per month. Even if you choose to download the free version of this app, the weather information alone is worth the memory it will take up on your device.

By simply downloading the Gaia GPS app, the user gets access to a world topographical map that provides detail when you have cell service. When cell service isn’t available, the detail provided is limited. If you want to add downloadable U.S. Geological Survey maps and the ability to work offline, an annual membership subscription is required. It sells for $19.99.

A premium subscription includes access to an overlay of property boundaries, public lands and hunt units nationwide. This version has an annual fee of $39.99. For more information, visit gaiagps.com.

The app I found myself using the most was onX Hunt. Even for those of us who still carry paper maps, this app is user friendly and comes with tools that are designed specifically with the hunter in mind, but you pay for what you get. Especially helpful is the ability to add waypoints and scouting data to your map.

As with the other apps, basic GPS function is complimentary, but anything beyond that comes with a fee. For $29.99 a year, you can add multiple map layers, including private property boundaries and ownership information, wilderness areas, public land designations, historic wildfire data and the hunt unit boundaries for a single state. The same information for all 50 states is available for $99.99 a year, but you can pay monthly if you prefer.

Obviously, each map layer has its benefit for the hunter, but don’t underestimate the value of fire data. Included are fire dates and size, and old burns always are good places to look for big game such as deer and elk.

During a recent hunt, I found the land status layers to be the most helpful. Since my hunt unit included private property, tribal lands, a state park and public land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, I needed to know where I was, always. And at one point, I could see via the onX Hunt app that I was literally standing on the park-BLM boundary. You can learn more at onxmaps.com.

Another digital hunt map app is HuntWise. You can purchase a pro subscription for $3.75 per month.

Though you won’t ever have to charge a paper map, it would be a mistake to overlook the possibilities available in the digital world.

Utah wild turkey hunt

Utah is accepting applications for its spring wild turkey hunt. Submit them at utah-hunt.com . The deadline is 11 p.m. Dec. 27.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions are his own. Find him on Facebook at @dougwritesoutdoors. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.