Do you trust OnX?

[Fatcamp]

The benefit to OnX and digital GPS apps is being able to identify public/private boundaries when they are not marked otherwise.

Had many areas I had to stay away from because their just wasn't a reliable way to navigate. Still carry a compass. Always refer to a topo map prior to field time. But OnX has been very helpful.

As far as the OP my wife's watch and OnX don't match either.

 

[35WhelenAI]

It's a different game today apparently, and hugging property lines must be an important element to a successful hunt. I never had to worry about encroaching on private land, didn't hug property lines going into the national forest or wilderness area. My experience from Colorado speaking, maybe other states it's not as easy to see postings or National Forest boundaries.

 

[Fatcamp]

It's a different game today apparently, and hugging property lines must be an important element to a successful hunt. I never had to worry about encroaching on private land, didn't hug property lines going into the national forest or wilderness area. My experience from Colorado speaking, maybe other states it's not as easy to see postings or National Forest boundaries.

It is. In South Dakota there is no requirement to post private, it's my responsibility to not trespass, and public land is often times very interspersed with private.

Wyoming? Colorado? Utah? Massive tracts of public with very little concern for private. Different worlds for sure.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Thanks for that, it's different everywhere.I know from experience how much the trail type apps caused overuse in Colorado. I don't have much to say with respect to relying on technology to replace first-hand knowledge. However, keep it up it'll make out of state tags harder to get and guys won't need an app because they won't have a tag.

Inquiring minds want to know, what states east of the Continental Divide have enacted regulations to limit out of state participation in any method of take for big game hunting.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

Do you trust OnX?
I think if you’re hunting MT, WY, etc where you are getting incredibly close to boundaries that aren’t fenced… OnX seems to be about the best GPS system that integrates ownership. I have used Avenza for a long, long time, but OnX has a much better ownership layer. You can also track yourself. So when a “rancher” or his exclusive access outfitter accuses you of crossing an unmarked boundary by 3 inches, you have a saved track showing you were legal. Sure there is margin of error with any GPS system, but from a legal aspect, it’s probably as good as you can get.

Is there a more accurate way to figure hunt path miles?
I think they are all inaccurate to a degree. I also think it doesn’t matter. If OnX says 5mi, your Garmin watch says 5.3mi and your legs and the map say 6mi… it doesn’t matter either way.

 

[35WhelenAI]

OnX isn't about calculating miles, LOL that's ridiculous. It's about showing up and going for a hunt at the absolute expense of overcrowding and tightening regulations for themselves down the line.

I'm not worrying about it, I choose to live in a western state and will welcome you if I see you in the field. If I choose to hunt an Eastern state, I won't be posting on this forum about how to hunt whitetails, or how to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a rifle that I can't figure out what caliber might work, for a 10% chance.

 

[Caseknife]

Jump on your riding lawnmower and mow your lawn for half an hour, Fitbit says you got 30,000 steps!

I don't use OnX for mileage and don't think there is anything that will 100% track your mileage you have traveled in timbered country. I always have a Silva Ranger compass in my pack and usually a photocopied topo map of the hunt area for when I get a bit discombobulated. I have an innate ability to look at a topo map of the new area and remember it. My hunting partner of 30 years is always amazed how I can do that. OnX is good for keeping track of waypoints, property lines and unit boundaries so you can stay away from them.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Yhe above post is IMO a reason apps are a failure. They encourage more people to get in the woods without planning, knowing how to find their way in woods. It's the recipe for overuse and loss of opportunities down the line. I don't see a reason why a person, like the above poster does, can't figure out how to use a map and compass. Honestly, some things aren't meant for all people and if one can't navigate the outdoors without a big brother looking over a shoulder... splitttting hairs over miles walked in the woods is about as far from hunting is it can be, Imo.

I simply don't think it's hard to follow a unit boundary in Colorado based upon a map. If I've got to cut it so close with respect to private property then I'm going to stay the heck away from that area and go into the middle of an area instead of skirt boundaries that seem to be a main reason OnX exists, besides mile calculation for the next post on a forum or social media.

 

[croben]

Fitbit calculates distance by multiplying steps by stride length. If you’re on completely flat ground with zero obstacles, it might be pretty accurate. From my experience, this usually isn’t the case in the mountains. People shorten their strides at times while hiking in the mountains. Your GPS (OnX, Garmin, etc) should give you a more accurate reading of distance traveled compared to a Fitbit. My dad uses a Fitbit and his always shows he went a lot further than I did, which is never the case.

 

[Maverick1]

The reason I ask this question is because of what I've found from our last years hunt. My son in law kept track of his steps/ millage on his FitBit watch on all our hunts. I kept track of our miles thru OnX tracks. We had 8 hunts. This is the the comparison between OnX and his FitBit and the difference.

day 1) OnX track 7.2 FitBit 9.8 2.6 diff

day 2) OnX track 4 FitBit 5.22 1.22 diff

day 3} OnX track 3.3 FitBit 4.38 1.08 diff

day 4} OnX track 7.7 Fit Bit 10.06 2.36 diff

day 5} OnX track 6.4 FitBit 10.04 3.64 diff

day 6 } OnX track 8.3 FitBit 13.53 5.23 diff

day 7} OnX track 8.1 FitBit 10.2 2.1 diff

Day 8} OnX track 8.1 FitBit 11.13 3.3 diff

I even laid a path over the OnX tracks and they were pretty close between the two. Going forward I'm thinking of adding about 20-30% to my planned hunt paths on OnX. Is there a more accurate way to figure hunt path miles?

1. What difference does it make & why do you care?
2. Turn on a GPS, leave it in your pack all day with track mode on and compare to see which ones are the closest to each other.

 

[madtinker]

I have found instances where OnX doesn’t match physical boundaries. It can also be very slow to update my location, depending on visible satellites, etc. So… I trust it a bit, but verify a lot. I still carry a compass just to confirm directions, especially when hiking in the dark. I don’t like being too dependent on computers. They are great, but complicated things are prone to breakage.

 

[wapitibob]

Yhe above post is IMO a reason apps are a failure. They encourage more people to get in the woods without planning, knowing how to find their way in woods. It's the recipe for overuse and loss of opportunities down the line. I don't see a reason why a person, like the above poster does, can't figure out how to use a map and compass. Honestly, some things aren't meant for all people and if one can't navigate the outdoors without a big brother looking over a shoulder... splitttting hairs over miles walked in the woods is about as far from hunting is it can be, Imo.

I simply don't think it's hard to follow a unit boundary in Colorado based upon a map. If I've got to cut it so close with respect to private property then I'm going to stay the heck away from that area and go into the middle of an area instead of skirt boundaries that seem to be a main reason OnX exists, besides mile calculation for the next post on a forum or social media.

Give it a rest, nobody gives a shit if you use a map and compass. Your condescending comments toward the op get old quick.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Giving a lick about which is more miles or not is pretty elementary. Hunt. Figured out the Android versus Apple discrepancy?

 

[gilby]

I've had issues with elevation gain/loss with OnX on near cliff edges. Did an 11mile trail with ~3500ft gain and loss. OnX tracker put me at 8500ft gain and loss. The GPS error really causes some elevation errors near cliffs. Mileage was within a 1/4 mile.

 

[LongWayAround]

I set my OnX tracker to record my trail workouts so I can pay attention to my own time and distance. I typically find that it matches posted trail mileage pretty closely. I also like to see the elevation profile.

It isn't always about directions when you're hunting.

 

[LongWayAround]

To answer the OP's question, step counters lie. Also, your OnX track will vary based on how often your location pings.

If you have airplane or power save modes on, it will ping less often and have a more jagged profile. Dense canopy and steep canyons will also affect its ability to ping your location. Similar to trying to get a gps fix when you fire up an InReach.

 

[Backofbeyond]

. <——- that one is pepper
. <——- that one is fly shit.

 

[Indian Summer]

Inquiring minds want to know, what states east of the Continental Divide have enacted regulations to limit out of state participation in any method of take for big game hunting.

Off the top of my head…. limiting the number of licenses. No brainer. No matter how many people use OnX or a gps Wyoming Montana etc etc are not increasing the number of hunters who will draw tags this year.

BUT….. There has definitely been a substantial increase in the number of people who feel confident enough to go on DIY hunts instead of outfitted. But that still doesn’t change the number of hunters out there. Participation is limited.

One thing that I’m pretty sure has added to the number of hunters I would say is the increase in people becoming residents of those states and purchasing more OTC licenses. Maybe residents should consider having their own drawings for general licenses? That should help curtail the problem.

 

[Will_m]

A gps track is going to be more accurate than a step count. That step count isn’t accurate in any shape or form.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

I trust it to get me close on property boundaries. Not sure i ever found a reason to track mileage on it so not sure on that one. I’d bet it’s close enough.