GoHunt worth it?

[md126]

How many of you use GoHunt vs state hunt planners or other resources for researching/planning your western hunting (particularly OTC public land elk)? I’ve been out to CO 3x and have had great hunts but always feel like I’m missing some useful info.

Is it worth the $149 per year? Any thoughts advice or suggestions greatly appreciated
Thanks! Mike

 

[TheTone]

I really don't think it is. A person can find most of the info on draws in other places for free. Also there seems to be a ton of other users which really dilutes the value IMO. I've had it for about 2 years and maybe logged in 10-15 times total over that time.

 

[bsnedeker]

I think it depends on what your application strategy is. If you are just looking for a place to hunt and are hunting the same state or couple of states all the time, you probably don't get much out of gohunt.

If you have a complex application strategy where you are building points and applying for multiple species I think it is totally worth the price. I do agree that all of this info is out there for free, but collecting and collating it is a LOT of work so I'm willing to pay to have someone do it for me.

 

[bowrunner81]

For the average hunter, no. But if you are hunting 3 or more places each year, then it could be. All of the information, except the articles, are available online if you know where to look. I did the 30 day trial, but i didnt find it necessary.

 

[vp_arkitek]

I use it almost every day while planning my season. It has made all the difference for me.

Added value is the gohunt store. Not only do you earn actual points on every purchase, but you know that gear has been tested and approved by some of the best gear junkies in the business.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

In short, goHunt is great for helping you decide what unit to hunt but near useless if you're looking for info on a specific unit and how to hunt it. There's general tips on some units but they typically point to areas that are fairly obvious IMO, on top of the fact that there's a bunch of other users with the exact some info.

 

[Studs1991]

I have been a member of go hunt for over two years and highly recommend it. As many people have already said, it is more beneficial if you are applying to multiple states. Personally, I will say that I have found some hidden gems and have helped myself create a comprehensive long-term and short-term strategy for applying in western states. Aside from this, goHunt also has strategy articles and entertaining stories that make it worth the investment. I probably spend more time on there than I need to, but I think its a great resource with tons of information all on one website.

 

[FreeRange]

I tried not using it for a few years but once I started using it 2 years ago I realized how foolish I was to have held out. Having a demanding job, a wife and 3 kids my time is at a bit more of a premium than $150 a year. It's absolutely true there's little information on the Gohunt site you can't get elsewhere but it is so well organized and easy to filter through I find it saves me a TON of time.

It's also true they have a lot of subscribers so there can be a bit of a herd effect if they promote a certain unit or strategy. Knowing that you can predict which units odds are about to get worse based on exposure on Gohunt you change up your plans accordingly. You'd only be able to know this by being a member and reading their articles. There are other services that do similar things and have supposedly ruined the odds for some previous hidden gem units but I think anymore Gohunt is the most prominent of these services.

Lastly, it's true Gohunt is pretty worthless for actually planning your hunt, just helps with draw strategy and application really.

 

[FURMAN]

I will, for the most part, echo what others have said. When I am trying to apply for, sometimes, upwards of 15 tags every year I do not have the time to research every one through other means. This puts about 60-70% of the information I need in one place which saves 10s if not 100s of hours of research. Obviously I will continue to hunt certain units over and over so I do not need it for that but trying to fill my hunting season this is a great help.

 

[Trial153]

It’s worth it to me. In any given year I maybe dropping applications in Maine, NH, New Brunswick, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Alaska.
Anything that saves me time in that process is worth it to some extent. That said Gohunt is expensive and quite honestly I am not sure if it’s worth the cost if you were just going to do a handful of applications in couple states. There are most cost effective options out there and truthfully the market for this service is super saturated right now so it pays to look around and see what fits your needs and budget. There are features on other sites that I like better.

Hopefully Gohunt continues to add value , for example I emailed them stating that they should have a section for members that we can keep track of our points and goals on state by state basis. Maybe a section that allows notes for units after we do research...ect ect.

What I am getting at is that long term this service will have to adapt to keep market share and continue to add value for the membership.

 

[AdamW]

Depends on how much you value your time to a point.

I dug up data and crunched numbers for Colorado, 2 seasons, both years got a free trial of GoHunt and GoHunt filtered the same options I had found on my own. It's a neat service though, especially if you are looking at hunting multiple states in 1 year.

 

[Chesapeake]

It compiles all the info available for free on the State Game websites. Also generally there are deals where you pay 150 but then get a $50 certificate for a certain vendor.

 

[jeremy.b]

I'll come at this from a slightly different angle: I think its worth it, but not because I'm applying to a ton of states. I recently moved to Utah, and their regulations are a bit more complicated than other states I've hunted (and having never been interested in hunting Utah in the past).

GoHunt has been a huge help for me to wrap my head around what seasons are available and identify some possible opportunities in this state that I probably would not have found otherwise and has helped me establish a longer term application strategy as well. As a bonus I now use it to identify additional applications for Idaho that I will pursue going forward.

 

[arwhntr]

I'd second what Trial153 said. Hit the nail on the head.

Also Gohunt runs 30-day free trials. Find out its worth it for you:
Free Trial | goHUNT

 

[Molon Labe]

If you apply to multiple states...and have long term and short term application strategies it is worth it.

I like it because I was finally able to get rid of two legal boxes of manila folders/booklets/maps from all the states I apply to and previous years research projects. I would say it saves me 10-20 hours a year just having it at my fingertips instead of pulling out folders.

 

[trail@goHunt]

Appreciate the feedback. We have big plans and I think it's only going to make your subscription that much more valuable in the future.

 

[HookUp]

I use it and believe it's worth it. When I have some time at home to dink off I like to cruise around other states and learn about units.

 

[mixed bag]

I had it 2 years and it's decent,but alot of their description of the hunts are pretty bs.Not all so don't jump down my throat.I just use Toprut now,free imfo for all I need.It has draw odds,success rates,landownership percentages,map of unit
I did like gohunts articles but not for $150.Bull/cow ratios arent hard to find on your own

 

[MallardSX2]

It would be a lot better if they were more up to date with their drawing odds. It drives me crazy that they dont update the drawing odds for 2018 yet for states that have released the information. It should be up there within a week. Not 8 months.

I am a member because I have a chance at some really cool prizes every month. I've never won anything but if I did win something I know my membership would be paid for basically because the monthly giveaways are that good.

 

[trail@goHunt]

It would be a lot better if they were more up to date with their drawing odds. It drives me crazy that they dont update the drawing odds for 2018 yet for states that have released the information. It should be up there within a week. Not 8 months.

I am a member because I have a chance at some really cool prizes every month. I've never won anything but if I did win something I know my membership would be paid for basically because the monthly giveaways are that good.

Totally understand and we have people ask about it every year. We update every state at the same time so that there is no confusion about what states/species are up to date and which ones aren't. We will be updating every state/species about the first week of Dec.