Are You Using Data for Your Hunting Strategy?
With modern technology, hunting has become more and more apt to be analyzed and its data collected. When planning out what it takes for a successful hunting season, it only seems logical to look at these numbers and data to help you plan and strategize. From simple apps on our phones to websites with thousands of data points, if you are not using tech to help you at hunting then you are missing out!
Hunting Apps
For example, one of the best ways to find more success during bow season (especially the early season) is to utilize some basic hunting apps. These apps give you plenty of tools to make your time as a hunter easier, and to record data for further use. From tracking the weather, documenting signs and harvests, recording sightings and observations, and everything in between, these apps give you the ability to take detailed notes about everything in the woods.
All of this data can be extremely useful for future hunts. The more data that you start to collect, the more likely you are to start to recognize patterns and trends in an area. Ask any hunter who consistently kills mature bucks and they will tell you that identifying a pattern is the number one secret to killing a big deer. Documenting as much as you can before the season starts will ultimately give you data points to help identify these movement patterns and make smarter decisions during the actual hunting season.
Hunt Areas and Population Reports
Another useful data tool is the free information that most state’s put out on their own websites about populations, tag numbers, hunt success rates, and so much more. By analysing these numbers, you can also start to see trends and patterns to help you better select and prepare for individual hunts.
For example, if you see a deer unit with rising harvest success rates, this may be a good sign to look further into it and see what is contributing to more hunters killing deer. On the flip side, if you find an area where the state is continually decreasing tag numbers year after year, this could mean that the population as a whole is struggling and it could make for some tough hunting. For the most part, many states offer this type of information completely for free on their game and fish department’s websites.
Final Thoughts
We live in a digital age, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Technology can not only help us to gather our own data, but it can help us analyze to bring about the best chance of success while out in the woods. If you are not taking advantage of data to plan out your hunting strategy, you might want to ask yourself, why not?
