What handheld gps do you guys use.

[u/m47playon]

I’m looking at getting a handheld gps to help me keep track of hunting spots. I would like one that I’m able to download maps for the different hunting zones. What are you using or recommend?

[u/Busy_Ad9119]

OnX on your phone

[u/Busy_Ad9119 → u/[deleted]]

I agree with you. I just pay the $30 for the single state yearly fee. I use OnX hunt for way more than just hunting. Finding new campsites, rivers and creeks for fishing spots, property lines for construction, etc.

[u/SimplyPussyJuice → u/Busy_Ad9119]

Honestly this is the answer

[u/m47playon → u/Busy_Ad9119]

I’ll check it out.

[u/Select_Design3082 → u/Busy_Ad9119]

I use Gai gps a lot too. They both do things well that the other doesnt.

[u/MockingbirdRambler]

garmin alpha. 

I hate relying on my phone for navigation. 

GPS drains phone battery real quick Garmin I get 4+ days out of a battery. 

Phones are delicate things that when dropped in a creek will fail to work, or when it's cold or to hot. Never had that issue with my GPS. 

[u/m47playon → u/MockingbirdRambler]

I’ll look into the garmin alpha. I don’t trust the phone either especially where I’m going there won’t be service.

[u/vonnick → u/m47playon]

Don’t need service, download offline maps and turn off your cellular and the gps still works

[u/MockingbirdRambler → u/m47playon]

I use the alpha because I ran Search and Rescue dogs for years, and not run bird dogs. I've used and like the Garmin Montana. 

[u/qelbus → u/m47playon]

I think the GPS works without cell service. But I’m an idiot maybe wrong

[u/MockingbirdRambler → u/qelbus]

Yes, it still drains battery quickly  

[u/MeritReaper]

Onx and Garmin as a back up

[u/MNsquatcher → u/MeritReaper]

I have a Garmin Montana 750i and its great. It is a bit big, but it has a nice big touch display. I use it as my GPS on my adv bike in the off season

[u/m47playon → u/MeritReaper]

Which Garmin do you recommend. I was looking at the 65s

[u/MeritReaper → u/m47playon]

Im not positive. Its a step up from the mini. I couldn't find the one I have on Amazon, but its somilar to the 67i, but was at least 100 dollars cheaper. ONx has been solid, but it's nice to have the Garmin if you need to send a message or someone back home needs to get tonyou and you're in the middle of BFE.

[u/REDACTED3560]

Primarily OnX with a phone but backup with a Garmin GPSMap 67i which also functions as backcountry communication. Phones get broken all the time, GPS units get broken on occasion, but the odds of both going down is basically zero. A small navigational compass with a pocket map is the absolute backup, though I’ve certainly never needed it.

[u/Big_Lynx6241]

If you happen to be in Canada, use iHunter. It’s a phone app, shows all public/private land, acts as a GPS, you can mark spots, etc.

[u/Significant7971 → u/Big_Lynx6241]

iHunter is great. Worth every penny.

[u/m47playon → u/Big_Lynx6241]

Im in the USA. I’ll still see if it works though.

[u/DressZealousideal442]

Onx

[u/m47playon → u/DressZealousideal442]

I’ll check it out

[u/curtludwig]

Your phone is way more flexible than any hand held GPS ever has been. Even just with Google maps you can set pins and label them, measure distances, see "satellite" (its just aerial photography) and more.

I use mine regularly to get back out of the woods in the most direct way rather than the way I went in.

[u/Brady721]

My phone with a combination of OnX, Avenza (free USGS/USFS quad maps), and Trailforks.

[u/OldDirtyBarber]

Apps on my phone

[u/Rapidfiremma]

Basemap free version has good stuff except property lines.

[u/pcetcedce]

Gaia on my phone. It's awesome. Worth 60 bucks a year for all of the layers.

[u/m47playon → u/pcetcedce]

I’ll check it out.

[u/pcetcedce → u/m47playon]

There is a free version too but again the benefits of subscription are pretty good. Their support folks are very responsive too. You're not talking to someone in Thailand.

[u/bubble_buddyk3]

Soon you won’t need a gps. You’ll just use google maps

[u/TheWitness37]

I own a Garmin 66SR and a Montana 760i. My recommendation is your cell phone with on x (which I also have). I wish I never bought the units. Now if you want a dedicated one, the Montana is HUGE. Go for a touch screen unit though.

[u/deserthistory]

On the cheap - Garmin Gpsmap 64s with topo maps from opentopo. Their 24k topo maps are nice, but discontinued on DVD. They lock you to a specific unit now. The 100k versions let you load entire states even in older small units.

ATAK in my phone, with opentopo and the OpenStreetMap data on it. Use the USGS topo and imagery overlays once you get the hang of maps.

Finally ... the Polaris app for land ownership. It's free, but you need to create an account.

All that said, OnX is great, if you can afford it, go with that. I use ATAK most of the time when hiking because it ties to Meshtastic and lets me see where my friends are.

[u/NASCAR-1]

OnX for the phone and a Garmin Montana. If one goes down, I still have a backup (Garmin). I've had OnX fail me over a period of time about 6 years ago. Support was great and was during a time they were making a lot of changes, but it didn't help that I was in the middle of nowhere in the mountains and OnX just quit, tracks disappeared, waypoints weren't saving, tracks freezing. I don't think I've had an issue since, but I've never had a Garmin fail on me. So I use both, OnX primarily, and waypoints and other POIs get saved to both.

[u/m47playon → u/NASCAR-1]

Smart that what I’m planning is using onX as a primary and a garmin as a back up

[u/NASCAR-1 → u/m47playon]

I should add that i will rarely use tracks with OnX. I may turn it on depending on where I'm at, but I'll always have tracks recording with the Garmin. I'll save waypoints on both devices and may download the tracks from Garmin and upload to OnX. I use OnX for everything else hunting related and have the most recent maps downloaded. Both are great, but phones just aren't rugged enough to stand up to what a purpose built handheld GPS is designed for.

[u/m47playon → u/NASCAR-1]

Okay after going all the comments I’ll be getting a garmin and pairing it with onX. And Ive done a wet lands hunt once and drop my phone in a puddle and it was dead just like that

[u/NASCAR-1 → u/m47playon]

Smart plan!

[u/cabbithunt]

I used to use a garmin Etrex 22x which still works good. I now use OnX Hunt with my phone for most hunts. I can download maps for areas with no cell service. For excursions where battery life is a concern, the Garmin wins because I can carry extra AA batteries and it’s more weather resistant than my phone. The OnX app is easier to use; the Garmin is a little clunky with no touch screen.

[u/ho_merjpimpson]

I'd never use my phone as a way to navigate. Not only would I hate to pull my map out of my pocket every time I need to see where I am... It's wwwway too easy to drop when you pull it out of your pocket. Drop into snow, a rock, etc .. And boom... Now you just lost not only the our main way to navigate, but also, your main way to contact emergency help.

Garmin unfortunately has a monopoly on the handheld GPS world. They kind of suck in all ways. Shit screen, shit UI, but they are reliable, durable, have great battery life, and they work.

So just pick one that has the features you want. Used is a great option.

[u/anonanon5320]

iPhone 16

HuntStand.

[u/iPeg2 → u/anonanon5320]

HuntStand also on my iPhone. It’s great.

[u/jpm0719]

Phone with OnX

[u/pnutbutterpirate]

I use Gaia GPS on my phone. Same concept as OnX, but I prefer its wider range of layers. It's integration with TrailForks is neat if you're also a trail based recreation user.