The Best GPS Watches for Hunting Review, As days go by, almost every life aspect, including hunting, is adopting technology. Recently, many companies have invested in manufacturing GPS watches to improve people’s hunting experiences.
Most manufacturers promise to deliver top-notch GPS watches. But do they? The answer is that it depends on what features you’re looking for in a hunting watch.
Some will be good as standard watches, while others are more suited for hunting and outdoor activities exclusively.
Therefore, if you’re planning to buy the best GPS hunting watch, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re highlighting the best GPS watches for hunting and why owning one is a good idea.
Table of Contents
- What’s a Hunting GPS Watch?
- The Best GPS Watches for Hunting
- Qualities of a Great Hunting GPS Watch
- Why Hunting With a GPS Watch Is a Good Idea
- Alternatives to Using Hunting GPS Watches
- FAQ
- Final Remarks
What’s a Hunting GPS Watch?
(Someone wearing a hunting GPS watch)
A hunting GPS watch incorporates the functions of a standard wristwatch and a GPS unit. It is worn like a classic wristwatch but is more rugged and durable to withstand the unpredictable wild.
It also has GPS and mapping capabilities that help hunters navigate the wilderness. Furthermore, it supports tracking of hunting data and performance monitoring.
The Best GPS Watches for Hunting
Do you want to buy the best GPS watches for hunting? Well, check below:
Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
The Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar is a top-tier watch with a long battery life, thus offering long hunting hours.
You can navigate the wild with significant location precision, owing to the Fenix 7’s compatibility with the GNSS network. Additionally, it has accurate GPS tracking and an easy-to-use 1.3″ touchscreen display.
Furthermore, it has a scratch-resistant power sapphire lens and solar to extend the battery life. On the downside, the watch is costly, and some people find it bulky.
Garmin Epix Gen
(Female hunter ready to hunt)
The rugged Garmin Epix Gen 2 is a high-end GPS watch for outdoor activities. It features a 1.3″ screen that’s always on when in outdoor settings. Additionally, the watch supports many applications, including sleep monitors and fitness trackers.
If you hunt for days, you may be happy to know that the Epix Gen 2 premium battery lasts up to 5 days in always-on mode. Therefore, you can go camping away from power for days and still use this watch for hunting. Furthermore, it lasts up to 16 days in the standard gesture mode.
Casio SGW-1000-1ACR Triple Sensor
The SGW-1000-1ACR Triple Sensor from Casio is a cheaper alternative to the Garmin watches. Casio is renowned for making excellent and durable watches. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the SGW-1000-1ACR features in this list.
The watch is water resistant, meaning you can use it even in the rain. Additionally, it has many features, including an altimeter and barometer. Also, the watch has triple-sensor technology, making it a vital tool for outdoor activities.
Suunto Core Outdoor Watch
If you’re into adventure and outdoor activities, the Suunto Core watch is your best option. The watch has a weather forecasting feature that offers present and future weather trends.
Additionally, you can determine the altitude thanks to its altimeter and barometer. Furthermore, a storm alarm lets you know of potential storms.
Qualities of a Great Hunting GPS Watch
(A compass on a map)
The following are some essential characteristics of a top-notch GPS watch for hunting:
GPS Accuracy: A great hunting GPS watch will still give accurate information even in intolerant environments. One buys a GPS watch to get accurate and timely location coordinates and real-time tracking information.
Durability: The wild can sometimes be unforgiving, even to your devices. As such, an excellent hunting GPS watch has to be rugged and waterproof. Furthermore, it has to be dustproof and with military-grade shock resistance.
Battery Life: Hunting trips can last several days, and it’s nice to have a GPS watch that can survive that long.
Mapping and Navigation: Great hunting watches have mapping and navigation capabilities. Also, they should come with pre-loaded maps and allow you to plot courses to make your hunting trips less gruesome.
Ease of Use: It’s a total waste of time to have a complicated GPS watch that you find difficult to operate. A great hunting GPS watch should have excellent features that are easily accessible and meaningful to a hunter.
Why Hunting With a GPS Watch Is a Good Idea
(A hunting GPS watch)
First, GPS watches have longer-lasting batteries than most smartphones. If you’re in the wild, hunting and getting lost can be frustrating at best and catastrophic at worst. Consequently, having your hunting GPS watch with you might be your best decision.
Second, hunting GPS watches have GPS chips that pick satellite signals better than smartphones. If you’re in a densely wooded area, your GPS watch may still give you accurate coordinates of where you are.
Third, GPS watches automatically update time depending on the location. Such is very important, especially when you cross time zones while hunting. If you travel far and wide, buy a GPS watch and eliminate the need to constantly worry about manually adjusting location and time.
Fourth, hunting GPS watches keep track of data such as hunting locations and routes taken. Keeping records is essential, especially for future hunts and monitoring your progress over time.
Alternatives to Using Hunting GPS Watches
(A handheld GPS unit displaying a map)
Handheld GPS Devices
Hunting GPS devices are specifically designed for outdoor use. They are rugged and have longer-lasting batteries that may last more than 20 hours of constant use. Additionally, they have better mapping capabilities than most hunting GPS watches.
Smartphone GPS Apps
You can use smartphone hunting apps while hunting as an alternative to GPS watches. You can pair some GPS watches with your smartphones to see better and bigger maps. However, smartphones are less rugged, and their battery life can be problematic while hunting.
Traditional Maps and Compasses
A viable substitute for a GPS hunting watch is the conventional navigation techniques of utilizing a map and compass. However, you’ll miss out on many features as maps and compasses only aid in navigation.
FAQ
Which hunting watch has the most accurate GPS?
The accuracy of a hunting GPS watch can vary depending on the quality of the GPS receiver and the presence of obstacles. Regardless, the Garmin Fenix 7 and the Coros Apex have one of the most accurate GPS.
Do GPS hunting watches work in the woods?
Yes, GPS hunting watches work in the woods. However, their signal reception is significantly weakened by obstacles, including trees. Luckily, GPS watches have complementary navigation systems like Galileo and GLONASS.
Can you use a GPS watch for hunting without a phone?
Absolutely! Most GPS watches are designed to work independently. They have mapping and navigation features that can provide you with all the information you need for a successful catch.
Final Remarks
Hunting GPS watches are revolutionalizing hunting and outdoor activities. Similar to our phones which have many features, these hunting watches have tons of information that are helpful to hunters.
Additionally, they are rugged, and you can use them for other outdoor activities, including hiking.
So if you’ve been planning on getting one, wait no more. Finally, reach out to us for any clarifications or suggestions.
