Planning a Hunting Trip

A hunting trip to a new location — whether a neighbouring state, another country, or a remote wilderness — requires significantly more preparation than a day hunt on familiar ground. This guide covers the complete trip planning workflow using ProHunt from initial research through field execution.

Phase 1: Research (Months Before)

Select Your Location

Use ProHunt to research potential hunting areas before committing to a trip:

• Open satellite view and explore terrain in your target region
• Enable the Regulations layer to identify which management units are available and what seasons apply
• Enable the Land Parcels layer (coverage is in active development) to see ownership information where available and get a sense of the huntable ground
• Use the LiDAR layer to evaluate terrain quality before booking anything

Check Regulations

Open the ProHunt Regulations database for your target country and region. Verify:

• Season dates for your target species
• Non-resident licence and tag requirements (these often differ significantly from resident requirements)
• Legal weapons and ammunition restrictions
• Any unit-specific restrictions (mandatory check-ins, limited entry tags)

Phase 2: Detailed Planning (2-4 Weeks Before)

Virtual Scouting

Spend dedicated time virtually scouting your hunt area using ProHunt:

• Identify terrain funnels, food sources, and bedding areas using LiDAR + vegetation + satellite
• Drop waypoints at all candidate stand locations
• Plan access routes from the nearest navigable road to each candidate
• Identify potential parking areas, camping spots, and water sources
• Save all logistics POIs (nearest hospital, fuel, meat processor)

Team Setup for Multi-Hunter Trips

If travelling with a group:

• Create a ProHunt team and invite all members before arrival
• Share all scouted waypoints to the team map in advance
• Plan tentative stand assignments to discuss upon arrival
• Confirm all members have completed SOS contact setup

Phase 3: Final Preparation (Day Before Departure)

1. Download maps for all hunt areas

   Download every area you may hunt plus roads between them. Include enough buffer for contingency detours. Do this at home over Wi-Fi.

2. Download offline regulations

   Open the Regulations page for your destination and tap Download to cache it locally. Access regulations without cell coverage in the field.

3. Check HuntCast for the trip window

   Review the 16-day ProHunt forecast for your destination. Identify the 2-3 best hunting days in your trip window and plan to be in the field during those windows.

4. Set your SOS contact for the destination

   Confirm your SOS contact is someone who can act on an alert while you travel, and note the local emergency services number and the name/address of where you are staying so you can pass on your location.

Phase 4: Arriving at the Destination

• Do a physical scouting walk of your top candidate areas within the first day of arrival. Ground-truth the virtual scouting: verify access, confirm terrain features exist as mapped, find confirming sign.
• Update waypoints with notes from the ground scout. Replace "candidate bench" with "confirmed trail, fresh rubs" and add photos from the approach.
• Refine stand assignments based on ground truth and the first wind forecast for the trip.

Related Features

• Hunting Regulations
• Offline Maps
• Team Features
• Planning Your First Hunt