Planning Your First Hunt

Last updated: July 31, 2026· 10 min read

This guide walks through the complete ProHunt workflow for planning and executing a hunt — from initial map scouting at home to logging your entry in the Hunt Journal after you return. Follow these steps and you will arrive at your stand more prepared than most hunters who have been hunting for years.

Step 1: Virtual Scouting (1-2 Weeks Before)

Open ProHunt and navigate to your hunting area. Enable the following layers for initial scouting:

  • Satellite imagery — identify vegetation transitions, crop fields, and water sources
  • LiDAR hillshade (Pro) — find terrain funnels, saddles, and benches
  • Land Parcels (Pro, coverage in active development) — where available, help confirm you have legal access to your target area

Drop waypoints at candidate stand locations — aim for 3-5 candidates so you have options on hunt day when wind direction varies.

Step 2: Check HuntCast for Best Days

Open HuntCast from the bottom navigation. HuntCast gives one universal 0–100 hunt score that applies regardless of the animal you are hunting. Look at the 16-day forecast (Pro) or 3-day forecast (Free) and identify:

  • Days with sustained high scores (70+) through the morning window
  • Days following a significant cold front (barometric pressure rising)
  • Mornings near the new moon rather than full moon

Plan your hunt days around the forecast peaks, not just the nearest available date.

Step 3: Scout on Foot and Add Ground-Truth Waypoints

Visit your candidate stand locations before hunt day. While scouting:

  • Walk to each candidate location using your saved waypoints as navigation targets
  • Photograph each stand location, approach trail, and surrounding area
  • Mark any sign you find: rubs, scrapes, beds, trails, and food sources as new waypoints with the appropriate icon
  • Note the stand height, clear shot lanes, and nearest cover for your approach
💡
Scout quietly

Minimise your disturbance during scouting. Get in, get the information, and leave quickly. A heavily contaminated stand location from an extended scouting trip can suppress deer movement for several days.

Step 4: Day-Before Preparation

  1. Re-check HuntCast for tomorrow

    The forecast updates as new weather data arrives. Re-check tomorrow morning's hunt score. If conditions have changed significantly, revisit your stand selection.

  2. Check wind direction

    Enable the wind layer. Tomorrow morning's predicted wind direction determines which of your waypointed stands is favourable. Select the stand that keeps your scent away from game.

  3. Plan your approach route

    Use the Map Drawing tool to draw your approach from parking to your stand. The route should keep you downwind of bedding areas the whole way. Mark gates, fences, and water crossings as you go.

  4. Download offline maps

    Download your hunting area via Settings > Offline Maps. Test offline mode (Airplane Mode) to confirm everything loads before bed.

  5. Set your SOS contact

    Choose a non-hunting contact as your SOS contact in Settings > Safety. Let them know they are your emergency contact before the season.

Step 5: Hunt Morning

  1. 30 minutes before departure

    Open ProHunt and refresh the live wind reading. Confirm the wind still favours your selected stand. If wind has shifted since the overnight forecast, pick the best alternative.

  2. Tell someone your plan

    Before leaving, send your SOS contact a message with the property name, your planned stand, and expected return time.

  3. Enable GPS tracking

    Start a Hunt Journal session from the home screen. This records your GPS track and imports weather data automatically.

  4. Navigate to your stand

    Use the ProHunt map in heading-up mode with the dark topo basemap. Navigate to your stand waypoint using the direction arrow and distance counter.

  5. Monitor wind during the hunt

    Periodically check the wind arrows on the map. If wind shifts and carries your scent toward game, note it in your journal entry for future reference.

Step 6: After the Hunt

When you leave your stand, end the Hunt Journal session. Fill in the entry:

  • Species observed (count, distance, behaviour for each)
  • Harvest (if applicable) — species, sex, distance, method
  • Photos — stand photo, harvest photo, any sign photos
  • Notes — wind consistency, what worked, what to try next time

This data builds a personal hunting intelligence database. After 20-30 entries, patterns emerge that will make you a significantly better hunter.

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