SOS and Safety

Last updated: July 31, 2026· 7 min read

Hunting takes you to remote places, often alone or in small groups, far from medical services. ProHunt's SOS and safety tools are designed to get help to you as fast as possible when the worst happens — and are free for every user — and to prevent the worst from happening through better situational awareness.

The SOS Button

The SOS button is always accessible in ProHunt regardless of what screen you are on. It is the large red shield icon in the bottom-right corner of the map, accessible with a single tap at all times.

What SOS Does

When you activate SOS, ProHunt:

  1. Records your GPS coordinates at the moment of activation
  2. Sends an SOS message containing your GPS coordinates and your custom message to the single contact you have chosen

SOS is available on the free tier — no Pro subscription is required to use it.

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SOS requires a cell or data connection

ProHunt SOS transmits over cellular data or Wi-Fi. In areas with no signal, SOS cannot reach your contact. For hunting in areas with guaranteed no-coverage, carry a dedicated Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or satellite communicator (Garmin inReach, SPOT, or equivalent) which uses satellite communication independent of cell towers.

Setting Up Your SOS Contact

Choose the contact who receives your SOS before every hunting season:

  1. Choose your SOS contact

    SOS sends to a single contact that you choose — a spouse, parent, hunting partner, or club coordinator. Pick someone who is reliably reachable and knows what to do.

  2. Prefer a non-hunting contact

    Someone who stays home and can contact emergency services on your behalf is often the best choice, since they are more likely to have signal and be near a phone.

  3. Write your custom message

    Set the custom SOS message that will be sent alongside your GPS coordinates so your contact immediately understands the situation.

  4. Inform your contact

    Make sure your chosen contact knows what an SOS message from you means and what action to take — including the local emergency services number for your hunting area.

Preventing Accidental Activation

SOS is deliberate to trigger, so normal phone handling will not fire it by accident. Familiarise yourself with the SOS screen and your chosen contact before the season starts.

Location Check-Ins

For solo hunters, ProHunt offers a check-in reminder system:

  • Set a custom check-in interval before entering the woods. If you do not check in by that time, ProHunt prompts you to trigger SOS to your chosen contact with your GPS position.
  • Check in from any screen using the Safe button. Checking in silences the alert and resets the timer.
  • Useful for solo morning hunts: set a check-in interval that ends at 10 am. If you are back at the truck early, you check in. If something has happened and you cannot respond, the app prompts an SOS to your chosen contact with your GPS position.

Hunting Safety Best Practices

  • Always tell someone where you are going — share your hunt plan (property, general area, expected return time) with a non-hunting contact before every trip.
  • Wear your harness — treestand falls are the leading cause of serious hunting injuries. Always wear a full-body safety harness from the moment your feet leave the ground.
  • Carry a charged phone — the SOS system is only useful if your phone has battery. Carry a portable power bank on all-day hunts.
  • Know the nearest hospital — use the ProHunt POI layer to locate the nearest medical facility from any hunt area before you need it.
  • Never hunt alone without informing someone — if you hunt solo, use the check-in reminder so someone always knows if you have not returned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ProHunt SOS connect to emergency services (911/112)?
No. ProHunt SOS sends an alert to the personal contact you choose. It does not directly contact emergency services. Your contact must call emergency services on your behalf. For direct satellite-linked emergency dispatch, use a dedicated satellite communicator or Personal Locator Beacon.
What location does SOS send?
SOS uses your phone's built-in GPS. Accuracy depends on your device and surroundings — it is best under open sky and can degrade under dense canopy or in steep terrain. Your GPS coordinates and your custom message are included in the alert sent to your chosen contact.
Does SOS work in Airplane Mode?
No. You must have cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity for SOS to transmit. In areas with no signal, SOS cannot reach your contact, so carry a dedicated Personal Locator Beacon or satellite communicator as a backup in genuinely remote areas.

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