Written by Justin Park|
Last updated
It’s Western big game application season and the glory of fall hunts starts with sifting through draw odds and staring at maps. It all can be headache-inducing with each state having different complex schemes for allocating tags that demands more math and spreadsheets than doing your own taxes.
Thankfully, you may already be paying for a tool that can streamline the process: onX Hunt.
The onX mapping software and app is by far the most popular among hunters, but until recently, I didn’t realize how robust its hunt planning tools were. The Elite tier membership includes onX’s Hunting Planning interface as well as third-party tools from Hunt Reminder and Huntin’ Fool.
onX Hunt Research Tools
The core application planning tool from onX is their Hunt Research Tools interface. It’s available only for Elite memberships, which cost $99/year or $14.99/month. If you already pay for one of the Premium onX tiers, it’s definitely worth upgrading to Elite if you apply in any Western states. If you aren’t already a paying onX Hunt subscriber, there’s a lot of value in the $99 Elite tier if you use the maps as well as the Hunt Research Tools. (Here's a full breakdown of the prices and benefits for the different tiers.)
Hunt Research Tools came out of onX’s acquisition of draw odds site TopRut in 2022. Having used TopRut for years and even having done some freelance work for them, I was sad to see the site die, but it was a bootstrapped labor of love that wasn’t going to live forever. I had heard that onX struggled initially recreating the TopRut experience, but I’ve been researching using onX HRT this season and been impressed even if it feels like it’s still a work in progress.
Ways to Use Hunt Research Tools
After a few weeks planning my Colorado big game applications with the help of HRT, I’ve found a few ways that they help speed up your strategy.
- Find Tags You Can Actually Get: HRT allows you to enter your residency and point totals for each state in which you apply. This lets you filter results to tags you have a chance at. Enter your point totals and then use filters to screen by your odds of drawing.
- Research Specific Tags: Enter the state, species, and weapon, then filter by unit or other criteria. Clicking on a specific tag shows you draw odds, success rates, quota trends, and application trends. Checking this information using state sources usually involves flipping between multiple PDFs instead of seeing it in one dashboard.
- Skip Unnecessary Research: Depending on the number of points you have and the species you’re after, you may not be in the running for any tags and should just apply for points. Filtering available tags through your current point total quickly shows you if you should even bother researching tags this year.
HRT is an easy-to-use interface for certain hunt data, but it isn’t the only resource you’ll need for planning. Every state has nuances to their application system that can be hard to capture in a database-style interface like HRT. For example, in my home state of Colorado elk licenses are labeled A, B, or C and you can have two List B licenses but only one List A license.
This information isn’t listed in HRT but can be really important for your overall application strategy. If you’re not confident in your knowledge of how to craft an application strategy, most Western states have hunt planning call lines to run your questions and application plans by a pro. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers also offers in-person and virtual events focused on state-specific strategy for the draw systems.
You can also use paid application guide services such as Huntin’ Fool to handle your application headaches for you.
Other onX Hunt Application Resources
Hunt Research Tools is the core offering from onX Hunt when it comes to application season, but Elite members get a few other useful add-ons worth checking out:
- Huntin’ Fool membership: onX Elite members get the Huntin’ Fool monthly magazine which has states-specific guides for applying. You also get their database of Previous Tagholders which lets you query hunters who’ve had the tags you’re considering for their feedback.
- Hunt Reminder: This is a simple service that I’ve started using to ping me when applications I’m interested in are open and when their deadlines are approaching so I don’t miss out.
- onX Hunt Maps: This will seem obvious to existing onX Hunt users, but the interactive maps are an invaluable tool for researching hunting units. HRT can show you how much public land is in a particular unit, but I like to cross-reference with the maps to see not only public-private land splits, but elevations and to get an overall sense of the terrain using satellite imagery and 3D flyovers.
Justin Park is a Colorado-based writer, editor, and avid hunter with a passion for the outdoors. He contributes to leading publications such as GearJunkie, Popular Mechanics, Powder, and Men's Journal, and serves as Editor of Wild Snow. Park is deeply involved in conservation and recreation advocacy, serving as Chapter Chair of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) in Summit County. He also represents RMEF on a state recreation committee focused on proactively addressing land use conflicts.