GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — (GRBJ) - Michigan hunters have new technology on their side this deer season.
The hunting app HuntWise, a national digital platform that was created by Grand Rapids-based Sportsman Tracker to locate, log, report and predict all hunting activities, has revamped a feature on the app that is now called HuntCast 2.0.
According to Spencer Bianchard, vice president of marketing and growth for HuntWise, the updated feature allows hunters to know when it is the best time to go hunting.
HuntCast 2.0 has improved its mapping technology to cover public and private land boundaries for all 50 states to go hunting, unlock 3D mapping options and provide over 350 state and federal map overlays. The app also features downloadable options such as offline maps, peak movement times for over a dozen North American species, and hunting land-owner parcel and contact information.
“We designed HuntWise to help hunters improve their success in the outdoors by utilizing advanced species-tracking technology and mapping as well as connecting them with a community of dedicated sportsmen to seek and share advice,” said Jeff Courter, CEO of HuntWise. “We continually strive to pursue innovation and new ideas as we work to deliver the ultimate outdoor toolset, especially with the post-pandemic growth we've seen across this industry. We believe the launch of HuntCast 2.0 brings us even closer to this mission, and we're excited to help revolutionize the way we hunt in our communities and across the nation.”
To accomplish the changes, HuntWise partnered with biologist and habitat design specialist Jeff Sturgis, founder of Whitetail Habitat Solutions, to update the feature to forecast whitetail movements.
“I feel extremely fortunate to be able to continually hone the skills of my passion during every month of the year on both the lands I hunt, and on the lands of my partners and clients,” said Sturgis. “This passion has led to many unique relationships that save hunters hundreds of hours of learning and thousands of dollars in perfecting their own hunting experiences. I couldn’t be more thrilled to team with HuntWise to launch HuntCast 2.0, which goes beyond weather by combining tech, science, and 30 years of insight, knowledge and experience to create the most powerful deer prediction algorithm the market has ever seen.”
A mid-September report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) indicated that overall participation in deer hunting was up 26.97% compared to the same period last year, and overall participation in hunting was up 121.61%. The DNR has reported similar increases in other states across the country, as well.
“As a platform, we want to be with you before, during and after the hunt,” Bianchard said. “We are going to be there with you while you are strategizing, while you are finding the best time to go out, whether you are trying to find new hunting land or you are trying to maximize the land that you are hunting on by setting maps. Also, we want to be with you during (the hunt). When you are navigating in the field, the app acts as a GPS and it is a great way of telling you when weather is shifting and where the wind is heading. One of the fun parts is we have kind of an Instagram-type social feed on the app where you can post pictures and be celebrated. Hunting can be a polarizing topic for some people, so it is nice to know that there is a community that have dedicated their passion and it is celebrated.”
This story originally appeared in the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Find more stories like that at grbj.com
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