Hopefully, you’re one of the lucky ones to have a permit in your pocket this year! If it allows you to hunt in multiple units, you’re probably already in the thick of figuring out where to focus your time and effort on Filtering and Maps. This can be a daunting task, depending on what state and species you’re in. However, there are some things you can do or look at and research that can make that process more enjoyable and less daunting — like Unit Profiles.

What are Unit Profiles when it comes to hunting research?

We recently added our Unit Profiles to our GOHUNT app. These are the write-ups, or "Cliff Notes" as I refer to them, on every hunting unit in the states that we cover on Insider. These are written by people who have knowledge of hunting these units and give a great overview of what the unit has to offer. They each include sections on what the terrain and vegetation are like, what to expect for access, places to camp or stay in hotels and all the data associated with the species and seasons in that unit.

How to decide what unit to hunt if you draw a tag that allows you to hunt a group of units

These Unit Profiles are a great tool to help narrow down what unit or units you should focus on, especially if you draw a tag that allows you to hunt a group of units. Filtering on the web or on our mobile app is incredible at narrowing down your search to just a handful of units, but, from there, I like to dive in and understand each of them a bit better.

Let's say you drew a tag that allows you to hunt five different units in Nevada, and you want to hone in on one unit to hunt

For instance, I like to understand what type of terrain or access I'll be dealing with in each different unit. One might cater itself better to glassing and another better for still hunting. I try to put myself in a unit where my particular hunting style has the greatest chance for success. 

Another area of the Unit Profiles that I like is the species sections. Often, in those sections, it will call out if the unit is within a migration corridor or if animals move out of the unit later in the year. Both are great bits of information when selecting a unit to focus on.

The season's section is incredibly valuable. I’ll toggle through all the different species that are in a particular unit and see if any overlapping hunts are happening. You might have a deer permit for multiple units, and a few of them might also have over-the-counter (OTC) elk seasons while others don’t; I tend to focus on the units that don’t have the extra pressure. The seasons also include the data that you probably used in Filtering to narrow down things a bit, but I still pay attention to it. There is usually one or two units that will have a slight edge over the others.

Unit Profile comments are nuggets of gold! On each profile, at the bottom, there is a section where members can leave comments. I always review those comments on every unit that I plan to hunt. Often, people will share successes or frustrations that can be an important part of your planning. Also, if there’s a question that you just can’t find the answer to, that’s a great place to ask. Chances are, someone has the answer.

We received a lot of customer feedback when we started offering a Research section in the mobile app with Filtering to include Unit Profiles — and for good reason! They’re a huge value to those who take advantage of them. So, we made it a priority to get them added. 

If you haven’t already, jump into the GOHUNT mobile app, hit the Research sections and start browsing through the Unit Profiles!