Hunt Buddy App

[Sil3n2]

Anyone else using this app for the iPhone? Found it last week and wish I found it earlier, it's an awesome app. GPS tracking to tell you what area your in and what's open in that area as well as the 2012-2014 hunting regs and more. http://www.huntbuddybc.com/

Si

[The Dawg]

Yup. Made by HBC's very own Reach

Lots of us are using it

[blackford]

Perhaps a silly question...

typically when I am hunting I don't have cell coverage. Are you guys using this when you have reception before entering the area?

[reach]

Perhaps a silly question...

typically when I am hunting I don't have cell coverage. Are you guys using this when you have reception before entering the area?
Not a silly question at all. The GPS still works even outside cell coverage so it will still show you the MU boundaries, tell you which MU you're in and list all the seasons. Everything is stored offline (doesn't require cell service) EXCEPT the underlying road/satellite maps. Actually iOS 6 does a pretty good job of caching the road maps so they usually work pretty well in the bush.

[Sil3n2]

Well kudos to Reach, now if he could just ad a function that points out where the big ones are hiding and the best hunting spots are. :mrgreen:

[The Dawg]

Well kudos to Reach, now if he could just ad a function that points out where the big ones are hiding and the best hunting spots are. :mrgreen:


That part is only included on the beta testers version

So glad I was one

. :D

[notyalc]

Any chance your creating one for the android users?

[marcus44]

Great App!!

[The Dawg]

Any chance your creating one for the android users?


It is being considered, but he has other things on the go right now

[ravensfoot]

I have it and really like it!!

[Gumsehwah]

Excellent App, and well worth the pocket change. Seems to work fairly well out of cell range, and its great to keep cross checking the regs while boots are on the ground.

Way to go, Reach!

[rides bike to work]

just need to add gut pile locations for us chasers

[showtimebc]

Sounds cool! Need the Android version!!!

[reach]

Well today I just bought an Android phone off eBay for testing so I guess you could say I'm starting to get serious about the Android version.

[Foxtail]

Thank you sir! I find Android phones superior to the iphone....

[coquitlam]

Please android,
Android has 72% market share of cell phone operating systems
and please let us know when you have it up

[The Dude]

I beg your pardon? :D

[Buffalo Bills]

I just put it on my phone. Any other hunting related app's you would recommend?

[reach]

I just put it on my phone. Any other hunting related app's you would recommend?
It kind of got hijacked talking about Hunt Buddy but this thread has some other good suggestions:

iPhone hunting apps (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?84613-iPhone-hunting-apps&highlight=iphone)

The only other one I've used myself is MotionX GPS (it allows you to download Bing satellite map tiles for offline use). Actually the Cabela's Recon Hunt app does that too but I haven't really used it that much. I normally just use my Garmin handheld when away from the truck since it's waterproof and has replaceable batteries. (You can get fancy cases and battery packs for the iPhone too but I don't have any.)

[The Dawg]

Motion x gps

Used it many many times. I like how I can take a pic with it, and it saves the co oordinates for later use

Well worth the $.

[thunderheart]

Well today I just bought an Android phone off eBay for testing so I guess you could say I'm starting to get serious about the Android version.
thats fantastic ... let us / me know ..i would love it thanks thank thanks
wayne

[ufishifish2]

Just got this app. Looks awesome.

[thunderheart]

thats fantastic ... let us / me know ..i would love it thanks thank thanks
wayne


anything on the android app yet?

[reach]

anything on the android app yet?
It's coming along. 12 things left on the "to do" list (which seems to keep growing :roll:), then a bunch more testing.

I may need to put the call out for beta testers in the PG area soon. Would prefer to test on a few different OS versions and device types.

[thunderheart]

It's coming along. 12 things left on the "to do" list (which seems to keep growing :roll:), then a bunch more testing.

I may need to put the call out for beta testers in the PG area soon. Would prefer to test on a few different OS versions and device types.

most excellent.. looking forward to the app ... well done .. thanks for the effort

[Scuba_Dave]

Dammit!! $4.99!! lol Im still gunna get it :p Looks awesome Reach!!

[The Dawg]

Dammit!! $4.99!! lol Im still gunna get it :p Looks awesome Reach!! I know...he could have charged way more!

[andrewscag]

Love the ap but if the municipal discharge laws were included, it would be pretty much perfect. Such a hassle to wade through bylaws to figure them out.

[brando3006]

Yup super useful worth the money for sure!!

[redneckjoe]

I would buy this app if there is an Android version of it.

[sapper]

How about a patriotic Blackberry version? I'd see your $4.99 and throw in an extra $4.99. :-)

[Stéphane]

I was whitetail hunting last December and someone mentioned that to me. Sometime, you buy a $2 app, and you feel like you just wasted $2, but you say to yourself: "it was only $2, who cares!"
I think I paid $5 for this one, and it is so worth the money. Thank you so much Reach for the trouble. I know it's hard to make a living doing these things, and I appreciate the effort to make this app well worth buying.
You do know most of us go fishing too, right? :-D

[reach]

How about a patriotic Blackberry version? I'd see your $4.99 and throw in an extra $4.99. :-)
The problem with this app is the potential market is so small to start with, even for the more popular platforms. I could only manage that if Blackberry brings back the program where they pay developers to publish BB apps. Or if the government stepped in and paid me a salary so I could offer it for free on all platforms... but they can't even get the LEH entries online so I have my doubts about any progress at all in the high tech department.


You do know most of us go fishing too, right? :D
I think I may have missed the boat on that one... there is one already called "iFish BC". It sounds like it has room for improvement (doesn't include rivers, requires cell service, has ads etc.) but it does have some pretty good features already.

[pete_k]

I think I may have missed the boat on that one... there is one already called "iFish BC". It sounds like it has room for improvement (doesn't include rivers, requires cell service, has ads etc.) but it does have some pretty good features already.

Ads? Requires cel service? No rivers?
Room for improvement or room for competition?
Just kidding. I know those apps must be a ton of work.
Anyway. You know I'll buy it if you make it.

[fin241]

Looking forward to the android app Reach. I keep checking every few weeks for it!

[reach]

Looking forward to the android app Reach. I keep checking every few weeks for it!
Hopefully it'll be worth the wait... it's in beta test now and if all goes well should be available in the next week or two.

[Foxtail]

Hopefully it'll be worth the wait... it's in beta test now and if all goes well should be available in the next week or two.



Wooo hooo! It's about time... Will this work with all androids and all versions of android? How much are ya gonna charge for the android version? will it be available on google play store?

[killman]

Android users you will be very happy....iPhone users you will be begging for a android. This app rocks!

Reach has done a great job and added a couple more user friendly features.

[The Dawg]

Android users you will be very happy....iPhone users you will be begging for a android. This app rocks!

Reach has done a great job and added a couple more user friendly features. He hid an Easter Egg in the Android one I hope? Under "Bull Moose", its a pic of him in a Speedo.

[reach]

He hid an Easter Egg in the Android one I hope? Under "Bull Moose", its a pic of him in a Speedo.
Yes it's all part of the plan... make people gouge their own eyes out, so then they need the app... Coming soon, in-app purchase to read the regs out loud for people who've gone blind.

Foxtail, it'll work on Gingerbread (2.3.3) or later. Should cost about the same as the iOS version (currently 5 bucks).

[andrewscag]

Thoughts on discharge bylaws? Other than it being a giant PITA that is. I'd buy it a couple more times for that

[reach]

Thoughts on discharge bylaws? Other than it being a giant PITA that is. I'd buy it a couple more times for that
No, just the giant PITA thing :(

I really don't think it's feasible. There is no centralized source for those, so I would have to get them from every single municipality in the province separately. It would be near impossible to keep them up to date because there's no mechanism to be notified of changes - I'd have to keep going over the list hoping to be lucky enough to spot anything that's changed. And lastly the most useful piece of that puzzle (am I inside the area where the special rules apply?) is missing, I think - I'm not aware of any digital boundary line data for all the local areas with hunting/shooting restrictions.

[andrewscag]

Yeah thats kind of what I figured. Still a nice app

[TSW]

Hey Reach, great app! I can't believe all the things it can do. $5 is a steal. I know I'd definitely be down for a fishing version--river fishing is almost all I do! No doubt a ton of work, but out here in Terrace, it'd be a hit--especially not needing cell service to work as the cell service is sparse out here!

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Android users you will be very happy....iPhone users you will be begging for a android. This app rocks!

Reach has done a great job and added a couple more user friendly features.

a few more friendly features ...

many people are gonna be extremley happy with it

[Bushy]

Look like the Android

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hollersoft.huntbuddybc

[reach]

Look like the Android

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hollersoft.huntbuddybc
Yes I finally jumped through all the hoops and got it onto Google Play. Let me know if anybody has any issues with it... since it's a 1.0 release it's more likely to have bugs or compatibility issues with phones or OS versions I couldn't test with.

[Steeleco]

So If I went out and bought a Samsung 7" tablet, I can run the android version on it? That would be one slick tool to add to the camper.

[reach]

So If I went out and bought a Samsung 7" tablet, I can run the android version on it? That would be one slick tool to add to the camper.
Yup. It'll run fine but is not optimized for tablets yet (in this version). Bowzone_Mikey was running it on his tablet.

[rides bike to work]

I love this app would be good to have leh maps on it is that doable?

[reach]

I love this app would be good to have leh maps on it is that doable?
Yes it's doable and I'm planning to add that (to the iOS version at least) in the next update.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

So If I went out and bought a Samsung 7" tablet, I can run the android version on it? That would be one slick tool to add to the camper.
runs great on my Galaxy Tab 2 7" edition

for the $200 or so that its worth at future shop .... an awesome tool at the camp

[Steeleco]

Thanks BM, I've a local outlet that has them CHEAP!! And bear season is upon us!!!

[Bowzone_Mikey]

no problem ... I have been working the app hard on the Tab in an effort to help Reach out... I had some initial issues loading the app via wireless (file corruption)... but once I hard wired the tab to the PC ... the release version is great. My issues were due to a shitty wireless network

the Tab runs the same OS as the android phones ... its nice having the big screen on the map ... espcially in "terrain mode"

[fin241]

YeeeHaaaw! Can't wait to test it out!

[Steeleco]

OK, I dropped the $5 and am having a hoot playing with it here in the house. It's on the wife Samsung tablet and working great.

1 question, is how does it know where I am if not linked to network? I get the storage of the maps and stuff, but how does it link with satellites, or does it? I need to get out of the house LOL

[The Dawg]

Hunt buddy links up with GPS

[reach]

OK, I dropped the $5 and am having a hoot playing with it here in the house. It's on the wife Samsung tablet and working great.

1 question, is how does it know where I am if not linked to network? I get the storage of the maps and stuff, but how does it link with satellites, or does it? I need to get out of the house LOL
Cool :) Yes if your device has GPS (most do nowadays) then it uses the signal from the GPS satellites. If you're in WiFi or cell range it uses that for faster location, but it should work out in the bush too - just slightly slower to get the initial location fix.

FYI on the maps - I've had some questions about this - the app has no control over how many map tiles are "saved" on the device, or how long they will hang around. So while most people have had success "storing" maps by just zooming in and scrolling around the area they're interested in before they go offline, unfortunately there's no guarantee that will always work. In theory the OS can delete any "stored" maps whenever it wants. Google doesn't allow me to store any map tiles (it's against their terms of service). The boundary lines will always be available when out in the boonies, but the satellite/road/terrain maps underneath might not.

[Slinky Pickle]

Works great on Galaxy S3!

[Steeleco]

Spent the weekend in the Kane valley area, have it loaded on the kids Samsung phone, other than a little slow to keep up with the movement of the truck it was SPECTACULAR. It was unreal, stop for a second to have it catch up and was bang on, no data, no cell service at all and it nailed it. Lost the Hybrid maps a few times but the others worked just fine. The spots we like are right on the border between 8-05 and 3-13. Suffice to say, what we always understood to be the demarcations between regions, weren't!! Hell it even warns you when your approaching a boundary area.

It can only get better. If ever I'm in PG, or your down here, the beers are on me. Thanks Reach, keep up the good work.

[reach]

Glad you like it! Yeah you have to pay attention to that boundary warning. The boundary line data (for the regular MUs, anyway) from the government is not very accurate, and the GPS location can also add some inaccuracy. For example I was showing it to the owner in Exeter Sporting Goods in 100 Mile. The boundary follows highway 97, and the shop is on the east side. But the boundary data from the gov't doesn't follow the highway exactly so it shows you in the wrong MU. The app does the best it can with the data that's available. But in some cases it can give the wrong result... that's why the warning is there :)

In most cases, the actual boundary line follows some physical feature (road, river etc.) so it's obvious which side you're on. But if the boundary is following a "height of land" but you can't tell where it is from the terrain, if you see that boundary warning you have to be extra careful.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/o_nerka/misc/iOSSimulatorScreenshot2013-05-1344024PM_zpsbaf49798.png

[Steeleco]

Sounds to me like the BC Gov't needs your help sorting the maps out so it's clear and there's no GRAY areas. So whats up your sleeve for coming versions???

[The Dawg]

Sounds to me like the BC Gov't needs your help sorting the maps out so it's clear and there's no GRAY areas. So whats up your sleeve for coming versions???

I know I know!!!!

:D

[reach]

So whats up your sleeve for coming versions???
Well the iOS version is playing catchup - need to update it with the last couple of reg changes (deer seasons in the Peace, correction on deer limits in the Kootenays etc.) and pick a region from the list. Also a couple of LEH related improvements.

And it will come with all of NoahDawg's secret honey holes marked on the map. Right ND? :D

[The Dawg]

Yup. One freebee

34° 4'35.17"N
118°25'46.33"W

[reach]

Yup. One freebee

34° 4'35.17"N
118°25'46.33"W

Okay maybe "honey holes" was a poor choice of words.

[snareman1234]

Is this possibly due to conflicting projections?



Glad you like it! Yeah you have to pay attention to that boundary warning. The boundary line data (for the regular MUs, anyway) from the government is not very accurate, and the GPS location can also add some inaccuracy. For example I was showing it to the owner in Exeter Sporting Goods in 100 Mile. The boundary follows highway 97, and the shop is on the east side. But the boundary data from the gov't doesn't follow the highway exactly so it shows you in the wrong MU. The app does the best it can with the data that's available. But in some cases it can give the wrong result... that's why the warning is there :)

In most cases, the actual boundary line follows some physical feature (road, river etc.) so it's obvious which side you're on. But if the boundary is following a "height of land" but you can't tell where it is from the terrain, if you see that boundary warning you have to be extra careful.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/o_nerka/misc/iOSSimulatorScreenshot2013-05-1344024PM_zpsbaf49798.png

[reach]

Is this possibly due to conflicting projections?
No it's just the quality of the data. The LEH zone data is very accurate and it uses the same projection (at least according to the metadata). In some places the MU boundaries are pretty close; in others they are a few hundred metres out. Actually the stated accuracy is +/- 2 km but I haven't seen anywhere it's that bad.

[BimmerBob]

Just downloading it now from Google Play. Looking forward to a nice app that does not need a data connection. Will be using it on a Samsung GalaxySII. Thanks for thinking of us Android users!

[Poguebilt]

Just got the App for my Samsung Galaxy Note.... Works great out here in Region 4!