As a sport for leisure, hunting is enjoyable.
You can travel alone in the woods, wander around the bush and look for your prey while taking a rest from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
However, it is hard, even for experts, to keep track of time while enjoying the beautiful nature.
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That is where hunting watch comes as a useful ally to help you with not only the time but also your location.
In this article today, we will introduce some options for the best watches for hunting.
Plus, we will help you with some buying tips and how to use them on your hunt.
Stay tuned for more exciting things!
First, we will begin with our list of top hunting watches that includes best picks from our experts.
We hope that this list can make it easier for you to buy a good hunting watch.
| AT A GLANCE: MY TOP 5 PICKS FOR THE BEST HUNTING WATCHES |
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What is Hunting Watch?
As its name implies, hunting watch is firstly a watch that can help you keep track of time.
And thanks to the advanced technology, hunting watch nowadays is a multi-function tool that is a reliable asset for your hunt.
What Size Wrist Does the Standard Black Rubber Strap Fit 7” 8” 9”?
If you are using a standard rubber strap that fits 7”, your wrist size must be between 8” and 8.5”.
And for the rubber band that fits 8”, wrist size might be 9”- 9.5”.
Those that fit 9” have the wrist size of 10”- 10.5”.
Is It Possible to Use These Watches as Only a Timepiece?
Yes, you can use a hunting watch as only a timepiece.
Switching to timing mode can help extend the battery life of your watch.
Best Watches for Hunting – Quick Comparison Table
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#1. Best Overall: Casio Pro Trek PAG-240-1CR
Top of our list is one of the best rated hunting watches from Casio, Casio Pro Trek PAG-240-1CR. This hunting watch with the modern and rugged design will tick all your checkboxes of a good digital watch.
Casio Pro Trek PAG-240-1CR possesses triple sensors for altimeter, thermometer and digital compass. Combining with the compact and rugged design, this watch works as a helpful pal for hiking, climbing, hunting, and many other training activities.
Plus, the face of the watch, which is solar cells, allows it to recharge once exposed to lights. Along with the duration of 6-month battery life on a full charge, it will be ready for your trip at any time without running out of battery.
One of the fantastic features that make this hunting watches one of the best outdoor hunting watches is the illumination and LED backlights display.
Once the auto illumination feature is active, turning your wrist will automatically activate the LED lights for better viewing in low light or at night.
However, the alarm sound of this watch might be too small for many people to hear. Moreover, the power storage might lose energy quickly after several recharges and shorten the time between charging.
Pros:
- Triple sensors for Altimeter, Barometer/Thermometer, and Digital Compass
- Powered by solar power
- LED backlight and auto illumination features
- Sunrise and sunset data
- Directional markers
Cons:
- The inaudible alarm sound
- Quick power lost after several recharging
#2. Best GPS Watch for Hunting: Garmin Fenix 3 HR
If you have ever asked who makes the best hunting watches, the answer is definitely Garmin.
With the long-standing history and the customer-proven quality, Garmin continuously keeps its rank as the best manufacturer in this field.
Garmin Fenix 3 HR is the successor of the successful Garmin Fenix 3 with the optical heart rate (HR) feature. The Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology allows users to keep track of their heart rate without wearing a chest strap.
Moreover, the soft silicone trap provides users with comfort while resists to discoloration for an extended luxurious look. Combining with the modern design, this watch is suitable for both the sporty style and gentleman style.
The most noticeable feature that makes this watch a valuable hunting GPS watch is the GPS mode, which allows users to locate themselves accurately. It is useful for outside hunters who love wandering around the wood and looking for prey.
Additionally, the anti-glare and color screen makes this watch one of the best duck hunting watches. It possesses transflective high-resolution color Chroma display and LED backlights for the best view, no matter under the sunlight or low light.
However, since the optical heart rate feature is newly invented, it might go wrong sometimes and display inaccurate data. Moreover, many customers reported that they had encountered problems with altimeter.
Pros:
- Comfortable silicone strap
- Anti-glare display
- Wireless connectivity
- Heart rate features
- Accurate GPS location
Cons:
- Optical HR is not accurate
- Altimeter problem
#3.Best Value for Price: SUUNTO Sports Watch – SS014279010
If you are looking for an affordable hunting watch, this SUUNTO Sports Watch with stylish design and a handful of features might be what you need.
This watch can tick all your checkboxes of a smartwatch for hunting. It possesses an altimeter that allows you to track your vertical movement. A barometer combining with weather trend indicator helps you plan your activity.
Moreover, you can get the best out of this watch with the intelligent storm alarm senses that can give you alert, whether coming storm. The weather predictor also gives you excellent help with the plan for your training day.
Last but not least, the replaceable band allows you to customize the size of the strap for the best fit with your wrist. Plus, the all-black design, along with the water resistance feature, makes this watch one of the best hunting and fishing watches.
However, the dim display is quite disappointing for many users, especially under the sunlight. For long service, many users reported the problem with some sticking buttons.
Pros:
- Intelligent storm alarm senses
- Weather trend indicator
- Full necessary features
- Replaceable band
Cons:
- Dim display
- Sticking button
#4. Best Outdoor Hunting Watch: SUUNTO Traverse Alpha
Next on our list today is one of the best smartwatches for hunting and fishing from SUUNTO, the Traverse Alpha. This is a durable quality watch with a rugged design and full features that meet all the military standards.
The most considerable of this smartwatch is the automatic shot detection technology that keeps track of when and where you shoot. It also maps the GPS coordinates of your location for later viewing.
Moreover, it is one of the best GPS watches for hunting as it supports satellite systems. You can orientate yourself quickly in unknown terrain with digital compass, GPS, and GLONASS. It also includes the automatic breadcrumb trail feature to help you save points of interest and track your path.
Last but not least, this smartwatch from SUUNTO is compatible with a mobile app from the manufacturer. It allows you to receive notifications and see incoming calls as well as keep track of your training habit.
However, users reported that they had encountered disappointment with the app since it took them a relatively long time to transfer training data from their watch to the app. Moreover, the step counter feature might work inaccurately and display wrong data.
Pros:
- Scratch resistance
- Support satellite systems
- Tools for hunting and fishing
- GPS locator and pathfinder
- Compatible with mobile app
Cons:
- Transfer data from the watch to app slowly
- Step counter doesn’t work
#5. Best Smartwatch for Hunting: Garmin fēnix 5X Plus
The last pick in our list today is one of the best Garmin watches for hunting, Garmin Fenix 5X Plus, with multiple features that comes in a size of just a small watch.
When it comes to design, this watch scores a high point in customer satisfaction with its all-black look and robust red patterns. Scratch-resistant lens plus stainless steel titanium bezel makes this watch suitable for adventure.
This Garmin Fenix 5X Plus possesses the mapping and navigation feature along with multinetwork (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo). It can help you with your location and pathfinder for wandering around the wood.
Moreover, it is useful for trainers with several training modes such as swimming, running, biking, hiking, skiing, rowing, paddle boarding, and especially duck hunting.
You can also download advanced workouts and plans from the official website of Garmin Connect.
Sadly, this Garmin would deserve the best place in this list if the heart rate tracking feature worked more accurately. Moreover, many customers complained about the difficulty of switching between several modes.
Pros:
- Mapping and navigation feature
- ClimPro technology
- Multinetwork (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo)
- Training modes
- Music playing
Cons:
- Inaccurate heart rate tracking
- Difficult navigating
Other great watches you should know about:
- Citizen BL5470-06A Review
- Citizen AT4007-54E Review
- Citizen JY8030-83E Review
- Citizen AT4106-52X Review
- Citizen AN3394-59L Review
What Features the Best Hunting Watch Should Have
So, above is our list of best outdoor hunting watches. We hope that the list can help you with your decision.
However, if you haven’t found what you are looking for, we can help you with some tips below to make a wise purchase on your own.
Weather alert
Outdoor activities always conceal danger, especially with the weather. Going on hunting in rough weather can be dangerous even for veteran hunters.
Thus, a good hunting watch should feature weather alerts that can display prediction of weather as well as send you alerts. Many watches acquire the weather forecast that can tell you about the day beforehand.
Sunrise / sunset times
Wandering around the wood might distract you from time. Thus, an alarm always comes along to make sure that you don’t forget about the time to get back home when the sun is down.
Moreover, the sunrise time also prevents oversleeping and helps you stick with the plan. You can maximize your hunting time when you know precisely when to start and when to go home.
Waterproof
Mother Nature is such a generous but quite unpredictable lady that hunters must always be well-prepared. It comes as no surprise that the rain can fall anytime during your hunt. That’s why you need a waterproof hunting watch.
You should also take the depth that a watch can withstand into account. Generally, many watches have submersion capacity ranging from 10 to 200 meters. Those that are specially designed for diving might have a higher ability of submersion.
GPS
GPS is the first and foremost feature that you should look for when buying a hunting watch. Chasing your prey around the wood, you might get lost easily. A GPS locator, along with a pathfinder feature, can help you find a way out of the forest.
Not all hunting watches have this feature, but you can look for high-end watches that can display your location.
Battery
Battery life is a relatively important feature that you should pay attention to, especially during long-day trips. No hunter wants their watch ran out of battery power when they are in the middle of the woods. Thus, you should look for a watch that lasts at least a day.
Since different working modes such as GPS mode, training mode, or normal watch mode can affect the battery drainage, you should know how long can your watch lasts in each mode and make a switch between modes for the best battery life.
Temperature
As you may or may not know, hunting watches can operate in a specific range of temperatures. In general, all watches can work without any hassle in above-freezing temperatures. But if your climes get extremely low, many hunting watches will encounter inaccurate display and many other problems.
Hence, if your hunt takes place in rough temperature, the operating temperature should be considered.
Automatic shot detection
If you are rifle hunter, a watch that can detect where your rifle recoil might be useful for you. Many high-end watches feature the shot detection and mapping technology that can display a map with your shot location.
The fundamental features (altimeter/ barometer/ compass)
Altimeter, barometer, and compass are three key features of a hunting watch with different functions.
The built-in altimeter can help you with the height of your location. For mountain trekkers, it is necessary to keep track of height to make sure that they are on the right track.
Since altimeter calculates height by measuring atmospheric pressure, hunting watch also comes with the barometer, which measures the pressure for weather prediction. It can be helpful for you to decide to bring rain gear when you start your hunt.
Last but not least, a compass is a familiar tool for most hunters. And to minimize the number of tools you have to carry on the hunt, many hunting watches also possess a compass that can help you with your direction.
Others (design/ strap/ display)
Finally, here are other factors that you should take into account when buying a hunting watch.
Design: Many people might think that wristwatches are just tools. However, they can bring a nice and well-matched finish for your look. You should choose a watch that not too big for your wrist and fit well with your style.
Strap: Strap makes a massive contribution to your experience since it is the part that directly touches your skin and holds the watch in its position. However, you can replace the band that disappoints you with the new one.
Display: There are two things you should consider about the display. First, you should notice the glare under sunlight. And second is the backlights for viewing in lowlights condition. Moreover, the size of the screen might be a problem for many users.
Tips To Use Your Hunting Watch
Explore all features: The first and foremost thing you should do when receiving a new hunting watch is exploration. Spending time testing it before starting the first hunt is a wise idea. You will know how all the features work and when to use them during your hunt.
Make the best out of the battery: As we have mentioned before, some modes might consume more power and drain the battery quicker. Thus, it is better to switch between modes to prolong battery life.
Only start a hunt with a fully-charged watch: Remember to charge your watch when the battery runs low. You don’t want your watch to shut down while you are alone in the woods, do you?
Never rely 100% on your watch: Even the best value hunting watches cannot stay unbroken for your whole life. With that in mind, having back-up allies and traditional hunting methods might help you in case your watch encountered issues.
FAQ’s
Are all these watch water resistant?
Yes, they can withstand the water rate of up to 10 ATM / 100 meters. And all of them are suitable for swimming and fishing but not scuba diving. If you want to go scuba diving or enjoy aquatic sports, consider an Invicta dive watch.
Do these need the HRM for extra accuracy?
These hunting watches already include the heart rate function with wrist sensors. Since then, they do not need the Heart Rate Monitor to measure your heart rate.
How long to charge fully a Garmin hunting watch?
For most Garmin hunting watches, you will need at least 2 hours to charge your watch from 0% to 100%. However, the time might vary depending on your specific model. You will know that your watch is fully charged when the symbol of the battery reaches the top.
Conclusion
Well, here comes the end of our article today. We hope that this article can help you with the answer to the question of what are the best hunting watches.
And if you have any doubts, leave comments below, and we will try our best to answer you. Thank you for reading!
Further reading:
10 Essentials for a Backpack Hunt
The Deer Hunter’s Ultimate Packing List
