Tuesday, August 25, 2015

QDMA and Powderhook Announce Deer Tracker App

ATHENS, GA (August 24, 2015) - QDMA and Powderhook are pleased to offer "Deer Tracker," a free mobile app that allows hunters to monitor deer activity and harvests in their neck of the woods and across the country. QDMA and Powderhook hope to use the data generated as part of a long-term project aiming to improve the deer hunting experience for new hunters and experts alike.

Highlighted features of the app include a heat map optimized for daytime deer movement. Brian Murphy, CEO of QDMA, said the app is designed that way for an important reason.

"While hunting the rut gets the most attention, research confirms that the peak of the rut often is not the best time to harvest a deer," said Murphy. "There are plenty of windows before and after the rut that can be good times to see deer moving. Thus, we set up our heat map to indicate the likelihood of a hunter seeing a mature deer during shooting light."

Other features include anonymous observation and harvest reports, though the app makes it impossible to pinpoint the exact location of a single report. Powderhook CEO Eric Dinger said deer hunters will appreciate the ability to contribute to the overall improvement of deer hunting while not having to give up any of their personal information.

"As a deer hunter, the last thing I want to do is give someone the specific location where I'm hunting. So, we don't use pins, and our heat map blurs the user's location by anywhere from 10 to 30 miles," said Dinger.

Deer Tracker is a free app, thanks to partnership support from Cabela's, Hunting Lease Network, SITKA Gear, and Bushnell. According to Dinger, each partner played an important role by contributing to the design of the app.

"Deer Tracker contains several hundred reporters we call Insiders, and these individuals are field employees and pro staff members of our partners," said Dinger. "Their feedback and ongoing participation in the app helped us get where we are today, and Insiders will continue to add insightful reports people can rely on. Users of the app will notice the logo of the Insider's affiliated company on the reports these individuals generate."

While the app is free, users are able to upgrade the app for $2.99 to include Powderhook's database of over 500,000 public hunting grounds.

"Hunters play the biggest role in conservation efforts across this country through purchasing licenses, firearms and ammunition," said Lindsay Thomas Jr., QDMA Director of Communications. "These days, a hunter may only have limited time to prepare for and plan a hunt. We want to ensure they have the greatest opportunity for an enjoyable time in the woods, so they continue to carry on our hunting heritage."

Deer Tracker is available for download through the http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001E7gqVVG0TUE-Touom-Fg0zcHY5L719MR2wlgvgQi8Pae6kCfkcHb62IxX2ywSzirDUtq_Jugy9FHeHYNHW0isbULHkqgxF4pFE-J2lO7Oajy0_BWzpxnThwYtJ9yRn7xyy67lIZchz-4Vod4IiIW8LRBaJrC6CCkiJJz8rLuTVfD_BRgsOalnxbuAAD-KRDP&c=-YoYj3pHyfuG77SlzYWT6ATISIX0qQid1SiZmvUAjt87OPCAE0JHVg==&ch=3kxezi_rjTPH2BFk4R7uVZ0UFp7T5RRY3jmG25m5WsCkWMhgWYzFog==">Google Play and http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001E7gqVVG0TUE-Touom-Fg0zcHY5L719MR2wlgvgQi8Pae6kCfkcHb62IxX2ywSzirnUQuLVBF5ImJX7VIj1rstFg2EhAslzzQzuDiuvArS5tRLYrjKOK3gOZ1rjum6HR-OpZtuYr9psdNRh8eHiGWm6vW9I3rlKQJU081wBZS1NUZSW5MNfZSP1aIBJbX8WuF8WW6RG_QP0icuNpII628tTa_gRyX9KgXRIE8xapF-j4IveRIpz30bw==&c=-YoYj3pHyfuG77SlzYWT6ATISIX0qQid1SiZmvUAjt87OPCAE0JHVg==&ch=3kxezi_rjTPH2BFk4R7uVZ0UFp7T5RRY3jmG25m5WsCkWMhgWYzFog==">Apple App stores and can be accessed without the app via www.deertrackerapp.com on desktop devices.