The Best GPS Watch for Hunting: Top 5 Picks for 2023
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Navigating an unfamiliar hunting ground can be hard, and tracking your way back can be even more difficult. That is where the best GPS watch for hunting comes into play.
Sure, every GPS watch is different. But all have one thing in common, providing pinpoint navigation at a glance. A GPS watch will track your location, display trail maps, and guide you back home. Other benefits include weather forecasting and tracking changes in elevation.
With all the new technology available, it’s hard to know which is worth the money. But don’t worry – we have you covered with our list of best GPS hunting watches. Keep reading to find out which one will be your perfect match!
What Makes for a Great Hunting Watch?
When it comes to hunting watches, many people wonder just what features to look for in their timepieces. Keep reading to learn about the characteristics of great hunting watches in general!
GPS Function
GPS tracking is the most important feature for hunters unfamiliar with the area. It tells you where you are at all times, allowing you to find your way around and not get lost in the woods.
GPS can still be useful for those who know their hunting grounds well. For instance, GPS is great at marking particular locations you may want to revisit later.
ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) Function
ABC functions (altimeter, barometer, and compass) are also practical features. You’ll find great use in a compass, especially inside caves or heavy forests with weak GPS signals.
A barometer will help you predict weather changes and plan accordingly. On the other hand, an altimeter is handy in mountain areas where elevation changes rapidly.
Ruggedness & Weatherproofing
You’ll want something that can withstand the elements and is rugged enough to take a few bumps. Decent water resistance is also very important, especially in wet areas or when it rains. Typically, the best hunting watches will be water resistant up to 330 feet (100 meters). That means they can double as the best GPS watch for fishing.
Good Legibility & Luminescence
A watch’s legibility is paramount. For hunters, there are many moments where good legibility isn’t possible due to adverse lighting conditions – whether it’s too dark, foggy, or rainy. Therefore, you’ll want your watch to offer good readability through luminescence or bright LED backlights.
Discreet Design
Consider a low-profile, toned-down design. Hunting is all about camouflage and blending with nature. Hence, choosing a watch with subtle color and design will be most helpful. We typically recommend watches with a darker appeal or camouflaged colors for stealth purposes.
Long Battery Life
Finally, pay attention to battery life. Hunting watches need long battery life, so you don’t run out when you’re miles away from home!
Criteria for The Best watches for Hunting
Before diving into our list of the 5 best GPS watches available for hunting, let’s discuss how we chose them. We made these decisions based on three factors: ease of use, durability, and accuracy – along with what others who own these models had to say about them. So you can be sure that whichever watch you choose will meet your needs.
Top Hunting GPS watches Comparison Chart
Let’s compare our top five choices before diving into details about each option.
| Product | |||||
| Satelite Systems | GPS, Glonass and Galileo | GPS, Glonass and Galileo | GPS, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou | GPS, Glonass and Galileo | GPS, Glonass and Galileo |
| Glass Material | Chemically strengthened glass | Gorilla Glass 3 DX | Sapphire crystal | Gorilla Glass 3 DX | Domed sapphire crystal |
| Unique Feature | Monochrome display | Solar-charged battery | Award winning Ultra-thin & tough design | Larger display than previous versions | Night vision mode, stealth mode & kill switch |
| Memory | 16 MB | 32 GB | N/A | 64 MB | 32 GB |
| Water Resistance | 100 meters | 100 meters | 100 meters | 100 meters | 100 meters |
| Battery Life In GPS Mode | Up to 16 hours | Up to 40 hours with solar | Up to 25 hours | Up to 36 hours | Up to 60 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+ | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | Bluetooth, ANT+ | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi |
Top 5 Best GPS Watch for Hunting Reviews
Garmin Instinct Rugged Outdoor Watch
Key Features
- Watch Face Material: Chemically strengthened glass
- Satellite Navigation: GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS
- Extra Navigation Tools: ABC (3-axis compass & barometric altimeter)
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
- Durability: MIL-STD-810G
- Battery Life GPS: 16 hours
- Weight: 52 g
Garmin Instinct is a no-frills GPS smartwatch. Still, it manages to pack in many helpful features for outdoor enthusiasts.
Though a fairly low-spec GPS watch, Garmin Instinct has an extensive list of navigation systems. It has GPS, Galileo, and Glonass, alongside ABC functions that a hunting watch needs.
The TracBack feature is a leap forward in regard to its abilities. This feature allows you to re-trace your steps back home or to camp. This is an ideal feature for spot-and-stalk hunters who often don’t know where their trek will take them next.
Garmin Instinct has a host of other features you don’t find in most budget watches. One feature we like is its fitness function, which monitors heart rate and stress levels. Alongside that are pre-loaded apps that act as workout buddies for activities like running (read the article- watch or phone when running), swimming, or biking.
Hunting watches are typically bulky. So, it’s fantastic to see Garmin Instinct providing all the functions of a hunting watch in a lighter design. That’s right; this GPS watch weighs only 52 grams, so you won’t feel weighed down.
Despite being lighter, this GPS watch is built to endure. With military-grade toughness, this rugged GPS watch will withstand whatever life throws your way. It meets military specs (MIL-STD-810) for thermal, shock, and water resistance.
Pros
- Built to military specs
- Multi-GNSS support and outdoor sensors
- No frills, practical design
- Supports trail mapping
- Reasonably light
Cons
- Monochromatic display
- Low storage
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar Multisport GPS Watch
Key Features
- Watch Face Material: Gorilla 3 DX power glass
- Satellite Navigation: GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS
- Extra Navigation Tools: ABC (3-axis compass & barometric altimeter)
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
- Durability: MIL-STD-810G
- Battery Life GPS: 40 hours
- Weight: Steel 85 g, Titanium 72 g
The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar represents everything great about Garmin’s GPS watches. And it gets even better because it can charge from sunlight.
A thoughtful addition to this GPS watch is the option to turn off unnecessary features to save battery power. With an energy-saving mode, it can last up to 93 hours on GPS alone!
Fenix 6 Pro Solar has in-depth tracking features. It has GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS to log your whereabouts, alongside ABC functions and a gyroscope.
This GPS watch also offers easy-to-read, turn-by-turn instructions with large, bold arrows pointing to which way you need to go. It can also reroute you back onto your original path when needed.
You can monitor your heart rate, stress levels, and breathing rates. One important addition is the pulse oximeter. It calculates your body’s oxygen supply, recommended activity level, and how long it will take you to recover from a strenuous event.
There’s no touchscreen function, so you’ll need to use the bezels to scroll through all the features. It’s an intentional design decision, and it makes sense for a watch built to be tough in many different environments.
Regarding durability, Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar watches are military-grade. It conforms to MIL-STD 810G, which means it can withstand extreme changes in temperature, gunfire shocks, and much more of what you might throw its way.
Pros
- Solar-charged battery
- Multi-GNSS support and outdoor sensors
- Military spec durability
- Preloaded maps
- Power Save Mode available
Cons
- Silicone strap slides if you’re really sweaty
- Complex Menus for users
Find the answer to mostly asked question about Garmin watch.
Suunto 9 Peak GPS Sports Watch
Key Features
- Watch Face Material: Sapphire crystal
- Satellite Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BEIDOU
- Extra Navigation Tools: ABC (3-axis compass & barometric altimeter)
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
- Durability: MIL-STD-810G
- Battery Life GPS: 25 hours in high accuracy mode
- Weight: 62 g
Capable hunting watches are synonymous with being bulky. But they aren’t for everyone’s taste. Suunto 9 Peak GPS Watch offers much-needed relief for those restricted by size.
Suunto 9 Peak is the brand’s lightest, thinnest, and sleekest watch so far. But don’t worry; it hasn’t lost any important features just to make it look good. It’s Suunto’s most powerful and tough timepiece.
Suunto 9 Peak watch has more support for satellite systems for accurate outdoor tracking. This watch supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BEIDOU. Other key environmental sensors include an altimeter, compass, and a slew of weather forecasting features.
The Snap to Route function is one of the highlights of this GPS watch. It helps you find your way in places with poor reception.
You have two battery modes for GPS tracking – high accuracy or low accuracy. If you want high accuracy, it lasts 25 hours, but if you want to save on the battery life, then low accuracy will last up to 170 hours.
The watch display offers touch support, though it can sometimes be sluggish to register. You may also use the physical buttons to scroll through different features.
There’s one thing the Suunto 9 Peak watch shares with Garmin: Military standard 810H testing. This GPS watch is built tough for whatever adventure you’re going on.
Pros
- Lightweight, chic design
- Multi-GNSS support and outdoor sensors
- Military-grade toughness
- Heatmaps to find popular routes
- Touchscreen support
- Made from 100% renewable energy
Cons
- Software is a bit sluggish
Garmin Fenix 6 Premium Multisport GPS Watch
- Watch Face Material: Gorilla Glass 3 DX
- Satellite Navigation: GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS
- Extra Navigation Tools: ABC (3-axis compass, barometer, & altimeter)
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
- Durability: MIL-STD-810G
- Battery Life GPS: 36 hours
- Weight: 80 g
Compared to its predecessor, Garmin Fenix 5 Plus, the Garmin Fenix 6 has new features that improve upon the older model. It’s even more impressive that it has a larger screen that makes for easier viewing.
Not only does Fenix 6 come with standard GPS tracking, but it also has GLONASS and Galileo that take all the guesswork out of navigation. Furthermore, it has ABC functions, so you’re never at risk of getting lost.
Compared to Fenix 5 Plus, this GPS watch has 10% more juice. It can last up to 36 hours in GPS mode.
However, unlike the Pro models, it foregoes certain functions. These include music, Wi-Fi, onboard topo maps, and other software features.
Still, Garmin Fenix 6 contains all the major functionalities of a fitness tracker. Health-related functionalities like pulse oximeters, optical heart rate sensors, and advanced sleep monitoring are available.
Fenix 6 display lacks the durability of sapphire screens. It doesn’t matter, though, because it can also handle scratches. Moreover, it’s tested to military standards for shock, thermal, and water resistance.
Pros
- Multi-GNSS support and outdoor sensors
- Miltary spec durability
- Accurate and detailed activity tracking
- 18% larger display than previous Fenix models
Cons
- Doesn’t include maps
Garmin Tactix Delta Premium GPS Smartwatch
Key Features
- Watch Face Material: Sapphire crystal
- Satellite Navigation: GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS
- Extra Navigation Tools: ABC (3-axis compass & barometric altimeter)
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
- Durability: MIL-STD-810G
- Battery Life GPS: 60 hours
- Weight: 97 g
- Special Feature: Night vision, stealth, kill switch & ballistic support
If there was ever a smartwatch made as the perfect hunting companion, the Garmin Tactix Delta might just be it. It’s the best overall GPS watch for hunting in 2023.
Because it’s a tactical watch, it features myriad capabilities tailored for service men and women. Moreover, it has seriously tough components to match.
This GPS watch is crammed full of tactical functions. You can sync ballistics software to help you with long-range shooting, making it one of the best tactical hunting watches. You also get stealth mode, night vision capabilities, and a kill switch that wipes out memory.
Garmin Tactix Delta packs a myriad of navigation features. The watch has all three main positioning systems (GLONASS, GPS, and Galileo) for accurate location mapping no matter where you are.
You can also save your current place and various other points of interest which you may want to use for navigation later. Moreover, this GPS watch has ABC functions to assist satellite navigation.
This GPS watch comes loaded with topographical maps; you can add more if needed. Also available are turn-by-turn navigation commands.
Resolution and color saturation may not be as strong as a typical smartwatch. However, it’s designed to save on battery, providing up to 60 hours of GPS.
Pros
- Military-grade durability
- Multi-GNSS support and outdoor sensors
- Tactical features
- Optional ballistics software
- Preloaded maps
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Low-resolution display
- App synchronization difficulty
Conclusion
Now you know what the top five GPS watches are for hunters in the 2023 market. Whether you’re looking for a high-end GPS watch or something more affordable but still accurate enough for everyday use – there should be something here to suit your needs.
We recommend Garmin Tactix Delta as the overall best GPS watch for hunting. While its price may deter some, it’s hard to argue with how well-made this GPS watch is. Plus, it offers more hunting-specific functions than other models. It’s an incredible GPS watch that performs double duty for hunting and tactical purposes.
