By: Joel Howard
Deer season is my favorite time of year, and a main reason why our annual guys hunt is a 13-year tradition at my property! My friends and guests are eager to help out and even know their way around the ranch now. However, when it comes to actually harvesting deer, they are still hesitant to shoot a buck. They are afraid they will take one that is too small or too large, even though we have said over and over that we will NEVER make an issue of shooting the wrong buck because relationships are more important. Backporch, our recently released app, can help. It provides a centralized place for you and your guests to work together to have a great hunting season and reach all of your property management needs and goals.
At-a-Glance Dashboard
When you open backporch, you’ll get up to speed with an overview of upcoming trips, to-do lists, project updates, and messages. You will never have to dig through email threads or your notes app to know what requires the most attention for this year’s hunting season.
Shared Calendar
The shared calendar feature helps every hunter stay on the same page. You can mark opening season dates, plan weekend hunting trips or getaway visits, and set days as tentative or firm (you might go or you are certain to go) and open or exclusive (you want exclusive use of the property or you are open to anyone coming). You and other hunters can plan hunting weekends, set reminders for open seasons, collaborate on property projects and work days, and more. The end result is that everyone is in the know for important dates and property availability.
Food and Supplies List
No more having to go back into town for items you forgot or duplicated purchases from a lack of coordination. The food and supplies list helps you plan, coordinate, and centralize meals and supplies. You can list items that are needed and take pictures of the refrigerator and pantry to show the next guest what food is on hand. Also, you can create specialty tags to categorize items (like food, supplies, or tools) or just categorize by the person responsible for purchasing.
Project and Gear Tracking
Need to clear brush around stands or replace a tire on the four-wheeler before deer season? Use the Projects and Gear features to record all the details of projects. You can upload a picture of a map with areas marked for clearing, and add comments about what tools are needed. You will know what size tire to buy before you leave town because you’ve already uploaded pictures of your four wheeler with the make and model to the gear section. Share the workload by collaborating with other owners and inviting guests to share in the work. It is a great way to build community around your property.
Property Info
Usually, most of the knowledge about a property is stored in people’s heads or an old dusty binder. With the property info feature, you can share information among owners and guests. In order to properly organize your information, leave notes on how to open and close the property, shut off water, access door codes, which remote to use for the TV, etc. Add additional information on things like the time deer feeders go off, blind/hunting locations, and particular safety considerations. The contacts section allows you to easily reach important contacts such as the local sheriff’s number, feed store, and neighboring properties.
Making Memories
Remember to also upload plenty of pictures of activities that your hunters and guests can participate in. Whether it’s for the deer or hog hunting, add photos from trail cameras to let hunters familiarize themselves with what deer they might see. The comment feature throughout the app allows for further details and owner/hunter collaboration.
Looking to add more to your guest hunters’ experience? Add a digital “trophy wall” in the activities section, so hunters can add photos from their hunt. Knowing what the harvest goals are for your place gives your guests and other hunters the confidence to take game and enjoy the experience!
