11 Best Hunting Watches For Pro Hunters

The latest watches bring a lot of useful features for hunting, and you can make your hunting journey more daring with the latest hunting watches. 

Most readers have a casual watch, and they think it is better for hunting so why should we invest in a new hunting watch? 

Well! Modern hunting watches not just tell time but the have many useful hunting features.

Watches from brands like Garmin, Suunto, Coros, and others have built-in GPS and navigation features that help you find the best and safest tracks. Similarly, you can navigate back to the position of your initial camp and more. 

Apart from the navigational features, these hurting watches have many hunting features. 

If you are searching for the best hunting watch, you are in the right place because I am a smartwatch boy and love to test the latest watches. I will share my experience with you and help you to find the top watch for hunting. Let’s get into it!

Top 11 Best Watches For Hunting

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Our Top Picks…

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1- Garmin Instinct 2 Solar

Hunting Features

• 10 ATM water rating
• Barometric sensor
• Thermometer to measure temperature
• You can check the weather forecast
• LiveTrack and Incident detection
• Sun and Moon information
• XERO locations
• Area calculation
• Vertical speed
• Distance to destination 

Garmin has recently updated the Instinct series and added two new watches to the lineup. The new Instinct 2 brings a lot of useful features for outdoor activities. 

If you want an extra long battery life, look no further than Garmin Instinct 2 solar. This solar version gives infinite battery life and up to 48 hours in GPS mode. So if you are on a long route for hunting, you can rely on Instinct 2 solar. 

Unlike the original Instinct, this one has Incident detection features. Yes! It is similar to Apple Watch fall detection. In an emergency, it automatically sends SOS to your emergency contacts.

Under the hood, this powerful Garmin watch is jam-packed with outdoor features. First, it has insane navigational features, and you can use its turn-by-turn navigation to find the destination, back-to-start features, GPS coordinates, and more. 

With Garmin Instinct 2, you can also keep an eye on weather conditions, and the watch automatically sends an indicator of a storm alarm so you can take the necessary precautions. 

While hunting and other outdoor activities, you can also measure your fitness and recovery. Instinct 2 tells VO2 max performance, recovery time, heart rate, sleep tracking, body battery energy, and more. 

The only drawback is that this watch comes in only a 45mm size, which is unsuitable for a small wrist. However, if you want a similar hunting watch, you can go for Garmin Instinct 2S. 

Related Post: Best Garmin Watch For Hunting

2- Amazfit Trex 2

Hunting Features

• Military standard toughness
• 10 ATM water rating for high-level water activities
• 1000 nits peak brightness for outdoors
• Dual-band positioning and support six satellite positioning systems
• A built-in compass, Altimeter, and Barometer
• Good navigational features

If you cannot afford the expensive Garmin watches, then Amazfit Trex 2 is another alternative. This smartwatch has passed 15 military-grade tests and has a rugged design to face harsh outdoor environments. 

Whether hunting in blistering deserts or freezing mountains, you can still view the screen of Amazfit Tre 2 and use its navigational features. 

 Amazfit Trex 2 is available in four colors, so you can choose according to your preference. I love its desert Khaki color, which gives a more aesthetic feel. 

Amazfit Trex 2 has a 1.39″ HD AMOLED display, unlike most outdoor watches. The vibrant color display helps you read the dial under direct sunlight or underwater. 

For navigation, this smartwatch provides dual-band and six satellite positioning so that you can track your routes even in a more challenging environment. 

Amazfit Trex 2 can compete with Garmin watches in terms of battery life. It gives 24 days of battery backup on typical usage and 10 days on heavy usage. On GPS mode, it can last for 26 hours. 

Lastly, Amazfit Trex 2 also gives comprehensive data regarding your health and fitness. You can track your HR, PAI health assessment score, sleep, SpO2, stress, etc. Unlike the Garmin watches, this one doesn’t have recovery features. 

3- Garmin Fenix 7

Hunting Features:

• Offline mapping, TOPO Maps, and efficient GPS
• Compass, Barometer, and Altimeter
• Thermometer and weather forecast
• LiveTrack, and incident detection
• Provides point-to-point navigation
• Hunt/Fish calendar
• Sun and moon information
• XERO locations
• Tide Glance

The Garmin Fenix 7 is a popular hunting watch for various reasons. First, it has a very durable design with Corning Gorilla Glass and Stainless steel bezel, making it best for outdoor environments. 

Secondly, the watch has 18 days of battery life so that you can track your outdoor activities for a long time. Fenix 7 has a strong grip on battery life, so it lasts 57 days in battery saver mode. 

Further, you can view sunrise/sunset time and use barometric sensors to measure altitudes, heights, and more. Fenix 7 also has TOPO maps and supports offline mapping. 

The new Hunt/fish calendar tells you which is the most suitable time of the day for hunting. It will maximize the chance of success. Further, you can use an ABC sensor to measure heights, altitudes, directions, etc. 

Garmin Fenix 7 has many outdoor features, especially for runners; it includes running dynamics, run workouts, pace predictor, and more. You can view comprehensive data on your running or hiking in the Garmin Connect app. 

The Garmin Fenix 7 measures your physical performance, body battery energy, blood oxygen saturation level, and more during hunting. 

4- Casio Pro Trek Bio Mass Tough Solar Triple Sensor

Hunting Features:

• Sunrise and sunset time display
• Countdown timer
• Digital compass
• Thermometer
• Atmospheric pressure differential graphic, Barometer
• Duplex LCD lays out separate layers for the compass graphics and the clock functions.

The ProTrek series of Casio is well known for harsh outdoor environments. Even though this watch lack major smartwatch features, it is still famous among hunters. Casio Pro Trek biomass features a rugged case made of Biomass plastic. 

This tactical watch has passed several military tests for harsh thermal conditions. Because of the 100-meter water rating, you can use this watch for various water activities, including fish hunting. 

For hunters, it provides data regarding sunset/sunrise time, world time, stopwatch, elapsed time, and more. Because of built-in ABC sensors, you can check altitudes and height data on the go. Casio Pro Trek Biomass has a digital compass that tells you direction. 

Using the atmospheric pressure tendency graph, you can guess which place is more suitable for the hunt and check the temperature of the environment. 

Thanks to its 7 months of long-lasting battery that makes you stress-free. So whether you go on the Trans Canada Trail, The Appalachian Trail, or the Pacific Crest trail, this watch will always remain alive. 

5- Casio GBD-H2000-1A9

Hunting Features

• Moon data
• Sunset/sunrise data
• GPS tracking
• 200-meter water resistant
• Shock resistant body
• ABC sensors
• Thermometer

The new Casio GBD-H2000-1A9 is a watch for hunting because it includes a built-in GPS sensor, accelerometer, ABC sensor, digital compass, and much more. 

Unlike most watches, this one has a 20-bar water-resistant rating. You can use this watch for swimming, diving, and all other water activities. This Casio watch is also Biomass plastic and has shock resistant casing. 

Further, a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer track your steps, strokes, and turns. The watch also has 38 time zones, sunset/sunrise time, moon data, and more. 

Apart from outdoor features, Casio GBD-H2000-1A9 offers a built-in heart rate sensor that measure your heart rate, cardio load, heart rate zones, SpO2, sleep, and more. So with outdoor adventures, you can take your speed, pace, distance, etc. 

Casio GBD-H2000-1A9 also has a strong grip on battery life. It gives 2 months of battery life on normal use, whereas in the power-saving mode, it lasts 23 months. 

The feature I love the most in this Casio watch is the notification system, and you will receive smartphone notifications on your watch. 

6- SUUNTO Traverse Alpha

Hunting Features

• Fishing and Hunting modes
• Moon phase and moon set/rise times
• GPS and GLONASS for navigation
• 100-meter water-resistant design
• ABC sensor
• Weather trends and storm alarm
• Automatic shot detection
• Backlight
• Fishing and hunting specific POI types

The SUUNTO Traverse Alpha is specifically made for Hunter and fishing. As Garmin watches, this one is also durable and tested according to military standards (MIL-STD-810G). The watch has a stainless steel bezel and a Sapphire crystal watch that provides resistance against daily wear and tears. 

The amazing feature of this watch is Automatic Shot detection, which automatically detects when you pull the trigger using your wrist movement. Secondly, you can find the best location for your hunt using barometric pressure trends and sunset/sunrise time. 

Further, Suunto Traverse Alpha includes GPS and GLONASS satellite systems that help you to track your routes and trails. You can pre-plan your routes using Suunto Movescount.com and view route altitudes, breadcrumb trails in real time, coordinates, and more. 

Under the hood, Suunto Traverse Alpha also gives comprehensive data on weather conditions, sea level pressure, temperature, storm alarm, and more. 

This watch also includes a heart rate sensor for passionate hunters to measure HR, training load, calories burned, and more. You can also view your smartphone’s notifications on your watch. 

You should add Suunto Traverse Alpha to your watch list if you’re a passionate hunter. It gives 14 days of decent battery life, many navigational features, and dedicated hunting and fishing mode. 

7- Garmin Tactix Delta

Hunting Features

• GPS Coordinates
• Sun and Moon data
• Tide
• Area calculationHunt/Fish Calendar
• Vertical speed 
• Back to start tracking
• XERO location
• Expedition GPS activity
• Compatible with BaseCamp™
•  SIGHT ‘N GO
• ABC sensors
• Thermometer

As the name suggests, the Garmin Tactix Delta is one of the most tactical smartwatches in the lineup. This watch has some exclusive tactical features that are useful for military or defense forces, including; Stealth mode, Jumpmaster, Kill switch, and Night vision capability. 

The Garmin Tactix delta is pretty similar to the previous Fenix 7X Sapphire. It features Domed Sapphire crystal glass and premium diamond-like carbon-coated steel. 

Even though this is an expensive watch, the navigational features and colorful mapping is incredible and worth it. You can use offline mapping, topographical maps, federal public land maps, and turn-by-turn navigation. 

Fur hunters and outdoor adventures offer “Round trip routing”; you have to just distance, and it will automatically suggest the best routes that will also bring you back to the starting point. 

The watch includes the Hunt/Fish calendar, sun and moon information, GPS coordinates, elevation tracking, ties, and many other things that help hunters successfully find prey. 

Further, this high-end Garmin watch can track your fitness and health during outdoor activities. It has VO2 max, HR, training features, recovery time, body battery energy, and more. 

Overall, Garmin Tactix Delta is the best watch for hunting which gives 21 days of battery life and is most recommended for military forces. 

8- Coros Vertex 2

Hunting Features:

• Action camera control
• 3D compass
• Thermometer
• Gyroscope
• Touch-screen-enabled map control
• Deviation alert
• Back-to-start
• Checkpoint
• Offline maps
• 140 of battery life with GPS
• ABC sensors
• 10 ATM water rating

Coros has a strong reputation for making running and sports watches. But the new Coros Vertex 2 is equipped with sports and outdoor features making it the best watch for hunters. 

This premium watch features dual-frequency GNSS support and accurate and quick navigation. Thanks to its free global offline maps, that helps you stay on a route anywhere. So whether you’re in a deep forest or hunting in a wilderness desert, Coros Vertex 2 is the best watch for you. 

Unlike most Garmin watches, Coros Vertex 2 has a 1.4″ touch and color LCD screen. And it supports up to eight data fields on a single face, so you can view more data at a glance. 

Regarding battery life, the Coros Vertex 2 is one step ahead of Garmin watches. It gives you 60 days of battery life with normal use and 140 hours of battery with GPS tracking. 

Further, this watch offers some useful features for hunters, including; a thermometer, 3D compass, barometric Altimeter, and accelerometer. You can also track your Optical pulse rate, HR, stress, sleep, calories, etc. 

This premium Coros watch has a dedicated Altitude mode for climbers and hikers that evaluate SpO2 score and fitness data at high altitudes. Coros Vertix 2 can also track your heart rate underwater, so you can also bring it to the pool or sea. 

Coros Vertex 2 is the best option for a durable hunting watch with advanced navigational features, offline maps, and long battery life. 

9- Casio Pathfinder PAG240-1 

Hunting Features:

• Digital compass
• Altimeter with built-in high/low altitude memory
• Barometer
• Directional bezel
• 100-meter water resistant
• Support 31 time zones
• Stopwatch, timer, calendar
• Electro-luminescent backlight
• Sunrise/sunset display

The Casio Pathfinder PAG240-1 is our next watch for hunters. This watch has a double-layer display, so you can view more information on a screen. Like ProTrek and G-Shock watches, this one has a durable design and is made with Resin. 

The buttons are large and easy to use; even you can easily press buttons with gloves. The Casio Pathfinder feels very comfortable; it would never irritate outdoor adventures. 

As this is solar power, it gives you 6 months of battery life without exposure to light. But regular exposure to sunlight makes its battery life infinite. 

Even though this watch doesn’t have GPS for navigation, you can use the digital compass to find directions. Similarly, using the Altimeter, you can find altitudes and heights. This watch has separate high/low altitude memory and ascent/descent memory. And the Barometer helps you measure atmospheric pressure, showing atmospheric tendency and differential graphs. 

The watch has a 51mm case which is pretty large for a smaller wrist but appropriate for outdoor purposes as this is a rugged watch, so you can only expect a larger display. A larger display helps you to read the readings on the go. 

Overall, Casio Pathfinder is the best option for those who love hunting, trekking, or hiking. But this is not a watch with smart features and health-tracking capabilities. 

10- Garmin Epix (Gen 2)

Hunting Features:

• Barometric Altimeter with Barometric trends and storm alarm
• LiveTrack and live event sharing
• Incident detection
• Elevation tracking
• Dedicated hunting profile
• TrackBack features
• NEXTFORK navigation
• Hunt/Fish calendar
• Area calculation
• Tides, tide balance
• Sun and moon information
• Distance to destination

Garmin Epix is another exclusive watch with a rugged shape and durable design. The Corning Gorilla glass protection and stainless steel bezel make it the best watch for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. 

For hunters, it has a dedicated hunting profile where you can save the hunt location, navigate the hunt, use back-to-start features and checkpoints, and stop the hunt. If you’re a pro hunter, I recommend using the Hunt & Fish app from Garmin Connect IQ. This app uses sun/moon data and the data to find the best time for hunting and fishing. 

The navigational features in Garmin Epix (Gen 2) are insane. It supports NEXTFORK navigation, which shows trail names, the next trail, the remaining distance of the current trail, etc., so user can better understand their locations. 

Further, you can see elevation plots, GPS coordinates, Topographical maps, and more. The feature which is very useful for hunters is “Distance to destination”; it helps you to find the distance between you and your prey. 

As Garmin Epix is designed for outdoor recreational activities, that’s why it has a lot of outdoor sports and training features. You can track your running, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and more. 

The Garmin Epix shows comprehensive data regarding your outdoor activities. You can view HR, HR zones, VO2 max performance, respiration rate, calories burned, body battery energy, hydration, and more. So if you want to take advantage of your hunting journey, you can opt for Epix 2. 

The battery performance of the Epix 2 is similar to other Garmin watches. It lasts 16 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours in GPS mode. Whereas you can also turn on battery saver mode if you’re on a long trekking journey, battery saving mode gives 21 days of battery backup. 

11- Timex Expedition Tide-Temp-Compass

Hunting Features

• Tide tracker 
• Compass 
• Digital thermometer
• Quick date features
• Fourth hand indicator
• Indiglo night light 
• 100-meter water rating

You can go for the Timex Expedition if you love wearing analog watches. This watch looks more classical and has a unique design; the polished stainless steel case looks adorable. 

This watch has a 45mm case, so it’s best for all wrists and outdoor activities. For hunters, it offers a tide tracker counts down, a digital thermometer, and a compass. You can use all these features to find the best hunting places. Remember that this watch doesn’t have advanced features like GPS or heart rate sensors. 

Timex Expedition features Quartz movement and INDIGLO that glows the dial in the dark so you can read the dial easily. The distant fourth indicator lets you know the time zones. 

Further, this watch is water resistant up to 100 meters, so it won’t damage the watch; you can use it while swimming or bathing. 

Overall, Timex Expedition is a good hunting watch for traditional hunters who don’t want expensive watches and don’t need fitness tracking features. 

Guide To Buy Best Hunting Watches

Hunting watches are less common among folks. This is because no rule of thumb or criteria is required for a watch to be called a “Hunting watch.” Most outdoor watches are also appropriate for hunting activities. 

One sure thing is hunting watches should have solid and robust designs and be capable of withstanding harsh environments. As hunters spend most of their time in deep forests, bushy places, water, mountains, and such environments, not every watch can withstand such situations. 

I have mentioned some core factors you should look for before purchasing a hunting watch. 

1- GPS & Navigational Features

As a hunter, you need a navigational device to locate different locations, get navigations, and find trail names. A GPS watch can help you to find your current location, track your prey, and show maps. 

Garmin, Suunto, and Coros watches are best for finding routes and trails. Even a few of the Garmin watches can track hunt, and you can chase it and get success in hunting. 

Sometimes you get lost in the deep forest, and finding your initial position is difficult; in such a situation, the GPS watch is your only companion to finding your starting/initial position. 

2- ABC Sensors 

Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass (ABC) sensors are the most crucial elements in any hunting watch. They help you find altitude, height, atmospheric pressure, and direction to find the best locations for your prey. 

ABC sensors are most common in outdoor watches. These sensors come with all the Garmin, Suunto, Coros, Casio Pro Trek, etc. 

3- Battery Life

Next up, battery life is an important factor when choosing a hunting watch. The battery is a primary factor that sets hunting watches apart from regular smartwatches. A watch with a long-lasting battery life will be your long-term companion and track your activities for longer. 

A good rule of thumb is your hunting watch should have at least 7 days of battery life on typical usage. Whereas on GPS, it should give 20 hours of battery time. But keep in mind that battery life depends on many other factors. 

4- Design & Durability 

As mentioned, a hunting watch must be durable to withstand daily wear and tears. A watch with stainless steel or rugged resin case is best for hard outdoor environments. Similarly, watches with Sapphire crystal glass are much more durable than Gorilla glass protection. 

Most outdoor watches have passed the standard military test against harsh environmental conditions. So if you like to hunt in bushy or harsh environments, select a military standard watch. 

5- Activity and Fitness Tracking

Last but not least is activity tracking, and if you’re an old-school hunter and don’t want fitness tracking features, you can skip this part. 

Most outdoor and hunting watches are also equipped with activity tracking. They can track your pace, speed, distance, steps, and other such things. 

Similarly, most watches track your fitness, heart rate, VO2 max performance, calories burned, etc. You can view comprehensive data on your health in the smartphone app. If you want such watches, you can opt for Garmin and Coros watches. 

Final Verdict 

The best hunting watch can increase the chance of success; by using the various hunting features of your watch, you can find the best place and time for hunting. The hunting features vary across the watches. 

To improve your hunting skills, you should opt for the latest hunting watch. Similarly, these watches also track your physical performance and fitness. 

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