Firearms deer season is almost here and as most hunters know it’s about being in the right place and the right time. That’s why a local avid hunter set out to develop the ultimate tracking app.
TrophyTracks was developed by Houtzdale native and outdoorsman Dan Hansel to create a “personal” journal for hunters to keep track of observations, harvests, pictures and more.
When he was a kid, his dad would always tell him to write down some details on an index card when he got back from the woods in order to keep track of his scouting adventures and hunts. Over time this became difficult to do and he often forgot about it. He thought to himself, “there has to be a more efficient way to keep track of all this.”
In 2017, utilizing his information technology background, he started developing the application through the Happy Valley Launch Box. It was released in the app stores in 2020 and has been growing ever since. The goal is to help hunters be successful and provide hunters with great tools they can use.
Hansel says there are two main reasons for hunters to use it, create and cherish memories over time, and to use the past hunt information to see movement data that can be used to predict where and when to hunt. He noted that TrophyTracks has advanced journal filters to find exactly what you are looking for.
You can make as many journals as you want, add trail cam pics, harvest reports, and as many notes as you please.
Hansel and his family are popular favorites at the Central PA Outdoor & Sports Show each year where they show off the app in-person and share success stories with other outdoorsmen.
Since the app release, there have been multiple updates/changes to the ‘user interface.’ Hansel continues to build the app with the hunter at the top of mind to make it very easy to use.
Current features include a “TrophyRoom” page that displays all your pictures for easy retrieval, the ability to use TrophyTracks “live” during a hunt or add historic hunts after you are out of the woods, and the ability to download the pictures you have added and share the journal with your friends and family.
The app is free to download on IOS and Android and there is a new PRO version ($7.99 month OR $59.99 annually). The PRO gives you unlimited photos, the advanced statistics including time of day movement probabilities for 7 days, and future weather/ wind direction forecasts.
Hansel said that they are running a promotion during the hunting season for the PRO app which gives users 3 months of PRO access for free. Users would just need to redeem the code here.
By combining his love for hunting and the outdoors and his professional background in technology, Hansel said he found his true passion and purpose: helping hunters hunt smarter, remembering the past, being at the right spot at the right time, and having the ability to pass down stories and memories through the generations of hunters to come.
