Most of the outdoors lovers I know aren't what you'd call Black Friday types. They'll gladly set the alarm for 3 a.m. to go turkey hunting or bass fishing, but the thought of braving hordes of shoppers at that hour to find discounts on toaster ovens and Uggs makes them curl up in the fetal position.
Yet many of those same outdoors people have given in to the smartphone craze sweeping the nation. Me, I'm pretty sure this whole "app" thing is going to blow over any day. But in case all this technology is here to stay, I've prepared a holiday shopping guide for the smartphone-enabled outdoorsman or woman in your life. Just abscond with their phone on Christmas Eve, download a few of these apps, and when they wake up on Christmas morning, tell them a fat man with a beard made you do it.
Leafsnap (iPhone, free): If you've heard a friend say, "I wonder what kind of tree that is," and didn't have the answer, help has arrived. Researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian developed this guide using facial recognition software to help identify tree species from photos of their leaves. Simply snap a pic of a leaf against a white background and get educated.
RealTree's Weather Base Station (iPhone, free): There are plenty of weather apps out there. This one is designed specifically for hunters and anglers. Severe weather alerts, sunrise and sunset data, humidity, dew point, barometric pressure and video hunting tips are all included for free. But it's worth paying 99 cents for additional features like the "Game Activity Index," which uses a combination of solunar tables and key weather conditions to determine if and how the game is moving where you are.
Where's a Bear? (Android, 99 cents): It's worth planning a Yellowstone trip just to use this app. Hyperbole? You be the judge. For a dollar, you learn about trends for where animal sightings generally occur, and receive alerts of actual near-real time sightings in the park. Know when and where bears, wolves, elk, moose, deer and bald eagles are moving. And when you see them, report them through the app so others can, too. The app also features extensive maps of the park and all its facilities. Of course, if you're going to Yellowstone, you're going to want to see Old Faithful erupt. Luckily, this app has an Old Faithful Countdown clock.
Fish On! (Android, free): Fly fishermen, especially newbies, will get a kick out of this app. Fishing an unfamiliar location? The app will suggest a fly pattern to use based on the closest river to you and the time of year. It includes pictures of many patterns to jog your memory and allows you to tailor the suggestions it makes based on the type of patterns you like to fish.
Backyard Scat and Tracks (iPhone, free): If, like Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, you can track a falcon on a cloudy day, then you don't need this app. If you can't, but wish you could, you'll enjoy this guide to identifying the feces and footprints of North America's most common animals. It includes illustrations of all prints, animals, and scat types, and provides geographic distribution info on each species. For $3.99, you can download guides to specific regions.
Ski and Snow Report (iPhone, free): Ski season is almost upon us here in the East. Out West,it's already begun. Wherever you are, this is the most comprehensive ski/snowboard related app I've found. Using the phone's GPS, the app tells you what resorts are closest. Click those to find out how much snow they've gotten in the past 24 hours and how many trails are open. Click on live ski cams, check weather forecasts and read first-hand reports from skiers and boarders for the most up-to-the-second info possible. Don't hit the slopes without this one, dudes.
HuntFishVa (iPhone, free): I devoted an entire column on this app, developed by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, in August. Hunters and anglers will find plenty of features to keep them busy. My favorite is the "Trophy Case," where you can keep pictures and pertinent info on all the big bucks, trophy gobblers and citation smallies you've ever been up close and personal with.
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