DeerCast-Prep, Predict, Pursue Reviews

by PA/WV Hunter

Was excited to use DeerCast this hunting season and looked at it daily. Found out throughout archery and now into rifle it has not been accurate for my area of PA. Every time it was showing “Great” I saw very little movement. Love the show, dislike DeerCastPrepPredictPursue !
So I get this response... “when you have a good or great DeerCast, that means the weather conditions in your hunting area are ideal for deer movement. If you are hunting in an area that does not have deer, or have outside pressures, coyotes, other hunters, etc. that will factor in to you not seeing deer.” TERRIBLE RESPONSE!!!! I’ve been hunting this area for 35 years, it is private 300+ acres which 5 of us hunt. There are plenty of deer and we have killed 130’s and 140’s in the past. DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is just not accurate nor does it predict deer movement. Arrogant response if you ask me!!! Even more disappointed!!!

by Cph69

I’ve got 6 cameras out and movement pretty regular. Some days better than most depending on weather and pressure. I’ve kept track of the “great” days and have been hunting around 2 of the 6 cameras. Earlier in the week, the conditions were “okay to good”. Yesterday and today were “great”. I didn’t see a deer either day. I thought “maybe it’s just me being in the woods, spooked them, etc.” I checked all 6 cameras. No movement since Wednesday. But there was ALOT of movement on Wednesday. The day that was “okay”. Absolutely no movement Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday. All say “Great”. I knew spending $20 on a hunting app was stupid but I did it anyway to see if it worked. It doesn’t. Here’s $20 worth of advise. Unless you are a SUPER inexperienced hunter, don’t buy DeerCastPrepPredictPursue.

by Rhockto

Do not buy. Free is ok if your into the videos and media content. I’m very moon dependent and I don’t agree with A lot of the times they claim for certain activities most of the time the sunrise and sunset aren’t even correct. App seems to be more concentrated on videos than actual forecasting of weather and whitetail movement. There’s a few better apps with a lot more features for free. UPDATE: after having it for a few months I don’t recommend anyone pay for the service. They have not once been correct on even the time of sunrise or sunset for my areas! That’s critical if people are using the times in DeerCastPrepPredictPursue to help Determine shooting times. Moon readings and data given for peak times are not accurate I’m not one to ever review anything but this is not fair to someone who doesn’t know any better and thinks what they see and read on DeerCastPrepPredictPursue are correct.

by SouthernMDHunter

It’s a good tool to use when planning hunts but it’s been wildly inaccurate for me in the mid Atlantic. I’ve seen much more deer movement on bad and poor days than I have on any great days. Also have had many poor or ok days change to good and great after the fact due to this being a “real time” formula, so keep that in mind when you plan your hunts as well.

The other huge knock is the compete lack of moderation on comments within the posts on DeerCastPrepPredictPursue , the place is full of trolls like any internet connected forum but it should be cleaned up.

I doubt I’d spend money on it again but I will probably continue to take a peek at the free data before I head to the woods to see if anything changes in the future.

by Allenjbr

DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is alright..... I gave it a three out of 5 based on the platform in wich it stands..... only showing pictures and videos of deer that most people will never see unless they go hunt farmed deer..... my second issue would be that even though I have never had to use the deer tracker portion it should be available for free. As conservationists it is our responsibility to try make sure deer that are shot are recovered.......I do like the actual deer cast portion. And the video tips on phases are informative...also what’s up with the deer cast changing mid day... was supposed to be bad I checked at 430 am then I check again at 1030am and it says it’s good kinda inconsistent. Just another big name hunter trying to make money off another inconsistent product.

by Xfyrwlker

I’ve used DeerCastPrepPredictPursue for a few years now. The free version will get you started. But, it’s worth the annual fee to upgrade. It’s highly customizable which really allowed me to dial in on where the herd was at as far as the rut. The weather, wind and pressure levels are invaluable. DeerCastPrepPredictPursue also allowed me to plan ahead for time off. No app is perfect. But, this one covers the basics and provides beginner level guidance to get you to the next level. If you’re not using it, you should be.

by Big TTj

If may be premature to rate this since the season is only a couple weeks old. One thing that bugs me is the light grey fonts on white background. Not enough contrast for my 45 year old eyes.
The other issue is more of an issue with wunderground. I’ve been using their website for years at work. The last couple of years I have found their service to be very inaccurate, especially their weather history since it will pull historical data from weather stations that may be 60 plus miles away.
The accuracy of the DeerCast remains to be seen as the season is just beginning.

by Pattyboo2

I’ve watched every one of your episodes at least twice. Picked up a ton! Doing an unbelievable amount of reconnaissance, and I could use some help. It’s unbelievably difficult to find accurate past weather information. Please add a feature for premium subscribers, such as myself, to access up to 10 days past weather information, including wind, temp, BP, humidity, moon phase, etc. I truly believe that this would do a great job of rounding out DeerCastPrepPredictPursue for the seasoned/ experienced outdoorsman. Thanks for all the tips and tricks. It’s made a big difference.

by Rip879

Love DeerCastPrepPredictPursue ! It’s nice to have all weather info relevant to hunting all in one place. If anything, it gets me STOKED to hunt when I see everything lining up for a great day to get in the stand.

Only recommendation I have would be to have videos categorized by dates and general location so you are able to watch how deer react and act during that specific day/phase of rut. Would just add to the excitement watching a big buck killed on a day that you plan on hitting the stand!

Will buy the $20 subscription again next year!

by Okdeerhunter

I up graded to the elite last year after
using the free app for a short time. I have
limited time to spend in the woods due
to my job. Deer Cast is very accurate
I also like that DeerCastPrepPredictPursue updates on a regular
basis due to the local weather patterns
as the national weather service update
current conditions and approaching fronts
I also use mobile cameras that sends pics
directly to my phone. I am consistently watching deer cast vs camera deer movement. DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is spot on....
I have read some other negative reviews
about the product that I don’t agree with
the users point of view. You still have to
use your hunting skills to consistently see
deer. This is not a magic wand you wave
and deer appear. You still need your stand
placements in the right location, scent control is a must, and keep your stands
fresh and don’t over hunt them. This is a
great tool if used properly

by Jebbitt

The Drury’s are some of the best in the industry, and DeerCastPrepPredictPursue puts them and their vast knowledge bank in your pocket! The breakdowns of the season, tactics for hunting each phase, and the videos and stories thrown in for entertainment are all top notch. But, the shot tracker is the best part! Even when I watch a deer I’ve just shot fall in sight, I still check the shot tracker to help better understand where exactly I hit that animal. It’s helped me and countless friends positively identify shots on deer and exactly when to start the recovery process. Every deer hunter should get DeerCastPrepPredictPursue!

by History Liker

I just got DeerCastPrepPredictPursue. I installed it, set my location and then tried to watch some videos. For example, I tried watching the video about Mark’s rut hunting. First the video had no sound. I saw on these reviews that I have to have my ringer on. (Which is a major issue for me when hunting) So in the process of trying to watch a video and finding out how to get sound, DeerCastPrepPredictPursue crashed twice. It seems like every time I exit out of a video, DeerCastPrepPredictPursue crashes.

DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is definitely something that I would probably pay for if it worked correctly. There just seems to be a lot of glitches in it. Now, I understand that in the process of developing and releasing apps there is a matter of testing and updating it to remove the glitches. Getting the bugs worked out so to say. That is why I am giving it 5 stars. I see it all the time, a company releases an app, a bunch of people get DeerCastPrepPredictPursue and try it out. They realize that it does not work perfectly (although it is free and they lost nothing except a little time) and they proceed to give it terrible reviews. Then the company updates and fixes all of the issues in DeerCastPrepPredictPursue and DeerCastPrepPredictPursue gets running very smooth. Those negative reviewers never update their review so it looks like DeerCastPrepPredictPursue has a bunch of negative reviews. So the company updates and improves DeerCastPrepPredictPursue and the negative people never update their reviews. If you ask me, sounds like the negative reviewers are the ones who should be defending their review.

by DeltonMan

So after a new season has started and all the waiting for the leaves to change and the deer forecasts to show up and go and enjoy that first sit in the white tails woods what site did I go to to plan my hunt? Like so many others DeerCast was my first stop. Thank you Drury’s for a awesome tool that is easy to navigate and to take with you anywhere you hunting tags take you. For people that don’t want to spend the money I was one of those people at first but then I thought if you make coffee at home three days instead of stopping at your local coffee spot that’s all it costs for a wealth of great hunting knowledge. Thanks again for a great app and content a NJ deer hunter.

by Hoss12992

Absolutely love DeerCast. I’ve screenshot my daily DeerCast and hourly DeerCast since it first came out, and when I check cams, will match up the pics against that particular day’s screenshots. Very accurate! There may be some outliers from time to time, but overall, DeerCast has proved to be a very accurate tool and helps me to know when we need to be in the blinds/stands and when to stay out of our hunting spots. We see more deer, and have tagged out each year while using DeerCast. Several buddies will ask me when they should be in their blinds and when they should stay out. My answers always begin with, “According to DeerCast....” and they tag out as well each season. PRICELESS tool for hunters

by Travlee5

I purchased DEERCAST in September before bow season started in Illinois. I can definitely tell you from experience that it is very beneficial. I can verify that the GOOD & GREAT hunting days labeled on DeerCastPrepPredictPursue are definitely that. I had over 30 sits this season. That along with the data from my 5 trail cameras tells me that these guys know what they are doing. There is a bunch of other perks with DeerCastPrepPredictPursue as well. My favorites are the videos that Mark and Terry do breaking down all of the phases of the season. This would be very beneficial to new hunters. The Elite package is not much more so it’s definitely worth it. Sometimes they offer promotions for DeerCastPrepPredictPursue on podcasts and other places. Look for those as well.

by Sheltbr1

Takes all the guess work out of my decisions to hunt. The mad scientist really got it nailed down to a qualitative science. To bad quantitative science is only currently looking at some of the “times” to hunt on limited data sets. Weather systems, pressure, distances traveled etc, If they would combine there science together to include habitat types travels to and from during cold fronts/warm periods a discernible pattern would surely emerge. And I have a masters degree in wildlife management and I can see that.
Colder the weather the more deer you see in more open areas. Yes they move amount/distance in the same cold or hot weather it’s the habitat that they move in that differs. Colder weather equals more open spaces thus more hunters harvesting game!
That’s common sense and science! Life long observations passed down from hunter to hunter

R/Brandon

by Shirt Pyro

I enjoy using DeerCastPrepPredictPursue and check it frequently. I’ve used it all Fall so far. It gives hunters invaluable information and a place to connect with like minded people. I’ve noticed a minor bug or two....but they seem to get addressed quickly when they arise. What I witness afield isn’t always exactly what DeerCastPrepPredictPursue says they will be...but it’s pretty darn close most of the time. A lot more accurate then my local weather forecast on the news lol. I tell every hunter I meet to get DeerCastPrepPredictPursue if they don’t currently have it. That being said...I’m not the type of person to pay for apps on my phone. It doesn’t matter how good they are....and DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is great....but I’ll continue to use it until I have to pay for it. I don’t begrudge anyone a paycheck, I just don’t pay for apps.

by Nhfawryhhn

I had the original version and updated to the elite as soon as it was available and i love it. I hunt a 10 acer and a 40 acer property both surrounded by neiboring farms and hunting property so i am limited in where i can sit and food plot sizes, so dont always see the big mature deer even when deercast says great but thats not that the apps wrong. Cuz i do still get pics of them at night. Its just that they arent getting to me before dark. All in all its pretty accurate after discussing whith neighbors what they were seeing and when. And i also love the deercast track. Even with a ton of experience its still good to look it up and get other advice to either rethink my thoughts or confirm what my plan was gonna be. And i love reading everybody elses stories and seeing there pics. Kind of like hunting camp but a whole lot bigger. Way to go to the whole drury team!!

by Weekend Woodsman

I live outside the Midwest in a high pressure location and was skeptical if this would be helpful. After using DeerCastPrepPredictPursue this season, I can say that it has helped me be a better hunter and helped me better plan limited time off in the deer woods. I normally don’t hunt much late season and especially in high wind and a nearly full moon but DeerCastPrepPredictPursue said it was likely to be great hunting the next morning after a big rain and it was going to be 15 mph winds. Sure enough 6 deer and then big boy 10 pointer walks by after a doe. DeerCastPrepPredictPursue uses algorithms to evaluate all the variables like lunar feeding times, plus temperature, cloud cover, barometric pressure, wind, rainfall, time of the rut, etc, to assign a rating for expected deer activity. The better the rating, the more concentrated the activity will be. It’s now my second favorite hunting app, after my mapping app. I HIGHLY recommend it.

by 2480sfrt

Thanks to the Drury’s for giving us an edge. DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is top notch. Some of the low rating reviews it’s getting are hunter error in my opinion. There is no phone app or computer program that can tell you you will for sure see or kill a deer. It can only tell you the likelihood of deer movement based on all the important factors and DeerCastPrepPredictPursue does that without a doubt. If it’s a great day for deer movement in your area and you aren’t seeing anything maybe you are hunting in the wrong spot and if you are getting tons of trail cam pictures when you aren’t there maybe you should take the hint that you are being winded or spooking them out way before you see them. Great job with DeerCastPrepPredictPursue guys!! Thank you.

by Mjrm127

I’ve used DeerCastPrepPredictPursue both last year and this year and trust me, it definitely is not accurate. Some days it stated it was good / great for hunting and I saw little to no activity. I own 200 acres with plenty of Doe, & Bucks, with little pressure from surrounding land.

This year, very much the same. An example would be 12/29.. here in Alabama it rained all day and was 75 degrees. Deer cast said it was poor morning and evening. Rain stopped around 3, I saw more Buck/Doe interaction than I have in 2 years. I have a 9point on cam at 10:09 am, in the rain.

Today, deer cast said good for the morning and evening and literally nothing moved. One button buck 5 min before Legal shooting time was up. Understanding, it is hit and miss, simply because we are dealing with Mother Nature and wildlife.

At the end of the day, put little stock in moon phases, pressure and all of the things these “professional hunters” say... put the hours in, realize deer are always moving and have to eat. Keep pressure low and stay in the woods or food plots. You will see them. Save the money/time and do not go off of what DeerCastPrepPredictPursue says.

by CampCook74

Really enjoy the benefits of DeerCastPrepPredictPursue it definitely is a game changer. It would be so much better if you could somehow predict further out than 5 days. We are a normal working family and have limited vacation time and it’s a chore every year to try to predict best time to take off. I would imagine that with all your data you could predict further than 5 days. We were very happy with its predictions this season as we were on a new property in Ohio and movement was spot on we were just a week to early for peak activity.

by KPLenz

DeerCastPrepPredictPursue gives you the options for the free version to the paid versions. Each option is worth its price in gold for getting the insight of two of the best deer hunters out there. A Great tool for deciding on what days to take off work. With the paid version you get the added benefit of deer tracker, for reassuring your shot placement. Plus you also get the DOD library of all your favorite hunts and get live updates of how other hunters are doing. Drury knocked it out of the park with DeerCastPrepPredictPursue.

by @lape_hunts

From watching the weather and wind and guessing where to hunt, to now opening 1 app and having it rate all those things for you, I have become a believer. It has been so right at times, that deer have stafted moving right to the hour that Deer Cast has said they would. Two bucks hanging on my wall I can thank DeerCast for AND I've been able to sleep in on those "Poor" and "Bad" days. If you aren't using DeerCastPrepPredictPursue, I would compare that to going into a sword fight without your sword.

by Stlhunter

DeerCastPrepPredictPursue is great! For new hunters or if you’ve been hunting for 40 years. The amount of knowledge in the videos and articles is awesome. Finally have a place to post hunting pics and talk about hunting without people getting their feelings hurt on social media. The forecasts have been accurate and I’ve even used deercast track to help track my most recent buck! Highly recommend. Worth the small amount of money for a years worth subscription!