Comparison

Bowhunter Specials vs MyODFW

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bowhunter Specials

Access digital archives of leading bowhunting magazines, including back issues and special guides on crossbows, saddle hunting, and new gear. Enhance your hunting knowledge and gear selection with comprehensive resources.

Highlights
  • Digital back issues of Bowhunter magazine
  • Petersen's Bowhunting back issues archive
  • New Gear Guide with over 200 items
  • Crossbow Revolution special editions
  • Comprehensive saddle hunting guide
  • Archery Trade Show gear spotlights
Read full description

From the publisher of Bowhunter – The #1 Bowhunting Magazine – comes Bowhunter Specials, now including back issues of longtime rival in the Outdoor Sportsman Group media stable, Petersen’s Bowhunting. Following the brand’s merge into Bowhunter across all media platforms in the winter of ’23, we’re thrilled to offer Petersen’s Bowhunting Back Issues to fans of the magazine, with digital copies archived all the way back to 2012! You’ll also find copies of the New Gear Guide, which spotlights the best new gear introduced at this year’s Archery Trade Show, two editions of the popular Crossbow Revolution, covering the latest gear and hunting how-to for those choosing to hunt with horizontal bows, and lastly, the only comprehensive sourcebook for all things saddle hunting. Crossbow Revolution: Crossbow hunting's popularity continues to grow by leaps and bounds, and every edition of Crossbow Revolution is jam-packed with dynamic features and informative articles to help you up your crossbow-hunting game. Whether you're a crossbow-hunting newbie, or a veteran horizontal bowhunter, Crossbow Revolution is a must-read! Saddle Hunter: The first source book entirely dedicated to all aspects of mobile hunting, this magazine focuses on hunting’s fastest growing community and the tactics and gear making elevated pursuits possible. Whether you’re a novice or longtime saddle hunter, you’ll be sure to learn something new that will improve your hunting experiences and make you more successful in the saddle. Give this issue a read, and you’ll not only walk away with a more thorough understanding of saddle-use and best practices but you’ll pick up on keys to locating and setting up on game, what saddle-hunting tactics and techniques to employ and when, how to make the most of every day afield and, of course, you’ll surely add to your list of the right saddle-hunting gear for the seasons ahead. Bowhunter New Gear Guide: Bowhunters are always looking forward to the next great hunt and the next big season, and the 2024 New Gear Guide has you covered, no matter your archery-hunting passions or equipment needs. Within the guide, you'll find more than 200 'must-have' items including:New Bows and Crossbows, Arrows and Broadheads, Archery AccessoriesTrail, Cams and Optics, Saddles, Stands and Blinds, Boots and Apparel, Targets, Tools & More!

About

MyODFW

Manage your hunting and fishing licenses and tags directly from your mobile device. Tag your catch or harvest and report it seamlessly within the application.

Highlights
  • Digital license and tag storage
  • Tag fish or animals
  • Report harvest
  • Convenient access to permits
  • All in one place
Features
Read full description

Official ODFW app for Oregon’s hunters and anglers! Carry all licenses/tags, tag your fish or animal and report harvest with the MyODFW app.

Screenshots

Bowhunter Specials4 screens
MyODFW4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bowhunter Specials at 4.4 against MyODFW's 2.3. MyODFW's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bowhunter Specials sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. MyODFW asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bowhunter Specials holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MyODFW has 639 ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 22% and 22% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bowhunter Specials ships an update every 6 months, MyODFW every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Bowhunter Specials versus MyODFW: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBowhunter SpecialsMyODFW
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (65 ratings) — better2.3 (639 ratings)
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews — better21.6% of reviews
Number of ratings65639 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB51 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKSE Sportsman Media, IncOregon Department Of Fish and Wildlife

Customer experience

Bowhunter Specials

All ratings65 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative72.2%

MyODFW

All ratings638 ratings
Positive28.8%
Neutral7.4%
Negative63.8%
Written reviews111 reviews
Positive21.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative72.1%

Bugs and requests

Bowhunter Specials

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

MyODFW

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Login screen not working
  • Unable to view harvest card
  • E-tagging not functioning properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow switching between digital and paper tags
  • Add ability to manage multiple profiles (e.g., family members) in one app
  • Improve offline functionality
  • Provide better instructions and tutorials

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Bowhunter Specials

One-time10
  • February/March 2013$4.99
  • April / May 2013$4.99
  • August 2013$4.99
Show 7 more
  • September 2013$4.99
  • October 2013$4.99
  • Petersen's Bowhunting Nov/Dec 2013$4.99
  • Petersen's Bowhunting March 2014 New Gear Guide$4.99
  • Petersen's Bowhunting September 2014$4.99
  • Petersen's Bowhunting October 2014$4.99
  • March 2016$5.99
None

MyODFW

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bowhunter Specials free?
Bowhunter Specials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MyODFW free?
MyODFW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bowhunter Specials or MyODFW?
Bowhunter Specials is rated higher. Bowhunter Specials averages 4.4 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while MyODFW averages 2.3 from 639 ratings.
Do Bowhunter Specials or MyODFW have ads?
Neither Bowhunter Specials nor MyODFW shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bowhunter Specials or MyODFW?
Bowhunter Specials ships an update every 6 months, and MyODFW every 2 months. Most recently, Bowhunter Specials was updated on November 1, 2026 and MyODFW on November 6, 2026.

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