Comparison

Bowhunter Specials vs Whitetail Tactical

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

Whitetail Tactical

Visualize hunting gear and clothing from a deer's perspective using advanced visual perception technology. Assess camouflage effectiveness and gain a competitive edge with location tracking and state hunting season data.

Highlights
  • Deer's eye view simulation
  • Camouflage effectiveness assessment
  • Location and live tracking
  • State hunting seasons and dates
  • Land data access
Features
Read full description

Whitetail Tactical is a hunting and social media app. Grounded in scientific research, its users can view their hunting equipment through a deer's eye. Our patented camera algorithm was developed by Dr. Jay Neitz, one of the leading scientists on deer vision and visual perception in many species. Using Whitetail Tactical’s app allows users to assess how their hunting clothing and gear blend into the surrounding environment or how it might be counterproductive. Other features include location and live tracking, per your decision, land data, and quick access to each state's hunting seasons and dates. Premium Feature: DeerVision Technology Whitetail Tactical’s DeerVision Technology, powered by our patented camera algorithm developed by Dr. Jay Neitz, is a premium feature designed to enhance your hunting experience. This feature allows you to view your hunting gear and clothing from a deer's perspective, helping you assess how well you blend into the environment or how visible you may be. Due to the advanced technology behind this feature, it is available exclusively to our premium users. To unlock this powerful tool and gain a competitive edge in your hunting strategy, simply subscribe to our premium membership. With many more enhancements in the works, the Whitetail Tactical team is just getting started to help make your hunting experience more successful. https://whitetail-tactical.com/term-of-service

Screenshots

Bowhunter Specials4 screens
Whitetail Tactical4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Whitetail Tactical at 5.0 against Bowhunter Specials's 4.4. Whitetail Tactical also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 6 months). Bowhunter Specials's advantage is ratings volume (65 vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Whitetail Tactical sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Whitetail Tactical holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bowhunter Specials has 65 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bowhunter Specials ships an update every 6 months, Whitetail Tactical every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bowhunter Specials versus Whitetail Tactical: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBowhunter SpecialsWhitetail Tactical
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (65 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings65 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB141 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKSE Sportsman Media, IncJeff Burrell

Customer experience

Bowhunter Specials

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

Whitetail Tactical

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
2 purchases

Whitetail Tactical

Subscriptions2
  • Whitetail Tactical Premium7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Whitetail Premium Plan7 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Bowhunter Specials free?
Bowhunter Specials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Whitetail Tactical free?
Whitetail Tactical is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bowhunter Specials or Whitetail Tactical?
Whitetail Tactical is rated higher. Bowhunter Specials averages 4.4 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Whitetail Tactical averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Bowhunter Specials or Whitetail Tactical have ads?
Neither Bowhunter Specials nor Whitetail Tactical shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bowhunter Specials or Whitetail Tactical?
Bowhunter Specials ships an update every 6 months, and Whitetail Tactical every 6 days. Most recently, Bowhunter Specials was updated on November 1, 2026 and Whitetail Tactical on November 3, 2026.

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