Ridgeline What it is
Ridgeline Raven is a free scouting tool that helps hunters decide where to hunt. Pick a state, a species, a month and a weapon, say what kind of country and land access you want, and it ranks every hunting district, hunt area, wildlife management unit or county in that state for that hunt, with the harvest history, season dates, public land share and license notes for each one.
Every state slices its hunting into different units and publishes its harvest reports, season dates and maps in different places and formats. Doing that research by hand means hours of PDFs and agency websites. Ridgeline Raven pulls it together in one place, in the same form for every state, so you can compare units side by side and spend your time scouting the ones that fit.
How to use it
- Pick a state on the home page and choose a species, month and weapon.
- Say what habitat and land access you want.
- Get the top units with harvest history, season dates, public land share and license notes, on a map of the state.
Not sure what to hunt? Browse the species guide.
What it covers
45 states today, about 4,060 hunting units and counties, and 54 species, with more states on the way:
- Big game: mule deer, white-tailed and black-tailed deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn and Dall sheep, mountain goats, bison, bears, mountain lions, wolves, wild pigs and more, by the state's own hunting units.
- Wild turkey, spring and fall.
- Upland birds such as pheasant, grouse, quail and partridge, ranked county by county.
- Waterfowl and migratory birds (ducks, geese, doves and others) by county, with the state's waterfowl zones and federal frameworks.
The species guide lists every species and the states where you can hunt it.
How units are ranked
- Harvest history from each state wildlife agency's own harvest reports, by unit: how many animals are taken, how many per square mile, and hunter success where the state publishes it. Where a state doesn't publish harvest by unit, the page says so and ranks on the other factors.
- Season dates for the current season, matched to the month, part of the month and weapon you pick.
- Habitat measured inside each unit from USGS National Land Cover Database maps and elevation, weighted for what each species needs.
- Public land from the USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), plus state walk-in and access programs where the state publishes them.
Each state's finder has a methods note naming the exact reports, years and regulations it uses, with links to the agency's own pages.
What it isn't
Ridgeline Raven is guidance, not a guarantee and not the regulations. Rankings are built from past harvest and habitat, and seasons, quotas, license rules, boundaries and access change every year, sometimes after we publish. Always confirm with the state wildlife agency before you buy a license or go afield.
It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any state wildlife agency or government body. The data comes from their public reports and maps.
Trophy room and gear locker
With a free account you can keep a private log of the animals and birds you take, and a locker for your guns, bows, ammo, optics and dogs. Only you can see them. See the trophy room and the privacy policy.
Who makes it
Ridgeline Raven is built and run by Big Sky Cloud Engineering. Data is refreshed as states publish new harvest reports and season regulations.
Spotted a wrong date, a missing unit or a state you'd like added? Email support@ridgelineraven.com. Corrections from hunters who know the ground are always welcome.