doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bird dog tracking question

Anyone here have experience with a GPS tracker for thier bird dog? One that actually tracks distance traveled every day and location etc.
I see GPS collars but most dont indicate they track actual distance traveled.
I want to know how much ground my dog cover when we hunt besides keeping track of her whereabouts.
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Product descriptions aren't very clear. they reference "fitness and activity" but dont indicate steps or distances.

looking for an add on. not the $1000-$1200 gps devices. There seem to be plenty of inexpensive gps trackers with subscriptions. trying to find one that gives distances seems to be the issue

My buddy, Gil (GLS), has years of experience with them on his three French Brittanys. He'll likely check in with some info for you.

I have experience with two Garmin products. I used an Alpha 100 over the past 5 1/2 years on my flushing dog. It was Garmin's high-end tracking and training device when I bought it. It is controlled largely by navigation of a complicated active (touch) screen, using physical buttons just to tone, vibrate, or shock. I never used the feature which tells you how far the dog travels during a hunt, but a friend who has the same device tells me that it will do that, and that he uses it. Personally, I found the Alpha 100 to be overly complicated and unwieldy, and I was unable to get full, or even any, benefit from its many bells and whistles. Maybe that is because I'm 67 and didn't grow up with electronic devices like this.
A couple of months ago I lost the Alpha 100 in the woods while hunting (lanyard attaching it to me broke). In the process of looking for a replacement I found out that Garmin has replaced the Alpha 100 with the Alpha 300 as their new high-end device. It too has most of its controls accessed by the touch screen, and appears to have most of the bells and whistles of its predecessor. I chose to go with Garmin's 550 Pro Plus, which is also a tracking and training device which is able to control up to 3 dogs (the Alpha device would do quite a few more but I only have one dog). My new device is much simpler and more intuitive to use. The display just gives you distance and direction to the dog, also shows which way is north, and whether dog is stationary (ie pointing or treeing). The much simpler controls are with a few buttons and toggle switches rather than a touch screen. The 550 device does not tell you how far the dog has travelled (one of many bells and whistles it lacks). The 550 Pro Plus costs $400 at Gun Dog Supply, vs $800 for the Alpha 300. The collar which works with either, the TT 25, goes for about $350.
To sum up, I hated the touch screen, which if kept active was always getting bumped by things and getting adjusted in ways which were not desired, or it could be kept on screen lock, which required quite a bit of fiddling to make it functional again. The "distance travelled by dog" was one of many features I was happy to forgo in exchange for a simpler device which does all that I need it to do.
I have no experience with Dogtra, which is Garmin's main competitor in the e-collar market. I do recommend highly the gundogsupply.com site. They have a number of very useful videos explaining the features and usage of their products, and they are happy to answer questions over the phone too.

The Garmin Astros did this from day one.

The 200i I use will not only track how far your dog or dogs has traveled but the hands held will also track how far you have also traveled.

Brian, the above responses are spot on. I started with the Astro system by Garmin and my two older dogs started out with that system and also had separate correction collars for "just in case" they didn't listen to me. I upgraded a few years ago to the Alpha series which had both correction and gps functions in one collar and remote. As noted above, switching the "lock" feature on and off to access the correction mode is not something you'd want to do if your dog was speeding towards a road with an oncoming truck. If the unit isn't in lock, the handheld will go nuts in your vest switching features. I used the training feature on the latest addition to the MuttPak, a now almost 3 year old French Brittany. Differences between the 200 and 300: brighter screen and 55 hours of battery life compared with 20 for the 200. The "i" series is the Inreach feature which triggers satellite commo in emergencies for rescue or for texting when no cell phone coverage is available. As I carry a smaller Inreach MIni2 for turkey hunting, I don't need the "i" feature on my dog's remote. I still carry the Mini while dog hunting as I often hunt woodcock out of cell coverage. The "i" feature requires a subscription. Both the Astro and Alpha series bluetooth seamlessly to my Garmin Fenix 5 wristwatch with arrows pointing to the three dogs, color coded, and showing distances. You don't need the expensive Fenix watch; any of the less expensive Garmin watches have the same ability. When hunting, the remote sits locked in my vest pocket and I rely on whistles for correction and recall. A glance at my wrist gives me direction and distance. Garmin can't be beat for reliability and customer service answering questions about features. The Garmin collars have incredible battery life and feature a "lost dog" or rescue feature which extends battery life. This feature is controlled by the remote. My dog's location is updated every 2.5 seconds which can be extended to perserve battery life if necessary. What sold me on the Garmin collar was a trainer's account of "losing" a dog in the field that wouldn't respond to recall by whistle. The Garmin pointed towards a derelict barn on the property and she found the dog stuck inside the barn wedged between the exterior and interior walls most likely chasing a rat. Gil

Gil 100%. Clearly you know and use your Garmin collar systems.
I don’t leave home without it.

I am a VERY regular user of track and train electronic collars . Gil has perfectly described the differences and features of the current Garmin line. I have had personal experience with most , if not, all of the competing brands. I too have settled on the current Garmin offerings.
I moved out of the aging Alpha series of collars and their older TT 10 and TT 15 products to the newer platforms at the beginning of this season. I think I am using the best product on the market.
I will drop one little piece of advice based on my personal experience. I have for years bought my dog electronics from Gun Dog Supply , in MS. and in particular dealt personally with owner Steve Snell.
He is absolutely great to deal with.
First off, he is a BIRD DOG guy for real. He frequently hunts near by on various leases he shares on the South Plains. Great companion in the field and he shoots a nice small bore SxS at quail.
I called about upgrading and he spent most of an hour going over the features of the 200 and 300 series as well as the uses and applications for the "i" features. Based on my hunting habits these days we settled on a 200 unit and the related T25 collars. The Best system I have used yet.
Just another mention here is the GREAT customer service and follow up after the sale. A software glitch in one of my hand held units put my hunting on hold one morning. A call to Steve for help, he took the time to walk me thru a diagnosis of the problem, prescribed the needed software update, and coached me thru the process of plugging into my PC and downloading the needed fix. Back in the field with that unit after lunch.
Real Customer service of the old school. I highly recommend him and his fine company.

I, too, have been buying my gear from Steve Snell since collaring Abby, now 15, over 14 years ago. I have called him from the field to solve a tracking problem and he or an associate guided me through what I needed to know. My hunting partner's Brittany, Snap, the name sake of my youngster, was as deaf as a post. He had contemplated retiring her from the field due to our inability to find her on point and her inability to find us quickly unless she could see us doing calisthenics to attract her attention. She would often hunt beyond the sound of her bell. He didn't want to lose her as we often hunt 50 miles from home, nor did he want to waste a hunting trip looking for her. I suggested rigging her with one of my spare collars. Bingo! We would often find her 200 yards out in rivercane on point holding a woodcock. It extended her hunting career another three seasons. I have hunted with other folks using a different brand and the units didn't have the performance of Garmin's systems with constant signal drops, etc. You get what you pay for... Gil

Brian, as a postscript, even though we use the gps trackers, we still rely on analog bells to help keep track of the dogs. Old school still works. Gil