Bells

B

BrownDogsCan2

Well-known member
Any recommendations on a particular one.
I ram my 10 month old this morning through some heavy crp, no sooner had we gotten into it and she busted a covey. I think it lit the fire, she ran like a Boykin on crack. She ended up finding 2 more coveys , a pair and a single. Out hunted my chessie who found 2 roosters and a covey.
I thought I was going to be able to put an orange vest on her to keep track of her but I can’t see her in heavy crp. I need to put a bell on her for a little while so I can keep tabs on her range.
I’m excited ,I think it’s going to be a fun year
 
Do yourself a favor and get a GPS collar, problem solved. Not sure you want to listen to that bell ringing all day. Or having difficulty hearing it on windy days. Same could be said for a beeper collar. I know a GPS collar is a big expense up front but you won't be sorry or have to worry about losing a dog.
 
I don’t plan to listen to it for very long, I just need to keep tabs on her for a while until I make sure she’s hunting at the range I want.
Looking at gun dog supply , anyone know the difference in tone between steel, brass, bronze, and nickel?
Flushing dogs 40 yds max. She got away from me once. Gonna whistle train her. She’s trained to tone on the collar but does no good if she can’t find me. She’ll figure out how to keep tabs on me also
 
Ok I hunted with a friend a lot of years ago who had a bell on his setter so I know how it affects pheasants🤣
What’s material steel, brass, bronze or nickel is going to be least annoying to my ears, not pheasants 😃
 
How about a beeper collar instead of a bell. You could set the beeper to not beep unless you pressed the button on the hand held. That way there would be no noise unless you beeped the dog to locate her. You can get the Dogtra 2700 T&B for about $350. If you are dead set on a bell maybe someone else on this forum can provide some insight. Personally I think that since beeper collars and GPS collars became available the bell is rarely used.
 
I asked the same question on an upland Boykin page. One of the answers I got was if you can’t hear the bell, they’re too far out. Makes sense
 
I tried running a bell last year but gave in and picked up a Garmin 200i bundle and paired it with my Fenix watch to give me the ability to simply look at my wrist and see where the dog is. I hunt over a yellow lab and it seems overkill as he hunts close, but the peace of mind, especially hunting the thick/tall stuff makes it a lot easier to keep tabs on him, not to mention the ability to work quieter.
 
Rogue Hunter said:
Birds can also hear the bell, too. Especially pheasants.
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I always wonder about this? Wouldn't you use a bell only in thick cover such as cattails when you can't see the dog? If so, are pheasants going to hear the bell but not dogs/owners stomping through the cattails? After shooting even once they know you are there. I have Vizslas and a Dogtra 2700 T&B. My buddy uses a bell on his Springer which flushes so I kind of appreciate knowing his dog's location. I do think I would like the GPS collars though especially when it is windy or hunting near standing corn where my pup likes to stretch her limits.
 
Yeah, I suppose we could add a couple more instruments, like bells and truck doors slamming, sort of the John Philip Sousa of the pheasant field...LOL, Kidding!
 
NDPheasant said:
I always wonder about this? Wouldn't you use a bell only in thick cover such as cattails when you can't see the dog? If so, are pheasants going to hear the bell but not dogs/owners stomping through the cattails? After shooting even once they know you are there. I have Vizslas and a Dogtra 2700 T&B. My buddy uses a bell on his Springer which flushes so I kind of appreciate knowing his dog's location. I do think I would like the GPS collars though especially when it is windy or hunting near standing corn where my pup likes to stretch her limits.
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I read somewhere once that pheasants can feel vibrations through their feet. If you’ve ever seen pheasants jumping up out of tall thin cover to look back at you I think that’s why the are doing it?
Imo to a pheasant a dogs just another coyote and knows the dog is there long before the dog knows the pheasant is. A bell is totally foreign to them. My opinion for what it’s worth
 
Get a GPS collar if you are going to be hunting upland in heavy cover. I hunt with a drahthaar and a Boykin and I would not hunt either without it. It's a huge peace of mind and you will know exactly where the dog is and pretty much what it is doing. I have a Garmin Alpha and would buy another if this one ever quit.
 
do yourself a favor and put a bell on the dog when in cover where you can't see her. with a bell your head and vision are
up following the sound and looking at your surroundings, not at your hand looking down at a device. my two cents worth.
 
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I hunt 2 CRP parcels that are thick and tall. I keep a bell with me that I have attached to a snap-swivel. I wouldn't hunt those places without a bell (or GPS if I had it), you just can't keep in contact with the dog without hitting the "locate" constantly. I will just follow the ringing bell. My old gsp would go slow enough when approching bedded birds, the bell wouldn't ring. Any bell will work, get the one you think is the loudest and different that the one your hunting buddy has (so you can tell which ring is your dog). Don't worry about the noise, the birds know you are there already, you will not sneak-up on them. I am sure I could stock a deer easier than a pheasant, you can pretend you are sneaking-up on them if you want. I am always watching the dog, not much use for the GPS systems, I know where he is....or I should anyway, if I am doing my job...I am pretty serious about hunting.
 
Eh, Different strokes for different folks.

I ran GWPs for 20 years with bells on them, and then a Springer for a few years. Pheasant harvest did not change between the times I used a bell and when I did not. I didn't need it but there was something reassuring about hearing the sporadic ringing. With the GWPs, I could often hear their breathing to keep track of them, and I have gotten to the point where I can kind of track the dog by the movement of the brush as they pass through.
Worked for me; just sayin'

I think the steel bell would have a clearer tone, the brass somewhat lower. I ended up using a souvenir bell shaped like a Swiss cow bell from a tourist shop. Worked fine for me.


Best wishes.
 
Ok if you can't recall your dog or can't see him i get that, whatever. But it's a fact the sooner ol roody knows you're around the less your chances of shooting him are. No bells here. Benny comes when i tell him.
 
I have never noticed any difference in pheasant reaction with a bell or not. The pheasants know you are there one way or another. They ain't stupid, can hear like an elephant and see like a hawk.

I prefer the cow bell style that has a deeper tone. I have several different styles and sizes so I can keep track of the different dogs by different tone of bell.
 
AtTheMurph said:
I have never noticed any difference in pheasant reaction with a bell or not. The pheasants know you are there one way or another. They ain't stupid, can hear like an elephant and see like a hawk.

I prefer the cow bell style that has a deeper tone. I have several different styles and sizes so I can keep track of the different dogs by different tone of bell.
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