Bells

I’ve run her with it on a couple of times. Once running her in a non hunting area didn’t seem to affect the birds. The other time yesterday was a short hunt close to town before we did thanksgiving. No birds seen so couldn’t really say . Plan on running with it on this weekend for a group hunt so will see.
Not annoying at all reminds me of the sound the snap at the top a flagpole makes blowing in the wind
 
Guys, if you hunt tall thick cover when there is some wind, if you aren't running GPS, how would ever know where your dog is? Oh yah, hit the locate on the e-collar...the pheasants can't hear that! Much easier to follow a bell than to keep hitting the locate button every 15 seconds. I only use a bell when the cover calls for it. Didn't think my old dog cared for it, it really made my old GSP creep slow, I really think he was trying to sneek without making the bell ring.

The cow bell was a classic, go Will! Great skit.
 
I like running constant tone with my setters. When the noise wasn’t moving could tell the dog was on point. My new setter thinks the tone is a whistle to come back. 🙄 Bought a bell this season to start off with and got ripped off in the first hour of hunting. I found the bell was not loud enough to really be heard at a long distance. Not gonna keep buying bells till I keep them from coming off so I’m gonna depend on my many skills to keep an eye on dog location. Lol
 
Have used a cowbell for years and it helps me keep track of a dog that likes to hunt by himself...kind of worthless in snow as it clogs the striker. Previous remarks - "they know you're there"; can't say it makes a difference as to stealth. Difficult to put a sneak on a rooster!

I like the idea of a gps...
 
Having run a pheasant hunting business for 20 some years I have some experience with lost dogs. We got them all back but not always the same day. If I was to take a dog to a strange place I would have a GPS collar so I knew I could find my dog.
 
Dakotazeb said:
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.
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Yep do it. I finally got the new alpha 10 and two tt15 collars. Its been so nice this season not listening to beepers or bells. Also it brings piece of mind when the dog gets out of sight. I did run a bells when I was hunting with a large group on opening day just so other hunters could no where my dogs were at. Other than that it's been silent all hunting season!
 
My two cents are from experience a good bred flusher whether springer,lab or Boykin has the natural 35 to 40 yards bred into them out 35 to 40 quarter back towards ya heavy cover like a slough a little tighter distance a bell is good whistle breaking is superb for flushers and pointers the gps is the only way to go with a pointing dog nowadays
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
Next I suppose you’re going to tell us your dog tiptoes in there like Hong Kong Phooey
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She doesn't make any noise either. This is actually part of the reason I prefer to hunt by myself sometimes. The other person makes too much noise.

You have to realize that I'm also not hunting large, vast open grasslands like everyone in the state of South Dakota. The habitat I hunt are small isolated patches, tree lines, and fence lines. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear on that before.
 
gimruis said:
That is completely opposite of what I am doing, and what I am trying to do. I go in there like a ninja. Literally NO NOISE whatsoever. They don't know I'm there until I'm within shotgun range.
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They may not hear you but they sure as heck can see you. Pheasants see like hawks. But they would also just as much like you to waltz by without them having to expend the energy to fly away so many times will sit tight, but that's mostly the hens. Cocks I think have been selectively bred to run first, fly second and hold third.
 
After a month or so I haven’t noticed anything different on pheasants while wearing a bell. If we ever get some snow and they bunch up it may be different.
Now chickens are a nervous lot, we’ve gotten into 3 flocks of chickens the last couple hunts and never got closer than 80. We followed up on a flock that scattered almost a mile from us but landed in the same pasture. Shoot they made us at a 100. She did get right up on one bell and all that stayed put but I was following the wrong dog. Chickens I think are all eyesight. I’d probably be better off without a vest.

One other thing I have noticed is that in really heavy cover she has become more of a left handed dog. The bells on her left side , and she’s keeping her right ear towards me to keep track of me. Maybe just coincidence, or maybe she’s just a left handed dog.
 
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