Hunter-Activated Beeper Collar

AKSkeeter

AKSkeeter

Well-known member
I hunt dense riparian hawthorn/willow/cattails with my lab.

My greatest concern is one day he will get snared and I need to find him quickly.
I like to hunt silently and do not want to put a bell on the dog.
Any recommendations for a beeper collar that is silent until remotely turned on by the hunter?
It could be an e-collar/beeper combination or a stand alone beeper, but silence 99.9% of the time is what I'm looking for,
and the ability to turn on the beeper in an emergency to find the dog in thick cover (GPS collars would not be accurate enough)
Thanks.
 
I use the Dogtra 2500 T&B.
I think it'll do what you're looking for.
 
The above dogtra is the only one I know of, but you would be better off just getting a tracking collar, Then you don't have to worry about them being out of hearing range.
 
Yes, Dogtra has that feature. IRIC, the transmitter has a "locate" button that will sound the beeper. Back when I used beeper collars to track the dog, TriTonics (now Garmin) did not have that feature.

However, you could get very close with my old TT. (I'm sticking with "TT" instead of Garmin to emphasize that the successor technology, which would be Garmin, might be different.) Anyway, you just needed to set the slider switches on the beeper itself to "run/point" instead of "point only". Then, TT transmitters that were designed to work with beepers could switch the beeper on/off remotely. That's it. Want to know where the dog is? Use the transmitter to turn the beeper on. Since it was in run mode, it would beep continuously. Once you figure out where the dog is, use the transmitter to turn the beeper off. Not as instantaneous as the Dogtra, but just as effective for me.

I've gone to GPS since then, and I'll never go back.
 
5 stand said:
I use the Dogtra 2500 T&B.
I think it'll do what you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for!

Looks like it is the Dogtra 2700 T &B now, with e-collar, beeper.
Beeper has 3 modes:
    • Running/Pointing Mode:
      • Collar emits a slow beep when the dog is running
      • Collar emits a rapid beep when the dog is on point
    • Pointing Mode:
      • Collar will remain silent while the dog is running
      • Collar will emit sound when the dog goes on point
    • Silent Mode: Collar will remain silent unless Locate button is pressed
 
The Dogtra will be exactly what you are looking for. But in heavy cover with a strong wind blowing the beeper can be difficult to hear. Also, when hunting in snow the beeper can become packed with snow and reduce the sound. I would get a GPS collar. I don't understand why you say a GPS collar wouldn't be accurate enough. Mine is and will take me right to my dog.
 
AKSkeeter said:
I have 2 Dogtra transmitters for Dogtra Arc E-collar.
Can I purchase the Dogtra 2500 / 2502 Replacement Receiver Collar / Beeper
or do I need to purchase the transmitter and collar together?
Click to expand...
I don't think your transmitter will work with the 2500.
 
birddude said:
The above dogtra is the only one I know of, but you would be better off just getting a tracking collar, Then you don't have to worry about them being out of hearing range.
Click to expand...
The problem is with a GPS tracking collar if the dog is in a snare in dense hawthorn I want to physically get to him as quickly as possible
and the accuracy needs to be +/- a meter or so. My perception is I could follow sound quicker then GPS navigation and I can get to within a meter faster by sound than GPS navigation? This is a lab, so think a patch of hawthorn that is less than 100 yards in length or a dense bottom of cattails less than 50 yards in width. Would a GPS collar be better for the problem of quickly locating a snared dog? My perception comes from using GPS to track to a bull moose I shot...after packing out the first quarter, I found it fairly time consuming to return for the next pack using GPS to navigate to the exact spot...I could get within 5 meters, but in dense willow not to the exact location using GPS. According to Garmin, Garmin® GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters (49 feet) 95% of the time. Generally, users will see accuracy within 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 feet) under normal conditions. Once again, I have no experience with GPS collars...
 
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Look at sport dog, I have the 1875 it is both shock and beeper. Beeper can be shut off at transmitter and has a locate button. Can run in silent, 5 second or 10 second beep. Again can shut any mode off and just use locator beeper. I'm sure they have other models with options.
 
I have used a Sport Dog 425 and currently use the Dogtra 2500 because I have two pointers and want the feature to beep when on point. The Dogtra has different volume levels and the loudest volume is significantly louder than Sport Dog imo.
 
Skeeter, in your original post you ask for a beeper collar and I responded as such. I also own a alpha 100 GPS with two collars. It is my go-to, it is a very handy tool. I think I can find my dogs anytime anywhere.
The dogtra beeper collar can be affected by snow and heavy cover.
 
Either collar will be more effective than no collar at all.
With your relationship and training abilitie with your dogs you can use the tone (beeper) on the collar, and ditch the whistle and make no sound at all from your end.
After you master the beeper collar you can make a single beep with it effectively. Single beep (sit), two beeps release, from any range. With no sound on your end.
I also think this can be accomplished with the GPS collar. But I have not done it. I have with the beeper collar.
 
The problem is with a GPS tracking collar if the dog is in a snare in dense hawthorn I want to physically get to him as quickly as possible
and the accuracy needs to be +/- a meter or so. My perception is I could follow sound quicker then GPS navigation and I can get to within a meter faster by sound than GPS navigation? This is a lab, so think a patch of hawthorn that is less than 100 yards in length or a dense bottom of cattails less than 50 yards in width. Would a GPS collar be better for the problem of quickly locating a snared dog? My perception comes from using GPS to track to a bull moose I shot...after packing out the first quarter, I found it fairly time consuming to return for the next pack using GPS to navigate to the exact spot...I could get within 5 meters, but in dense willow not to the exact location using GPS. According to Garmin, Garmin® GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters (49 feet) 95% of the time. Generally, users will see accuracy within 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 feet) under normal conditions. Once again, I have no experience with GPS collars...

I ordered the Dogtra 2700 T &B.
Thanks.
 
I used a Dogtra 2002 beeper collar, this was before the GPS. I used it as a hunter activated locator. It worked well and I liked it. My issue as I lost me hearing it was not working for me. I moved to the Garmin and I like the ability to be quiet.
 
Seems to me it would be interesting to do an experiment with a GPS collar. Have someone hide the collar in the field and then see how close the handheld takes you to the actual collar.
 
tops911 said:
I used a Dogtra 2002 beeper collar, this was before the GPS. I used it as a hunter activated locator. It worked well and I liked it. My issue as I lost me hearing it was not working for me. I moved to the Garmin and I like the ability to be quiet.
Click to expand...
Yes I also hunt silently.
I do have excellent hearing as I've always worn an ear plug in my left ear and a Walker game ear type plug in my right ear.

My plan is to continue hunting silently, but I like the option of remotely triggering the beeper just in case my dog gets
in trouble in dense vegetation or if I lose him while he is tracking a crippled rooster.
 
I hope you enjoy your new T&B collar. Bought mine in 2012 and used it for 7 years it was flawless. I still keep it in the truck as a backup. The original batteries are still working and I would trust them if I had to use it tomorrow.
 
Dakotazeb said:
Seems to me it would be interesting to do an experiment with a GPS collar. Have someone hide the collar in the field and then see how close the handheld takes you to the actual collar.
Click to expand...
Real-Time GPS accuracy is typically accuracy within 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 feet) under normal conditions.

Accuracy depends on how many GPS satellite signals are received which becomes lower
when there is no horizon to horizon visibility (like in steep river canyons) or in dense vegetation.

So hunting in wide open wheat stubble would be optimal accuracy,
while hunting down in a river canyon or dense riparian vegetation would not be optimal accuracy.
 
I use both a gps and a garmin e collar, which has a tone feature, I use it for turning/recall. But the tone can be heard from 20-30 yards depending on the weather.
 
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