Sportdog vs garmin

I have run an alpha 100 with the tt-20 tracking collar with a garmin watch. Also run a 550 if correction are needed. I don’t like how u can’t easily adjust correction levels on the alpha units. Haven’t had any problems with this set up and my dogs are big runners frequently over 1000 yards depending on cover.
 
Haven’t had any problems with this set up and my dogs are big runners frequently over 1000 yards depending on cover.
WTF, 1000 yards??

I changed my post, I was going to post the below thoughts...

Are you saying; The dogs you are hunting with, are frequently 1,000 yards away from you....while you are hunting....over a half mile? If so, try using the stimulation feature....isn't that kind of what it is for? Maybe more information is needed, what kind of dogs, grey hounds? You aren't confined to a wheelchair, are you? I really don't understand stand how that happens, what are you doing while they get that far away? Is this a common practice for pheasant hunters today? That goes against what I preach to everyone I hunt with, "pay attension to the dog and always be ready". I guess if you don't do this, you do need one of those systems. Reflecting on this, is it that the habitat where you are hunting, there are very few birds and it just isn't worth the energy to hunt with the dogs? That just seems bizarre to me, unless you were hunting raccoons. Even if you meant 100 yards away....
I really hope I am not understanding that post correctly, cause you are missing out on 90% of the dog work, if that is how you hunt.
 
WTF, 1000 yards??

I changed my post, I was going to post the below thoughts...

Are you saying; The dogs you are hunting with, are frequently 1,000 yards away from you....while you are hunting....over a half mile? If so, try using the stimulation feature....isn't that kind of what it is for? Maybe more information is needed, what kind of dogs, grey hounds? You aren't confined to a wheelchair, are you? I really don't understand stand how that happens, what are you doing while they get that far away? Is this a common practice for pheasant hunters today? That goes against what I preach to everyone I hunt with, "pay attension to the dog and always be ready". I guess if you don't do this, you do need one of those systems. Reflecting on this, is it that the habitat where you are hunting, there are very few birds and it just isn't worth the energy to hunt with the dogs? That just seems bizarre to me, unless you were hunting raccoons. Even if you meant 100 yards away....
I really hope I am not understanding that post correctly, cause you are missing out on 90% of the dog work, if that is how you hunt.
FFS! He’s running pointing dogs calm down 🤣

To each their own.
 
FFS! He’s running pointing dogs calm down 🤣

To each their own.
I still don't get it, I have a GSP. I sounds like he is coon hunting, turn the dogs loose and wait for them to tree. Maybe hunting is using this technology like fishing does. Our fathers and grandfathers would be shaking their heads. I guess it isn't him, it is the technology that let's you "hunt" without putting in effort. Maybe just a product of the video game age. Is this a normal thing, letting your dogs get 100 yards or even move away from you? I guess I am becoming an old guy with old school ideas and traditional images of what hunting pheasants is.
 
I still don't get it, I have a GSP. I sounds like he is coon hunting, turn the dogs loose and wait for them to tree. Maybe hunting is using this technology like fishing does. Our fathers and grandfathers would be shaking their heads. I guess it isn't him, it is the technology that lets you "hunt" without putting in effort. Maybe just a product of the video game age. Is this a normal thing, letting your dogs get 100 yards or even move away from you? I guess I am becoming an old guy with old school ideas and traditional images of what hunting pheasants is.
GPS has taken the place of what 100 years ago would have been done off the back of a horse.
Yes I d say most of those who have started hunting in the last 25 years are running pointing dogs with some range.Id say that most are running pointing dogs in pheasant country at 50-150 but there are plenty of 400 yd dogs out there.
 
Is this a normal thing, letting your dogs get 100 yards or even move away from you? I guess I am becoming an old guy with old school ideas and traditional images of what hunting pheasants is.
Not everywhere can grow grass like that Iowa soil can. I just got back from a trip through the Flint Hills, he might be able to see his dogs at 1000yds. My setter will get out there 3-400yds going after prairie grouse. Not that far for pheasant though, he checks in too much to get that far out.

To get back to the original topic, I love my Alpha 300 and TT25x's. I clip the handheld to my off-arm chest strap and leave it there unless I'm figuring out how to approach a point: I use a Garmin Instinct watch to track actual movements, the watch glance is a gamechanger for me.
 
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I just purchased a factory refurb 550+ and am looking for a sale on a tt25 if anyone sees one... Ive never run a gps unit in the past but have a 10 y/o Springer whose hearing is starting to fail so the peace of mind will be worth the hefty price tag. I dont want her going the wrong direction in the thick stuff thinking Im over there when Im over here...
Buy once cry once I guess...
 
I had to send my dogtra nongps in for repair, antenna and ferrul pulled out of the transmitter.
I asked about the new pathfinder but all they could tell me was that they had seen the prototype and it is coming but didnt know the release date.
 
I asked about the new pathfinder but all they could tell me was that they had seen the prototype and it is coming but didnt know the release date.
Does the new generation incorporate more functionality into the relay device? Using your phone's internal GPS rather than pay for a GPS receiver in the handheld is a great idea, but the handheld on the original version had no functionality. It just relayed signals between the collar and your phone. More often than not my phone is buried in a pocket somewhere. I couldn't imagine pulling it out for stim or to check the dog's location.
 
Depends on the glove. It seems to be ok with my preferred gloves that have deer hide fingers. I very rarely touch the screen when in the field anyway. My system for carrying the unit does a pretty good job preventing incidental screen touches. Good enough that I rarely mess with locking the screen any more. Furthermore, I don't mess with pausing and restarting tracking when we move from one spot to another. I turn it on in the morning, start a new hunt, set it to the compass screen (my favorite), and go hunt. Once in a while I change from one compass screen to another if I don't have both dogs down.
I think it is going to be a full function transmitter. I couldnt find out any more information than that. I think I am going to get add another boykin in the spring before I have to start cutting back. Aged 8, 5, and a pup. That is a lot of dogs to keep track of and may end up going gps if the tone functions are simple enough.
 
WTF, 1000 yards??

This seems absurd to me too. Way too far for a bird dog.

That being said, bear hunters in WI can use hounds and they often allow their dogs to run miles from the owner. Once they tree a bear, then they go to the location the GPS is showing.

I would personally worry about my dog encountering an issue that far away. But some people accept the risk.
 
To be honest, I'm perfectly fine with Socks getting out to 150ish provided he comes back to check-in. Long casts are great when it's just the two of us in a quarter section so we can cover a lot of real estate.

The original aspect of this topic was to compare the Sportdog to Garmin, as I (and some others) are looking to possibly move in a different direction. I already have a Garmin watch so the pairing aspect could be nice too.
 
WTF, 1000 yards??

I changed my post, I was going to post the below thoughts...

Are you saying; The dogs you are hunting with, are frequently 1,000 yards away from you....while you are hunting....over a half mile? If so, try using the stimulation feature....isn't that kind of what it is for? Maybe more information is needed, what kind of dogs, grey hounds? You aren't confined to a wheelchair, are you? I really don't understand stand how that happens, what are you doing while they get that far away? Is this a common practice for pheasant hunters today? That goes against what I preach to everyone I hunt with, "pay attension to the dog and always be ready". I guess if you don't do this, you do need one of those systems. Reflecting on this, is it that the habitat where you are hunting, there are very few birds and it just isn't worth the energy to hunt with the dogs? That just seems bizarre to me, unless you were hunting raccoons. Even if you meant 100 yards away....
I really hope I am not understanding that post correctly, cause you are missing out on 90% of the dog work, if that is how you hunt.
Yeah I guess I should have said that I don’t let them get that far on pheasants. But quail in fence rows and draws sure saves a lot of walking Prairie birds also. I hunt GSPs. Still get to see a lot of work because they point on first scent and will relocate when I get close.
 
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