Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Opinions on Garmin Tracking System

How many here have or use the new Garmin GPS dog tracking system?

http://www.lcsupply.com/Garmin-Astro-320/productinfo/ASTRO320/

At present we use the "Tracker" collar system but find very limited range due to the country we hunt in, sometimes less than 1/2 mile!

Just looking for some comments on this newer system & ranges from anybody that has actually used them.

I lost my two GWPs for three days. When I found them I immediately bought the Astro system. Never regretted for a minute owning it. I monitor my dogs while they bird hunt and don't let the roamer get out much past 130 yds without telling him it is time to work closer. My setup says it can track several miles I never let that happen.

This unit does all the stuff the other GPS units does on top of tracking my dogs. I was going to put a collar in my friend's pocket during our elk hunt and track him! He is in his 80s and sometimes I worry.....

Maybe someone who has a pack of dogs that chase lions or bears he can comment.

I have an Astro. They are the best thing I've ever bought for dogs.

Sometimes in really broken country they will lose contact with the dog.

I am not a gunwriter, but I have one (a Garmin dog-tracker, not a gunwriter!) - works fine with my setter in (MI) Upper Peninsula aspen stands. Also have a Tritronics e-collar and beeper on her on a seperate collar for control / continual location; this does require use of 2 handheld controllers. I think I have on occasion had some interference between the 2 so I now just check that the Garmin is trackign before we start hunting.

FYI: Garmin has purchased Tritronics. Available as of this fall is an e-collar and GPS tracker that use only one handheld control unit. I think the combo is around $700-$800. (Lion Country Supply has these in addition to the unit you linked to.) The combo handheld unit will NOT turn the tritronics beeper on and off, you have to it manually.

The tracking unit you link is the older (NOT obsolete), pre-purchase of Tritronics one (which I have). If you're just looking for a tracking unit, that would likely work fine. Some folks (including me!) have not found the compass / tracking map in those units to be the most user-friendy since they have to be held level to the ground to use (supposedly the newer units do not - I have never tried one).

Regarding the combo unit, most of the birdhunting site reviews I've looked at have been positive.

My personal strategy is going to be to use my current equipment a couple more years in the hopes they build lighter, more user-friendly stuff once they gain some experience with combined GPS/e-collar systems.

Just noticed you are in Canada. I know the Garmin Astros were at one time illegal in CA - don't remember why. You might want to check on that - I do not know what the current law is.

Don't personally have one but got 2 buddies that swear by the Astro.

Ya still illegal, but so is J-walking, don't personally see the reason why!
Lots being used up here,
like who's gonna check

Thanks to those that reply'd
Will be ordering later this winter