GPS Dog Tracking For Hunters (2)
Sep 19, 2022
A New Era of Hunting
The advent of GPS technology has come a long way from the first time Matzinger chased cats in Montana. Back then the only way of tracking your dogs was through radio telemetry. A collar producing a radio signal was put on the dogs and the trackers held a large antennae to retrieve the signals, signified by a loud beep, unlike the satellite signals picked up by GPS. The closer the dogs, the more distinct the beep. It helped, but wasn’t without its flaws. Collars often bounced the signals off canyon walls, or other objects, giving indistinct directions.
Matzinger said the process was cumbersome and only available for the elites.
The GPS is now more important than ever for Matzinger as he sees encroaching private properties, regardless of how far he’s running cats. Matzinger pairs his GPS with his HUNT Chip, to monitor for property boundaries when he’s chasing these cats. On more than one occasion he’s had to look up a landowner’s name and parlay with them to get his hounds off their property.
“As a hunter you can stop yourself and say this is private land,” he said “Well you ain’t stopping hounds.”
Not Just For the Hounds
Owner of GPS DAWG, Cody Baker, said dog hunting is made of smaller communities of hunters. Whether it’s raccoons, bears, or birds though, Baker said GPS fits the needs of anyone who hunts with dogs.
Baker said the advantages aren’t limited to knowing where you or your dog are at all times, but also knowing the terrain surrounding you and monitoring your dog’s behavior.
Watching your dog on the screen will show whether your dogs are chasing game or not, and it also shows if they have treed something or if they are pointing. Topographic maps will show you the fastest point of least resistance to your dogs.
Baker said your dog’s signature on the screen can also tell you what it’s chasing. He said different game animals run in different patterns and if you’re familiar with the patterns, your dog’s tracks will show if it’s running game or more erratic.
