Beeping Collar for Pointing Dogs??

[S.D. Ice Angular]

Hi Guys!!

What are your thoughts on the collars that beep either continuous (every 5 seconds) or so?? Or what I am looking at is the kind of mode that is silent until the dog points then after 5 seconds it beeps every 5 seconds? Do you think this “Beeping” would scare birds out prematurely?? Heck in late season where I hunt the “Slam” of Truck Door will scare up birds. But I also hunt where the vegetation is 4+ feet tall in many areas so if my dog goes on point it can be impossible to truly locate her and approach her the most effective method. Not necessarily looking for name brands but your thoughts on the concept in general. Do you think the “Beep”, “Beep”, “Beep” scares off birds??

[Setterman]

I love my beeper collar. I use the garmin and beeper if it is real thick. I used a Hawk scream rather than the beep and never noticed any difference.

[TylerS]

My buddy swears by his beeper collar. I find it rather annoying, actually, but can see the practicality.

For instance, in the grouse woods, it would be great to send Remy and wait for the beep of a point. But I've noticed that grouse tend to be a bit jumpier than their grassland loving cousins, so a long cast might result in bumped birds, even if the pooch is honest.

I like seeing my dog work, so I seldom need a beeper. Are there instances where I wish I had one? Absolutely. But in general, I fend them more of a nuisance than a benefit.

[rundrave]

I have the dogtra 2500 and I turn the run/point mode off so that it only beeps when the dog is on point as I find it annoying to beep every 5 seconds. I run multiple dogs at once so I am using the 2502 system and it works great and never had an issue with it spooking birds.

I also use the manual page to locate the dogs when I cant see them. I wouldn't hunt with out a beeper. Way better than the old fashioned bell lol.

[Kyhl]

It's personal preference.

I have a Sportdog and don't use it. I find them annoying.

It is also really loud and I didn't like the idea of setting a loud beeper two inches from my dog's ears.

Initially I added cotton balls and electrical tape to the beeper to muffle it. Eventually turning it off. Now I don't even have it on the collar.

If needed, I add a bell to the collar.

[gspman]

I use a beeper with remote on/off. I use it more as a locator so I know where the dog is and how fast it is moving instead of it indicating the dog is on point.

[pikehunter]

I swear by mine, if only because I hunt behind a smaller dog. (My 30-pound Brittany.) Without it, I would walk by him on point constantly in thick stuff.

I've used the hawk screech version, which is meant to hold birds, as well as the kind that emits a simple beep ... I don't notice much of a difference. Be sure you test it though, as has been mentioned here before. Mine is a combo unit that has volume adjustment, so I don't run into the issue with it being too loud.

[Deep]

Go with the beeper.

[Farley]

I like the beeper, it lets me, and everyone else know right where Schultz is. I can see how some might find it annoying though, but those are mostly the guys without dogs so s*rew em. It might spook a pheasant or two once in a great while but for the most part it works great. My buddy took schultz out last year after a rooster we saw land up on the hill, so he took schultz up there with no e-collar and he thought schultz ran off or something, and I yelled if you cant see him running around he's probably on point, and sure enough my buddy missed the 3 roosters that got up right in front of where Schultz WAS pointing. With the beeper on it would have been a different story.

Where it's really nice is when I can let Schultz outside at home when were not hunting and let him run around and every once in a while I hit the beeper, he could be out in the middle of the swamp and as soon as that beeper sounds, it's a full on dash back to me.

[2thepointsetters]

I don't run my dogs without the beeper. The beeper doesn't scare off birds. I use mine on point mode all the time .

[setterguy]

Very rarely will I run my beeper on run mode. Like Chris said, point mode and locate are why I run them. Especially because I usually hunt with two dogs out at a time even with bells its very hard to determine where your dog is with two of them clanging around. Wouldn't hunt without it now...

[PerchJerker]

I grouse hunt in the woods with a pointer and I don't think I could do it without a beeper. Sometimes the stuff is so thick it's hard to find the dog even with an orange vest on and a beeper going.

At times I have it beep every 10 seconds so I can keep track of him, but mostly now I only have it beep when he's on point. Beeps or hawk screams, I mix it up depending on the mood I'm in.

I've never noticed a bird that spooked because of the beeper.

[setterguy]

I agree with everyone here get the beeper...you can turn mine on/off at the transmitter. I have a young dog and like to know where he is. Is it a little annoying, sure but no annoying than wondering if your dog is running away from you or towards you.