Two-way walkie talkies

[UdeLakeTom]

Did anybody have problems with these? It seems everytime we wanted to locate someone, we got interference like another person purposely leaving theirs in the transmit mode for 30 mins or more. We weren't passing hunting info, although we heard lots of that, we were just trying to find people in our party and where they might be at.

[Powerstroke]

Try a different channel besides 1 or 2. Also, if they say they are good for 2 miles, the effective range is more like 200yds in the woods.

[BobT]

It really doesn't matter much what they say about operating distance. FRS radio signals are easily blocked by solid objects such as trees, landscape, buildings, etc. In a forest, range is cut considerably due to the interference caused by the plantlife and terrain.

Bob

[UdeLakeTom]

We were under 2 miles...and used several channels...I guess it's just the "cheapness" of the units we are using and can't expect much more. Oh well, we'll try it again this weekend.

[junior9]

So is it legal to carry Two-ways as long as you don't share hunting info, or is having them with you a risk that one should not take?

[Sportfish1850]

Its legal to have a walkie talkie OR cell phone with you for safety reasons. The regs say you can not use the devices to increase your opportunity to take game (like letting a person on stand know 1 is coming because you just busted him and saw he ran towards a buddy's stand). If you only have the device for emergencies or to check in on everyone's safety every couple of hours (for falls, accidents etc) then you are within the law.

Personally if you don't take some form of communicaton with you into the woods I think you are asking for trouble (especially if you are going deep). I've heard the horror stories of guys falling from a tree breaking a leg and crawling for a mile or two or getting lost on a deep woods trip because the GPS batteries went dead and the compass never got packed or the ATV wouldn't start and its 10 or 12 miles back to the road. Its just a good idea to add that extra layer of safety when you can legally do so.

[BobT]

We find ours come in real handy when one of us gets a shot. We can call for help with the dragging or let others know we are taking a lunch break or whatever.

About three weeks ago a neighbor was bow hunting when he took a fall. I don't recall quite how it happened but anyway when he hit the ground he fell on some rocks. He suffered head injuries and as later diagnosis discovered he also suffered from spinal injuries. After coming to, he managed to reach his cell phone and call for help. Other neighbors nearby were also called in to help and luckily, because he couldn't move his legs, they didn't try to move him. If they had, he most likely would have been paralyzed. To my knowledge he is expected to make full recovery.

The cell phone probably saved his life.

Bob

[Code-Man]

our group don't use walkie talkes but would like to. We all have cell phones. It is nice incase something happens nad it is nice for me if I need help to call someone to help me out. i'm color blind and can't see the blood on the ground. hence why I try to shatter shoulder blades so they don't run off. I am so afraid of losing a deer that I mark where it hit the woods or swamp and call someone to come to me to help me out. I just don't want to kill something and can't find it. I think cell phones are wonders if you can get reception. Well that's all I got.

[96trigger]

BobT, I'm not sure you can even use the walkie talkies to tell other hunters you have a deer down. This was discussed last year at length. From the info that I gathered, about the only thing you can use them for is to check info about the other hunter. You might want to be careful, but I'm sure that different COs might have different opinions of this law.

[BobT]

Is there any way to search for this discussion. I couldn't find it. I will submit the question to the DNR for clarification.

I read the handbook differently but to avoid reopening a past discussion, I'll do some research first.

Thanks,

Bob

[jbell1981]

I questioned the dnr on this last year. The told me you can use them for things like saying, "I am going in for lunch" or "I got one, come help me gut it". But you can't use them for saying things like "there is a buck walking your way" or " I am going to walk this tree line so keep an eye out for anything".

[jbell1981]

Bob, I found this thread about it from a couple years ago.