i kind of agree with the above statement about technological encrouchment. however, having some experience with the time and effort into training a good birddog there is no way in hell i would chance losing one. so if i was going to hunt him in thick cover over wide area i would love one of these gadgets.

Doesn't make a lot of sense to me for a bird dog. If your dog ranges so far away that you need a GPS to find it, you have bigger problems than a video game fixation.

I could see it on chase animals. Most of the hound hunts I've been on turn into an actual hunt for the hounds after a few hours. Gadgets for this already exist, although in some states like CA, GPS units are illegal (radio telemetry is OK, though... go figure).

There's a great unit out from a German company now that transmits the GPS coordinates straight to your cell phone, by the way.

I don't see it as an encroachment on the hunt at all. Just another tool which, like any tool, can be misused.

A friend temporarily lost his Shorthair in a cornfield in South Dakota in October. It picked up a pheasants' scent and was gone into the abyss of corn for over an hour. There was so much corn (it was too wet to cut) that I didn't think his dog would ever come back. His dog is going to be a good one, but it was young and inexperienced. I think the GPS would be perfect for this situation, but I agree with TommyNash: Just in case of emergency.

I really like the concept, I hope it works as good as they say. My entire day job revolves around computers and other electronic technology also but, if it will make my live better I’m all for it.
What really grips me is people that don’t know jack about dogs making comments about them. It doesn’t take long at all for a good hunting dog to get out of range. Hunting heavy cover or on a 300 yard track for a crippled bird, it happens.
As soon as I can get the cash I will have one. In the mean time all comments from people that have actually used them are very welcome.

A GPS on a dog. And just when I think the sport of hunting can't sink any further.

Just more crap to complicate my already semi-tolerable relationship with high tech devices that are swarming us like a rabid hive of killer bees... my dad and I lost our beloved English Springer Spaniel on a quail hunt more than fifty miles away. She was home in a week, a bit on the thin side but no worse for the wear and tear.

Overpriced, unreliable electronic gizmo's that I have absolutely no need for. No GPS, no trail cams, no cell phones in the woods, no rangefinders. They are destroying what hunting used to be all about. Woodsman ship earned the hard way by spending years in the wilderness with nothing but a knife, gun, and compass and becoming one with nature. Listening to the sounds of nature and finding the sign of your prey and knowing where you are without any high dollar high tech crap that is useless and makes you a victim the moment the batteries fail or you fall in a creek and they short out.

I see it mainly as a time saver. Like or not technology is here to stay. With the cost and time put into rearing and training a dog it seem wise to protect your investment. If you are retired and/or not into gadgets, thats fine, you should enjoy your time in the field. To those of us who still have to earn a living, time is the most precious thing. Any gadget that would save half a day hunting birds or finding your dog or makes the difference between a sucessful hunt or chasing a wounded animal is ok in my book. BTW I always keep a good old-fashioned compass as a back up to my GPS.

It's one thing to disregard technology for yourself, just so you can have peace in the woods, but admit it you'd do anything for your dog and to get him/her back.

I don't hunt with dogs but have a little experience with GPS -- all negative. Initially I was excited about a new compass kind of device but the early models really didn't like trees. The guy I was with spent most of the scouting trip trying to get the thing to work. The next generations were supposed to take advantage of more satellites and thus be more dependable but subsequent excursions into the woods were just as frustrating. I finally decided to forget the whole thing when a friend proudly displayed the GPS on his new boat. It had all of the maps downloaded, etc., etc. When we went out on the water it showed us plowing along a half mile outside of the river on dry land. Probably a simple adjustement but if he couldn't figure it out and get it set up right, what makes a fellow so certain that it could be done better and be more dependable?

What gripes me is people who don't know jack about other commenters making comments about them.

I'll say it again. If you can't keep track of your bird dog without the aid of Global Positioning Systems, then you have a problem technology won't solve.

I use my GPS to find my stand it the dark. That's it. The rest of the hunting is blued steel only.

Being a traditionalist, I hate the idea of a GPS attached to my dog - and esp the feature that tells you he's sitting, pointing, scratching his ass - or whatever. I am 73 and have had bird dogs all my life and hunted them all with a loud brass bell. Virtually every one went deaf in his old age. I have often wondered if those clanging bells had something to do with that - along with a lot of loud shotgun reports from the shooting, obviously. I now use an e-collar with a locate caller on it and it works wonderfully. I have taped-off the electrodes and hunt my Brit silent on grouse, hitting the locate button every so often to keep track of him. Like most good dogs, he ranges according to the plentitude of the birds so when they are scarce and he's out a ways, I'll turn the call feature on - on a low setting - and it works great. Some folks may miss the sound of the tinkling bell in the uplands but I am one old traditionalist who would cast a vote for technology. My Brit is more than just a valuable bird dog - he's my friend and constant companion and losing him, as I did a few seasons back - for 24 hours - would be a heartbreak beyond words.