Cattle

Archive for April 20th, 2010

If you’re tired of looking in dense cover or tall grass for your hunting dog, the Garmin Astro is the first GPS dog tracking system specifically designed to help sportsmen and hunters keep track of their dogs. This system shows you exactly where you dog is, even when you can’t see or hear your pet and it’s functionality and features go beyond the needs of your normal pet owner.

The Garmin Astro 220 is made up of a handheld GPS device with a bright color LCD screen, and DC 20, a wireless transmitter. All you need to do to get started is take the system outside and turn on both transmitter and handheld unit. They will acquire signals from GPS satellites, and you can attach the DC 20 wireless transmitter to your dog. There is a harness included with the device that you can use or you can thread the DC 20 onto a one-inch E-collar. Set-up is simple and quick. Once finished, you can let your dog run right away.

Once the device is set up, your dog’s position will be transmitted to your handheld device every five seconds or so. You have several choices of receiving this information, since the receiver has several viewing options. Check the Map image, and you’ll see where your dog is…and where he or she has been. Switch to the Dog Tracker page, and you’ll see a compass that points out the location of your dog, as well as tells you what he or she is doing. You’ll know if your dog is sitting, running, on point, or treeing quarry. An alarm can be activated to tell you when your dog goes on point so you’ll know when your dog has sensed an animal right away.

The Garmin Astro 220’s high sensitivity receiver tells you where your dog is even through dense cover. It allows you to track as many as ten different dogs, and can track each dog as much as five miles away. The terrain effects the way the Garmin Astro 220 works, however, so take that into consideration when planning your hunt. Flat territory works best, since the unit transmits by line of sight.

There are useful features included in the Garmin Astro 220 other than dog tracking, too. After you find your prey, you can mark the spot with the Covey Counter feature, detailing the time of day, and even the elevation, as well as the number of animals you flushed versus how many you took. You can also drop important waypoints, like your vehicle and your lodge for each hunt, so you’ll never lose your bearings. Special icons are available to represent different hunting related points, including tree stands and food plots.

The Astro also includes a barometric altimeter, electronic compass and area calculator.

The Garmin Astro 220 uses two AA batteries that last for up to 24 hours, meaning you won’t have to stop and recharge. The unit is waterproof, so swimming dogs can’t hurt it. At around six hundred dollars, the Garmin Astro 220 offers a lot of functionality.