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I am just now getting into the sport of coon hunting and as a 15 year old that plays sport I don’t have time for a job just yet but so I can’t afford a tracking collar for my dog. Does anyone know of any other way I could get my dog out hunting without one?


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It’s hard, but we hunted without those collars a lot longer than we have hunted with them. I made sure I had a real good easy to read name plate with phone numbers on it. And I used a bell on my dogs And did my best to stay with them. The bells were designed for sheep I think and I could find them at a feed store.

Also if you hunt a Cur dog rather than a hound your need for a tracking collar is diminished a lot.

But if you have a full blooded hound, you will lose the dog to deer races and coyote races. So the next most important thing is getting them broke off “fast game”. Myself, I would buy a remote shocker before I bought the tracker if money was short. You might put an add in classified ads here to see if anyone has a remote shocker (Tri Tronics or Dogtra) they are not using. Now the Garmin collars include shocking so many remote shocking units are laying unused. Also, a lot of the old “beep beep” collars (telemetry collars) are not being used any more. So you could ask that on classified ads also.

I use those little flashing lights that attach to the collar.. they are a good help and do not cost a lot.. I also have a used radio tracking system- ATS the has one working collar that I could part with that if that would help you-- I sure understand the $$$ part you are talking about.. the ATS has one 1600 hr Johnson collar and 2 replaceable battery ATS collars that I think might work with new batteries.

surely a step above not having anything.
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Don Cummings

Try to learn the lay of the land you plan to hunt your dog in before you take the dog out. Learn where the bogs are and how to get around them. Learn where the thickets are so you can swing around them faster. This will help you to keep up with the dog better as everything looks different at night. Try to take the dog out earlier in the evening near good potential den sights. The earlier you go out near den sights typically not always the less time the coon have been out to lay down a track also if you get between the den sight and feed area you tend to tree more on the out side which will build more confidence for you in your dog. If these are not great options set up a feeder in an area that is easier to hunt and hunt it a little later to give the coon time to get out to it. Typically an area that is flatter so you can here your dog from a longer distance. These are what tend to help me. As you get better you can do the opposite of these to make hunting harder and work your dogs in more difficult scenarios. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

First thing is a good compass and learn how to read and never argue with it. I have 2 alpha but still carry a compass. Have a good head light and a spare in your pocket. It gets dark with no light and it’s going to happen to you at sometime if you hunt much at all. It’s pretty simple, take dogs to woods, send dogs to the woods, listen for a strike bark, a trail bark, a running bark and then a tree bark, get you compass reading and go to tree. These Garmin equipment is more valuable when you are trying to locate dogs that are not barking. Coon hunting before the satellite tracking was not reall that difficult.

All good advice given above. In the event you do loose track of your dog. Learn what size track your dog has and check trail and road junctions for tracks . Have chased dogs for miles on gravel roads to catch up to them. Also cary an extra jacket with your scent on it and a little dog food. Put your jacket at an intersection you think the dog might travel through. With the dog food on top of it. If the dog is tired more often than not they will lay down on your coat and you will find them there later. Good luck. Merry Christmas

Also before you take your dog hunting teach it to come when called. I don't know how many times I have hunted with guys that had gps on there dogs and we could see right where a dog was and it wouldn't come. Without gps we would have been running around trying to find the dog.

I would like to thank you all for the tips I have certainly learned a lot. Merry Christmas and happy new year.


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when you feel you need a tracking system, I could let you have this ATS system..Just find out how your dog acts when you turn her loose in the woods.. If she leaves you and does not check back you could surely use one.-- I upgraded to a Garmin Pro 550 Plus