Technology

[perk]

Been thinking about it some lately and wonder what others have to say, Has technology improved us as houndsmen, created better hounds, or simply made us lazier and more dependant on using it?
Don't get me wrong a lot of the tech is nice and it's neat and definitely more than a novelty in today's hunting world. But has it improved us? And how so? Or has it made us lazy and dependant (path of least resistance)?
I use tracking collars and some shock collars, couldn't afford Garmin for my pack if I saved for 5 years. But I rarely ever pull out my beep beep box, as my dogs are trained to hunt close and I tend to stay near them during the hunt. It is as rare I use my shock collars even though I start several pups a year.
I know all my hounds voices, which technology cannot teach me, I usually know which dog is up front based on voice and intensity, I also will run my guts out to see them cross a path and get a view of dogs in action, to know which dog is pulling the pack. Some people say that you think old Jim is doing the work but the Garmin shows you he is middle to back of pack just barking a lot making you think he is doing the lions share, but if that is the case I challenge you to look at yourself and ask how well do I know my own hounds, how hard to I work to learn them.
When Garmin bought tri tronics the new shockers have a 4 mile range (supposedly) however inf Jim were that far away I have no clue what jim is doing to correct him.
The GPS is nice and has its benefits butbi have seen it turn many ppl into computer jockeys...looking at screen to see whose in the lead, or known that they are exactly 213 yards away, and moving at 12 mph. That's not enjoying a race to me.
My grandfather and his buddies, and father and his buddies broke as many dogs with out the use of this technology, caught as much game, and knew their dogs just as well.
So has the tech improved us. Or just made us conveniently lazy?

[SASS]

In my opinion it should only help though I am sure in certain cases it allows people to become lazy.

I believe the Alpha system is an extremely valuable tool and should be used with what you have already done for years and years, and not instead of. So you mention the part about thinking a dog is leading that is not, and you say you challenge them about how well they really know their dogs, well that is a great challenge and with an Alpha they can check and know the absolute truth. Because you may think you know because you have done it for so long but before it was very hard to prove except by actually seeing them, all else was only speculation whether it be from someone who really did know their hounds or somebody that did not, either way still speculation.

It also can help with behavior training like trash breaking though not necessary and the benefit of tone training for people who's dogs hunt very long range. My dad always told me to get ahead work smarter and harder, I think taking advantage of the technology at hand can be a way of working smarter but there is no substitute for putting in the time with your dogs. Just my two cents.

[perk]

Sass, I have a buddy who runs his dogs in a Fox pen only. Every time he hunted one pen one collar at some point in the night shows the dog has left the pen and gone across the country towards a main highway 5-6 miles away, even though this dog is in the chase and he can see it in the crossings, happened on many occasions. Another buddy I hunt with has had his Garmin show a dog in several spots it wasn't for sure bc the dog was in my truck, not near the next highway or back at the hole the fox went in... it is a nice tool I agree but definitely not infallible as far as exact locations!

[catdog360]

I think it has made training a lot easier. But I believe the newer generation has lost touch with the heart of the hunt. I also believe it has allowed us to breed less superior dogs. What I mean are dogs that have faults that we would have never put up with in the past that Garmin now allows us to live with.

[Rshcwisdom]

Garmin has saved lots of dogs for those of us that live and hunt in wolf country. It allows us to stay closer to the dogs and get to the tree quicker. If it weren't for gps there would be lots more dogs killed by the wolves.

[mark]

Perk, i bet you would of been one of the last guys to trade your horse for an automobile too. Lmao!!!!!!!!!

[perk]

Mark a horse may be slower but I bet uou can put it in a lot more tight spots than I can my 2500. Lol.
Honestly I'd have a Garmin if I could afford it. And wasnt afraid the system I got would be obsolete in 5-6 yrs, remember it is a tech company, not a hunting company. But over last 15 yrs I've sunk a lot of money (well a lot to someone who is poor) in collars and boxes. I'll just treat them like my vehicles, drive them til the wheels fall out. That's what happens when your frugal!

[Lee Wolford]

I paid for my garmin system the first 6 months just in fuel savings alone! We used to spend hours driving roads over and over with that blue box we all remember so well, chasing beeps all over the country. Many times i had dogs lost all night and even weeks. It used to be bear hunting in north Idaho that if we got home with all the dogs by dark it was a good day, now if i get home after noon it was a long day. It sure is nice to be able to roll up on the exact spot where your dogs crossed the road and see a bear track! The Alpha system made good hunters great hunters.

[SASS]

[perk]

Wasn't being argumentative sass, just pointing out flaws I've seen happen. Happy hunting to you too !

[scrubrunner]

It has made me lazier, and I don't care. In fact I'm happy about it. The garmin has also made me more knowledgeable about my hounds and makes trash breaking and training to come when called much easier. It better on the dog in my opinion. If I call I can see they are coming so I don't have to stimulate or if they're not I know to stimulate. It makes it easier to keep off property they don't belong on. To me it has all positives and no negatives.
I think there is something wrong with somebody that insists on doing something the way they always did it when there is a easier and better way available. After all my grandparents grew up with no electricity or running water but sure embraced its use when they got it. We didn't have a water heater when I was little, did it make me lazier because we no longer had to heat bath water on the stove. Maybe but I'm glad.
I hunted 40 years with neither but If my garmin and beep beep collars was taken away from me now I would get rid of the dogs and go fishing.

[scrubrunner]

Nothing has made me lazier than my recliner chair has!
Best advice I can give is, if you don't have one don't get one!

[perk]

Haha

[Jeff Eberle]

perk, I do believe that technology is making us lazy , reliant , and a few other things. Before cell phones how many phone numbers did you know off the top of you head ? But what are we willing to give up ? Your 4x4, snowmobile, quad , side by side, horse ? I started bear hunting almost 30 yrs ago No tracking collars No shock collars and No 4x4. I'm not willing to go back to any of that. I know who's bark means what and who's who. I do believe I learned most of what I know (which ain't much ) coming up in the hunting world with out all the technology that we have today. I do believe that a young man starting out hound hunting will go one way or the other and it won't have anything to do with the technology but what kind of man he is. I mostly run cat and fox now and I do watch the screen on and off in a race to see who's running to wide on a cat or to tight on a fox who's working the hardest on a lose who's checking a tree before treeing or just siding in and treeing because others are and a bunch of other things. You would have one hell of a fight on your hands if your tried to take my garmin.

[SASS]