I have a had a couple collars over my years. Last year when the new pup came home, I thought it was probably time for a new one again. Initially I had in mind a good GPS beeper type collar. I use my beeper on point mode all of the time when hunting which is really awesome in the cattails and heavy cover. The GPS part only crossed my mind as the old dog was stone deaf and couldn't see real good anymore and he'd occasionally go for hike and I'd have to chase him down to get him to turn. His check back skills diminished with age, sight, deafness and the old codger don't give a damn attitude. Good thing he was old because I would've never caught him when he was young, lol.
Anyway, what i found was nobody make a GPS collar with a decent integrated beeper. So I started leaning toward just going with the GPS collar until i found the accuracy was like 20ft. Decided when the dogs buried in the cattails on point, that isn't gonna do me a lick of good when the two icons are on top of each other on the screen and the dog is 20 ft away. Not real sure I want to be holding the reciever stairing at the screen looking for my dog when a pheasant is ready to bust cover either. Decided that the other fact of the matter was, be it out hunting or out for a walk, I don't want them more than 50-100 yards away from me at any given time which I can hear the beeper well even with my really poor hearing. Add to that, the reality that my old hunting buddy's days were numbered. So, at the end of the day, a new Dogtra 2500 T&B made it's way home and sits on the work bench next to the old Dogtra 2000 T&B.
To be honest, after researching collars, I really don't see the use for a GPS collar unless you have some real control issues with your dog which should be addressed outside of having to track him/here down with a GPS; or your running tracking hounds for lions, coons, or other wise where your hunting out of the site of the dog. From a north Dakota waterfowl/upland standpoint, I don't see the allure or practicality to a GPS collar. FWIW, that's my 2 cents...
