Garmin watch for upland hunting

[guf54]

I am looking into getting a Garmin Fenix watch to pair with my 550 plus handheld…is there any advantage to buying the newer versions of the watch or would I be fine with the Fenix 3? I’m pretty much only going to use the watch for tracking dogs while hunting so if the newer updated watches don’t have improvements towards hunting/dog tracking I’ll probably get an older model.

 

[chemist]

I run an alpha 100 and purchased a watch this fall just to use for dog tracking. I went with the garmin instinct since it was the least expensive to accomplish the goal.

I had to have the watch I purchased replaced through warranty but the replacement has worked great and I like having the dog location and alerts on my wrist.

 

[Jason Snyder]

My buddy also uses the Instinct with the Alpha 100/TT10

 

[Dos XX]

I use the Instinct as well with my 550 plus.

 

[IdahoFF]

Instinct. Been running it for the past 3seasons with my Alpha 100. Super convenient not having to pull the transmitter out of the pouch. I wear the instinct all day everyday and have had zero issues besides band replacements.

 

[CMP70306]

I am looking into getting a Garmin Fenix watch to pair with my 550 plus handheld…is there any advantage to buying the newer versions of the watch or would I be fine with the Fenix 3? I’m pretty much only going to use the watch for tracking dogs while hunting so if the newer updated watches don’t have improvements towards hunting/dog tracking I’ll probably get an older model.

I have the Epix Pro which I got on a steep discount back around Black Friday. To me the one advantage to it over the others is that I can record my hunt as well as track my dog. On my previous Fenix 6 when you started an activity you were in that activity and had to stop it to access the rest of the watches features.

The Epix and some of the other new watches have a specific hunt activity which records all your metrics and your path but allows you to go back and use the rest of the watches features such as the dog tracking.

In my case I have the 300i and a golden retriever so generally if she is far enough that I can’t see her I’m probably pulling out the alpha anyway.

 

[blkqi]

It is probably better to find a current model that fits the budget rather than an older one.

This is true of most tech, to ensure you get adequate product support. And also Moore's law.

 

[Mcfish]

I run a Fenix 7 with my Alpha 100. I went with the largest face so it's easier to see. You can run the map view on your watch which can be handy when near a road.

The touchscreen is awesome and it also has a flashlight which is surprisingly handy.

 

[Montero]

I have the FENIX 6 Pro too and pair it with my 550 Plus. I learning to use it to track to two dogs this season and it's real quick and handy to view at a glance where and the status of the dog....whether the dogs on point or just out a little to far or heading to the next county. I have a mini collar to track my wife beagle if we are on hikes and she goes beagle on us and wonders off. I picked up mine on a good sale purchase and picked the best I could afford and I'm glad I did. The battery life is descent and my challenge will be to learn about the possible features/apps available. It's a pretty cool tool to use.

 

[yfarm]

2 sons are training for triathlons with a professional coach. Fenix watch provides physiologic data from sensors that the coach can monitor remotely while they work out. Both are long time runners but had no idea what their outputs were before using the watch. Remarkable same watch can track your bird dog. For us old farts it provides information that might save your life during intense exertion in heavy cover In remote places. Suspect it can be paired with your InReach.

 

[Front Range Gun Dog]

We like the new Garmin Instinct Solar 2X for this task. The model you choose really depends on what other features you may need in addition to dog tracking. Here is a picture of the tracking screen for the Garmin Instinct Solar 2X. The screen will look the same for the other watch models. Some screens will be monochrome and others will have color depending on the watch model. One of the benefits is the Garmin PRO 550 Plus handheld transmitter only vibrates for on point notification. So having your watch vibrate on your wrist means you will likely not miss a point when covering ground in the field. Alpha series transmitters can be set for both the audible alarm and vibrate for on point notifications. All Garmin Dog Training GPS Transmitters will need to be set to the broadcast data mode for the watch to receive the tracking info.

 

[guf54]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I ended up finding a pretty good deal on a good condition Fenix 6 watch on eBay. I’ve played around with it a lil bit and I think this is going to be one of my favorite hunting purchases. The ability to just look at my wrist for dog location and the vibrating “dog on point” alert will come in super handy out in the field.

 

[Dos XX]

We like the new Garmin Instinct Solar 2X for this task. The model you choose really depends on what other features you may need in addition to dog tracking. Here is a picture of the tracking screen for the Garmin Instinct Solar 2X. The screen will look the same for the other watch models. Some screens will be monochrome and others will have color depending on the watch model. One of the benefits is the Garmin PRO 550 Plus handheld transmitter only vibrates for on point notification. So having your watch vibrate on your wrist means you will likely not miss a point when covering ground in the field. Alpha series transmitters can be set for both the audible alarm and vibrate for on point notifications. All Garmin Dog Training GPS Transmitters will need to be set to the broadcast data mode for the watch to receive the tracking info.

How do you get the dog's names on the watch?

Edit: I don't think you can do that with PRO 550 Plus, can you?

 

[revoked]

I run a refurbished Fenix 6x Sapphire, works great and Garmin support was fantastic when I did have an issue 18 months ago.