I have been kicking around the idea of getting a Garman alpha but have noticed on multiple web sites that they are illegal in some field trials ukc akc exc does anyone know for sure if they will be allowed in coyote hunting field trials???? Any information would be greatly appreciated!!!!

They are legal. They are just a tracking device to locate your hound.

Not according to the ukc its a "training device" not allowd in field trials and must b leftn in truck or not used as per ukc!! Just curious how the coyote hunting world and rule lay before i spend $3000 to find out they wont alow them in coyote field trials

In ukc and pkc those are coon hunts and you can have them but you can't use them unless its a timeout. You may not be able to use the alpha so that you can't shock your dog in a timeout. But that shouldn't have anything to do with a fox hunt.

Yes you are correct John and I agree with you that they should be allowed in the coyote hunt but I was curious of whether they are for sure or not before I spent the money!!! Because the ukc says during Coon hunt they must be left in your vehicle you can't even carry them because they're a quote "training device" unlike the Atro series is s what I have read in several posts on the Internet. Just trying to see if anyone out there has gotten official word whether they would be allowed in fox and coyote hunts???

I would think since you don't have a timeout or have to handle your dog during a field trial, there would be no reason not to have it. I can't think of any reason you would want to shock your dog in a field trial unless you were hunting outside. Its a good question but everyone is going to them and I think they would have a hard time getting it to stick. The people in the coon hunts that cry about using them in the coon hunts are the guys with sorry dogs that need you to lose yours in a time out so they can win. I want people to get there dogs up so we can still compete, good dog for good dog. Thats why I don't coon hunt anymore, too many poor sports

Lol you couldnt hav said it much better!!! im hoping that all will b good but u neverno sometimes how it will all play out a guy just hates 2 spend $ untill 4 sure lol

I'm not a coon hunter, but don't they judge their own dogs? They could call a tree by looking at their machine, plus know which way to go to find them if they can't hear them treeing. I can see not using them at coon hunts.

You can't use any tracker during the hunt, even beep beep. You can use them in a time out. You cannot use a shocker in a time out because they say it helps you recover your dog too fast. I wish they would let people use there garmins during a hunt to tree there dogs, It is the most in accurate machine ever for that. Sorry for getting off topic CD, I just don't believe in a kennel club being able to tell you not to use your $3000 tracking equipment when necessary.

Keep your eye on rover and when he stays in one spot to long like looking at a coyote in a brush pile or fence corner give him a tickle and get him to moving again. Keep ole rover on the move and he will score more points.

First of all we are hunting coyote hounds, not coon hounds not bird dogs not rabbit dogs so what others can or cannot do is irrelevant. Second of all everyone at a field trial has the same opportunity to use or not use an alpha. If you are jealous that someone has one and you don't, I guess you should get a more lucrative profession so you can buy one for yourself. And lastly the coyote hunting world should be much more concerned with what performance enhancing drugs are going into the dogs at field trials rather than what collar is put on at cast.

First of all this has nothing to do with a lucrative business I have enough money I can go by 10 dog system tomorrow it's the general fact of that they are currently banned in other hunting regions and I know we aren't coon hunters on this board tjat was never the question the post up a couple describes why so many concerns not with me i dont giva ****. The way i look at it if if you have to cheat to win I hope the plaque was worth it. Second of all I couldn't agree with you more on the performance enhancing drugs goes back to the cheating thing mentioned earlier again hope the plaque is worth it this question wasn't posted to stir up a whole bunch of trouble just an honest question of whether anyone actually knew the facts of whether it was or was not going to be allowed

Wow! That went down hill quick. No one said anything negative about the alpha. We were only using coon hunting as a comparison because they have banned them. Why in the world do people have to get crabby about a conversation. Take your pms pills and use your real name. If you have a dog that has to be shocked during a hunt, you aren't going to place with that dog any way so have at it.

Because u have crybabys in the fox world if u have something they don't have they say you are cheating I say if u can get it let the dogs run.

WOW is rite sure went down hill fast!!! this post wasnt made to bash the alpha seems to be a great unit wasnt made to **** people off or bring out the crybabys unfortunatly ther are some in every crowd, has nothing to do with $$$ or jealousy the post was made to only find out if anybody REALY knew how they were going to handle the alpha in the coyote and fox hound field trial world THATS IT!!!!! dont know why people gota gat bent outa shape over a simple question

I THINK ALL OF UNES ARE GOOFY LOL I WILL BASH THE ALPHA I HAD ONE FOR TWO WEEKS AND WAS SICK. AFTER SPENDING $4,234.00 IT WAS JUNK KEPT SHOWING DOGS AT 99 MILE AWAY AND CANT TRACK A DC 30 OR DC40 COLLAR I WAS VERY DISAPOINTED

Whats difference haveing astro and shock collar
On dog is it allowed at coyote hunts.

I have had both systems and like both. I have had my alpha for 3 months and I love it. Once you figured it out you will like it. Lots of new features also. Just my opinion....FWIW

I love my alpha, don't think that it would give you an advantage in a fox pen because I know if I tone or shock mine they look for a truck or 4 wheeler or something to climb in or on. It is nice to gather dogs that don't like to quit, all I have to do is tone them once and yell and they are in route.

I'm not sure what's gonna come of it, but I have heard of some hunts banning the Alpha. They disqualify a hound if discovered that its being used. The way they look at is a man can see when his dog is bayed and shock him off. This would make the playing field uneven. It wouldn't surprise me if they become banned at every trial. There are a lot of people that are against the Alpha.

same here, I don't over use mine and I never shock if they still running. TRAIN with it, they figure it out.

Im with ten mile on this! They can have the same advantage if you put your own shock collar on! All the alpha is is a combo package! If they are that picky we could always take the tongs out of it and put the plugs in so you cant shock them.

So back to the original post has anyone actually heard for sure whether they are going to allow them? Do they currently allow you to run your trash breaker and your Astro at the same time? I have never seen it done at any of the hunt that I have been to???

The rule already on the books that covers this says you can't encourage or interfere with your hound during the field trial so as long as you don't "train" your hound during the hunt you are OK. I'm not sure who the "they" is that you are referring to. The laws of nature say that the affiliated associations get to make these kind of decisions for themselves. Talk to the officers of the hunt you are going to and see if they are going to ban the Alphas in the future. I don't see the Masters telling the affiliates they can't allow Alphas.

They aren't anybody specific just curious of what the bigger hunts " state hunts gov cup top gun masters" were sayin on them realy not trying to strir **** up just curious before i bought 1 lol

I have two Alpha units and two Garmin 320 units. The Alpha is so much better than the 320 it is unreal. Give some examples of what it could be used for in a field trial.

With the Birdseye satellite imagery loaded I could stimulate a dog when he is in the middle of a block and hung up on a coyote. All I have to do on my hounds is just hit the tone button after watching them sit still for a little while and they move on to another piece of game. How many hunts have been lost by a dog hung up on a piece of game in the middle of a block?

Secondly, Saturday I was on one side of a very large block of woods. My dogs were crossing the road on the other side of the block and I needed to catch them before they left our property. While watching them on my laptop via my Alpha I hit the tone button when they hit the road. It took me 5 minutes to get to the other side of the block and all the dogs were on the road waiting on me to load them up. A lot of hunts have been lost by dogs that ran 4-5 hours or more after the hunt is called.

I am a huge fan of the Alpha, but it will give you an unfair advantage in a field trial.

Hung up on a coyote I get, but because you have trained your dogs to get caught up easier after the horn blows is just a good job on your part. If you have all of your dogs broke to a coach whistle and you get into listening range they will come out to you and I don't see a difference.

Doc, please let us know where to get some of the stock you are running. Those hounds must be the most intelligent animals ever born. Without any verbal command from their owner and nothing but a tone sound and an electric tickle they understand exactly what you want them to do. In one case you want them to leave the game they are running and go get after something else. In another case you want them to stay and wait for you to pick them up. That's pretty amazing.

Let me tell you what mine will do. If I tone them or shock them they will either ignore me or they will hit the ground and squat there on their bellies until they receive further instructions. When they see me or hear me they can be made to do a lot of different things but just by toning or shocking them alone I can only make them do one thing and that is quit and wait. During a field trial, quitting is not a helpful trick. After the hunt is over it is helpful.

If you train your hounds to do things a certain way when you are at home (leaving a bay for instance) then they will start to do things the same way during a field trial. But, to think that a hunter can completely control a hound with nothing but a tone or a shock and no verbal command is just a little hard to believe.

I'm with you Heath,if I train or tone mine they are looking for me.