TEK 2.0: Voice Feature

The SportDOG Brand TEK 2.0 e-collar and tracking unit has turned out to be a fantastic addition to my training tools. I train my Mountain Curs hard all year round. During the hottest summer days, I train first thing in the morning, and then again in the evening. I’ve been using the TEK 2.0 for more than a year, on an almost-daily basis, and it’s really improved my training and hunting. Let me explain why it works so well for me.

This comment might sound a bit odd to some hunters who use GPS devices, but here it is: Once I enter the forest, I pop the Handheld in my pocket and I scarcely glance at it again. The reason for this is the voice feature. It really simplifies matters. Instead of repeatedly checking the Handheld's screen as I used to, I let the TEK 2.0 provide me audible updates on the status of my dog. I always have a compass attached to my watch strap, and when the TEK device informs me of the distance and direction to my dog, I simply look at my compass and head towards him.

I have friends who are still constantly looking down at their GPS to try and figure out where their dogs are. I think the way I do it is a lot easier and lets me get a fix on my dog’s position more quickly. That’s not to say I never look at the screen. If I need to check the map to find a stream or orient myself to a road, the Handheld is right there to help me.

Now, some hound or beagle chaps who hunt with a pack of dogs might not think the voice feature is that significant of an advantage. When their dogs are keenly following a scent and within hearing distance, I understand that. But my Mountain Curs hardly ever bark. They might give five or six barks when they're on a scent and getting close to treeing, but mainly they're silent until they've cornered a squirrel or racoon up a tree. Also, I typically hunt with just one cur dog at a time. Sometimes I'll take a pup along with an older dog, but most of the time it's just me and a single dog.

Another piece of information the TEK 2.0 broadcasts is the speed at which my dog is moving. This is really helpful. When I let a dog off the lead, and he takes off out of sight, he could be hunting anywhere from 100 to 1,000 yards away. That dog could end up off to one side or maybe even behind me. When that dog is out of sight and if he’s not making any noise, I have no idea how much ground he’s covering or how hard he’s hunting unless I’ve got the Handheld telling me what’s happening out there.

I’m also really impressed with the signal strength of this unit. Where I hunt, there’s lots of thick pines and mixed timber. I’ve had a dog tree very deep in the cover, where I couldn’t hear him, but the Handheld told me he was treed. Instead of busting through the thick stuff to get to him, it was easier to go back out to a road and cut to him from another direction using the map feature.

For me, the voice and map features on the TEK 2.0 have taken the advantage of using a tracking unit to the next level during both training and hunting. It’s a great way to get the most out of your time in the woods.