How to Use a Yaesu VR-500 for Dog Tracking

Radio dog tracking is one of the newest tracking methods used by serious hunters because of its accuracy. The radio unit can pinpoint your dog's location, allowing you to find the dog before the prey he is chasing has escaped. The Yaesu VR-500 is popular for its accuracy and its versatility.

Things You'll Need

• Yaesu VR-500 GPS unit
• Dog tracking collar

Instructions

How to Use a Yaesu VR-500 for Dog Tracking

1. Fit your dog with a proper tracking collar. A tracking collar is typically a thick, soft collar with a tracking unit attached to it. The wide band of the collar prevents it from cutting into your dog's neck while supporting the bulk of the radio unit. Make sure you can slip two fingers under the collar to prevent it from choking your dog.

2. Turn the Yaesu VR-500 unit on and make sure it is picking up the signal from the dog's collar. Your receiver will locate the dog within a range of one to four miles, depending on the terrain and weather.

3. Take your dog to the hunting area. Be sure the collar and receiver both have new batteries or are fully charged so you don't lose track of your dog. Once a dog has homed in on prey, he will be much more interested in tracking prey than paying attention to you as a handler.

4. Allow the dog to follow a scent trail and begin following his motions with your radio receiver. The receiver will detect his location and transmit it back to you with a series of beeps as you get closer to the dog. The closer you are, the stronger the signal will be and the more frequent the beeps will be. If you do not pick up any sounds, you are heading in the wrong direction and need to reorient yourself.

5. Use caution when approaching your dog. If he has cornered prey, you might hear him barking as you get closer. Take care when taking down the prey that you don't injure your dog.

6. Remove the collar as soon as you have returned to your base camp. Do not leave the collar on when you're not hunting. Your dog could injure himself or damage the unit if he wears the collar during non-hunting hours. The Yaesu VR-500 can pick up a number of radio bands, so preventing unnecessary wear and tear on the unit is important.

7. Practice radio tracking with your dog frequently to hone your skills. The more often you track with your dog, the more familiar you will be with how the unit works and how to read and follow your dog's movements.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when you first start using your Yaesu VR-500 unit. It is a sensitive radio device and can pick up interfering signals.

• Never let your dog play or roughhouse with his tracking device on. The dog can be injured and the unit can be damaged.

References

• Radio Tracking
• Yaesu 500