Dog Gear
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SportDOG FieldTrainer 425
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with training collars that seem to be adding more and more features. But sometimes the classics are just hard to beat. The SportDOG FieldTrainer® 425 was the first collar I ever purchased for training my very first dog. It still works flawlessly. And though I’ve added new collars with added…
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Dogtra Pathfinder Mini
One of the most prevalent upland social media threads running is, “Which e-collar and why?” I had the same question, did some research and made a choice. I went with the Dogtra Pathfinder Mini which is expandable up to 21 dogs, has a 4-mile range, includes an inundating number of stimulation and tracking adjustments, and…
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Musher’s Secret
Our dogs work hard for us (no matter how terrible the hunting conditions may be) and its our job to take care of them! Our dogs’ paws have been cut up running through snow that the wind has blown over into ice. Musher’s Secret helps keep them protected and conditioned during hunting season. It is…
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Garmin Alpha 10
Garmin took the most popular, most used features from their other tracking and training collars and boiled them down into the smallest, most battery efficient handheld in their lineup. When paired with the TT15 Mini collars, the Garmin Alpha 10 becomes a powerful tool for tracking dogs and keeping them safe afield. I’ve had the…
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Adventure Dog Series Medical Kit
Adventure Medical Kits is now providing first aid necessities for canine with their Adventure Dog Series. When I heard about my friend’s new GSP I thought it would be a good excuse to get some quality puppy time and deliver the requisite puppy present. Libby really likes the nifty carry case. It seems to contain most…
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Ruffwear Highlands Pad
When roughin’ it in the backcountry, your K9 companion needs to sleep just as well as you do to have the energy to find wild birds. In search of a lightweight pad to carry for Lincoln on our backpacking adventure up 12,000 feet to chase ptarmigan, I stumbled upon the Highlands Pad from Ruffwear ($30)….
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Nite Ize Disco Spotlit
That conniving black lab of mine will no longer use cover of night to perform acts of mischief. Now I clip on a Nite Ize Disco SPOTLIT ($6) and he gives me the look of disdain as I send him outside to do his business. No more losing track of the dark dog in the darkness.
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The SportDOG TEK 1.0 GPS + E-Collar
The trend toward technology is a turnoff for many traditionalist bird hunters. So it was with some hesitation that we strapped the SportDOG TEK 1.0 on our young setter Rio this fall. The anxiety of becoming a slave to technology soon faded. This collar gives you the confidence to allow an inexperienced dog to explore,…
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Orvis ComfortFill-Eco Softshell Dog Bed
My bird dogs rarely just plunk down on a bed. It’s a whole process where they turn circles, try digging a hole completely through it, turn a few more circles the opposite direction and then settle in once they have verified the legitimacy of a sleeping spot. Orvis constructs their ComfortFill-Eco Softshell Dog Bed with…
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Orvis Softshell Hammock Seat Protector
I’m one of those hunters who likes things neat and tidy, at home and in my truck. Unfortunately, hauling toddlers and dogs in the backseat makes that a constant struggle. Between spilled juice boxes, uncapped markers, and wet dogs with muddy paws, I was fighting a losing battle. My wife took pity on me and…
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SportDOG Launcher System
The SportDOG Launcher System ($425) is a great tool for owners of pointing breeds hoping to train steadiness to flush and shot. To add realism to training, the transmitter can signal the launcher to emit the sound of a pheasant cackle or shotgun report eliminating the need for multiple assistants or cap guns. SportDOG continues to make…
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Orvis’s Field Collection Travel Bowl
I was about to hit the road for a three week road trip with my dog, Lincoln, and I was trying to travel as light as possible. Dog bowls can be bulky and take up too much space—that’s why I discovered Orvis’s Field Collection Travel Bowl ($29). Made of a cotton with a waterproof liner, the…
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Ruffwear Mt. Bachelor Pad
If you own bird dogs, you need to know about Ruffwear. Their dog boots have been a part of our essential gear for years because of the premium design and construction. And now Ruffwear is making the Mt. Bachelor Pad dog bed ($70 – $90) which shares the same awesome construction of their other products and is perfect…
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SportDOG Orange Plastic Dummies
Your bird dog works hard and deserves a present too. Our lab, Wyatt, goes bonkers for these SportDOG Orange Plastic Dummies. They come in both a regular and jumbo size and work great for both water and land retrieving practice. The 3-packs are the way to go ( Reg. $17.94 / Jumbo $24.95).
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SportDOG UplandHunter 1875 Collar
This comprehensive e-collar + beeper system is a great package for any uplander on your gift list. With a 1-mile range on the e-collar and 500-yard audible range on the beeper, the SportDOG Brand® UplandHunter® 1875 ($385) makes it just as easy to keep tabs on your big-running dog, as it is to locate your close-working pup…
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Cabela’s Gun Dog Food and Hydration Pack
Traveling with your favorite four-legged hunting companion just got easier with Cabela’s Gun Dog Food and Hydration Pack ($70) that makes storing food for a long road trip to hunt camp simple. The pack not only keeps up to 8lbs. of food dry with its roll-top closure, it also holds 1.5 liters of water. Bonus features: A…
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Aloe Care Fine Tooth Pet Comb
Early this season in Montana we spent 45 minutes after a morning hunt untangling collected cockle burs from Rio’s coat. Left unattended, burs can work their way into a dog’s pits and cause irritation while running. Then we found the Aloe Care Fine Tooth Pet Comb ($2.19) let’s you pull burs free from the hair with very little…
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Mud River Duffel and Crate Cushion
My mom always told me to invest in nice luggage, well, that goes for toting your hunting gear, also. My Mud River Rolling Duffel ($192) has been to Africa, Saskatchewan, and multiple states in the US, and still looks as good as the day I bought it. The hard-sided bottom adds an extra measure of protection, as well…
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SportDOG 875 SportTrainer
SportDOG’s 875 SportTrainer system features simple programming adjustments, expansion up to three dogs, and a solid range of ten training configurations. In either training or hunting situations, you want a system that has a substantial battery life. The SportDOG 875 uses lithium-ion batteries, which are specced to last between 50–70 hours per charge. We put the…
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Qalo Silicone Dog Badges
The dogs deserve a little added style with Qalo’s dog tags. I was initially skeptical that words etched in silicone would hold up to the rigors of a working dog. But all my dogs have rocked these tags since before the start of the season and they show no wear or tear. Yes, the…
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Ruffwear Approach Dog Backpack, Bivy Bowl
Having dogs share the load can save a lot of leg on a pack-in to upland camp. Ruffwear builds hard core active-dog gear. The Ruffwear Approach Dog Backpack ($60) has all the right adjustment points, fits close to the dog’s body and distributes loads evenly. It took a little time for Rio the setter to learn her new dimensions while…
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Ruffwear Float Coat
This isn’t a strange gift suggestion for an upland hunter if you remember I hunt behind a lab. In the summer time, I struggle to keep my pup in shape because of the heat. So where do I turn for exercise? Water. Which my lab has no problem with. When relaxing on the boat, I…
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Dogtra T&B Dual Trainer System
Every upland hunter dreads the day when their collar system fails. The remains of my upland transmitter, sprinkled across the freshly cut grass, brought that day home this past summer. The pinch of a new system on my hunting budget had me scrambling into the research weeds. My search ended with a clear front runner,…
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Mud River Feed & Retrieve Dog Food Bucket
When we’re on a long a hunt, I like to custom blend dog foods to increase the fat and protein content of our normal food. The structure of the Feed & Retrieve prevents it from tipping or spilling while I mix foods to match the calorie burns of hard working dogs. As food is consumed…
