And also broke! I'm a sucker for bird hunting / bird dog technology.

They are not getting away now, are they Kevin? You've got them cornered!

Very nice!! A man must have a passion. Bird hunting is a great one. That stuff will come in handy with the decline since last year. Dogs are going to have to work harder this season

It will be a good year! I like the purchase.

Nice Kev! Congrats!

a man has to have at least one vice

Get out there and get after that cheap meat.

I'm jealous.... I want the watch to go with my garmin

Looks like the birds are in trouble on your place!

This watch is cool. Does more things than I could ever imagine a watch doing. Gonna take me weeks to figure everything out.

Tell me what the watch does. Does it replace the handheld completely

The watch does replace the hand held pretty much. You still have to carry it but just look at the watch.

Nice to know them that has money!

It connects to my phone and alerts me of calls & texts, has all the fitness stuff like a fit watch (will keep track of walking , swimming, biking, etc.) has weather, topographic maps with navigation and will tell you which direction, how far and if your dog's are moving or pointing. It does many more things but that's all I've learned in two days.

And if you're a golfer (i'm not) it has detailed maps of most courses in the U.S. (and probably the world).

Wow how cool Good luck

I guess I am just dumb, havent figured out how to connect my watch to my alpha yet.

What watch do you have?

Fenix 3

Download Garmin Express onto your computer and follow its instructions to update watch & Handheld (very simple), then follow these instructions.

Using the Dog Tracking Widget on a fenix 3

The fenix 3 series devices have a Dog Tracking widget. The device software version does have to be up to date in order for the dog tracking widget to be available. Please see related content for updating the software on your device. The dog tracking widget is only functional when used with the Alpha 100 and Astro 430 dog tracking handhelds.

In order for the widget to receive information from the dog tracking handheld Broadcast Mode must be enabled on the handheld.

To enable Broadcast Mode on the transmitting handheld (Alpha):

Go To Main Menu
Select Setup
Select Dogs
Select Broadcast Dog Data
Select On

To enable the widget on the wearable (watch):

Select Settings
Select Widgets
Select DogTrack
Select Status to Show

Once the dog tracking handheld is set to Broadcast Mode and tracking a compatible dog tracking collar the wearable widget will show the dogs names, status, distance and direction from the handheld.

The widget will also alert the user when the Dog has treed or is on point just like the transmitting handheld does. In order for these alerts to show on the watch the user needs to be on the widget screen. The notifications will not occur on the watch if the user is on the watch screen or another widget screen.

Thanks CC. I will give it a shot when I get home

A couple of questions about the watch that i do not find info on the Garmin website about.

1] What is the range between the watch and the Alpha 2] Can the Alpha update more than one watch simultaneously?

We are wondering if you and a hunting buddy can each sync watches to one Alpha? There are usually 3 - 4 of use, but we only have two alphas.

Is this bluetooth or something similar in range, or is the Watch to Alpha connection using channel hopping Murs, like the link to the collars? If its is Murs, that should give you a couple of hundred feet of range with the tiny antenna in the watch.

It's Bluetooth so about 50 feet max. Yes, I believe multiple watches can sync to the same alpha but they would have to be within the 50' range. It's mostly so you can leave the Alpha in it's holster or vest pocket and just look at your watch for distance and direction of dog.
If you would only be getting the watch for dog track function, it's probably not worth the $700 price tag. You can buy the Alpha 100 handheld for $600.

Looks like you're set for a good long while.