Hunting dog GPS tracker with no subscription: what are the options?
If you hunt where there is no mobile signal and you don’t want to pay every month for every dog, you need a radio tracker, not a SIM tracker. Here are the options and how to choose.
Short answer: if you hunt where there is no signal and you don’t want to pay every month, look for a radio tracker, not a SIM tracker. Radio trackers work with no mobile network and have no fees; SIM trackers stop where there are no masts and charge a subscription per dog.
The three types of tracker
| Type | Works with no signal? | Fees? | Indicative price | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIM card (e.g. Tractive, Weenect) | No | Yes, every month and per dog | Cheap to start | Pet dogs in areas with good signal |
| Radio with handheld (e.g. Garmin Alpha) | Yes | No | From about €330 to over €1,000 | Hunters who want the most complete kit and don’t mind the handheld |
| Radio with your phone (Montered) | Yes | No, ever | Kit from about €169 (indicative) | Hunting packs and parties who want to see every dog on their phones |
Prices checked in Spanish shops in September 2026. Montered is in field trials and not on sale yet.
Why SIM trackers fail in the hills
A SIM tracker is basically a small phone: it knows where it is thanks to GPS, but it needs mobile signal to tell you. In dense cover, a gully or the mountains, the dog keeps moving and all you see is the last point that got through. And you still pay the fee, for every dog.
What to check before you buy
- That it doesn’t depend on mobile signal. That comes first: if it doesn’t work where you hunt, nothing else matters.
- That there are no fees. Not for the app, not for the collar, not per dog. Add up what you would pay over five seasons.
- That the whole party can see it. If only the person with the handheld can see the dogs, everyone else is hunting blind.
- That it lasts the day. Head out before dawn and come back with battery left.
- That it’s built for hunting. A wide strap, mud- and water-proof, with a beeper and a light to find the dog up close.
- Range, measured on your ground. In open country it reaches kilometres; in gullies, less. Be wary of figures with no small print.
Where Montered fits
Montered is a radio collar that sends the dog’s position to a pocket receiver, which passes it to your phone. No SIM, no mobile signal needed and no fees, ever. Your party sees every dog at the same time, and the same system helps organise driven hunts, with one unit at each stand.
We’re testing it with hunting packs in the 2026–27 season. If you’d like to try it with yours, join the waitlist at montered.com/hunting-dogs.
Frequently asked questions
Are there GPS dog trackers with no monthly fee?
Yes. Radio trackers have no subscription: the collar sends its position straight to a receiver or handheld, without going through the mobile network. SIM trackers do charge a subscription, usually for every dog.
Does a SIM tracker work in the hills?
Only where there is mobile signal. If the dog goes into a gully or an area with no masts, the collar cannot send its position and your phone shows the last point that got through.
How much does a hunting dog tracker with no subscription cost?
Radio systems with a handheld cost from about €330 to over €1,000 (prices in Spanish shops, September 2026). The Montered kit with collar and receiver will have an indicative price of about €169, and each extra collar about €69. Montered is not on sale yet.
Can several people in the hunting party see the dogs?
It depends on the system. With handheld systems, every hunter needs a handheld. With Montered, one receiver lets up to 4 phones in the party see every dog at the same time.