Hunting Team Communication

Hunting teams need two things from their communication equipment: knowing where the dogs are, and knowing where each other is. Dog Navi was one attempt at solving this, but it has been discontinued for some time. Teams are looking for alternatives.

The situation in Japan

Dog Navi was one of the few systems built for Japanese hunting teams. It tracked dogs with GPS collars and showed the positions of other hunters in the group. But the manufacturer discontinued it some time ago. Finding working units is difficult, and there is no more support.

Garmin makes well-regarded GPS dog tracking systems, and many hunters outside Japan depend on them. But Garmin dog trackers operate on frequencies that are not approved in Japan. Part of their strong performance likely comes from higher radio power, which is exactly why they cannot be certified here. Using them carries real risk: devices can be confiscated, and there are legal consequences.

So hunting teams in Japan are left with a discontinued product or an illegal one.

We tested Meshtastic on hunting dogs

Meshtastic was not designed as a dog tracker. But we wanted to know if it could work, so we attached Meshtastic devices to hunting dogs and took them into the field.

With some optimized settings, the results were better than expected. GPS positions came through reliably, and the mesh network meant that even when a dog moved behind a ridge, other devices in the group could relay the signal. It is not as fast or as frequent as the specialized solutions. Meshtastic works within the limits of low power and limited network capacity, so GPS updates are less frequent and range is shorter than what Garmin or Dog Navi can achieve.

But it turned out to be good enough to get the job done. And compared to using illegal devices, it is a much better option.

What makes it work for hunting teams

Beyond dog tracking, Meshtastic handles the full communication needs of a hunting team:

• Everyone sees everyone: Every team member's GPS position is shared automatically. The team leader can see where all hunters and dogs are on a map.
• Silent messaging: Text messages do not spook game. "Moving to east ridge." "Dog heading west." Messages stay on screen so nothing gets missed.
• Mesh coverage: Messages hop between devices, reaching across valleys and ridgelines where direct signals would not get through.
• Encryption: All messages are encrypted. Devices relaying your messages cannot read them.
• Internet relay: When a team member's phone has mobile signal, messages can be relayed over the internet to reach hunters far beyond mesh range. Karida Cloud makes this easy to set up and manage, even for teams not familiar with the technical side.
• Affordable for the whole team: With Dog Navi or Garmin, equipping every hunter was expensive and difficult. Meshtastic devices are low cost with no subscription, so the whole team can join in.

That last point matters. When everyone carries a device, the mesh network gets stronger and the team gets better visibility of each other. It is not just about the dog handler anymore.

Honest comparison

Meshtastic does not match the raw performance of dedicated dog trackers. GPS updates are less frequent, and range per device is more limited. Dog Navi and Garmin were built for exactly this job, with higher power and specialized protocols.

But Dog Navi is gone, and Garmin is not legal in Japan. Meshtastic is available, affordable, fully legal, and it covers both dog tracking and hunter coordination in one system. It also offers mesh relay and encrypted messaging, which neither Dog Navi nor Garmin provide.

	Dog Navi	Garmin dog trackers	Meshtastic
Dog tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes (with optimized settings)
Hunter positions	Yes	Limited	Yes (GPS + map)
Text messaging	No	Limited	Yes
Mesh relay	Limited	No	Yes
Encryption	No	No	Yes
Legal in Japan	Yes (discontinued)	No	Yes
Cost per device	Used market only	High	Low
Whole team affordable	Difficult	Difficult	Yes

Want to know how to set up Meshtastic for your hunting team? Get in touch.