I elk hunted last year in Colorado with 7 mile radios made by BellSouth. We could communicate approximately 1.5 to 2 miles. I want to go ahead and get some better radios for this year's hunt.

I am looking at the Midland 14 mile radios in Cabelas, also looking at the 8-10 mile Motorola radios in Cabelas. The Motorola's are more expensive, but have a much shorter range.

My question is, do you think that Midland is overstating their range dramatically or is there another reason I should consider a Motorola over a Midland (or am I just paying for the Motorola name). Any other suggestions?

Which should I buy?

Thank ya'll

NitroSteel

I noticed you'd gotten no response. Interesting.

In some states hunting with radios is against the law. I'd be careful how I was using them. I got a couple of the little Motorolas for taking the kids to the lake. They worked fine for that. I tried them once hunting in Idaho as a meens of coms for when my partner or I were moving to an undiscussed area. They didn't work to well. I have not tried anything else since.

Midland radios that use GMRS frequency with a range of up to 12 miles require an FCC license, Midland makes some dual freq radios that have FRS & GMRS freqs require an FCC license. The GMRS radios have longer range. Go to http://www.midlandradio.com and check out their Freq asked questions or click on their for products to determine which radio requires an FCC license.

Nitro Steel: Be very careful with your radios in regards to Hunting Big Game.
The local paper here in SW Montana is full of notices of Hunters being ticketed and fined ($175.00 as I recall) all season long - for using radios to Hunt with!
Just one scenario that I am familiar with. A friend of a friend of mine was ticketed for using his Motorola to call his partner and inform him that indeed he had an Elk down and was going to get his game cart and would meet his friend at the Elk at the head of the draw.
They were both ticketed for using the radios to aid their Hunt!
Retrieving Game is considerd part of the Hunt and their usage to co-ordinate the retrieval was illegal. They were ticketed and found guilty in the county court here.
I later inquired of a Montana Game Warden in person if in fact the scenario my friend relayed to me was illegal. His reply was "absolutely"! Use of a radio to aid Game retrieval is illegal. I further inquired if notifying ones Hunting partners via radio that one was done Hunting for the time being and one was headed back to camp or the vehicle. The warden advised that yes this was also "technically" a violation but he himself had not ticketed anyone for this.
So it sounds like the radios can only be used to advise ones Hunting partners that ones leg is broken is about all that can legally be done with them!
I have the 2 mile Motorolas myself and find that I do not use them much anymore because of worries about being ticketed. Its just not worth the hassle. I fully advocate taking the small Motorolas along though for someone that may get lost or has to be out after dark or whatever. They are so small and lightweight! But mentioning ANYTHING to do with a Hunters movements, intentions or where game is (dead or alive!) will result in a ticket in my corner of Montana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

"It is unlawful to use cell phones and two-way radios to pursue, shoot, wound, kill, chase, lure, or capture game animals." Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

"The penalty for using any two-way communication device to pursue or take game, or to avoid a game-check station, is from $70 to $520, and may result in the confiscation of any game animals unlawfully taken." Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

"Two-Way Communications: It will be unlawful to use any type of two-way electronic communication to aid in the hunting (meaning to "pursue, shoot, wound, kill, chase, lure, possess or capture") of big game animals, to avoid game checking stations, to elude FWP enforcement personnel or to facilitate unlawful activity. When hunting mountain lions or bobcats with dogs, this rule applies when hounds are placed on tracks in a district open to lion or bobcat harvest. This rule shall not be interpreted to prohibit the possession or use of two-way radios for safety or other legitimate purposes, nor does it prohibit the use of radio tracking equipment to locate hounds when hunting mountain lions or bobcats." Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

I find it interesting to see the above information and not be able to find on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website the actual written regulation concerning two-way communications. According to the above it should be entirely legal to tell a hunting partner over the radio that they are quiting hunting for the day and returning to camp. That is not an aid in pursuing or taking game. It sounds like Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has some work to do.

The stated ranges for radios is the range under ideal conditions !That is pretty much line of sight.In the mountains the range may be much less .When the FRS radios first came out their ideal 2 mile range was about 1/2 mile here in the Catskill Mtns .

Im looking at the 2005 Big Game brochure for Colorado as I write this.
UNFORTUNATELY!!! it does not say anything about the use of radios for hunting. THATS A SHAME!!! I would give CDOW a call...303.297.1192 or http://www.wildlife.state.co.us

And apparently ATV's are still legal if used only on designated trails...Yeah, that happens.

Please leave your radios and atv's out of the colorado forests!! try instead, to HUNT.

** i will now step down from my soap box**

The original Montana regs were not aimed at the average hunter or at least that's the story. The problem, it seems, came when reports surfaced that several outfitters desided to use wranglers to go out an sit on a herd of elk and report back to camp as to the location of the elk so the guides could take their clients to the right spot. There were various reports of teenage guides camping on mountain tops with high end radios and spotting scopes keeping the base camp informed of any elk or deer movements. There were also stories of groups of hunters using radios to set up drives, that sort of thing. I don't know if any of this was atually happening but FW&P seemed to take it pretty seriously. My advice is if you are hunting in Montana, keep the radio or even cell phone in your pack and turned off. If you do use it make damn sure that no one is around, no matter what the reason.

I would be interested in hearing from an attorney as to how FW&P could legally know (other than standing next to you while you were making the call) that you were using the radio or especially a cell phone to violate regs. Are they using scanners to listen to radios? I don't know if you have any privacy rights with CB's etc. But are cell phones convered by Fed. privacy laws? Something along the rules for wire taps?

Bear in mind that an elk you've shot that runs down into a steep canyon to die will cause mysterious static and your partners radios to malfunction when you call to have them help you pack it out.

They are illegal in Colorado, watched a couple guys get tickets for useing them.
I think that if your just useing them for staying
in "touch" and not use them to discuss game
movement nothing will be said.
Charlie

NitroSteel: To answer your question, the 14 mile rating will reach 14 miles, if you are on open water or something like that. If you are in an area with loads of mountains and valleys, then you can pretty well cut your range to that mountain side and that valley for about seven or eight miles. I own a set of the Midland camo radios with a 10-12 mile range. A buddy of mine went atop a mesa when I lived in Grants, New Mexico, with my Arctic Cat ATV about eight miles away and we were able to communicate well from him to in front of my apartment. It was a straight-line communication with no barriers or buildings between us. As to all the other crap about the ethics of using radios in the field, or the legality of using them, I'll let the others argue that out. Your question was about range and I hope I answered your question. Unless you live on the water or have a direct line of sight for 12 or 14 miles, your communications will be cut roughly in half. Tom Purdom

Hysider, are you sure the guys you saw get a ticket weren't doing something else illegal, like maybe talking on a radio while scouting game from an airplane? I just double checked the DOW's 2005 Big Game Brochure and it doesn't say that using radios are illegal. Cell phones aren't mentioned either, and it seems that at least half the people in this country under the age of 30 would die if they couldn't use their cell phone for a few hours. See 2005 Big Game

Another example where there needs to be a law, but laws are made that go too far.

Let me first state here it is perfectly legal to use two way radios while hunting. We have been using them for a number of years for contact use. Ie: moving positions, help with downed animals and for emergency. For the most part they are just wasting batteries but have been very useful onoccasion.

The mile rating on all is over water or direct line of sight, they will NEVER achieve these published results in what most of us call "the field". I have been using Motorola 5 mile GRMS for a few years and they were lucky to acheive much more than 1/4 of the 5 mile rating in most terrain/conditions we hunt. Same with my partners Cobra 7 mile units. They both produced 2 watts of power on GRMS freq Bands, which I believe to be the key to getting the most out of these small radios. This spring while doing some prep work at our elk camp we had the chance to try out the Midland 450 - 4 watt GRMS. 3-4 miles was obtainable most times in the same terrain/conditions we hunt in and used the other GRMS radios I mentioned. Midland has now come out with the 550 - 5 watt unit, which at this point is the most powerful GRMS on the market I have found. I have a set on order as the 450's impressed me enough and decieded heck might as well go with an extra watt. Unfortunately they haven't arrived yet so can't comment on how much better they are but my suggestion is do not look at the optimal mile rating but rather the power or in this case watts used in the unit. As far as I am concerned and my experience has shown between these 2 go with the Midland or another larger watt unit.

Of course if it is legal to use these devices in your area.

BTW my advice is buy one with the rechargable battery pack & charger..GRMS channels chews up the batteries!