Big Game Hunting New Zealand Sep/Oct 2015 | Page 34

EW
I
V

RE

It is pretty much a rip
collar with a very strong
and hard wearing plate
firmly attached to cover
the vital areas of the neck
chest and brisket while not
allowing a tusk to slip up
under and into the dog’s
throat. There are no straps or
buckles so it fits on as quickly
as an ordinary rip collar with
overlaying Velcro held firm by
your dog’s tracking collar.
The plate sits in place with
a section of stretchy elastic
fabric running over top of the
shoulders, making it a one
size fits most arrangement.
Because the plate is not held down by straps
there is plenty of movement for the dog and
when they put their head up the plate pulls
away from the chest.
When the dog’s head goes straight or down
the plate sits back flush to the chest and neck.
If you watch a dog as they hit a pig there body
shifts lower and their head drops down and
generally during the heat of the battle the dog
has its head down most of the time. I guess
that’s where the name “Strike” vest comes from,
as that first strike when the dog hits the pig is
often where the damage is done.

GAME GEAR

S

STRIKE VEST

ince getting a good dog killed by a
pig recently I have been working hard
to bring through a new team of pups
and now that they are semi going I want to
look after them as best I can. The dog that
died was wearing a standard neck protection
rip collar at the time, but the boars tusk slipped
underneath and hit the jugular, so I have been
looking for better options.
My dogs are supposed to be light weight bailers
34 BGHNZ Issue 8 Sep/Oct 2015

REVIEWED BY - SHAUN MONK

so throwing a full chest plate on them just
doesn’t seem right. I talked to Joel from Game
Gear and he sent me down a Strike Vest to try
out as the next best option.
Joel is a pig hunter himself and I know him and
his Game Gear team put a lot of trial and error
in to getting a useful product to market and this
Strike Vest has come through as a very useful
product indeed.
www.bghnz.co.nz

I attached the Strike Vest to my old dog
and wandered around the hills for a couple
of days pig hunting. I noticed when the dog
rolled around in the grass or shook her head
the Strike Vest always returned to th H\