.png){kind=tracking}
GPS Cattle Ear Tags
Volume Discount: Buy 4 more to save 5% (5+ units)
Solar-powered satellite ear tag that reports each animal's position every 6 hours. Nothing to charge, works past cell coverage, 3 years of service included.
Volume Discounts
Key Features
- Reports its GPS position every 6 hours over satellite
- Solar powered, with about 12 days of battery reserve in full shade
- Under 30 grams on the ear, set with a standard applicator
- Works far past cell coverage: canyons, brush country, federal leases
- Geofence, no-movement, and low-battery alerts
- iOS and Android apps plus a web dashboard
- 3 years of satellite service included, then $10 per tag per year
Product Overview
The VitaRanch GPS ear tag is a small solar-powered satellite tracker that rides on a standard ear tag mount. Four times a day it sends each animal's position up to a satellite and onto your map, whether that animal is on the back forty or on a lease three hours from pavement. There is nothing to charge and no cell signal needed on the ranch. Put the tag in with the applicator you already use, name the animal in the app, and you're tracking. Every tag includes 3 years of satellite service; after that it's $10 a year per tag.
Reports every 6 hours
4 positions a day, year round
Solar powered
~5 h of sun charges a dead battery
Under 30 grams
Standard ear tag applicator
3 years of service
Included, then $10/yr per tag
Global Satellite Coverage
Track your cattle anywhere on Earth
Our GPS ear tags communicate via satellite networks that blanket most of the inhabited world. No cell towers needed -- if your cattle can see the sky, their location is being tracked.
Coverage is provided by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations that are continuously expanding.
Orange shading indicates satellite coverage zones. Your tags work anywhere within these regions with a clear sky view. As new satellites are launched, coverage and transmission frequency improve automatically for existing tags.
What the tags are actually for
Three jobs come up over and over with the ranchers we work with. This is what they use the tags for.
Fewer drive-arounds
Check the whole herd from the kitchen table before you burn a morning and a tank of diesel. Four positions a day tells you which pasture actually needs a visit.
Missing animals and theft
A geofence alert tells you when a tag reports from outside the fence, and the breadcrumb trail shows which way it went. The movement history gives you a record for the sheriff or your insurance if it comes to that.
Gather time on big country
On leased ground, brush country, or federal allotments where a phone has no bars, the tags keep reporting. Come gather time, you ride to the stragglers instead of hunting for them.
VitaRanch is built by the Texas team behind LoneStar Tracking. Not sure the tags fit your operation? Email hello@vitaranch.us and tell us about your place — we'll give you a straight answer.
How It Works
Tag the animal
The tracker rides on a modular ear tag mount and goes in with the same applicator you already use. A few seconds per animal, no special tools.
It reports on its own
Every 6 hours the tag gets a GPS fix and sends it straight up to a satellite. The solar cells keep the battery topped off, so there is nothing for you to charge or maintain.
Watch the map
Positions land on your herd map in the mobile app (iOS and Android) or the web dashboard. Look up one animal by name or scan the whole herd, and pull movement history when you need a record.
Get told when something's wrong
Draw a fence line on the map for each pasture. If a tag's next report puts it outside the fence, or an animal stops moving, you get a push, text, or email alert.
The VitaRanch Dashboard
Included with every tag — there is no separate software fee
Every tag reports into the same map. See the whole herd on satellite imagery, draw geofences, set up alerts, and pull movement history — from your desk or your phone.
Track Your Herd on the Go
The same powerful tracking platform, optimized for your phone. Check animal locations from the truck, the barn, or anywhere with an internet connection.
Fresh positions
Each tag reports 4 times a day; the map updates as reports land
Push notifications
Know when a tag reports outside the fence or stops moving
Create geofences
Draw boundaries right from your phone's touchscreen
Herd Map
Every animal on satellite or terrain maps, searchable by name
Geofencing
Draw virtual boundaries and get alerts when cattle cross them
Alerts
Push, text, and email for fence breaches, no movement, and low battery
Reports & History
Movement history, heat maps, and exportable data for records
Common Questions
Why 6-hour updates instead of live tracking?
A solar tag this small has a strict power budget, and four reports a day is the rate that keeps it running for years with zero maintenance. In practice that's what ranch decisions need: which pasture an animal is in, which way it's drifting, and whether it has stopped moving. If someone promises you live tracking from a battery this size, ask what the battery life is.
Will it work where there's no cell service?
Yes — that's the point of it. Reports go straight from the tag to a satellite, so it doesn't matter that your pastures have no bars. If the tag can see the sky, it reports.
What does solar power mean day to day?
Nothing to charge, ever. About 5 hours of direct sun fills the battery from dead, and a full battery holds roughly 12 days of reports with no sun at all — so a stretch of overcast weather doesn't take the tag down. Cattle out grazing keep it topped off on their own.
How accurate are the positions?
Typically within about 2 meters. That's enough to know which pasture an animal is in and walk right to it.
What are the ongoing costs?
The purchase price includes 3 years of satellite service and full platform access. After that it's $10 per tag per year — airtime, apps, dashboard, alerts, and support included. You can renew or cancel individual tags from your account.
How tough is it?
Rated IP68 (dust tight, survives a dunking) and specified from −30 °C to +50 °C. Rain, snow, mud, and brush are what it's built for. Every tag carries a 1-year warranty.
What if a tag falls off or quits?
The platform alerts you when a tag stops reporting, and the last positions show you where to look for it. If a tag is lost or damaged, replacements are available and we move the remaining service over to the new tag. Your animal's history stays put.
Transparent Pricing
No hidden fees or surprise charges. Here's exactly what you pay:
Hardware Purchase
One-time cost per ear tag
- Complete GPS ear tag unit
- Solar-powered (no batteries needed)
- Modular ear tag mounting system
- 1-year manufacturer warranty
- 3 years satellite service & platform access included
Annual Service (After 3 Years)
Per ear tag — renews automatically; manage or cancel individual tags anytime from your account
- Global satellite connectivity
- Cloud hosting & data storage
- Mobile apps (iOS & Android)
- Web dashboard access
- Geofencing & custom alerts
- Software updates & new features
- Technical support
Volume pricing applies automatically in the cart (5+, 10+, and 100+ tags). Running more than a few hundred head? Email hello@vitaranch.us for herd pricing.
Technical Specifications
The full data sheet — the same numbers we quote on the phone.
Physical
- Dimensions
- 57.1 × 31.8 × 17.8 mm (2.25″ × 1.25″ × 0.70″)
- Weight
- 22.2 g device + 4 g ear tag mount
- Mounting
- Modular ear tag mount, set with a standard applicator
- Ingress rating
- IP68 — dust tight, submersion to 1 m for 30 minutes
- Operating temperature
- −30 °C to +50 °C (−22 °F to 122 °F)
Power
- Charging
- Integrated solar cells — no charging, no battery swaps
- Full charge
- About 5 hours of direct sunlight from a dead battery
- Battery
- 150 mAh lithium polymer
- Reserve
- Roughly 12 days of 6-hour reports with no sun at all
Positioning & reporting
- GPS receiver
- 72-channel u-blox ZOE-M8 (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou)
- Accuracy
- 2.0 m typical
- Reporting interval
- Every 6 hours over the satellite network
- Connectivity
- Direct to satellite — no cell towers, gateways, or WiFi
Service & warranty
- Included service
- 3 years of satellite airtime and platform access
- After 3 years
- $10 per tag per year, cancel individual tags anytime
- Warranty
- 1 year manufacturer warranty