Friday, November 18, 2005 |
It was quite nippy as participants drove back to the Becker property this morning. Temperatures were in the low 30's with a daytime high in the upper forties,however it became clear and sunny. Somehow the prospect of water marks was less appealing than it was two days ago when it was about 80 degrees.
At 6:30, four sets of gunners were positioned in and around the same pond as yesterday, however, the line was on the opposite shore. Again, the pond had islands and peninsulas within. The eighth test was a water quad with an honor and three retired guns.
At 6:30, four sets of gunners were positioned in and around the same pond as yesterday, however, the line was on the opposite shore. Again, the pond had islands and peninsulas within. The eighth test was a water quad with an honor and three retired guns.
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Test 8 - Water Quad, Two Retired Guns and an Honor
The first set was located far down the near shore to the right. They threw a dead hen pheasant to the left, across a channel where it fell on the grass field180 yards from line. A second set stood on a peninsula nearly straight out from line. They threw a dead rooster across water to the left that landed on the back side of a small, weedy island 140 yards away. The third group to the near left, on a strip on land that separated two channels. They threw a hen mallard to the right. It landed in grassy cover about 100 yards away. Lastly, an set of live guns were across the two channels on the far shore, to the left of the closer one. They shot a flying hen mallard to the right that also fell in grassy cover a well up on the far shore about 170 yds away. The order was from right to left. As the dog was sent for the flyer, the remaining 3 gun stations retired to well camouflaged blinds.
The first test team of Mindy and Candy handled on the far right mark while Zoom and Burke did very well on all. After the judges conferred an decided to take out the left middle bird and move it to the far shore between the island mark and the far right one,There the guns were instructed to angle their bird, a hen mallard, sharply back to the right. It fell in grassy cover near the far shore about 140 yards out.The order remained the same, right to left and only two guns retired: the far right and island marks. It was still basically an in line quad. There was an honor to the right of the running dog.
Bill Goldstein tried the revised test with "Streak' and handled on the right mark. It took about 15 minutes to complete. Satisfied with the revised edition of the eighth, running dogs were asked to report for "duty". At 8:35 a.m., dog #53 initiated the impressive series.
The relatively short flyer excited dogs, possibly dimming memories of the other marks, some now retired. Most handlers tried for the island mark second, but some dogs missed it and recovered the longer, right middle shore mark second. If that occurred, handlers tried to pick up the long right one third. Once it was recovered they sent for the island bird a second time. Some did well, but other swam past the island to the far shore as if on a blind and hunted or tried to hunt the right middle area. Those required handling . Others, when sent for the far right bird, slid down the shore and hunted the back side of the gun station or well out of the area, deep against a tree line. A few tried to switch back to the left middle mark (not retired). The lines to all four marks angled into the water and had multiple "In and out" entries. Handling became an all too common occurrence. The body count soon added up and by the conclusion, 11 dogs had handled or picked up. Of the eleven, six had handled on two of the four marks. At 3:10, the definitive test was completed when dog 52 returned with his last mark. None had broke on the honor.
Callbacks would be posted after supper at both HQ's. The last two series (land marks) would be held at the Cooper Black area with test dogs at 6:45 a.m. The starting dog would be announced with the callbacks.
Callbacks came about 6:30 p.m. Fifteen potential NFC's remained. Sadly, twelve had succumbed to the 8th. Those lost were: 1, 4, 7, 26, 40, 48, 52, 57, 68, 71, 76, and 80. The starting dog for the ninth will be #19.
The first test team of Mindy and Candy handled on the far right mark while Zoom and Burke did very well on all. After the judges conferred an decided to take out the left middle bird and move it to the far shore between the island mark and the far right one,There the guns were instructed to angle their bird, a hen mallard, sharply back to the right. It fell in grassy cover near the far shore about 140 yards out.The order remained the same, right to left and only two guns retired: the far right and island marks. It was still basically an in line quad. There was an honor to the right of the running dog.
Bill Goldstein tried the revised test with "Streak' and handled on the right mark. It took about 15 minutes to complete. Satisfied with the revised edition of the eighth, running dogs were asked to report for "duty". At 8:35 a.m., dog #53 initiated the impressive series.
The relatively short flyer excited dogs, possibly dimming memories of the other marks, some now retired. Most handlers tried for the island mark second, but some dogs missed it and recovered the longer, right middle shore mark second. If that occurred, handlers tried to pick up the long right one third. Once it was recovered they sent for the island bird a second time. Some did well, but other swam past the island to the far shore as if on a blind and hunted or tried to hunt the right middle area. Those required handling . Others, when sent for the far right bird, slid down the shore and hunted the back side of the gun station or well out of the area, deep against a tree line. A few tried to switch back to the left middle mark (not retired). The lines to all four marks angled into the water and had multiple "In and out" entries. Handling became an all too common occurrence. The body count soon added up and by the conclusion, 11 dogs had handled or picked up. Of the eleven, six had handled on two of the four marks. At 3:10, the definitive test was completed when dog 52 returned with his last mark. None had broke on the honor.
Callbacks would be posted after supper at both HQ's. The last two series (land marks) would be held at the Cooper Black area with test dogs at 6:45 a.m. The starting dog would be announced with the callbacks.
Callbacks came about 6:30 p.m. Fifteen potential NFC's remained. Sadly, twelve had succumbed to the 8th. Those lost were: 1, 4, 7, 26, 40, 48, 52, 57, 68, 71, 76, and 80. The starting dog for the ninth will be #19.
Joe McNinch and Jane Sutter
L to R: Lynne DuBose and Penny Youngblood
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AKC, Purina and Howley Scoping the 8th
Jane Sutter on line - 8th Series
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