Sunday, June 17, 2007 |
Test one - Land Double with Retired Left Gun
Sunday arrived sunny, breezy and bright with temps about 60 at 6 a.m. It was about a 15 mile ride to the Chicken Creek facility. However, once there is was another 4-5 miles on a winding gravel road to the site. The area was a series a high, rolling sagebrush covered hills with nary a tree in sight.
Upon arrival, two Eukanuba tents could be seen near the base of a hill. In front of them a line mat faced a field that rolled down to a fairly flat ditch befor rising up beyond it. Two sets of guns wre stationed a relatively short distance away. The pair on the left stood on a slight rise and threw a dead mallard hen to the right where it landed near two higher sagebrush plants about 110 yrd (guess - more later) from line. Deeper and to the right a set of live flyer guns shot a flying mallard hen to the left where she fell in mixed sagebrush about 150 yards away (guess)
The order was left to right. As the dog was sent for the flyer, the left guns retired to a blind behind the rise. At 7:59 a.m the first test team of Bleazard and AFC UFO, LFdemonstrated that the test was very do able and had two nice marks. The second team of Fat City Free Rider, LM and Marvin Frye did not fare as well and handled on the retired mark
At 8 am the first running dog, ironically number one, appeared on line. As she came to arrived, Announcer Bill Cox gave the dog's name, title, owner, handler, sex and breed . He did this for the test dogs and all competitors who followed. The test took 4-5 minutes per dog and there was early speculation of a second test to be run today.
Rough terrain, hills, patches of gnarled sages brush all combined to distract dogs from a straight line and a steady view of the fall area. As the sun warmed the ground, the wind began to rise and switch. Some dogs had crosswind birds while other nearly down wind. It was hard to "play" the wind as it could change unexpectedly. Of the first 59 dogs that ran, 9 handled.
Later dogs fared better but there were 5 more handles for a total of 14. There were no no-birds. The first test was completed at 3:26 when dog 111 returned to line. All dogs were called back to a second series
The second test was quickly set up behind and across the main road from the first. It was a double blind. with a separate mat for each each. The land blind was run from the left side of the judges tent while the water blind began from the right side and crossed over the line to the land blind. Both lines faced a field with a winding stream that was perpendicular to the road. On the left side of the field, a blind planter sat in a chair resting on a flat, grassy meadow. On the other side of the creek, the grassy field rose upward and was sparsey covered with grass and sagebrush. A brisk wind witched from left to right making the blinds either cross wind or into the wind.
To recover the land blind the dog had to angle across a gravel road and into the stream,exit at an anngle then drive up the hill to were a dead hen pheasant lay marked by a red stake at least 350 yds from line (guess - measurements will come later) Handlers were told they could move up to the road to handle once the dog crossed the road. They recovered that bird on the left mat, then ran the water blind.
The line to that bird angled to the left, down the bank and into the stream and past a small point on the left. It continued to a large point (grassy) protruding from the left. Beyond, the dog had to cross the point, re enter the water and channel down the narrow stream to the far left bank were the hen mallard and well up on shore about 300 yards away. It was believed that this was a two series test making the land blind number 2 and the water blind number 3. It took 7-8 minute to complete. (See photos on Monday's report)
Angles, wind and cover changes distracted dogs from achieving and maintaining a good line. However, most recovered quickly and produced workman like jobs. The test could not be completed today and was suspended about 8 p.m. after dog 53 ran. No partial callbacks would be given.
Test dog would run at 7:30 a.m. Monday and first running dog # 54 at 8 a.m.
Upon arrival, two Eukanuba tents could be seen near the base of a hill. In front of them a line mat faced a field that rolled down to a fairly flat ditch befor rising up beyond it. Two sets of guns wre stationed a relatively short distance away. The pair on the left stood on a slight rise and threw a dead mallard hen to the right where it landed near two higher sagebrush plants about 110 yrd (guess - more later) from line. Deeper and to the right a set of live flyer guns shot a flying mallard hen to the left where she fell in mixed sagebrush about 150 yards away (guess)
The order was left to right. As the dog was sent for the flyer, the left guns retired to a blind behind the rise. At 7:59 a.m the first test team of Bleazard and AFC UFO, LFdemonstrated that the test was very do able and had two nice marks. The second team of Fat City Free Rider, LM and Marvin Frye did not fare as well and handled on the retired mark
At 8 am the first running dog, ironically number one, appeared on line. As she came to arrived, Announcer Bill Cox gave the dog's name, title, owner, handler, sex and breed . He did this for the test dogs and all competitors who followed. The test took 4-5 minutes per dog and there was early speculation of a second test to be run today.
Rough terrain, hills, patches of gnarled sages brush all combined to distract dogs from a straight line and a steady view of the fall area. As the sun warmed the ground, the wind began to rise and switch. Some dogs had crosswind birds while other nearly down wind. It was hard to "play" the wind as it could change unexpectedly. Of the first 59 dogs that ran, 9 handled.
Later dogs fared better but there were 5 more handles for a total of 14. There were no no-birds. The first test was completed at 3:26 when dog 111 returned to line. All dogs were called back to a second series
The second test was quickly set up behind and across the main road from the first. It was a double blind. with a separate mat for each each. The land blind was run from the left side of the judges tent while the water blind began from the right side and crossed over the line to the land blind. Both lines faced a field with a winding stream that was perpendicular to the road. On the left side of the field, a blind planter sat in a chair resting on a flat, grassy meadow. On the other side of the creek, the grassy field rose upward and was sparsey covered with grass and sagebrush. A brisk wind witched from left to right making the blinds either cross wind or into the wind.
To recover the land blind the dog had to angle across a gravel road and into the stream,exit at an anngle then drive up the hill to were a dead hen pheasant lay marked by a red stake at least 350 yds from line (guess - measurements will come later) Handlers were told they could move up to the road to handle once the dog crossed the road. They recovered that bird on the left mat, then ran the water blind.
The line to that bird angled to the left, down the bank and into the stream and past a small point on the left. It continued to a large point (grassy) protruding from the left. Beyond, the dog had to cross the point, re enter the water and channel down the narrow stream to the far left bank were the hen mallard and well up on shore about 300 yards away. It was believed that this was a two series test making the land blind number 2 and the water blind number 3. It took 7-8 minute to complete. (See photos on Monday's report)
Angles, wind and cover changes distracted dogs from achieving and maintaining a good line. However, most recovered quickly and produced workman like jobs. The test could not be completed today and was suspended about 8 p.m. after dog 53 ran. No partial callbacks would be given.
Test dog would run at 7:30 a.m. Monday and first running dog # 54 at 8 a.m.
Dewitt Boice and Andy Attar (L)
L -Mitch Patterson & Bill Goldstein
|
Sherry and Wayne Bleazard with Lorna Kolstad
Companion cows
|
