Wednesday, November 15, 2006 |
The rain that had been forecast during the last few days arrived - and with a vengeance. Temperatures were in the low 40's at 6 am as participants made their way to the site of test 5, the same area as the previous day. It was dark and drizzling as cars were parked and the test readied.
A large rolling field with a split pond on the left held four sets of gunners. It was a land/water quad with two flyers and two retired gun stations. It took some time to set up, but by 7:42 test dog #1 demonstrated series - with little trouble. The second went fairly well also. Judges then moved one station and retired another so that three were retired marks. Dog #1 came to line at 8:15 am and also did creditable work as did the 8 that followed him. At 9:40, after running 9 dogs, the series was scrapped after dog 12 ran and a move to the big dike at Busch was announced
By that time it had begun to rain - heavy and constant with strong gusty winds. It took a bit of doing to secure the line tents (3) and install strung out holding blinds along side them to break the wind. The new fifth series was a land quad with two retired guns, two shot flyers and an honor.
A large rolling field with a split pond on the left held four sets of gunners. It was a land/water quad with two flyers and two retired gun stations. It took some time to set up, but by 7:42 test dog #1 demonstrated series - with little trouble. The second went fairly well also. Judges then moved one station and retired another so that three were retired marks. Dog #1 came to line at 8:15 am and also did creditable work as did the 8 that followed him. At 9:40, after running 9 dogs, the series was scrapped after dog 12 ran and a move to the big dike at Busch was announced
By that time it had begun to rain - heavy and constant with strong gusty winds. It took a bit of doing to secure the line tents (3) and install strung out holding blinds along side them to break the wind. The new fifth series was a land quad with two retired guns, two shot flyers and an honor.
Left side of number 5, long guns in distance
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Right marks -the two middle marks retire
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Four sets of guns were again positioned in the field at the bottom of the tall dike. One was deep to the left, near a tree line. They shot and threw a dead duck back to the left where it fell in heavy brown cover near the tree line about 273 yards from line. A second set far to their right and closer to line stood on the near side of a tall cattail strip and threw a dead hen pheasant angled back across the strip to the left 120 yards out. To their right and deeper in the field an third group shot a flying hen pheasant ridden out to the right. It fell in a patch of tall brown or green cover near a tree line 135 yards away. Lastly, a set of flyer guns located to the far left, on the same dike where the line wa, shot a flying mallard to the right. It fell at the bottom of the dike in grassy cover 150 out. The order was: Left middle long bird; right middle strip mark, right flyer, left flyer. When the dog was sent for the last flyer, the left middle and right middle (dead bird marks) retired.
The line mat was partially down the side of the dike and there was an honor mat on top the dike behind it.
At 11:38 test dogs were called to line. Both handled on one of the marks.at 12:04 the first running dog came to line and, sadly, picked up on the marks.
It continued raining as if the monsoons had arrived and was miserable for man and beast alike. After recovering the left flyer duck, most early handlers tried for the short right middle mark. Some dogs would blow through the cattail strip and try to retrieve the second shot flyer on the right. a few recovered, but others handled. Handlers then began to try for the other flyer second, but that was less than successful, especially when dogs winded the short retired one while hunting the flyer. After some scent had built up, the best way seemed to recover the short one first, then the other (right) flyer.
The long retired mark also proved challenging. There as a huge field to run around in and dogs without a firm mark would cover a bit of ground before locating the guns and then the bird. Some had amazing marks while others became lost and required handling or picked up. The test took about 8-10 minutes per dog and would not be completed today. There would probably be a couple of hours left to finish in the morning. The test was suspended after #48 ran. It will resume Thursday morning with a test dog at 6:45, first running dog (out of sequence due to a handler with two dogs close to each other) is 43. There are still about two thirds of the field to run and should take most of the day to complete
After the abject misery of the day - workers were eagerly anticipating their party tonight.
The line mat was partially down the side of the dike and there was an honor mat on top the dike behind it.
At 11:38 test dogs were called to line. Both handled on one of the marks.at 12:04 the first running dog came to line and, sadly, picked up on the marks.
It continued raining as if the monsoons had arrived and was miserable for man and beast alike. After recovering the left flyer duck, most early handlers tried for the short right middle mark. Some dogs would blow through the cattail strip and try to retrieve the second shot flyer on the right. a few recovered, but others handled. Handlers then began to try for the other flyer second, but that was less than successful, especially when dogs winded the short retired one while hunting the flyer. After some scent had built up, the best way seemed to recover the short one first, then the other (right) flyer.
The long retired mark also proved challenging. There as a huge field to run around in and dogs without a firm mark would cover a bit of ground before locating the guns and then the bird. Some had amazing marks while others became lost and required handling or picked up. The test took about 8-10 minutes per dog and would not be completed today. There would probably be a couple of hours left to finish in the morning. The test was suspended after #48 ran. It will resume Thursday morning with a test dog at 6:45, first running dog (out of sequence due to a handler with two dogs close to each other) is 43. There are still about two thirds of the field to run and should take most of the day to complete
After the abject misery of the day - workers were eagerly anticipating their party tonight.
