Wednesday, November 16, 2005 |
Wednesday arrived unseasonably warm and with a full moon. Temperatures were in the mid 60's at 5:30 a.m. A high of 80 was predicted by mid day with thunderstorms in the afternoon.
As announced, a caravan formed in the Wal-mart parking lot and left promptly at 5:30.m.It was about a 20 minute ride to Moree's Game farm on Highway 52. The site was a good distance inside the farm and activity could be heard in the distance but it was still very dark. As dawn broke A fairly large flooded corn and grass field could be detected.
As announced, a caravan formed in the Wal-mart parking lot and left promptly at 5:30.m.It was about a 20 minute ride to Moree's Game farm on Highway 52. The site was a good distance inside the farm and activity could be heard in the distance but it was still very dark. As dawn broke A fairly large flooded corn and grass field could be detected.
Test 6 Left
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Test 6 Right
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Water Triple With Two Retired Guns
Three sets of guns were around it. The first was stationed in a large, camoflaged blind within it. Another rested on the right shore, while a third (live guns) was on the left shore. The sixth series was a water triple with two retired guns. The middle position fired first and threw a dead duck angled back to the right. It splashed into the grassy water about 125 yards from line. The right guns then threw a dead duck angled back to the left. It landed in a patch of flooded grass about 80 yards out. The last set shot a flying duck well ridden out to the right. After it landed in the flooded field, it was sluiced twice. It was about 90 yards from line. The line was on a road between the left and right marks with the middle bird nearly straight out from it. Behind the middle holding blind several decoys had been placed in the water. As the dog was sent for the flyer, the middle and right guns retired.
It took a while to organize the sixth so the first test Mindy and Candy did not appear until 7:18. Burke and Zoom followed shortly thereafter. Candy did well, but Zoom handled on the middle mark. The first running dog, #21 was called to line at about 8 a.m. It took about 8-9 minutes to complete.
All birds fell in the water and were usually hidden by the flooded vegetation. The right mark converged with the middle bird and was the cause of many problems, Most of the pond was lunging water, but there was some swimming also.
After recovering the flyer (sometimes with a hunt), handlers sent their dogs fot the right, short mark. At first there was little wind and when it did arrive, the middle and right marks were nearly downwind. Some dogs went between the right gunner station and the bird , then swam deep, or went near the shore. Most recovered the mark in a short time. However, when sent for the middle bird, some were hesitant to take the rather tight converging line to it. Instead they would go to the left of the gun station, hunting fruitlessly out of the area, or take the correct line, miss the bird, then hunt wide and loose. Some landed on the far dike for both the middle and left birds ,A few seemed drawn toward the decoys. Those needed to be handled. In some cases it was their second handle. Of the first 21 dogs , 7 had handled (33%).
Dog 19 completed the sixth at 4 p.m. The test had remained constant throughout the day. At it's conclusion, 15 of the 49 had handled on the demanding marks - still about 33%. (Thankfully, thunderstorms had not materialized).
As dinner was served at the workers party, callbacks were given. 41 had survived the water marks and would run the seventh. Those dropped were: 2, 12, 14, 27, 35, 39, 50 and 56. The seventh would probably be land marks and would be held at Moree's again. Starting dog is #31 and there will be no caravan.
Three sets of guns were around it. The first was stationed in a large, camoflaged blind within it. Another rested on the right shore, while a third (live guns) was on the left shore. The sixth series was a water triple with two retired guns. The middle position fired first and threw a dead duck angled back to the right. It splashed into the grassy water about 125 yards from line. The right guns then threw a dead duck angled back to the left. It landed in a patch of flooded grass about 80 yards out. The last set shot a flying duck well ridden out to the right. After it landed in the flooded field, it was sluiced twice. It was about 90 yards from line. The line was on a road between the left and right marks with the middle bird nearly straight out from it. Behind the middle holding blind several decoys had been placed in the water. As the dog was sent for the flyer, the middle and right guns retired.
It took a while to organize the sixth so the first test Mindy and Candy did not appear until 7:18. Burke and Zoom followed shortly thereafter. Candy did well, but Zoom handled on the middle mark. The first running dog, #21 was called to line at about 8 a.m. It took about 8-9 minutes to complete.
All birds fell in the water and were usually hidden by the flooded vegetation. The right mark converged with the middle bird and was the cause of many problems, Most of the pond was lunging water, but there was some swimming also.
After recovering the flyer (sometimes with a hunt), handlers sent their dogs fot the right, short mark. At first there was little wind and when it did arrive, the middle and right marks were nearly downwind. Some dogs went between the right gunner station and the bird , then swam deep, or went near the shore. Most recovered the mark in a short time. However, when sent for the middle bird, some were hesitant to take the rather tight converging line to it. Instead they would go to the left of the gun station, hunting fruitlessly out of the area, or take the correct line, miss the bird, then hunt wide and loose. Some landed on the far dike for both the middle and left birds ,A few seemed drawn toward the decoys. Those needed to be handled. In some cases it was their second handle. Of the first 21 dogs , 7 had handled (33%).
Dog 19 completed the sixth at 4 p.m. The test had remained constant throughout the day. At it's conclusion, 15 of the 49 had handled on the demanding marks - still about 33%. (Thankfully, thunderstorms had not materialized).
As dinner was served at the workers party, callbacks were given. 41 had survived the water marks and would run the seventh. Those dropped were: 2, 12, 14, 27, 35, 39, 50 and 56. The seventh would probably be land marks and would be held at Moree's again. Starting dog is #31 and there will be no caravan.
Announcer Ken Neil
Cheraw Clubhouse - Site of cocktail and workers parties
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Gallery - Test 6
Dr. Bill Goldstein - Planning Session
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