5th Series Test Dogs – Day 2

Test Dog:

FC Armo’s Cold Water Running Strong, “Steel,” LM

Owner: Joe James and Sarah Shelton-James
Handler: Joe James

A single test dog was run this morning to continue Test 5.

Joe and Steel came to the line at 6:34 am

LF –  Out to the fall area and then he had his bird.

RF – Big hunt, but he got it.

RR – In to the cover – missed it – went up by the blind and established a wide hunt – got it!

LR – Wide area covered looking for this hen pheasant on still frozen ground, but he worked it out and he got it!

 

The first running dog will begin at 7:00 am. It will be 86, 92, 93, 94 and so on.

5th Series – Day 2

Wednesday – 5th Series – Day 2  
6:15 am

It's another cold November morning. It's a balmy 32 degrees, the wind is still but promises to come up out of the WNW. Clouds are predicted for later today. We have about 26 dogs left to run to complete this series. A test dog will be running shortly and then we will be on our way.

Test 5 – Land Quad with Two Retired and Two Flyers

The mat and Judges' tent for this series are on a hill facing south. The test lays in a large field with the marks running east and west. The dogs will leave the mat running down the hill – crossing a gravel road – and then dropping down another 10 or 12 feet to the field below. We are in the "Power Line" or "Siren Field" field for this test. This is a grassy field on the middle and left side. There are intermittent rows of standing cover running both north and south. As you look left, the rows are at more of an angle east to west. There are trees surrounding the field, but they are at a distance that keeps them out of play. There are also a few trees in the main field. The right side of the field is a cut corn field with strips of standing stubble. This is an Inline Quad with Two Flyers and Two Retired.

Bird station #1 is a flyer station with a green head. The gunners are 165 yards from the mat shooting to the right in the cut corn rows and stubble. (We refer to this mark as RF for Right Flyer)

Bird station #2 is 240 yards from the mat and has two gunners retired behind a well-brushed hay bale, shooting and throwing a dead Rooster Pheasant to the Right. This bird lands in heavy cover radiating from the base of a large tree. (We refer to this mark as RR for Right Retired)

Bird station #3 is 245 yards from the mat and has two gunners in a well-brushed blind. They will shoot and then throw a dead hen pheasant to the right landing on a terrace that runs angle left to right across the field. A row of thick cover on the side of the terrace hides the bird until the dog comes up the terrace. (We will refer to this mark as LR for Left Retired)

Bird #4 is a hen pheasant Flyer shot to the left. The four gunners stand 270 yards to the handler's left, shooting so that the bird lands in tall cover. (We will refer to this mark as LF for Left Flyer)

The order for this test is right to left, starting with the green head moving to the retired rooster pheasant. They then throw the dead hen pheasant and the final bird on this left to right line is the hen pheasant flyer.

This test takes approximately 7-8 minutes per dog to complete.  

5th Series Land Quad with 2 Flyers and 2 Retired (left view of test)

5th Series Land Quad with 2 Flyers and 2 Retired (middle view of test)

5th Series Land Quad with 2 Flyers and 2 Retired (right view of test)

Right Flyer – 165 yards – Drake Mallard

Right Retired – 240 yards – Rooster Pheasant

Left Retired – 245 yards – Hen Pheasant

Left Flyer – 270 yards – Hen Pheasant

Sketch of the Fifth Series by Jean Wu

3rd Series – Day 2

Monday – 3rd Series – Day 2  
6:15 am

Good Morning! We are back here this morning to complete the 3rd Series. It is a chilly morning! It's 25 degrees with light wind and a cloudless sky, which should give way soon to a bright and sunny day.
Shadows will lay on the left side of the field for the remainder of the test. Steam is rising from the ponds and frost has coated the grass. A little snow still remains on some of the hay bales in the field. A single test dog is running and then we will commence running dogs shortly to complete this series.

 

Test 3 – Land and Water Triple

This series will be a Land and Water Triple with hen ducks shot left to right. The handler's mat is on a mound with a road along the left framed with a tree line surrounding the field. There is little to no wind today and the temperature is about 29 degrees as we begin. The field is cut with a long winding skinny piece of water. Hay bales are set throughout the field and part of the shoreline is not cut and has medium cover.

Bird #1 is thrown to the right about 250 yards on to an island with a clump of bushes on it and the gunners retire when the dog is sent for the flyer. The line to this mark is through a small end of the water. (We refer to this mark as LL for Long Left)

Bird #2 is thrown from a hay bale to the right to the corner at 170 yards and the gunners also retire. There is a land bridge left of the line to this bird. The line to the bird is through this patch of water. (We will refer to this mark as M for Middle)

Bird #3 is the Flyer Station, shot to the right into the field at approximately 130 yards. (We will refer to this mark as F for Flyer)

In addition, there is an Honor to the left of the mound. This test is taking approximately 6 minutes per dog. 

3rd Series – Land/Water Triple with an Honor

Long Left Retired – 250 yards

Middle Retired – 170 yards

Flyer – 130 yards

3rd Series Sketch by Jean Wu