SEPTEMBER 20, 2024
Day 6, September 20, 2024 Daily Report brought to you by our Gold, Silver, and Bronze tier sponsors.
UPDATE: 6:00PM Callbacks to the 10th series, a water quad: 4,14,20,21,25,31,33,40,42,45,55,65,68,75. Congratulations!
The test is at Hazel Glen Road, a few driveways up on the left…watch for signs.
UPDATE 2:00pm the test has finished. Callbacks will be at 6:00pm.
We are back at Audrey & Ben Hughes’s farm in a field adjacent to where series 6 was run. We are in a picturesque field dotted with hay bales which the judges have incorporated as gun stations for two marks. The day is sunny with a high of 25, however cloud is expected to roll in later this afternoon. Winds are light at 8km out of the east. The test is oriented N/NW. Series 9 is a land quad with three retired guns. Gun #1 is shot L-R steep angle back at 181 yards and is a hen pheasant that lands in front of a hay bale, gunners retire behind the bale. Gun #2 to the right and deep of the short gun is a drake mallard at 335 yards shot R-L against the brush line and lands in heavy cover, and gunners retire. Gun #3 is R-L at 354 yards, also a drake mallard and gunners retire behind a bale (this mark was originally up against the brush line but moved after the first two test dogs). Gun #4 is a big swing to the left, thrown L-R at 256 and is a hen mallard. The test is about 8-9:00 minutes depending on if the dog hunts.
The first test dog, Jameson came to line at 8:45. Jameson picked up the go-bird nicely, then was sent for the gun #1retired hen pheasant, he was left of the gun station but quickly hooked in for his bird. He was sent for #2 center-right and went to the area but had an extensive hunt all around the gun station and couldn’t come up with the bird, gunners were asked to come out. He was sent for #3 left long retired but took a line too far to the right and knew he was in the wrong area and popped. He was recalled and re-sent, still right of the gun station but worked his way to the bird.
Cici came to line next, and didn’t do the big swing to see bird #4. She left towards the hen pheasant but ran long to gun #3 where she got to the fence line and worked her way to the bird. She was sent for the hen pheasant next but needed to be handled and was picked up. The judges then moved gun station #3 into the field away from the brush line and fence.
A third test dog ran after the gun station adjustment, Anne Steer and Putzi. Anne primary selected the hen pheasant, however, that ended up in a large hunt outside of the fall area, but she eventually zeroed in. She was sent for #3 left retired and had a short hunt before getting her bird. She then went for #2 center-right but was well right of the fall and was asked to handle to the bird, she picked up the white coats (#4) last without any problem.
Today is a little cooler with a light breeze, but we are setting up water stations for the dogs. They will be running 2,252 yards (1.27 miles or 2.0 kilometers) if they don’t have a hunt. Despite some difficulty for the test dogs, three out of the first four dogs have done a good job!
