Hunt Trials!

[Delta Duck]

Good job fellows, Sounds like yall have alot of fun on the weekend trials.

One of these days I want to come watch. Please keep us posted on when and where yall are going to be running. Thanks

How many people on the board are involved. I have not heard from Chance.

[gator]

my dog "gauge" passed his first two started test he ever ran this past weekend...i gotta say, if anyone has a doubt about how helpful and fun these things are (which at one time i did) please go watch one...i just don't see how it can't help your dog...this weekend there is one in searcy, arkansas at black mallard outfitters and several other places around the south...congrats to goosesbruce, dutch, and all the rest who aren't sounding off...and anat, i believe i saw a fella running a bunch of goldens, i don't know if he was your man but he did have some good dogs...gator

[Super-X]

The guys with W TN HRC put on a really nice event. Couldn't have asked for nicer weather either. I ran my dog Coal saturday & got one o them purdy ribbons(his second started test). It was my first time to handle him & there was some butterflies & sweaty palms, but I managed not to screw up anything too bad. It was good to chat with Goose & Chance too. Saw some really nice dogs run & met some nice folks, too.

[goosebruce]

G man, you hit the nail on the head... how helpful these things are... Everyone out there last weekend, and every weekend, just wanted a better duck hunting dog. Everyone out there, said at one time or another... I dont care bout no test, or trial, I just wanna hunting dog. True, you don't need a rowdy or chipper to go duck hunting, but it sure is fun! With hunt tests as a motivator, it makes it more fun to train, and with more of a grasp of where you are at. Your duck season never ends, and you meet the best bunch of people on the face of the earth.
Gman did you see the finished water tests? From the line, you couldn't tell it wasnt a duck hunt. Flooded corn on the first hunt, with you and your buddy sitting in the mud, cane all around, ducks falls on the far side of a levee, one falls on this side of the levee, and last one falls past where you just ran a blind retreive, and on the other side of levee... just like they'd fall if a group came in from left to right.... Other test, sitting on pond bank, you kil a decoying duck that fall in thick cover, and as they swing out, you drop two more that fall inline... Will your dog pick up the short bird and remember the last bird? Or did he drive past the short dead bird for the bird thats further out, and a better chance of it getting away? It testing the things in dogs that you didnt even know dogs could do.. and testing them in realistic hunting situtions.
Chances chipper dog is closing in on the jacket...We might have a road trip in may to get it, but so what! A weekend on the road with my buds and dogs is always fun. Rowdy may get his this fall, or it mgiht be early next spring, depending on the schedualing of the big show this fall. He'll be 3 in Nov, so it aint like I gotta hurry or anything. travis

[chance]

Yea, DD, I am still lurking around. My brown dog Chipper ran this weekend and got back-to-back finished passes. She now has 425 points and we are closing in on that gold jacket. They better put a chocolate lab on back! This weekend I am judging finished at the Hurricane Lake hunt in Searcy. Next weekend, April 5/6 is our hunt in Hernando. Three and one half miles east of I55 on Holly Springs road. Easy to find. We will have big signs out.

[gator]

goosebruce, i saw it and it was kewl...man, you couldn't have said it better...the started test is just what it's name implies, nothing too difficult, designed mainly to get you and your dog interested in a philosophy and i gotta say that i would bet 9 outta 10 times or more it works...heck, i sat in timber all year thinking, "my dog is good enough, he gets ducks, and brings em back what more do i want"...answer, i want the best dog possible who's steady and has good blind "manners" and maybe just as important - for season to never end and that's just what you get...that finished test was awesome, i sat there w/ gauge from a distance and watched and it truly was a "hunt" situation...dogs everywhere, a lil controlled chaos w/ guns going off, multiple birds thrown, birds being thrown coming from hidden positions, you and dog sitting in a "blind" in the mud, other folks around, blind to retrieve while pushing through/over a levee or two in between or some heavy cover the dog has to push through, etc, etc and all this time your dog is required to sit/be steady, honor another dog, and then do his job....truly a kewl thing to see...can't wait for gauge to get to that point but he's 1.5 y/o so like ya said, i ain't in any real hurry...gator

[gator]

let me add for those of you who are interested but haven't made a committment yet; go see what southern flight puts on the weekend of april 5/6 up in hernando...when i was getting started just a few short weeks ago, everyone i talked to from alabama, mississippi, tenn, and arkieville said the same thing..."talk to the folks at southern flight, they put on a great test, are always very well coordinated, and some of the finest trainers and just plain ole folks you could meet." i will be willing to bet you will see something that will seal da deal....incidentally, this is the group that goosebruce and chance run w/ but don't hold that agin the hrc, hehehehe...gator

[Drake-MS]

Where at the Agricenter do they run tests? Just in the pond that they do the DU retriever demonstrations in or are there others?

[Dutch Dog]

Man they were spread out from the agri-center to the rifle range all along moore rd I believe it is. Anyway it's not just 1 place they were everywhere.

[chance]

First time a hunt test has been held at the AgriCenter. As Dutch said, all along Moore Rd. from the rifle range to the pond near the DU headquarters. By the way, that is where the started water test was ran. Finished water was all running water and in some of the "duckiest" around. In fact, ducks continued to sit down around us all weekend.

[Dutch Dog]

Jesse took Dutch to the hunt test over in Arkansas this weekend (I believe it was in arkansas anyway) He ran in the seasoned class and went 4 for 4. He passed 2 water and 2 land runs. Jesse also said that this one was MUCH more difficult than the ones last week. This week he said that there was some heavy cover and trash etc etc (obstacles). But he knew when he came of the line that he had passed. If he passes the 1st time next weekend he'll have a HR title and have done it in straight passes. I hope he can pull it out...each test is a little different but contain the same criteria as far as what each dog must be able to do. One thing I am proud of is the fact that he has been able to get Dutch to take whistle commands and hand signals in the water to a point where he can pick up blinds with near 100% success after being very weak in that category as little as a month ago. Did anyone else make the trip over this weekend.

[goosebruce]

Congrats dutch dog.... hope you gonna be there next sat night so we can get your ass wet! Titling at southern flight will get you a gooseband with HR and our club named stamped on it, and it will also get you soaked.
Chance judged finished over at searcy this weekend, i usually judge over there, but had to decline this year, too much on my plate. He got home and went to bed a few minutes ago, hes gotta go to work in a little while. We didn't run this weekend, as we ran 2 weekends in a row, and next weekend, so if we ran this weekend thats 4 in a row, and the big dogs get real loose if ya do that. We spent this weekend training for the big show, and southern flight next weekend will be the last test we run until after the grand (april 26-may1st). We plan to hit ms-bama that weekend, then old hatchie, and a run up to illnois or indiana after that. MS-BAMA supposedly has timber for seasoned and finished tests (at least there wont be any snakes out. hehe), old hatchie's spring test is on deer river farm near walnut ms, and they have some great grounds, and travling to a hunt outside your area gives your dog a chance to work somewhere new... Always a bonus. travis

[Dutch Dog]

I will be there for sure. I want to watch him work after some fine tuning from a pro. We are going to step it up a notch after this and start concentrating on working him in stuff that would enable him to get a HRCH title next. 100 plus yard blinds, diversion birds, poison birds, honoring...everything associated with "stepping up" there with the BIG boys. I will be concentrating somewhat on watching the finished dogs work just to see what I can hopefully expect of him when I get him back. He is already rock steady (per Jesse), handling well on land and water and doing doubles easily. I wonder how he'll handle triples??? We'll just have to wait and see....but one thing is for sure I am definately looking forward to next duck season!!!!

[goosebruce]

DD, the step from seasoned to finished is a biggie. Its more than another bird, its marking concepts. Its more than longer blinds, its blinds with mucho suction. Your in good hands with jesse.. he wont steer you wrong. I only mention the jump so you see why the transition takes so long, a lot of folks get discouraged simply because they don't see that jumpas a huge one, when it really is. But don't downplay your dogs accomplishments... a solid hr dog is more dog than 90% of people ever get to hunt over, thats for sure. With the grounds we have next weekend, I'm sure you'll see some challenging finished set ups, so be sure to check them out. I look forward to seeing you get soaked next sat night.
Then if you REALLY want to get pumped, check out the big show in memphis april 26th on... The grand steps it up another notch... Once I saw a grand, I was hooked, and knew, that was what I wanted, a grand dog. Truely a test to show the best hunting dogs in the world, do it all hunting partners tested in as realistic situtions as possible... I've been working toward that since before my dog was born, and smiled when I sent my entry in for our first rodeo today... Glenns dog has been to the big show 3 times, and missed a pass by one bird twice (don't even ask), but she is as solid a grand type dog as you will ever see. Jesse's rebel dog is a grand dog, 2 runs, 2 passes... I'm sure you have seen him run and know what Im talking bout, the difference in the big dogs, and the biggest dogs.. Dogs like that, true preformers everytime you get them out, able to hold together for day after day and do great work, and then you still get to hunt them in the 'off season' is an awesome concpet...One I'm totally hooked on. travis

[Delta Duck]

Sounds, like some congtrats are in order. It's a good thing the Hunt trails pay so well, because it sounds like alot of hard work goes into it.

It sounds like there is alot of personal satisfaction in each weekend yall go out!