Tuesday, November 15, 2011

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Test Four -- Water Blind

Test 4 is to be a water blind. Starting dog will be dog #85.

 Waiting for the mist to rise on Test 4

Test 4 - Test Dog

The Test has moved back to the east side of the mound which has been home to the first three series. The mat faces south/southwest. The line takes the dog approximately 100 yards across clear ground before they bust through a line of cover. This is the first hazard. This brush has scent and feathers from yesterday's flyer and drag back. Once through the brush, the dog crosses the point that they were on yesterday going to and from the third series left hand mark. The cast from there puts the dog parallel to the shore for at least 100 yards. They must then exit the water, go up a large point and that is where there bird is located. Total yardage 350 yards. 

The water blind is getting a lot of answers for the judges. A lot of the dogs are not wanting to parallel the shore and the handlers are having to work hard to keep them in the water, some not very successful. There has also been some beautiful work. 

Waiting for the test to begin ... hot coffee was the beverage of the morning!

Paul Sletten and Danny Farmer

Gary Ahlgren, Dean Ellis and Lee Jolley ... barely seen through the mist....

This was the uniform of the day.... GO PACK GO!!  (Packers 45, Vikings 7)

You can barely see the blind planter through the mist ... but his reflection is evident in the water!

A Dog's Eye View

Binoculars make a great accessory!

Ed Haskins, Don Graves and Lee Jolley survey the water blind.

For a while there was so much wind and glare that the handlers were having a very difficult time seeing their dog. The glare is now better, but the wind is still up and even blew the Retriever News tent from it's secure perch down towards the line!

Mike Witt from Purina and John Stracka

Molly Schlachter is OPEN FOR BUSINESS with a selection of hotography choices to commemorate this event.

A little visitor at the MCS Photography booth

The Water Blind in the mid-afternoon with better visibility.

Test 4 should be wrapping up around 2:30 pm...

Callbacks: Forty-six (46) dogs are back
2, 4, 5, 7, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 61, 65, 67, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 78, 84, 85, 88

Test Five -- Land Triple, Two Retired and an Honor

This is a Land Triple with a mixed bag of birds and an Honor. The mat faces south, the terrain drops gently to the base of a draw. All three guns are up the hill across the draw. To the handler's left, the first bird down is a hen pheasant flyer shot to the left at 266 yards. The gunners will retire behind a natural blind of tules. The second birds is 149 yards left of the mat. These gunners throw a dead hen pheasant behind a heavy clump of cover. The throw is angled back to the left. The last bird is a hen duck flyer shot at 195 yards. The Gunners are in front of the mat, across the draw, and up to the right of the middle guns. The throw is a left angle back. There is a huge pat h of tules between the mat and the bird, forcing the dog to drive through the tules or else alter the line to the bird. The Honor is to the left of the mat.

Waiting for the next test to get set up.

Mark Smith and Bill Eckett

Dave Sniegowski dances a jig with Susan Bledsoe

Gary Zellner with  C A L L B A C K S !!!!

Bobby Lane and Mark Medford

We're in cattle country!

The Test Dogs are ready and waiting!

The test ended with Dog #33 at 4:50. Two minutes before official sundown. We start tomorrow at 6:30 am sharp with the Test Dog and the first running dog will be #35.