2011 NRC Report: Nov 18, 2011

Brought To You By

Revised Test 8 --Water Blind

We are at the duck pond at Boatright property this morning.

The line is on a hill at one end of the pond. The dogs go down the hill and enter the water and must swim parallel to the shore on their right. They must cross a wide point and re-enter the water. There is second long and narrow point they must also cross. Once passing the second point they will swim to the end of the pond. Climbing the bank, they will run approximately 40 yards out into the field to a small bush where the blind is planted. The blind is approximately 280 yards.

Test dog #1 was "Pitch" who showed some of the hazards of getting up onto the point.

Test dog #2 was "Ruby" who did a very nice job.

They are starting and have already called the dogs to the line. Starting dog is #88.

This test is progressing very rapidly. We've gone from smooth jobs to very choppy, but all the dogs have seemed to do the blind. We are more than halfway done, having run 14 of 25 dogs.

Test 8 has just finished at 9:35 am PT. The callbacks will be given at the next test site. Stay tuned...

Old Test 8 -- Land/Water Quad with an Honor

Test 8 will be a land/water quad with two fliers and two retired and an honor.

The mat faces north. The terrain slopes down to another beautiful set of technical ponds. The first bird down is in front of the mat slightly to the left at 175 yards. The gunners stand on the edge of the second pond and throw a hen duck to the right out onto an island. They retire into a blind made of tule. For the second bird at 180 yards, the handler will line slightly to the left and find a V shaped patch of heavy tule cover. The gunners stand at the point of the V and throw to the left, down the left side of the tule cover. The gunners retire into a blind built right on the point of the V. This duck is a hen duck. The third gun station is slightly to the left of the second and maybe 60 yards closer to the line. This flyer station is shooting a hen pheasant to the left at 126 yards. This bird is very close to and runs parallel with bird number 2. The last bird down is a hen duck flyer, shot back away from the line in the second pond at 195 yards. The gunners are on the right side and shoot towards the back right of the blind. The line is through the first pond, over the levee and then the dog will swim the right side of the second pond, past the gunners and get out and go get the bird.

Test dog #1 was "Ruby," she had to handle on the island bird and had problems with the other two left-hand birds. She took 12 1/2 minutes to run the test.

Test dog #2, "Pitch," did the test without a handle in 8 1/2 minutes.

Dog # 88 will be the first running dog this morning.

Here's a video of Test Dog "Pitch" to give you an idea of the test.

Ray Voigt, Danny Farmer and Wayne Curtis assess the blind

Test 9 --Land/Water Quad with an Honor

The 9th series is a land/water quad with an honor.

It’s in the same location as the 8th series was to have been, but we are now running from the opposite end. From the line, bird #1 is a long retired hen duck thrown to the right. The line to the bird catches a corner on Pond One, a piece of pond 2, past the backside of the right-hand flyer station and across a small piece of water behind the tules. Bird #2 is a retired station sitting at the edge of Pond Three. These gunners throw a hen duck to island approximately 40 feet offshore. They then retire into a well brushed blind. Bird #3 is a stand out set of gunners that are not retiring, located between the line and the retired blind. These gunners throw a drake to a small island approximately 15 feet offshore. Bird #4 is a flyer station in front of the line, it’s the station that is the farthest to the right and is almost even with the line. They shoot a live hen to the right. The line to this bird takes the dog across the edge of Pond One and then over 100 yards out into an open field.

Test dog #1 was "Ruby," she had some handles on the left-hand island bird, crossed the island and kept going.

Test dog #2, "Pitch," made the same mistake.

This test is taking 10-12 minutes per dog.

Test 9 ended at 2:30 pm PT everyone exited the gallery as equipment was gathered and people prepare for callbacks. People are now waiting in their vehicles or under shelter as a little rain graced our event.