The 7th Series Water Triple is turning out to be another very challenging setup. I have a few insights that I would like to share with you regarding these marks. Once again these judges put a lot of effort into their bird and holding blind placement. Let’s talk about the right-hand retired gun. I will refer to this mark as R#1. The bird is thrown in a patch of thicker cover in front of a line of trees. This position makes it highly unlikely that a dog will stumble on this bird by accident. The gunners are tucked away in the woods. Typically, if the dog can find the holding blind where the gunners are hiding, the bird isn’t far away. So there is great thought put into the concealment of the hidden gunners.
It always amazes me how a very subtle change in lighting and wind conditions can have a dramatic effect on the dog work. The Retriever News Team noticed how the work differed when the wind changed.
I received some insight from the middle retired gun station. We will refer to this station as R#2. After looking at the diagram that I posted earlier, they corrected me regarding the exact location of the bird.
The below diagram will show that the bird lands on a side slope just out of the water and below the flat next to the road. That station noticed when the wind was at it’s most difficult direction a dog could easily miss this bird from just feet away. They also mention that the location of the holding blind was right next to the water. This seemed to make it difficult for the dogs to locate the holding blind. Note that the blinds are fully concealed and camouflaged on all sides.
When this test finishes playing out, the front runners at this will become more apparent.
You can just feel the anticipation build with every test. The suspense is killing me! Stay tuned…