10th Series - Land / Water Quad with Two Flyers and Two Retired

Another beautiful example of the Parrott's attention to detail on developing their property. 

Our line for the 10th Series faces ENE, the wind is intermittent coming west at 4 mph. The sun is bright and the temps are climbing. 

The mat is on a hill facing an intricate pond with numerous points. The far shore is dotted with trimmed evergreens to allow for visibility.

The first bird, left retired (LR) gun is a hen pheasant thrown right at 309 yards from the line. The dog must run out to the corner of the pond to enter. It will need to cross two more points before swimming to the far shore where it will cross one more point to exit.

The second bird, left flyer (LF) is a hen mallard shot right approximately 262 yards from the line. The line will take the dog across a point and another point on the far shore before exiting to find its bird between the first few trees.

The third bird, right retired (RR) gun is a hen mallard at 358 yards. The dog will run down a point, cross a piece of the island and drive the hill on the far shore. 

The fourth bird, right flyer (RF) is a rooster pheasant shot to the right at approximately 169 yards. The entry will need to angle along the dam and enter the stick pond. The dog will pull out and cross the road to drive the hill to the bird.

9th Series - Land Quad with Two Flyers, Two Retired and an Honor

Today promises to be dryer and another beautiful Wisconsin day. We are at Laura and John Parrott's property, which is a wonderful rolling open landscape.

With the moon still shining, the skies are clearing and the winds are light northwest at 4 mph. We will see shuffling winds later today.

The mat sits halfway up a hillside looking southwest. It drops into a valley with a road going through the middle. The rolling terrain is dotted with hay bales, scattered evergreens and trees. The cover is hay meadow with areas recently cut. 

The order shot on this series is Left Flyer (LF), Left Retired (LR), Right Retired (RR) and Right Flyer (RF). 

Our first bird, a Flyer drake duck is shot right uphill at approximately 249 yards. The dog will angle across the road, drive the hill over a couple of lower dips and up again. The bird lands in a slight dip of a hill slope. 

Second bird, Retired hen pheasant is 257 yards. The throw is a sharp angle back left. The line will take the dog across at a base of a hill, over a couple foot hills between a couple of trees and past the hay bale to the bird.

The third bird, Retired hen pheasant is 248 yards from the line. The dog will descend towards an evergreen and some hay bales before the road. Maneuvering through those, the dog will draw the far hill through a couple more hay bales, then up to a retired hen that is a flat throw to the left landing at midway up a hill at a base of an unmowed area.

Our final bird, a drake is shot to the right and lands on the far shore of a water structure. The line will take the dog down the hill, cutting across the roads and through a stick pond with tulles along the shore. This flyer is landing at approximately 134 yards. 

 

The test is taking approximately 9 minutes. There is an honor mat to the right of the working dog.

 

Sketch of the Ninth by Official Artist Cary Hunkel

8th Series – Water Blind

Another day at the beautiful Spangler property. Temps are cooler and humidity is nigher – 94%. Low clouds are keeping the lighting subdued. The hillside is thick with clover and grass.

The entry is about 45 yards to the water. The mat faces east on a slope that goes to the water. Wind is northeast at 9 mph. The line is 277 yards. The dog will recover a mallard hen. 

The dog can square into the pond and head to the island. There he will begin to slightly angle off to the next point. Then it's off and through the cove onto a larger point where he will angle across a channel dotted with decoys to a bird placed ion the shoreline of the point up a steep bank. The test is just under seven minutes.

8th Series Water Blind Drone photos by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

8th Series Sketch by Official Artist Cary Hunkel

7th Series Water Triple with a Flyer, Two Retired and an Honor

SERIES SEVEN: Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired and an Honor

The line faces southwest towards a beautiful water structure on the Spangler property. The wind is northeast at 9 mph. Low lined clouds hang on the hill tops that rise on the other side of the lake. 

The immediate shore line slopes gently towards the water and a clump of trees.

Our first bird is the Right Retired station. The gunners are on the far shore up the hillside. The hen mallard is thrown right landing at 292 yards. The dog is going to want to go right of a clump of trees, past the point on the right going over the land and back into the water. Next he will want to go up the hill on the far shore running right of a group of trees to get the hen duck that lands in higher cover.

The second bird, the Middle Retired is a retired gun with a mallard hen landing 242 yards from the line. The line is left of the clump of trees on the shoreline. They will go by a point on the left, pull out of the water running left of a clump of trees. The bird lands on the far side incline of a small crescent shaped pond not easily seen from the line.

The final bird is a drake mallard flyer shot to the left landing approximately 199 yards on a large point where the gunners sit. The line is five water entries.

Upon their return, they are released to the Honor. The test taking approximately 12 minutes. 

 

More photos to come …

6th Series - Land Triple

Temperatures are already in the 70's and skies are overcast. There is a threat of rain most of the day.

The Spangler's property is beautiful rolling hills. The test faces east and our winds are southwest at 9 mph. There will be moments of gust as storms roll through. 

We are located on the west side of a steep draw. All three stations are located on the other side of the draw are equally as high up but on the other side. The marks go around the horn from left to right. The field is dotted with small trees and a couple of hay bales. The grounds are mowed hay meadows strips. 

The left gun, hen pheasant sits nearly atop the hill in an area of un-mowed cover at 272 yards. It is thrown left and two gunners will retire after the bird is sent.

The second gun, hen pheasant sits halfway up hill with a small line of trees to allow them to retire. This hen pheasant is thrown left landing in heavier cover at 135 yards. The two guns will retire.

The last bird, hen mallard flyer, is shot angle back to the right into heavy cover edged in trees landing approximately 125 yards.

The gun report echos down the draw and the dog is on his way. This test is taking between 6- 8 minutes for the dog to bring back all three birds.

6th Series Land Triple with Two Retired and a Flyer

Drone Diagrams by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

Sketch of the Sixth Series by Cary Hunkel

5th Series - Land Blind

SERIES FIVE – Land Blind

The temperature is 77 degrees with a south wind at 10 mph, which will be a crosswind for the Land Blind.

The mat sits atop a mound facing east. When the dog comes off the mound and they are are basically faced with a flat field. This dead rooster  is planted by a marked bush at the end of the field 256 yards from the line and approximately 60 yards in front of the trees. The field is timber lined on the left sloping slightly down hill to the right. There are two little trees at approximately the halfway point. The vegetation is a sparse grassy hay meadow with a wide keyhole to go through. This is a straight forward land blind – the main factor is the cross wind.

5th Series Drone Diagrams by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

4th Series - Water Blind

This Fourth Series Water Blind comprises a long entry to a small channel of water in which the dog will be out of sight for several seconds. Once in the channel, the dog should swim down the channel and cross a point on the left. He will then proceed to the end of the channel angling out to the left corner to cross the road and cross to the top of a mound, then proceed to the end of the field where the mallard drake lays. The hazards to the blind appear to be the right land shore line and the point when the dog first enters the water.

After watching the first test dog, the judges moved the line up 10 yards toward the water for the 2nd test dog. Then after watching the 2nd test dog, the judges moved the mat back up the hill to the original spot.

The total distance for the blind is 240 yards and it is taking the dogs between 4-5 minutes per dog to complete.

4th Series Water Blind – 240 yards

4th Series Drone Diagram from Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

 

4th Series Shot of the line from Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

Sketch of the 4th Series by Cary Hunkel

3rd Series Test Description

 SERIES THREE – Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired

We have just moved across the street to the property of Terri and Wayne Curtis and the home of Fox Hollow Kennels. The Third Series is a Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired. On our third day of this series, our conditions has changed again. Today we see no wind, sunny skies and temps are currently in the 50's.

The Third Series begins with the mat facing east halfway up a hillside in a pasture dotted with bushes and trees. The field has a pond at the bottom with both sides rising up. The area is framed in timber and the cover is a hay meadow. The two outside marks form a 90 degree angle. The middle bird is slightly angled towards the flyer. This is a water triple with the birds thrown around the horn from right to left. 

First Bird thrown is the Short Right Retired (SRR), a hen mallard thrown left at 190 yards from the shore to a small point. The line to the bird is a long entry to the water with a swim past a right hand point and a left hand point to a second right hand point at the end of the pond. 

The second bird, the Long Middle Retired (LMR), is thrown at 276 is a rooster pheasant thrown left deep of the drip line of a large tree. The line to the bird is a mid length entry to a corner of water and a long drive on land. 

The last bird will be a mallard duck flyer at 87 yards shot left out of the test with no water on line to the bird. 

Both bird number one and two are retired. This test is taking 10-1/2 minutes per dog.

Third Series Drone Diagram by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers.

Third Series Sketch by Official Artist Cary Hunkel

Short Right Retired – 190 yards

Long Middle Retired – 276 yards

Drake Flyer – 87 yards

3rd Series Test Description

SERIES THREE – Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired

This is Day Two of the Third Series property of Terri and Wayne Curtis and the home of Fox Hollow Kennels. The Third Series is a Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired.

The Third Series begins with the mat facing east halfway up a hillside in a pasture dotted with bushes and trees. The field has a pond at the bottom with both sides rising up. The area is framed in timber and the cover is a hay meadow. The two outside marks form a 90 degree angle. The middle bird is slightly angled towards the flyer. This is a water triple with the birds thrown around the horn from right to left. Today our winds are about 12 mph coming out of the NW.

First Bird thrown is the Short Right Retired (SRR), a hen mallard thrown left at 190 yards from the shore to a small point. The line to the bird is a long entry to the water with a swim past a right hand point and a left hand point to a second right hand point at the end of the pond. 

The second bird, the Long Middle Retired (LMR), is thrown at 276 is a rooster pheasant thrown left deep of the drip line of a large tree. The line to the bird is a mid length entry to a corner of water and a long drive on land. 

The last bird will be a mallard duck flyer at 87 yards shot left out of the test with no water on line to the bird. 

Both bird number one and two are retired. This test is taking 10-1/2 minutes per dog.

Third Series Drone Diagram by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers.

Third Series Sketch by Official Artist Cary Hunkel

Short Right Retired – 190 yards

Long Middle Retired – 276 yards

Drake Flyer – 87 yards

SERIES THREE – Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired

SERIES THREE – Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired

We have just moved across the street to the property of Terri and Wayne Curtis and the home of Fox Hollow Kennels. The Third Series is a Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired.

The Third Series begins with the mat facing east halfway up a hillside in a pasture dotted with bushes and trees. The field has a pond at the bottom with both sides rising up. The area is framed in timber and the cover is a hay meadow. The two outside marks form a 90 degree angle. The middle bird is slightly angled towards the flyer. This is a water triple with the birds thrown around the horn from right to left. 

First Bird thrown is the Short Right Retired (SRR), a hen mallard thrown left at 190 yards from the shore to a small point. The line to the bird is a long entry to the water with a swim past a right hand point and a left hand point to a second right hand point at the end of the pond. 

The second bird, the Long Middle Retired (LMR), is thrown at 276 is a rooster pheasant thrown left deep of the drip line of a large tree. The line to the bird is a mid length entry to a corner of water and a long drive on land. 

The last bird will be a mallard duck flyer at 87 yards shot left out of the test with no water on line to the bird. 

Both bird number one and two are retired. This test is taking 10-1/2 minutes per dog.

Third Series Drone Diagram by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers.

Third Series Sketch by Official Artist Cary Hunkel

Short Right Retired – 190 yards

Long Middle Retired – 276 yards

Drake Flyer – 87 yards

Relook at 1st & 2nd Series - Interrupted Land Double with a Land Blind

 SERIES ONE & TWO: Interrupted Land Double with a Land Blind

 

Good Morning! Day Two of the National Amateur is starting out completely differently than yesterday. It is overcast and cool with a temperature of 59 degrees. The air is calm with little to no breeze, but is 6 mph from the southeast (yesterday it was northwest).

 

The field for our First Series is framed in timber with the line sitting atop a mound facing southeast into a gently rolling field. There is a gravel road which elbows through the bottom right corner. 

 

Our first series is a Interrupted Double with a Blind. The birds are ...

RG (Retired Gun) - Hen Pheasant

Blind - Mallard Hen

Flyer - Rooster Pheasant

 

The Retired Gun is 262 yards from the line and is a hen pheasant thrown angled back right. The rooster Flyer and is shot angle back right towards the tree line at approximately 242 yards. The blind is up the middle of the test at 284 yards. The field is a meadow with very natural cover approximately 8" high with a dirt track that goes off the elbow of the road perpendicular to the line.

The blind is HOT and the gunners will retire as soon as the dog sends.

This test is taking longer than the predicted five minutes per dog.

 

Drone Diagram by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

 

Sketch by Official Artist Cary Hunkel

1st & 2nd Series - Interupted Double Blind

 SERIES ONE: Interrupted Double with a Blind

 

Good Morning! We are starting our First Series with a light wind coming from the northwest. Temperatures are currently in the 60's and not a cloud in the sky. Lighting conditions will stay stable. 

 

The field for our First Series is framed in timber with the line sitting atop a mound facing southeast into a gently rolling field. There is a gravel road which elbows through the bottom right corner. 

 

Our first series is a Interrupted Double with a Blind. The birds are ...

RG (Retired Gun) - Hen Pheasant

Blind - Mallard Hen

Flyer - Rooster Pheasant

 

The Retired Gun is 262 yards from the line and is a hen pheasant thrown angled back right. The rooster Flyer and is shot angle back right towards the tree line at approximately 242 yards. The blind is up the middle of the test at 284 yards. The field is a meadow with very natural cover approximately 8" high with a dirt track that goes off the elbow of the road perpendicular to the line.

The blind is HOT and the gunners will retire as soon as the dog sends.

This test is taking longer than the predicted five minutes per dog.

 

Drone Diagram by Pat Burns of Elite Retrievers

 

Sketch by Official Artist Cary Hunkel