Series Ten – Land Triple with One Dead Rooster and Two Dead Hens

This Tenth Series is a Land Triple shot left, middle, and right. The left rooster is the longest bird at 223 yards and is thrown to the left. The middle hen pheasant is 201 yards and is thrown to the right. The right hand hen is the shorter mark at 130 yards. It's thrown to the left and into the center of the test. The wind is from the north, gusting to 20 mph. It's overcast and 53 degrees. Lighting is very good. The test faces south, so the wind is at the handler's back. The field is terraced and birds are strategically placed on the terraces. There are a couple of small "fingers" or channels of water upfront on the line in the middle and to the left. This will cause some interesting lines out to the birds. 

Tenth Series – Land Triple

1st Bird – Rooster – 223 yards

2nd Bird – Hen Pheasant – 201 yards

3rd Bird – Hen Pheasant – 130 yards

Series Nine - Water Double with a Hen Duck Flyer

Test Nine is a Water Double with a Hen Duck Flyer. We are facing due east, overlooking a valley with a large pond. It's 54 degrees with a northwest wind that is likely to shift to north. The wind is blowing left to right as we face the test. There is a flyer and dead bird across the pond. The flyer is on the right and shot to the right at approximately 180 yards and the dead bird is thrown to the left at 225 yards. The dead bird is longer and involves a longer swim. The dogs will lose sight of the guns while they are in the pond. If they cheat the pond, they will be headed towards the flyer. A longer swim will be towards the long gun. The wind will blow the dogs towards the shore. There is a steep climb up and out of the pond.

Ninth Series

Bird #1 – Dead Hen Mallard – 225 yards

Bird #2 – Hen Mallard Flyer – 180 yards

Series Eight – Water Double

Test Eight is a Water Double. The mat sits on a terrace facing northwest. We are overlooking a series of ponds. Wind is out of the southeast at 5-10 mph.

Bird #1 is a dead drake thrown left across a small channel from a point on the right side at 320 yards. The line to this bird goes down the hillside, across pond one, over a levee with deep cover, and into pond two past the point to the far shore in the channel. 

Bird #2 is a dead drake. The gunners will throw and shoot to the right causing the bird to land in the pond just right of the corner at 200 yards. Decoys are in the opposite corner of the pond. 

Both birds appear to converge on top of each other when thrown. This test is taking an average of seven minutes per dog to run.

The Eighth Series

Bird #1 – Dead Duck – 320 yards

Bird #2 – Dead Duck – 200 yards

Series Seven – Land Double with a Hen Pheasant Flyer

Test Seven is a Land Double with a Hen Pheasant Flyer. The field is terraced and shaped like a bowl. The line is on the east ridge. As the dog leaves the mat they will top a terrace. There are three terraces to the base and then a mound and more terraces. The line takes the dog over the left side of the mound. Just behind the mound is a heavy strip of sorghum that pushes the dog farther right. Everything in the field pushes the dog right and away from the bird. Additionally, the flyer has the same terrace going down and lots of angles going up to the bean field. 

Bird #1 is directly in front of the line. These guns shoot and throw a hen pheasant, angled back to the left landing, 240 yards away at the base of a line of large evergreen trees.

Bird #2 is a hen pheasant flyer shot at an angle back to the right landing in a mashed down bean field (mashed by four-wheelers). This gun station is 205 yards from the line. 

After the test dogs ran, the judges moved the flyer station from closer to the bean field to a friendlier position at the base of a pine tree.

Seventh Series

Left – Hen Pheasant – 240 yards

 

Right – Hen Pheasant Flyer – 205 yards

Sixth Series - Land/Water Double with a Drake Flyer

Test Six sits on a hill facing north. At the base of the hill are four interconnected ponds with slender levees and dikes connecting them. 

Bird #1: The left-hand gunners are 190 yards from the line on the handler's left. They will shoot and throw a dead drake flat to the right. This bird lands in the water just over the lip of the bank where it is not easily visible. The line to this bird goes down the hill, through pond one, then up onto a large, sloped bank, and back into pond two.

Bird #2: The flyer gunners are 170 yards from the mat and just to the handler's right. The guns will shoot and throw a drake mallard to the right and up a hill. 

Sixth Series

1st Bird – 190 yards

2nd Bird – 170 yards

Fifth Series – Land Double

Test Five sits on the right side of a gravel road facing north. This is a land double with two dead roosters. The long bird has two gunners 300 yards from the line on the left side of a winding road. The gun station is in front of a hill. These gunners shoot and throw to the right with the bird landing at the base of a tree. The terrain slopes away from the gunners pushing the dogs to the left and away from the bird.

Bird #2 is 200 yards from the line. This gun station is located right of the road. These gunners shoot and throw a rooster to the left landing at a tree line that dips out of sight. The line to this bird has the dog crossing the road by the mat, over a small part of the field, back across a bend in the road, across a shorter field, then into a dip by the tree line.

Fifth Series – Land Double

1st Bird – Dead Rooster – 300 yards

2nd Bird – Dead Rooster – 200 yards

Series Four – Land/Water Double with Two Dead Roosters

Test Four is a Water Double. The mat sits on top of a hill next to a tree line. At the base of a hill are two ponds with decoys divided by a dam. On the other side of the water, a gravel road runs left to right through the test. The far side of the road angles away from the road to a tree line that is bordered by a stand of milo on the right.

Bird #1: Rooster pheasant is on the far side field at the base of a mound. This bird is thrown right into the edge of the milo strip at 260 yards.

Bird #2: Rooster pheasant is thrown left. The guns are down the hill, across the dam, across the road, and into the milo at 230 yards.

The conditions are bright, hot and there is very little breeze.

Fourth Series

1st Bird – Rooster Pheasant – 260 yards

2nd Bird – Rooster Pheasant – 230 yards

Third Series – Land Double with Two Dead Roosters

We are returning today to the same site of Test 2. The mat has been placed to face northeast, and we're in a grove of walnut trees. 

Bird #1/Top left is 250 yards from the mat. This bird is a dead rooster pheasant thrown right. The line to the bird takes the dog across an area with low cover. They then head up to the top of a terraced hill crossing a gravel road. There are two brush piles on line to the bird designed to push the dog away from the mark. The bird lands at the tail end of a treeline.

Bird #2/Long right is a dead rooster pheasant. The gunners are right of the mat at 320 yards throwing to the right. The line to this bird takes the dog across a flat, crossing a road, over the left side of a mound, over a second road, and into an open field. The test takes approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

Third Series

Bird #1 – 250 yards

Bird #2 – 320 yards

Second Series – Single with a Pheasant

We have moved to the "Grader Field." Test Two is a long single with a Rooster Flyer at 180 yards. The mat faces north. The dogs have a clear view of the gunners through the alley of trees. The rooster is thrown and shot to the right on the far hillside. This is a fast-moving test.

A Close-up of the Second Series Flyer Guns

First Series - New Test - Double with Two Dead Ducks

First Series - New Test - Double with Two Dead Ducks

This test is a double water test. The mat sits on the side of a pond facing east. 

Bird #1: Long right - is situated on the side of a far hill 180 yards from the line. This set of gunners is deep of a small pond, throwing a dead duck to the right that lands almost behind the next pond. 

Bird #2: Short left - is located beside the water. The gunners throw left, down the shore with the duck landing 130 yards from the line in heavy lily pads.

 

Dead Duck #1 – 180 yards

Dead Duck #2 – 130 yards

First Series – Land Double with a Hen Mallard Flyer

The First Series comprises a Land Double with a Hen Mallard Flyer. The first bird is a dead duck located 200 yards from the mat. The gunners are at the base of a steep levee throwing right. The second bird is a Hen Mallard Flyer. The gunners are on the handlers' left up the far hill. This field faces north and sits on a terraced hillside.  at 240 yards. The dog must run down through a valley and up to the flyer. There is a southeast wind blowing around 10 mph from right to left.

Right Hand Dead Duck – 200 yards

Left Hand Hen Mallard Flyer – 240 yards