competition

[leschamp19]

wondering if anyone knows how i can get started with hunting trials, shoot to retrieve is where i would like to start.
any info will be great

[george tinkham]

hey les are you from the plains

[Thunderflight]

What are hunting trials?

TF

[Lance]

How far Southeast are you? Depending on your location National Shoot to Retreives are probably you best bet anyway. They're a lot fun and don't require quite as much training as the AKC or American field trials. They are also held much more frequently with locations near Wooster, Marysville, Parkersburg WVA and a few others in the sw part of the state. The most important thing is that your dog should be steady to wing, handel well and reteive like a champ. If you can put all of that together along with a pretty good nose and some speed you've got a pretty decent chance of placing. www.NSTRA.org is the website for the National Shoot To Retreive Association. It has the rules and judging info all spelled out in black and white and there is an Ohio region page that is accessible through that site.


Brief description of a hunters trial for pointing dogs.

A hunters trial is an event where a hunter gets a chance to work his dog on a field of planted birds for a set amount of time(10-20 min dep on club). The dog is judged on it's ability to find(eg. use wind and id cover), point and hold birds, style(smooth gate, staunch intense point) handling and retreive birds. These events are a lot of fun and have nothing more than pride and a rosette hanging on the results where other trials have points to championships and $$ riding on them. They also require the least amount of training for a dog to run in. The dogs run alone in these where other trials they are run with a bracemate so manners on another dogs point aren't an issue. They also are not required to be steady to shot in this game(hold point when gun fires) though it can earn bonus points with a judge if the've got two nice dogs and need something to break a decision.


As far as Hunters trials go, the club I'm in is the Berlin Bird Dog Club(based just north of Canton) and we run a couple every year, one in the fall and in the spring. The spring trial is at the Berlin Dam wildlife area. If you're interested in traveling up this way email me and I'll put you on our mailing list.

Feel free to ask if you've got more questions that I can help with!

[Thunderflight]

OK, I think I've heard of them now.

I don't know of any down here. I live in Beaufort, SC. I'm about 30 minutes from Hilton Head.

TF

[Flyin40]

Any info about the one in Marysville?? Do they have a web site. And to they have a flusher division. I would love to get in hunt trials but none in central Ohio and I work sat and sun so driving to them on the weekends is out of the questions.

Flyin

[Lance]

Flyin40,
Sorry, yhe National Shoot to Retreive is strictly pointing dogs. If I find out about any organized flusher events in the area I'll be sure to post them!

[Flyin40]

Well I guess I could buy a pointer but since they can't compare to a lab in hunting or retrieving I figure I better just stay with a flusher or maybe a pointing lab. Anyways I just messing with you, I have never hunted behind a pointer, looks pretty neat to have them lock up for you. Until I buy a house with a big yard I'll stay away from pointers. I duck, goose and dove hunt alot so I need that retriever. If I bought another dog it would make it kinda cramped and the wife would probably make me keep the dogs outside and I would have to stay with them. LOL
Thks for the info

Flyin