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We arrived at Tired Bottom, Flight A late in the afternoon. The judges set up a fun land water triple with a water blind and honor using a mixed bag, pheasants for land, mallards for water. The first bird down was the right-hand bird thrown to the left landing mid-way up a slope in a small patch of cover 80 yards from the line. The next two birds resembled a mom and pop due to the proximity from where the bird came from, but in actuality there were two separate holding blinds a few feet apart. The second short middle bird, also a land bird, was thrown to the right, crossed behind a tree and from the dog's perspective landed behind another tree 31 yards from the line. The flyer go bird, a water mark shot to the left landed across a narrow pond a few yards onto the shore. The water blind at approximately 90 yards was to the left of where the flyer landed.
Four of the five factors that affect dogs pushed these dogs to the right en route to retrieve the flyer. The terrain sloped to the right; the longer the dog stayed on land the wider the swim became; the suction of two bird stations and, finally, the wind was blowing left to right, so the dogs had to shoulder the wind. The line to the flyer also required an angle entry into the water. Upon returning from the flyer, the dogs primarily selected the short middle bird as their second one to pick up. If the dogs over ran this mark, the wind helped them to locate the bird for a quick retrieve. The terrain to the right long bird had a slight slope to the left down into a gully. Once the dogs reached the gully, if the dog was to the left of the bird as they went up the hill, they had a large area of land to hunt in.
The same factors that affected the dog retrieving the flyer were also in play for the down-the-shore water blind. The terrain fell off to the right, angle entry was required, and the dogs should not land early.
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| Flight A - Test 3 |
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The third series of Flight B at Whoa Nellie Farm was a land/water triple with blind and honor using a mixed bag of pheasants for land and mallards for water. The field had a upward slope with thin broom straw and low cover. The left-hand bird was first thrown to the right landing 74 yards from the line. The middle bird was second thrown left landing approximately 98 yards from the line. The area of the fall for the go bird flyer shot hard angle back left was 120 yards from the line.
The wind was to the handler's backs. Due to the flyer being shot hard angle back, the dogs we watched flared off the bird station to the left to make a quick hunt to retrieve the bird. Upon the return from the flyer, dogs primary selected and retrieved the right-hand bird, the wind did not seem to give either bird away and dogs marked these two birds well. The water blind was a square water entry with a 45 yard swim to a wide point where the bird was placed on the back side of the peninsula.
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| Flight B - Test 3 |
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The third series of Flight C has was a water triple with water blind up the center. The setting consisted of a small pond with the water's edge just eight yards from the line. Beyond the pond is a field of pecan trees with tilled strips of soil for food plots between the trees. The left-hand bird is thrown first to the right from a small pole building covering a wood pile and landed just shy of a tilled strip 70 yards from the line. The area of the fall for the middle bird flyer shot to the right is either landing in the tilled strip of land or alternately the mowed green grass approximately 136 yards from the line. The right-hand go bird is thrown flat to the left landing 58 yards from the line on the far end of the pond. The direct line to the go bird includes a slight sliver of water up front and then a small piece of water just before picking up the bird.
The third series of Flight C has was a water triple with water blind up the center. The setting consisted of a small pond with the water's edge just eight yards from the line. Beyond the pond is a field of pecan trees with tilled strips of soil for food plots between the trees. The left-hand bird is thrown first to the right from a small pole building covering a wood pile and landed just shy of a tilled strip 70 yards from the line. The area of the fall for the middle bird flyer shot to the right is either landing in the tilled strip of land or alternately the mowed green grass approximately 136 yards from the line. The right-hand go bird is thrown flat to the left landing 58 yards from the line on the far end of the pond. The direct line to the go bird includes a slight sliver of water up front and then a small piece of water just before picking up the bird.
The blind is directly up the middle of the test halfway between the left and middle bird. The bird is placed at the base of a very large bushy tree.
Originally the test was set with the right-hand mark being thrown right angle back. After the three test dogs had difficulty with that mark, the judges changed it to a flat throw left to provide more clarity to the picture.
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| Flight C - Test 3 |
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