10th Series – Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired

The 10th Series is on Andy Kahn's "Sheep Barn Pond." This area has three ponds which are tied by land bridges. The larger pond is on the far side and has several points and an island. The mat is on a hill in the northeast corner of the field.

From left to right the stations are:

Bird 1 – Flyer: (we will refer to this bird as F for Flyer)

This mark is a rooster up the hill behind the large pond. This group of three gunners will throw then shoot to the right with the rooster landing approximately 301 yards from the mat in a field of tall grass with mowed strips.

Bird 2 – Right Retired: (we will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired)

This bird is on the right side of the large pond in a brushed blind at the water's edge. The two gunners come out to throw and shoot a dead drake mallard. This duck lands on an island in front of them and converges with Flyer, approximately 296 yards from the mat.

 

Bird 3 – Left Retired: (we will refer to this bird as LR for Left Retired)

The well-brushed blind has two gunners who come out and stand at the left edge of the large pond. They shoot and throw left with the dead hen mallard landing behind a strip of cover 204 yards from the mat. This test is taking approximately 15-20 minutes per dog.

The order will be:

Flyer

Right Retired

Left Retired

 

Tenth Series – Water Triple with a Flyer and Two Retired

Bird 1 – Flyer – 301 yards

 Bird 2 – Right Retired – 296 yards

Bird 3 – Left Retired – 204 yards

Sketch of the Tenth Series by David Morrison – THANKS, DAVE!!!

9th Series – Water Blind

We are at Andy Kahn's Butterfly Pond. This was the location for Tests 6 and 7. For this Water Blind, the dogs will be crossing several lines from these previous tests. We are once again on the road facing south. The pond runs north to south in a valley below the mat. On the southwest corner of the pond, a point runs north. On the tip of the point a strip of marsh is in the water. About 10 feet from the tip is a small island, they should swim up a cove – exit the pond and go to a pile of sticks 240 yards from the mat to complete this blind. The judges will allow lateral movement in this test. The test is taking approximately five minutes per dog to complete the blind.

9th Series – Water Blind – 240 yards

Sketch of the 9th Series by David Morrison

8th Series – Land/Water Quad with Two Flyers and Two Retired with an Honor

The 8th Series – Land/Water Quad with Two Flyers and Two Retired and an Honor. The mat faces South. There is a gravel road running east to west 45 yards in front of the line. Just past the road are three beautiful new ponds. The pond on the right has curves and features with the main body in an "L" shape. The two ponds on the left have a wide land bridge between them running northeast to southwest. The four gun stations are positioned in a semi-circle around the ponds.

Gun Station #1 on the left is a drake mallard flyer. (we will refer to this bird as LF for Left Flyer) This station is 192 yards from the mat. The gunners throw then shoot the drake to the left out of the test. The dog takes both left ponds to get this bird.

Gun Station #2 is a dead hen pheasant retired gun station. (we will refer to this bird as LR for Left Retired) The bird is shot then thrown to the left landing about 202 yards from the line. They then retire into a well brushed blind.

Gun Station #3 is slightly shorter than gun station #2. (we will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired) They are located at the top right of the L shaped pond. This is also a well brushed blind. This will be the far right side of the test. The gunners come out and shoot a hen mallard and then throw the dead hen duck to the left landing 200 yards from the line. They then retire.

Gun Station #4 is a flyer station on the near right. (we will refer to this bird as RF for Right Flyer)These guns come out and throw their hen pheasant then shoot it to the right. The bird lands approximately 140 yards from the line. These guns are located behind the bottom of the "L" in the L shaped pond.

There is an Honor to the left of the working dog. This test is designed for water on all birds. The order is left to right ...

Beginning with the drake mallard flyer. (LF)

Next is the left Retired throwing a hen pheasant to the left. (LR)

Third we have the Right Retired guns throwing a dead hen mallard to the left. (RR)

Last, is the hen pheasant flyer shot to the right. (RF)

This test is taking each dog approximately 13-17 minutes to complete.

8th Series – Land/Water Quad with Two Flyers and Two Retired

1st Bird – Drake Flyer – 192 yards

2nd Bird – Hen Pheasant – 202 yards

3rd Bird – Hen Duck – 200 yards

4th Bird – Hen Pheasant – 140 yards

Sketch of the 8th Series by David Morrison

7th Series – Land Blind

Test 7 is  a Land Blind with a dry pop and a sluice. The mat is just right of the mat in Test 6 on the side of a hill.

When the handler gets on the mat, the Judges call for the dry pop and sluice. These gunners are at the location of the pond bird from test 6. The line to this bird is down the hill, right of the gunners at the ponds edge – back up the far hill, across the road and then go to a pile of sticks 27 yards from the line.

The judge said that he will give the dog a number and they should then "line the blind."

This test is taking each dog approximately 2 - 2.5 minutes to complete.

 

7th Series – Land Blind 230 yards

Sketch of the 7th Series by Dave Morrison

6th Series – Land/Water Quad with Two Retired and an Honor

Test 6 is a Land/Water Quad with Two Retired, a Flyer and an Honor. The mat faces south overlooking a beautiful open ended valley with a pond in the middle. This pond has been aptly named the "Butterfly Pond."

The first bird shot is a hen mallard Flyer (We will refer to this mark as "F" for Flyer.) This gun station is in front of the mat on the far left end of the pond on the levee. This bird is thrown then shot to the left out into the field landing approximately 174 yards from the line.

The second bird is a hen pheasant. (We will refer to this mark as "RR" for Right Retired.) The guns stand by a large oak tree to the right of the line. They shoot, then throw the pheasant to the right, landing behind a heavy cover strip to the right 175 yards from the line.

Bird three is a hen mallard. (We will refer to this mark as "LR" for Long Retired.) This gun station is in from of the mat on the far right end of the pond with a well brushed blind. The gunners shoot and throw the mallard to the left, landing 301 yards from the line behind the butterfly-shaped pond.

Bird four is a hen mallard landing 145 yards in front the line. (We will refer to this mark as "P" for Pond Bird) These gunners are on the near right corner of the pond throwing left across a small finger of water. After all four birds have been retrieved, there is an Honor to the left of the working dog.

The birds are thrown in the following order:

Bird #1 – Flyer (F)

Bird #2 – Right Retired (RR)

Bird #3 – Long Retired (LR)

Bird #4 – Pond Bird (P)

This test is taking each dog approximately 12 minutes to complete.

 

6th Series – Land/Water Quad with Two Retired and an Honor

Bird #1 – Hen Mallard Flyer – 174 yards

Bird #2 – Right Retired Hen Pheasant – 175 yards

Bird #3 – Long Retired (Hen Mallard) – 301 yards

Bird #4 – Pond Bird (Hen Mallard) – 145 yards

Sketch of Test 6 by David Morrison

6th Series – Land Blind - Scrapped

The 6th Series is a Land Blind back at TJ Lindbloom's property. (the same site as the 5th Series) 

The mat has been moved down the hill. The handler comes to the line and calls for the birds. Two gunners stand from the simulated flyer station used in test five. They shoot twice. Then, the handler proceeds with the blind. 

The line to the blind takes the dog down the first Terrace onto a flat. Then he goes through the right corner of the marsh, staying close to a line of small evergreens running in the line from near to far. 

After the second evergreen there is a small marsh pond. When they exit this pond, they go through a shallow line of bullrushes. The dog must keep close to a small evergreen bush. Proceeding across the flat, the Drake Mallard is located in front of a pile of sticks approximately 277 yards east of the mat. 

Decoys have been planted in the left side of the first marsh.

The test is taking approximately 3 minutes per dog.

6th Series – Land Blind – 277 yards

 

5th Series – Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired – Day 3

Today, we are back at TJ Lindbloom's property for our 3rd day of the 5th Series. We should be finishing this test up and moving in a few hours. The conditions today are sunny skies, with a very slight NNW breeze at 8mph. It will be warming up and temps will get to about 84 degrees as the day continues ...

The water in this test site was higher last week due to all the rain in the area, but has now dried to create some patches of lunging water.

The Fifth Series is a Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired Guns using all ducks. Skies have cleared and lighting is bright. The line sits at the top edge of a bowl facing nearly North. The  backdrop at the edge of the field is tree-lined and blocks the river frontage. Much of the area is mowed where the area allows and the balance is marsh with small "islands" of elevation dotting the water. There is a duck blind between the left-hand flyer and the rest of the marks. Two brush areas are just below the line.

Bird #1: (SimF for Simulated Flyer) The simulated flyer goes off first. It is a drake that lands 270 yards to the left. The path to the bird will take the dog down the hill, between scrub brush and through lunging water. These guns will remain standing out.

Bird #2: (RR for Right Retired) The second bird is a hen mallard thrown 232 yards to the left. This hen mallard is an angle back on land. The dog will skirt along the right shore of the marshy area. Then will go through a cove, skimming land, past another marshy area and on to solid ground to pick up the bird. 

Bird #3: (LR for Left Retired) The Left Retired Gun is a hen mallard thrown to the right at 200 yards. The dog drops down the hill, through lunging water, across some land, back into the marsh and on to solid ground.

Bird #4: (F for Flyer) The Flyer is a drake mallard shot to the left at approximately 108 yards. It is furthest left of the field and after it is shot it is sluiced.

The retired guns go to their blinds as the dog is picking up the flyer go-bird. This test is taking approximately 11 minutes plus or minus per dog to complete.

5th Series – Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired

Simulated Flyer – 270 yards

Right Retired – 242 yards

Left Retired – 200 yards

Flyer – 108 yards

Sketch of the Fifth Series by David Morrison

5th Series – Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired – Day 2

Today, we are back at TJ Lindbloom's property for Day 2 as the 5th Series continues ...

The Fifth Series is a Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired Guns using all ducks. Skies have cleared and lighting is bright. The line sits at the top edge of a bowl facing nearly North. The backdrop at the edge of the field is tree-lined and blocks the river frontage. Much of the area is mowed where the area allows and the balance is marsh with small "islands" of elevation dotting the water. There is a duck blind between the left-hand flyer and the rest of the marks. Two brush areas are just below the line.

Bird #1: (SimF for Simulated Flyer) The simulated flyer goes off first. It is a drake that lands 270 yards to the left. The path to the bird will take the dog down the hill, between scrub brush and through lunging water. These guns will remain standing out.

Bird #2: (RR for Right Retired) The second bird is a hen mallard thrown 232 yards to the left. This hen mallard is an angle back on land. The dog will skirt along the right shore of the marshy area. Then will go through a cove, skimming land, past another marshy area and on to solid ground to pick up the bird.

Bird #3: (LR for Left Retired) The Left Retired Gun is a hen mallard thrown to the right at 200 yards. The dog drops down the hill, through lunging water, across some land, back into the marsh and on to solid ground.

Bird #4: (F for Flyer) The Flyer is a drake mallard shot to the left at approximately 108 yards. It is furthest left of the field and after it is shot it is sluiced.

The retired guns go to their blinds as the dog is picking up the flyer go-bird. This test is taking approximately 11 minutes plus or minus per dog to complete.

5th Series – Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired

Simulated Flyer – 270 yards

Right Retired – 242 yards

Left Retired – 200 yards

Flyer – 108 yards

Sketch of the Fifth Series by David Morrison

5th Series – Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired

This afternoon we will begin test 5 back at TJ Lindbloom's property. The water in this test site was higher last week due to all the rain in the area, but has now dried to some patches of lunging water.

The Fifth Series is a Land Quad with a Flyer, a Simulated Flyer and Two Retired Guns using all ducks. Skies have cleared and lighting is bright. The line sits at the top edge of a bowl facing nearly North. The backdrop at the edge of the field is tree-lined and blocks the river frontage. Much of the area is mowed where the area allows and the balance is marsh with small "islands" of elevation dotting the water. There is a duck blind between the left-hand flyer and the rest of the marks. Two brush areas are just below the line.

Bird #1: (SimF for Simulated Flyer) The simulated flyer goes off first. It is a drake that lands 270 yards to the left. The path to the bird will take the dog down the hill, between scrub brush and through lunging water.

Bird #2: (RR for Right Retired) The second bird is a hen mallard thrown 232 yards to the left. This hen mallard is an angle back on land. The dog will skirt along the right shore of the marshy area. Then will go through a cove, skimming land, past another marshy area and on to solid ground to pick up the bird.

Bird #3: (LR for Left Retired) The Left Retired Gun is a hen mallard thrown to the right at 200 yards. The dog drops down the hill, through lunging water, across some land, back into the marsh and on to solid ground.

Bird #4: (F for Flyer) The Flyer is a drake mallard shot to the left at approximately 108 yards. It is furthest left of the field and after it is shot it is sluiced.

The retired guns go to their blinds as the dog is picking up the flyer go-bird. This test is taking approximately 11 minutes plus or minus per dog to complete.

Sketch of the Fifth Series by David Morrison

3rd & 4th Series – Water Double and Water Blind – Day 2

It is a beautiful day! Currently it is 51 degrees and cloudy, the wind is out of the N-NE at 2 mph. Lighting will not be an issue as Tests 3 & 4 continue today ...

We are at Andy Kahn's for the second day running Tests 3 and 4 which are a Water Double with a Water Blind. The test is on Andy Kahn's property at the "Dog Bone" pond. The mat sits on the side of a hill facing south, overlooking two ponds. All birds in both tests are hen mallards.

Bird #1 is thrown right across a narrow pond on the handler's right approximately 200 yards from the line. (We will refer to this mark as RR for Right Retired.) After the bird is thrown, the gunners retire. The line to this bird takes the dog down and across a field, running parallel to the dog bone-shaped pond. They enter the smaller pond, which is deep of the larger pond, crossing a small neck of water and finding the bird on the right shore.

Bird #2 is a hen mallard flyer (We will refer to this mark as F for flyer.) The gunners are located at the far end of the dog bone pond in a field. The line to this bird takes the dog down the hill through thick cover and into the right side of the pond. There are small islands in the dog bone pond that may or may not be on line depending on where the flyer lands. When the dog exits the pond, he will drive through the cover to his bird approximately 223 yards from the line. This bird is recovered first.

Test 4 is a shoreline Water Blind (We will refer to this mark as B for blind.) This blind uses the left end of the dog bone pond. The dog goes down the hill through cover and enters the pond on the near left end. The judges have given instructions that you should get in left of a stake. They then proceed paralleling the shore, across a point and retrieve their bird planted on the left shore 125 yards from the line.

These two tests are taking each dog approximately 12 plus or minus minutes to complete.

Series 3 – Water Double with a Flyer and a Retired

Right Retired – 200 yards

Flyer Station – 223 yards

Water Blind – 125 yards

Sketch of the 3rd & 4th Series by David Morrison

3rd & 4th Series – Water Double and Water Blind

Tests 3 and 4 are a Water Double with a Water Blind. The test is on Andy Kahn's property at the "Dog Bone" pond. The mat sits on the side of a hill facing south, overlooking two ponds. All birds in both tests are hen mallards.

Bird #1 is thrown right across a narrow pond on the handler's right approximately 200 yards from the line. (We will refer to this mark as RR for Right Retired.) After the bird is thrown, the gunners retire. The line to this bird takes the dog down and across a field, running parallel to the dog bone-shaped pond. They enter the smaller pond, which is deep of the larger pond, crossing a small neck of water and finding the bird on the right shore.

Bird #2 is a hen mallard flyer (We will refer to this mark as F for flyer.) The gunners are located at the far end of the dog bone pond in a field. The line to this bird takes the dog down the hill through thick cover and into the right side of the pond. There are small islands in the dog bone pond that may or may not be on line depending on where the flyer lands. When the dog exits the pond, he will drive through the cover to his bird approximately 223 yards from the line. This bird is recovered first.

Test 4 is a shoreline Water Blind (We will refer to this mark as B for blind.) This blind uses the left end of the dog bone pond. The dog goes down the hill through cover and enters the pond on the near left end. The judges have given instructions that you should get in left of a stake. They then proceed paralleling the shore, across a point and retrieve their bird planted on the left shore 125 yards from the line.

These two tests are taking each dog approximately 12 plus or minus minutes to complete.

Series 3 – Water Double with a Flyer and a Retired

Right Retired – 200 yards

Flyer Station – 223 yards

Water Blind – 125 yards

Sketch of the 3rd & 4th Series by David Morrison

1st & 2nd Series – Land Double and Land Blind with Hen Pheasants

Welcome to Day One of the 2022 National Amateur Retriever Championship. 98 dog/handler teams have traveled from all over the US to compete in Roseburg, Oregon in the lush, upper Umpqua River Valley. After the meetings, we received the news that there were four scratches and there were not any more as a result of the bitch check.

The 1st & 2nd Series of the 2022 NARC is located in a beautiful valley on TJ & Debby Lindbloom's ranch. The test is a converging Land Double and Land Blind all with hen pheasants. 

The area is steep but great care and effort has gone into the grounds. Gravel steps were designed to help navigate the steep, slick slope. Heavy straw around the line keeps mud holes at bay while a well-mowed area helps the handlers as they move through the holding blinds.

The mat faces north at the top end of a valley that stretches down the hill to a wood line by the river. The Short Bird #1 (we will refer to as RG for retired gun) will be a hen pheasant thrown to the Right from a very well brushed holding blind. This blind is Right and slightly up hill from the base of the valley. The gunners throw Right up the hill towards the flyer guns, landing approximately 165 years from the line. The gunners then retire as the dog is sent for bird #2.

Bird #2 is a Flyer (we will refer to as F) located approximately 243 yards from the mat. The gun station is to the handler's Right at the crest of a hill. As the hen pheasant is thrown, then shot, she lands to the gunner's Left towards bird #1. This is a converging double. There are multiple piles of brush both natural and man made along the dogs path to both birds, which forces them to need to KNOW which direction the bird went.

At the completion of Test 1, the handler will now run the Blind (we will refer to as B). The line is down the Left side of the valley. The bird will be 120 yards from the mat in front of a large pile of limbs. The dog must hit a key hole between 2 bushes, hold the side of the hill and navigate down to the blind.

These two tests are taking each dog approximately 6-7 minutes to complete.

The 1st & 2nd Series – What a spectacular view!

1st & 2nd Series – A Land Double and a Land Blind

 

Short Retired Gun – 165 yards

Hen Pheasant Flyer – 243 yards

Land Blind – 120 yards

Land Blind – 120 yards

Sketch of the 1st & 2nd by David Morrison