Midwest Tri-State NAVHDA Pheasant Championship
Download the Muster Tales Pheasant Championship (.pdf)
In March 2009 Julson Kennel sponsored the second Pheasant Championship for the local Midwest Tri-State NAVHDA chapter. We usually pick the end of March because the last several years the weather has been cooperative and everyone is ready to get out ,work their dogs and shoot something after a long winter. The Championship is a timed event open to any dog that points. Four hobbled pheasants are released in a 10 acres CRP field. Each handler and dog team has 20 minutes and 8 shells in which to harvest their 4 birds. Besides being one of the highlights of the year as far as fun - the pheasant challenge is also a huge fund raiser for the club. With the club membership and this event’s popularity growing we will probably have to run two fields next year. One field each for Open and Puppy Division. Over 20 dogs and handlers participated. There are two categories, puppy and open. Puppy class is for dogs 2 years old and younger. Open is for any age. So it is possible to run the same dog in both the puppy and open categories if the dog is two years old or younger. (SPECIFIC RULES WE USE ARE LISTED AT THE END) You can modify the rules however you like. Whatever works best for your group?
The day started out overcast and cool, with the promise of snow moving in by the late afternoon. We decided to hold the event, even with the precarious weather forecast. The pheasants had already been picked up and it was this Saturday or it was not going to happen. “What the heck the weatherman are wrong as often as they are right --- go for it!” “We hunt in weather like that so why not train and compete in weather like that?”
Part of the Gallery early in the day. L to R Dan Griffith, Bill Blackman, Rodney Brandenburg
Start of the day. POINT!! L to R Joe Rodriguez, Denis Hofflander (Judge), Tate Martinsen (Apprentice Judge)
We have to be one of the few NAVHDA chapters with their own portable kitchen/grill and chef! Cliff Koele, who runs wire haired pointing griffons, has sort of an enclosed food booth trailer. Some of his cooking equipment we off loaded into my garage and the rest stayed in the trailer. He cooked up a breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon and pancakes. Chilly and barbeques were the menu for lunch. Some members showed up just for the food. Who could blame them!! We did let Cliff off long enough to run his Chula. In all seriousness he provides a great service for our club and whenever he does this for one of our events or training days members tend to stay around longer and socialize around his trailer.
Breakfast is served! Chef Cliff Koele
Mid day—getting a little rougher! L to R Cliff Koele, Chula, Denis Hofflander (Judge extraordinar), Bill Blackman (Apprentice Judge)
For the first Pheasant Challenge two years earlier we used large remote launchers. This year we tried something new, at least for us---hobbles. The pheasants could move enough to get into cover, if needed, but not take off running into the next county. The hobbles worked out great and we will use them again next year. (http://www.birdbreaster.com)
Up Next! L to R Jeff Hansen, Tate Martinsen making sure Jeff and Cocoa do not peak while the birds are planted
Handlers and dogs are required to wait seated behind a blind so handlers and their dogs cannot watch the birds being planted. We had to change to the blind. You may laugh about the dogs having to be behind the blind, also. When we used to have dogs and handlers stand behind a pickup, with a topper, with the handler’s back to the bird field we caught some dogs, who have done this before, peaking under the pickup watch birds being planted.
THE GALLERY! Late in the day. L to R Justin Deberg, Mike Stoakes
End of the day—birds are all used up, 4 wheeler is just about out of gas and the dogs are tucked away ready to go home
I ran early in the day with Oz and last of the day with Muda. The snow was coming down hard by the time Muda ran. It was just the judge, myself and Muda. The balance of the participants had either departed (the smart ones) or were in my heated garage talking over the day’s activities and enjoying the food and hot coffee. Muda and I had a “little” home field advantage and were fortunate enough to win the Open Division in 2009. It is always questionable whether it is good to win on your own field, but she was on her game and the old man behind the gun got some lucky shots in.
By the time everyone left for home we probably had 6 inches of snow on the ground and more falling---and as usual in South Dakota --- wind. The last members leaving caravanned back to Sioux Falls. All in all it was a fun day. Good people, Great dogs, and GOOD FOOD!! I can’t wait till next year!!
We have a rotating plaque, for each category, on which the name of each year’s winner is engraved. You can see this picture of Muda (6 yr) and I was taken at a much later date than the 2009 contest day!
Based on the 2009 snow storm experience and the 2010 extended winter we opted to have the 2010 Pheasant Championship in mid April. The weather was definitely nicer.
We have a rotating plaque, for each category, on which the name of each year’s winner is engraved. You can see this picture of Muda (6 yr) and I was taken at a much later date than the 2009 contest day!
No matter what you do there are always a few birds that get away. Even with the hobbles they can still hop or fly out of the designated bird field. That gives me an opportunity to take Shadow, our 14 year old Kleine / Small Munsterlander, out for a little cleanup work at the end of the day after everyone has gone home. I think she kind of looks forward to it?
After everyone has gone home--Shadow and Jim on cleanup—2010
As A SIDE NOTE---It is possible to combine the Pheasant Championship competition with clay shooting. All that is required is a thrower that launches doubles. Each contestant gets 25 shells to try and shot 13 pairs of clay targets. Each target is worth one point. One target is white which represents a hen pheasant. If you shoot the white target you get a 5 point deduction. The field points are combined with the clay target points which result in a Grand Total to determine the final winners. This sometimes provides activity, besides eating, while handlers wait to run their dogs in the bird field. It is nice if the clay target shooting is in an area far enough away to not distract the dogs in the field and yet close enough to allow handlers to get to the bird field in a timely manner.
MIDWEST TRI-STATE PHEASANT CHAMPIONSHIP RULES
- Safety first. All safety hunting behaviors must be followed
- Any shot gun gauge may be used. Please use 7 and 1/2 size shot or smaller
- Any pointing dog breed may be used with any national registration. Dogs must be owned and handled by club members
- Hunters may take only one step from the location of shot for the retrieve. The bird does not have to be delivered to hand
- Training aids may be used [e-collars, leads, etc.]
- After harvesting four birds or running 20 minutes, the handler must heal their dog out of the field and back to the registration table
- Four birds will be released for each hunter
- Hunters must check in at the registration table 1 hour before start time and not be able to watch bird planting for their running slot
20____Midwest Tri-state NAVHDA Pheasant Championship
Hunter’s Name_________________________Dog’s Name_________________
Puppy_____________________Or Open______________________
[Under 2 Years] [Any Age]
Shells Fired ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ [Done]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
[Trapped bird –Deduct 1 shell]
________________X 60 = __________
[Shells Not Used]
Points [2 seconds] ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___________ X 75 = __________
[number]
Retrieves [one step] ___ ___ ___ ___ X 45 = ____________
1 2 3 4
Birds Harvested ___ ___ ___ ___ X 200 = __________
1 2 3 4
[Must Stop After Harvest 4 Birds!!]
Time [20 minutes maximum] ____________ ____________
Minutes seconds
Unused minutes ______ X 60 = _______
Unused seconds_______ X 1 = ________
TOTAL SCORE ______________
: