Bird Dog Challenge

[sparkplug]

I have been bird hunting on my own for a few years now and never got involved with any of the regulation hunting simulations. Field trials and hunt tests. However I saw this Bird Dog Challenge Championships online and was wondering if there is anything of this sort that occurs around here. With actual hunting going on and being scored by time or whatever method. Thanks for any info!

[Happy Gilmore]

They have a competition called the bird dog challenge or something close to that. They throw bumpers in the air with balloons and you shoot the bumpers. You are scored on how well you shoot and how quickly your dog picks up the bumpers after being shot. (you must break the balloon attached to the bumper) I heard it is a pretty good time.

There is no simulation for hunting. All of them loosely try but, nothing is the same to the dog. Just props for the people.

[AspenBud]

I think you're referring to the National Bird Dog Circuit. It's a run-and-gun game with pen raised birds and they show it on TV right?

I have a friend who runs a shorthair in that and they've even featured her and her dog. I'll ask if she knows anything about competitions out here (she is in the Midwest). Personally I would look in the direction of the NSTRA if you're running a pointing dog. Not that you have a lot of choices, the Northwest is kind of a bird dog competition desert relative to other parts of the country.

[sparkplug]

Yes AspenBud thats what I was talking about. Its my understand that the field trials and hunt tests are more of just hunting simulation so I was looking for actual hunt competitions. Thanks

[AspenBud]

Yes AspenBud thats what I was talking about. Its my understand that the field trials and hunt tests are more of just hunting simulation so I was looking for actual hunt competitions. Thanks

I think you'll have to go to California to see one of their events...or find a hunt club up here who might be willing to host an event.

http://www.nbdca.com/events.html

I believe a lot of events put on by American Field are run on wild birds and is about as close to the real deal as you're going to get short of actually shooting birds (they don't). AKC may be similar, but I'm not familiar with their games.

NSTRA is run on pen raised fowl, shooting birds is a component, but the focus is still on real world skills that a dog should know. But it is a game and they do run events here in WA and down in OR. Very large following nationally and growing.

http://www.nstra.org/

http://www.nw-nstra.org/

Apologies if I got any of that wrong trialers.

[Happy Gilmore]

I've been having issues posting here- There was one held at Pat Murphy's in Monroe a month or two ago.

look up Cascade hunting Retriever CLub or call Pat's kennel

[jetjockey]

For pointing dogs BDC is a complete joke.  Unless you want to watch a dog point pen raised birds that don fly from 3 inches away.  Down here in GA on Saturdays we have 4 hours of bird hunting shows.  BDC is one several times.  The dog work is horrible and the birds are about as bad as I've ever seen..

[lokidog]

I've been having issues posting here- There was one held at Pat Murphy's in Monroe a month or two ago.

look up Cascade hunting Retriever CLub or call Pat's kennel

Our girl, Amber won her first two ribbons for Started Hunting Retriever, it was a UKC event.

[Happy Gilmore]

For pointing dogs BDC is a complete joke.  Unless you want to watch a dog point pen raised birds that don fly from 3 inches away.  Down here in GA on Saturdays we have 4 hours of bird hunting shows.  BDC is one several times.  The dog work is horrible and the birds are about as bad as I've ever seen..

Yeah, everything that isn't done in the Midwest is a joke...blah, blah, blah....

[jetjockey]

For pointing dogs BDC is a complete joke.  Unless you want to watch a dog point pen raised birds that don fly from 3 inches away.  Down here in GA on Saturdays we have 4 hours of bird hunting shows.  BDC is one several times.  The dog work is horrible and the birds are about as bad as I've ever seen..

Yeah, everything that isn't done in the Midwest is a joke...blah, blah, blah....

Based off your original reply, it's obvious you have no idea what the OP is referring to.  Considering that, I'm surprised you even have an opinion.   

[Blackjaw]

For anyone you has experience with these events I would like an honest evaluation of gun safety and how close the birds are being shot. The ones I have watched on TV seem to show poor gun safety (I read the rules and I know gun safety is supposedly stressed, but I am not seeing it) and it also appears that a lot of the birds are shot at such close range their use as table fare would be questionable. This is just from what I have seen on TV, so I may be wrong and would be interested in the opinions of those that have seen these events in person.

[AspenBud]

For pointing dogs BDC is a complete joke.  Unless you want to watch a dog point pen raised birds that don fly from 3 inches away.  Down here in GA on Saturdays we have 4 hours of bird hunting shows.  BDC is one several times.  The dog work is horrible and the birds are about as bad as I've ever seen..

BDC is not my thing. But if it gets people out there and involved with bird dogs and some level of hunting activity I'm not against it. However, I agree that the BDC is not representative of the best out there.

[Happy Gilmore]

For pointing dogs BDC is a complete joke.  Unless you want to watch a dog point pen raised birds that don fly from 3 inches away.  Down here in GA on Saturdays we have 4 hours of bird hunting shows.  BDC is one several times.  The dog work is horrible and the birds are about as bad as I've ever seen..

Yeah, everything that isn't done in the Midwest is a joke...blah, blah, blah....

Based off your original reply, it's obvious you have no idea what the OP is referring to.  Considering that, I'm surprised you even have an opinion.

I posted what I was referring to....hey, at least they shoot birds over the dogs..lol can't do that in the prarie all year.

[Don Fischer]

For anyone you has experience with these events I would like an honest evaluation of gun safety and how close the birds are being shot. The ones I have watched on TV seem to show poor gun safety (I read the rules and I know gun safety is supposedly stressed, but I am not seeing it) and it also appears that a lot of the birds are shot at such close range their use as table fare would be questionable. This is just from what I have seen on TV, so I may be wrong and would be interested in the opinions of those that have seen these events in person.

I ran NSTRA for several years and found out that in event's that are timed and won by body count, gun safety goes way down hill.

[AspenBud]

For anyone you has experience with these events I would like an honest evaluation of gun safety and how close the birds are being shot. The ones I have watched on TV seem to show poor gun safety (I read the rules and I know gun safety is supposedly stressed, but I am not seeing it) and it also appears that a lot of the birds are shot at such close range their use as table fare would be questionable. This is just from what I have seen on TV, so I may be wrong and would be interested in the opinions of those that have seen these events in person.

I ran NSTRA for several years and found out that in event's that are timed and won by body count, gun safety goes way down hill.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought body count was only one component of NSTRA scoring. Bad dog work will lead to a no win no matter how good a shot you are.