The day began rainny and overcast. The temperature was 16? at 7:00 a.m. and forcast to reach a high of 20?. Winds were light. Hurricane Floyd is approaching and tomorrow we expect heavy rain and high winds!
What a difference a day makes! Yesterday the judges provided the relatively civilized blinds, one on land and one on water. Today’s test was a water quad with a retired gun!! There was only 30? between the outside guns and the line to the first bird, which was retired, was almost over the fall to the fourth mark! The test faced southeast with the wind moderate to low from the west. The site was a drained beaver pond. Part of what was once a pond is now bare clay. Bird placement was:
1. A hen mallard on the left shore at 147 yards thrown from left to right and back across an inlet. The gun retired when the second bird was thrown.
2. A cock pheasant thrown back and right to left into cover on the right shore. This throw was 80 yards from the line.
3. A drake mallard also on the right shore thrown to the left and out on a point. The mark was 137 yards.
4. Another drake mallard but on the left shore thrown to the right onto a point. This mark was 57 yards.
The test was fairly long time wise and it was obvious that the test would take all day. Handlers generally elected to pick-up the bird out of order, trying for, 4, 2, 3 and then 1. The retired bird was extremely difficult to retrieve and most dogs required a handle. At day’s end only 12 dogs of 49 had completed the test without handling.
Dogs lost in series 6 were 10, 12, 16, 21, 30, 31, 32, 36, 37 and 43.
