We are settled against a tree-line looking due North from the mat. The wind is calm out of the South. The test is situated in a uncut hay meadow. The first bird to be thrown is a long retired straight-up the middle of the meadow from the mat at 203 yards. This station will be referred to as the (LR). The gunner is throwing a rooster pheasant to the left in medium to heavy cover. The gunners then retire behind a well-concealed holding blind hidden by a large bush. The next station to be thrown is situated shallow and slightly left of the LR's line of sight. This station is shooting a Rooster pheasant flyer (F). to the left at 118 yards. It is also landing in medium to heavy cover. The dog is sent to retrieve the marks. Once the marks are complete, the dog must then perform a land blind of 150 yards to the far right of the test near the tree-line we are sitting against.
Pat Burns -
Day one of the 2016 National Amateur Championship started with a land double and a blind. It is a fairly tight long hip pocket double. The retired gun is slightly over 200 yards and the flyer is a bit over 115 yards. There is a land blind well over to the right. The marks are pretty much downwind with maybe slightly angling right to left. The blind has a right to left crosswind. The wind is very light right now. The temperatures are cool but expected to reach the mid 80’s this afternoon. Here are the challenges I see from both of these tests. First of all, anytime you shoot pheasants you will have varying fall areas. They are using roosters and that will make the birds a little easier to find. I believe the success rates will be high here. The test is producing small to medium hunts in the fall area. The greater risk is getting deep or hunting to the right of the retired gun. The danger on the blind is curling left around the point of woods and getting out of sight. The field is very flat and the depth perception on the blind is a bit challenging. Both test dogs had trouble locating the end of the blind. The judges then took out a dead pine tree to better mark the end of the blind. That made a huge difference for the handlers. All in all this is a pretty typical 1st and 2nd series. You won’t win this national here but you can sure lose it.
