Is Hills Ferry really having a field test in September?
NAHRA in California???
HarryWilliams
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Is Hills Ferry really having a field test in September?
Sept 14 8am at the Hills Ferry training grounds.
Does anyone have a link to a NAHRA rule book? The link on their website doesn't work for me. I would like to go, but have no idea how to play the game?
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what level you want to play?
senior -
you can talk quietly to your dog on the line, as marks are thrown
you are allowed a (one) controlled break in the senior
marks for senior can be up to but not over 100yd
blinds for senior can be up to, but not over 100yd
noise comes from the gun stations
quads are not allowed
diversions, honors, blinds picked up at the discretion of the judges (but I never ran or knew of a test where the blind was picked up before or between the marks - after they were thrown)
judges may not dictate order in which marks are picked up
must complete a trail
must be steady to flush shot AND fall in the quartering/flushing test.... does not mean the dog has to sit, but no attempt to retrieve after the flush or before released. might be required to run in a 'brace' with another dog/handler in the upland series..
dog must deliver to hand, all retrieves. do not have to send to on the flushing test, but if you do, your dog must pick up the bird (handling ok.. not judged as a mark)
release dog after judges give ok
shot flier in at least one marking series
might have to remote sit your dog as if you were hunting in a blind and your dog was sitting outside of it.
blinds can be anywhere between or outside the marks... can be hot as well... no double blinds (last I ran, anyway)
triple on land, triple on water with a blind normally run with each marking series... a water blind and land blind are required.
expect the use of lots of decoys - even motorized ones..expect to have to use a call..
expect to get a hunting scenario that is a potential 'hunting scenario' - example might be the first bird down is very short (as if you shot the birds right over the dekes and then the other two further out)
no touching the dog
dog has to come to the line off lead and under control
expect to have a lot of fun.
kinda the basics for the senior test
senior -
you can talk quietly to your dog on the line, as marks are thrown
you are allowed a (one) controlled break in the senior
marks for senior can be up to but not over 100yd
blinds for senior can be up to, but not over 100yd
noise comes from the gun stations
quads are not allowed
diversions, honors, blinds picked up at the discretion of the judges (but I never ran or knew of a test where the blind was picked up before or between the marks - after they were thrown)
judges may not dictate order in which marks are picked up
must complete a trail
must be steady to flush shot AND fall in the quartering/flushing test.... does not mean the dog has to sit, but no attempt to retrieve after the flush or before released. might be required to run in a 'brace' with another dog/handler in the upland series..
dog must deliver to hand, all retrieves. do not have to send to on the flushing test, but if you do, your dog must pick up the bird (handling ok.. not judged as a mark)
release dog after judges give ok
shot flier in at least one marking series
might have to remote sit your dog as if you were hunting in a blind and your dog was sitting outside of it.
blinds can be anywhere between or outside the marks... can be hot as well... no double blinds (last I ran, anyway)
triple on land, triple on water with a blind normally run with each marking series... a water blind and land blind are required.
expect the use of lots of decoys - even motorized ones..expect to have to use a call..
expect to get a hunting scenario that is a potential 'hunting scenario' - example might be the first bird down is very short (as if you shot the birds right over the dekes and then the other two further out)
no touching the dog
dog has to come to the line off lead and under control
expect to have a lot of fun.
kinda the basics for the senior test
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Here you go - nahra.org/RulesPolicy/NAHRARuleBook_01Jan2018.pdf
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The Trailing test and the Upland test are where NAHRA tests are different. I’d recommend doing some training specifically for those two skills before the test. Harry
Ya, I was afraid of that...
Thanks
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I would be curious to know how many people choose not to run NAHRA events because of the trail and quartering tests... I have talked to folks about it in the past and they just don't want to deal with training for the trail and quartering/steady to flush. Seems like now that NAHRA has an upland field test which titles dogs for these tasks, they could do away with them in their regular field test and then, if folks wanted to obtain both titles, have a title to recognize that accomplishment.
Would be interesting to hear other's thoughts on this.
And a quick edit... the upland test is a really fun event... I think generally, most people really get a kick out of running it.
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Not that hard to train for …...
This is my 1st dog. He is 7 now. We have never run a Master test because of steadiness issues (owner induced). When we started running real blinds, he would run with his nose to the ground (probably owner induced...) I'm a little afraid that he may revert to this behavior. Maybe my fears are unwarranted. After reading the rules, I honestly was thinking about just running started. We haven't done any real training for a year or more. Just having fun and keeping him in shape.
I've never seen a trailing test or heard of it until a week or so ago. Can you give me a quick "how to" on it?
Thanks in advance.
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I've dabbled in field trials, run a few AKC hunting tests with one MH, have earned a number of HRCHs and I like all these events, but like NAHRA field tests best. My Holland daughter just made my 16th MHR https://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/pedigree.asp?id=129775
I sent a PM to Julie, because I really don't intend to offend anyone, but here it is:
Personally, I think the two attempts by HRC and NAHRA at upland testing are useless. HRC was especially bad when our club finally gave up on them, but I haven't run one in years. Both are also hard to make successful financially.
Neither seems to me to be a measure of a good upland dog - and pheasant hunting has been my passion for the last 40 years. I have owned many good pheasant dogs and 2 great ones. These tests wouldn't distinguish great from merely obedient.
I don't mind the little "sit to flush" obedience test in a NAHRA event, but what it measures is unclear.
I believe trailing is the most useful hunting skill and exceedingly easy to train for. Unfortunately, it seems hard to teach judges how to set it up in a test. I don't understand why so many people are afraid of it. (Howard N. used to run trails at the end of training sessions with his successful FT dogs - rest his soul.)
The Central Regional NAHRA at Bubbaland was excellent. Sorry more of you couldn't make it.
I sent a PM to Julie, because I really don't intend to offend anyone, but here it is:
Personally, I think the two attempts by HRC and NAHRA at upland testing are useless. HRC was especially bad when our club finally gave up on them, but I haven't run one in years. Both are also hard to make successful financially.
Neither seems to me to be a measure of a good upland dog - and pheasant hunting has been my passion for the last 40 years. I have owned many good pheasant dogs and 2 great ones. These tests wouldn't distinguish great from merely obedient.
I don't mind the little "sit to flush" obedience test in a NAHRA event, but what it measures is unclear.
I believe trailing is the most useful hunting skill and exceedingly easy to train for. Unfortunately, it seems hard to teach judges how to set it up in a test. I don't understand why so many people are afraid of it. (Howard N. used to run trails at the end of training sessions with his successful FT dogs - rest his soul.)
The Central Regional NAHRA at Bubbaland was excellent. Sorry more of you couldn't make it.
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Well, when you consider how realistic our 'marking' tests our (hunt tests)... I guess it comes as no suprise that the quartering aspect is also about as realistic as the bachelorette getting and staying married to her 'new found' love for the rest of their lives. LOL
So - I like the upland tests (the ones that are not part of the regular field test) - because you run your dog in all the 'series' at one time! It flows from quartering, to walk up mark, to blind, to quartering, to blind, to trail... all in one fell swoop... Not waiting around for each 'series' to finish.
I think the use of box launchers presents an opportunity for a lot of dogs to become 'wise'... they don't hunt! they look for the box! OR they half heartedly 'hunt'... wind is not often taken into consideration by judges, when it comes to placement of the box, too... So the dog has no idea the launcher is there and then the bird pops up unexpectedly.... I always hated that - running my dog with the wind at our back, or in such a way that he would never wind the actual bird... LOL
Trailing is a great skill and one that I believe deserves to be recognized... and yes it is easy to train for... and dogs love to do it! but it is a time sucker of major proportion if you lay out a trail of any distance... and laying one that works! Then redragging as needed.... again, and again, and again... LOL... Plus, it seems the more dogs that run a trail, the more it really screws it up for future dogs... no matter how many times it is redragged...
Sorry to have missed the regional test... I suppose if there was a club a little closer to me, I might continue in NAHRA tests... but there isn't.. and I don't honestly think there is enough interest from anyone down here to give it a try... like I said.. no one wants to train for the quarter and the trail... Pros certainly don't. (well, I wouldn't if I was a pro. LOL
Congratulations on the MHR title for your Holland girl! Very impressive number of MHR titles under your belt!
So - I like the upland tests (the ones that are not part of the regular field test) - because you run your dog in all the 'series' at one time! It flows from quartering, to walk up mark, to blind, to quartering, to blind, to trail... all in one fell swoop... Not waiting around for each 'series' to finish.
I think the use of box launchers presents an opportunity for a lot of dogs to become 'wise'... they don't hunt! they look for the box! OR they half heartedly 'hunt'... wind is not often taken into consideration by judges, when it comes to placement of the box, too... So the dog has no idea the launcher is there and then the bird pops up unexpectedly.... I always hated that - running my dog with the wind at our back, or in such a way that he would never wind the actual bird... LOL
Trailing is a great skill and one that I believe deserves to be recognized... and yes it is easy to train for... and dogs love to do it! but it is a time sucker of major proportion if you lay out a trail of any distance... and laying one that works! Then redragging as needed.... again, and again, and again... LOL... Plus, it seems the more dogs that run a trail, the more it really screws it up for future dogs... no matter how many times it is redragged...
Sorry to have missed the regional test... I suppose if there was a club a little closer to me, I might continue in NAHRA tests... but there isn't.. and I don't honestly think there is enough interest from anyone down here to give it a try... like I said.. no one wants to train for the quarter and the trail... Pros certainly don't. (well, I wouldn't if I was a pro. LOL
Congratulations on the MHR title for your Holland girl! Very impressive number of MHR titles under your belt!
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Here's the best way: If you have a few acres of knee high dormant grass and a live wing clipped of shackled duck, tie the dog and let him watch the duck walk off into the grass. Give the duck a big head start and let him go. The main "training" is to teach a que. I use, "Dead bird, hunt 'em up." (I don't use "dead bird" on blinds.)
Second best for more limited grounds: Drag a live duck through the grass. Start with a 20-30 yard drag with the wind leg and then make a 90 degree turn for another 20 or 30. You can add several turns, but a good set-up for multiple dogs is to drag a U, so you pick up the bird without the returning dog crossing the trail.
Third best: Same with a dead duck. You can wet the duck for these, but it usually isn't necessary. We often do this with the ducks used for water marks.
Fourth best & easiest & the dogs still find it a LOT of fun once they know the QUE and know what's up. Tie some cloth streamers on the end of a bumper. Wet them and put duck scent on them and drag your trail. My dogs smell the duck scent when I get it out and the main training then is getting them to walk to the start of the trail. They're only too happy to break even on this.
The shape of the trail isn't so important but an initial leg with the wind gets them away from you and started.
Sit back and observe. Scenting conditions are VERY mysterious...
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it is a lot of fun to watch handlers freak out when their dog is running, working the trail, but 20 yd away from the trail... downwind, of course.. LOL
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The biggest problem with trails is: re-dragging the same trail. Well-intentioned judges think the extra scent will help the dogs, but it just doesn't. I don't know why, but dogs can't (won't?) follow over-scented trails. When we have 6 dogs in our training group, we drag once.
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yes - that seems about right... but when you have 18 dogs running ........... scent conditions vary so much, etc etc etc.....
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You can do a search on HuntSecretary.com. There were 18 chances (because of doubles) in Iowa and Minnesota this year. Still a couple left in Minnesota.
Keith, could not have said it better. I think you hit the nail on the head with your assessment of upland and trail work in NAHRA. I used to run a lot of NAHRA, was even club president and test secretary for a few years. Most trails I ran were terribly over scented. Put the dog on the trail head, in about 5 yards the head comes up and they are "air-scenting", not having their noses on the ground. The best trails and upland I ever ran was set up by a great judge. We had a small Senior field (master level) and he dragged a fresh trail for each dog using a live duck on a leash. After trailing was done we turned that field 90 degrees and ran the upland thru all the trails, gave the dogs good scent to stimulate hunting. Most dogs ran the trails like they were on rails, beautiful to watch.
That was many moons ago, running my very first dog that was born in 94.
Sounds familar Keith???
That was many moons ago, running my very first dog that was born in 94.
Sounds familar Keith???
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