I don't know what you were doing with the duck call and diversions shots, but once you got down to business I thought your dog looked great.

You did whistle him in on the return for the second bird, was he dawdling?

Good luck, have fun!

 

Mitty you are correct I did blow the whistle on memory bird. Habits are hard break. My mistake. He returned promptly. I was just trying to create excitement with the blank pistol and duck call.

 

Only running 1 Derby? Before he ages out on the 30th there are 2 more Derbies you could enter in Texas on 21st & 28th.
You can run Senior any old time.
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In a Trial, dog dropping bird is OK if you haven't touched it yet, you dropping bird after you touch it not OK.
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Between now and next thursday try to just run long singles. Go to mat, shoot mark, send. No drills, duck call or shot on line, no retired guns, no dry pops or diversions, no blinds, no nuttin'. White in field white on you...

Wait till Sat to drive to trial if you can.
To put you more at ease only one dog in the field has won a derby and there are 2 -3 other hunt test dogs running.
If you're nervous just ask Lauren Hays to run your dog. Ha, she might win with him, he he he...
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Good luck

 

You seem on the right track. Go and run and have fun. Derbies aren't that hard. The dog will either do it or not. More people should go and run.

Of all the field trial stakes the Derby is the most doable.

 

Would folks share their experiences in the distances for the derby marks? Is there a typical. One person told me all their marks were 225 or less. Howard N. had told me it could be anywhere from 90 to 350, depending. There doesn't appear to be any standard.

 

There is no standard for distance, that is up to judge's discretion, many factors to consider, e.g. depth of cover, wind speed and direction, background, lighting, terrain. Whoever told you 225 or less must be running in small fields with lots of trees, not so in North Central Texas and surrounding areas.

 

There is not a standard distance. Howard is pretty close by saying 90-350 yards. A lot of it depends on the strength of the field. A real weak field of dogs, the judges may have to shorten and simplify. If the field is a strong group of derby dogs, the judges may get to have fun.

Good luck. I'm sure he will do fine.

 

Down here (Oklahoma/Texas) the memory bird could be anywhere from 250 to 400 yard depending on the terrain, series, and the field/dogs you are competing against. Marks in general will start wider apart and will in general progressively get tighter series to series. If it is a big entry with a talented group of derby dogs then you can bet the marks will end up long and tight.

You will also find the smallest skinniest kid with the dirtiest/dingiest white shirt at the farthest gun. Don't know if this is on purpose or if this is just a coincidence…..

 

You will also find that depending on the judges, if you bring back two ducks then you're are still playing (even if it is for a JAM, which in my opinion is how it should be) but with other judges if you back side a gun then your done.

 

besides having a good dog, one thing in your favor is where it comes to dog picking out a little kid with a dirty coat standing still. Many dogs have difficulty spotting a long gun that is not moving. Since your dog is most used to seeing stick men this should help.
Remember on line, with this dog, your only worry is to make sure he picks out the guns before you start and then make sure he watches each bird to the ground. Just do that and you're good to go. Just from your videos I thing the dog can mark.
So over the next week, for starters go train on new fields if possible where the dog hasnt been before. Setup your marks, long 325 yds, short 125 yds give or take. If possible set up your long gun with lots of run around space deep of the gun. that is dont place mark against treeline or fence where dog would have to slow down right at mark anyway. Set up short gun not so wide but tight enough were you wont have trouble with a switch, basically. Use live bird boys, use live bird boys, use live bird boys. Shotgun blanks on marks.
If you have a field with short cover plus areas of high cover use those spots to simulate water cheating since it's a bit cold by having dog angle into high cover and hold the line.
what else i dont know other than enter the other 2 derbies before they close..

 

keep in mind wayne i am new to this too. last fall we ran 5 and this year 2. so i'll give you my little IMHO speech. marks could be anywhere from 75-350+. your flyer is usually your shortest and most of them are between 60-100. i'd say 65-75% of all marks were less than 250. but doesnt mean you shouldnt train for all of them as sometimes ground, and field of dogs dictate more or less distance. work on placement of the bird. i saw a prime prime example of placement this week i'll post up below. as i've come to find out: work on singles. most dogs can count to 2, 3, 4 etc. but its doing the little things right that matters. i too suggest driving day of. the trials where mine has had best showing has been those which i've found a place 30-45 mins out from trial to air and throw a Y-drill with.

first series bonham, tx this past weekend

this was one of the ones i was talking about placement in. notice the flyer. throwing right flat across the ditch at ~100 yards. most dogs that had trouble hunted deep or the bird landed down in the ditch. the memory left angle back at ~175-200. the gunner had a cannon for an arm and huge huge throws. dogs wanted to go up the less steep side of the hill behind the gunner. not a whole lot took correct line up steeper side and past the gun (mine did and that in itself was an accomplishment for a lazy chocolate)


series 2

go bird was kind of a memory eraser for the memory bird. ~50 yards flat left throw. line was direct down center of pond. memory was 275 thrown left angle back again up steep side of the hill. the hill fell off to the right of the gun. the actual line to the bird was along the bottom of the levee of the pond

series 3 (aka ball buster)

flat left throw on go bird ~200. have the water entry up front then the second water entry. memory ~350+ right angle back throw. line was again through water up front and about 20 yards off the big point. only one dog stayed in the water. i believe 12-13 got on the point and hunted old fall (one of those being me got the whistle, no, here in on time before a true hunt started), the other 12 got on the point but kept driving.

keep in mind it was 22* and light snow so that one dog that stayed in the water for the whole swim got a big round of applause

 

Thanks Blake and everyone else.

 

blake - you were at RR? Didn't say hello? I'm sure we will meet at CARC....damn David needs a hair cut!

 

Blake,

3rd series memory mark was thrown towards (left) or away from telephone poll (right)? If thrown right, was the bird boy sitting with his back to the mark?

RD

 

Yes the bird boy is sitting with his back to the mark...it made no difference to the dogs - the water was the issue and the poor bird boy was trying to keep from freezing...

 

I know, I was there! I came by the Open to say "Hi" but you guys were busy with the Poisen Bird Land/Water blind. It looked like a nice set up and got the answers you needed.

 

as FOM said yes bird boy's back was to the bird. there was not enough white at the mark for dogs to look out at so during the throw a stickman was held up and after retrieving the first mark it was laid down.

FOM: guess i don't know your real name or i'd of said something at RR. i was the guy that had the chocolate dragging him out of every holding blind...but yes i'll be at CARC. more than likely helping the marshall out.

 

Just thinkin here
I have never seen a video of you training with a group of people . Do you ever have people and bird crates in your set ups?

 

Pete, Yes almost every Sat my son and friend train with me. My son shoots flyers and a bird crate is alway out. On the first set up there is always a live duck in the crate. Rowdy gets two flyers on Sat. Previously one in a HT setup and the second a white coat mark.
I had a short day today as an Aggie classmate died and I am going to the funeral. But today we had a good day. Two singles: one at 325 yds (his longest ever) and another at 175 yds. He did good as opposed to yesterday where I was correcting (handling) for running toward the gun station at 300 yds.

 

Winter just won't end. WNW wind at 20 mph was a killer this morning. Some light cold rain at 40 degrees. Training group this morning:three handlers and six dogs. Rowdy got four singles. First setup: flyer-310 yds and bird boy hand thrown duck with severe angle back (field trial popper)-150 yds. Then a short flyer at 125 yds and another BB hand thrown mark with field trial popper (forgot to measure).

Rowdy did good.

 

[QUOTEbesides having a good dog, one thing in your favor is where it comes to dog picking out a little kid with a dirty coat standing still. Many dogs have difficulty spotting a long gun that is not moving. Since your dog is most used to seeing stick men this should help.
Remember on line, with this dog, your only worry is to make sure he picks out the guns before you start and then make sure he watches each bird to the ground. Just do that and you're good to go. ]From Breck:[/QUOTE]

Really great advice Breck.