My First Hunting Trial

After we spent our first night at the campground Mommy took me to a Bird Hunting Trial. A Hunting Trial is kind of like hunting where dogs like me go and find birds in a field. A man or a woman who is a Judge goes out into the field with us and takes notes on how good we hunt. Then, at the end, the Judge decides which dog did the best job hunting and that dog gets a big rosette. The other dogs can earn "legs" towards hunting titles if they do a good job. Some dogs have to compete in a "Qualifier" to show that they want to hunt birds before they can enter a real Trial, but I did not do that because we lived too far away from where any Qualifiers were being held. Since I already knew how to hunt birds Mommy was able to submit an Affadavit of Performance for me instead of doing the Qualifier. Then I was allowed to enter the Hunting Trial.

I was the very first dog to go in the field on Saturday morning. We started at 8 o'clock a.m. As usual, Mommy was a little nervous because this was our first Trial and she wasn't exactly sure what we were supposed to do once we got out to the field. But, we knew that I was supposed to find and flush five birds. The Shooter had to shoot them after I flushed them and then I was supposed to find them where they fell on the ground and then mark their position. RR's are not required to retrieve the birds after they are shot, but if the dog does retrieve it is counted as a bonus.

The first bird that I found did not even flush, so I just put my paw on it and held it on the ground until Mommy came and picked it up. She gave it to the Shooter to carry for us. When I found my second bird it flushed but then the Shooter missed it, just like Mommy and Daddy do when we are hunting at home! The bird just flew away over the fence and I could not go find it for Mommy. Then I went and found another bird and when I flushed that one, the Shooter shot it and it fell right down on the ground, just like it was supposed to do. I ran over and got it and then I stood and waited for Mommy to come and take it from me. I haven't learned how to retrieve to hand yet, so Mommy says it is okay if I don't.

After the third bird I was looking and looking for more birds to flush. We were all walking around the field and then we went up over a little hill. I was in front of the grownups so they did not see me when I found a turkey hen sitting on her nest on the other side of the hill. I ran right over and that old hen flushed just like a giant pheasant! All the grownups were so surprised when they saw her rise up over the top of the hill and fly away. Mommy said I should have gotten some bonus points for flushing the turkey but it doesn't work that way. We stayed in the field until I had found and flushed two more birds. I don't remember exactly because I was pretty excited, but I think the Shooter shot one, maybe two, more of my birds. I found all of them with no trouble and Mommy was very proud of me. I just thought it was fun.

After I was finished it was time for all the other dogs to do their hunting. When they were all done, the judges announced the winners. I did not win the rosette for Best In Trial, but I did score high enough to earn the first of the two legs I need to get my Junior Hunting Ridgeback title. Now I just need to enter another HRA Bird Trial and get a good score and then I will have earned my first title!