Horseback Field Trials: Re: Wild Bird Trials

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Re: Wild Bird Trials

Posted by Dave Pearson on 5/5/2012, 7:47 am, in reply to "Wild Bird Trials"
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--Previous Message--
: How many horseback AA wild bird trials are
: there now? How many have enough birds to
: really run a fair test of a quality field
: trial performance? I'm asking this for a
: reason as I want to visit and/or compete in
: as many of these as possible over the next
: few years. I'd hate to leave any out in
: planning my journeys.
:
: I'm assuming the prairie trials are all on
: wild birds so the Dakotas, MT and Canadian
: prairie trials are all on wild game. Any
: exceptions?
:
: What about the chicken events in Wisconsin?
: Are there enough birds to make it a true
: test?
:
: Trials in Kansas used to all be run on wild
: quail and chickens/pheasants and there are
: still wild birds to be pointd on most of the
: trial grounds. Many though are supplemented
: with throw down coveys or pre released birds
: in the early fall.
:
: Field Trial Clubs in KS running ONLY on wild
: birds are the Gyp Hills Club in Medicine
: Lodge, KS (quail, occasional pheasant) and
: the High Plains Club (pheasants, quail and
: chickens) in Hill City, KS.
:
: The South Georgia-North Florida plantations
: are all wild quail unless someone would care
: to correct my assumption.
:
: Please name others in the south for me and
: the grounds that you know about in terms of
: the quality of courses, etc. I have heard
: that some AA trials in the south are alot of
: riding for a couple bird contacts in a day.
: True?
:
: I used to think the out west Chukar trials
: were wild bird events but found out they are
: mostly throw down events. Is this true for
: all of them?
:
: Many Texas trials were on wild birds in the
: past but with the drought and unknown bird
: loss causes in West TX, quail numbers are
: really low. Access to the big ranches for
: trialing is limited these past 10 years or
: so also. Few or no major trials are held in
: TX right now.
:
: Are the Western Oklahoma trials still
: strictly wild birds and is there enough to
: not make it a "luck" trial where
: the dog that points the only birds wins?
:
: Let's hope these current wild bird trials
: can all continue and that the wild quail
: populations that have thrived in South
: Georgia can expand their range thru natural
: migration or help.
:
: Thanks for your help and comments!

I can attest to Sask. (Mortlach,Ardath, Stoughton), Alberta(Gleichen,Youngs Town, Coranation) Manatoba (Broom Hill), Montana(Circle,Great Falls, with the welcome addition of Winifred and Scobey) all are American Field and AFTCA trials all Wild Birds mostly Chicken,Huns with trial ground specific Pheasants and Sage Hens.
In addition Idaho has wild bird trials Region 9 runs at American Falls.... Chicken, Huns and a few pheasants. Also there is Mile Post 9, and Robersons both of which I have no first hand experiance with but understand there are wild birds with the addition of release birds.
The local clubs have worked hard to try and design grounds coarses so they give every one a fair shot at showing their dogs off in there best light.
However luck of the draw comes into play to a certain degree at wild Bird trials on the Great Plains but most Wild bird trials depend on Mother Natures kindness and good land Stewardship to keep the grounds populated with good numbers of wild birds so real bird dogs are given a chance to find real birds.......Dave