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| Duck Search - June Test - Montana Sharptail Chapter |
Montana
Sharptail Chapter
August Gathering
on the Big Hole River
August 3 – 11, 2013
Wisdom, MT Special Events for Youth and the Young at Heart:
Saturday August 3 Late afternoon/evening:
Fly-casting
classes on the Big Hole – Bring a rod if you have one, don’t worry if you don’t…….We’ll
have extras.
Presentation
by FWP biologist Vanna Boccadori – Local bird species and Sage Grouse
specialist.Sunday Morning August 4: Training/Handling seminar for youth….. Spend time with Board Members John Arkins and Tom Healy, as well as with Jade Miller learning how to get the most out of your pup. Jade, 15 years old, has handled several dogs in tests including Natural Ability and Utility. He also spent more than a month working with Versatile Dog Trainer Ed Erickson at Autumn Breeze Kennel in Minnesota. Don’t worry if you don’t have a dog….. We can supply one for you to work with.
Sunday Evening: Shotgun and Clays instruction. “Break-action” guns required…. No Auto-loaders or pump-action guns. Join John, Tom and Jade for introductory shotgun experience shooting clay targets. We will have a couple extra “sub-guage” guns for folks if you do not have a gun that “breaks open”. Suggested donation to cover shells and clays.
CHAPTER TRAINING DAYS – AUGUST 3-8
Training
will be on-going throughout the week.
Natural Ability, Utility and General Hunting Companion training will be
available on the test grounds. Homing
Pigeons, Barn Pigeons, Chukars, Pheasants and Ducks will be available…. Please
RSVP with your approximate training needs so we can accommodate. Training fees will be 20.00/membership for
the first day and 10.00/additional day. Suggested donation schedule for birds
will be posted at the site.
CHAPTER
MEMBERSHIP AND BOARD MEETING AUGUST 8
Thursday,
August 8….Over lunch. 12:30 A relatively
informal meeting of Board Members and Chapter Members to review the year and
set priorities for the future. No “Action
Items” are on the agenda, but we will be able to “conduct business” as
necessary……..Please come and share your thoughts.
TEST DAYS
– AUGUST 9,10 & 11
Natural
Ability, UPT and Utility. Your run day
will be posted on the “Testing” page of the website at least 2-weeks prior to
the test. The test is full and we
currently have a waiting list. We will
need lots of volunteers, including judge transport to and from the Butte
airport, lunch helpers, bird planters/shuttlers, field marshalls, etc…… Please
email montanasharptail@gmail.com
to jump in.
CAMPING
AND DIRECTIONS
Tent and RV
camping will be available at the Training Grounds/Test Site (No Hook-ups) There will be a porta-pottie and that is
about it for facilities, so please come prepared……. The site is just a few miles outside of
Wisdom, Montana and we will be posting directions soon. Please RSVP with when, what and how many
folks so we can plan accordingly.
MEMBERSHIP
AND 501(C)3
Including
all the family and youth memberships, the Montana Sharptail Chapter is now over
100 members strong…With members not only from Montana, but Washington, Idaho
and Alberta. Additionally, the chapter
is now recognized by the Internal Revenue service as a Charitable
Non-Profit. Not only are gifts to the
chapter tax deductible, but it allows us to share that our work is important.
BEYOND “NATURAL
ABILITY” – A FOUNDATION FOR YOUR HUNTING COMPANION
At the
Chapter level, we have frequently discussed staying committed to members and
their pups after “Natural Ability.”
Testing opportunities of course exist at the “Utility” and “Utility Prep”
levels which is an excellent path to choose for the continued development of a
quality hunting relationship between dog and handler. We’d also like to stay committed to those
that don’t want to, or are uncertain about testing beyond a Natural Ability
Test. Several chapter members are not
just discussing, but formalizing ideas toward a program that continues to build
the foundation for a quality hunting companion.
Pursuing a “reliable retrieve” of both upland birds and waterfowl, “stop
to flush,” and an ability to complete short “blind retrieves” on both land and water are tools that most hunters
want in their bag when the season arrives.
Stay tuned, and be willing to “jump in” with ideas as the program
evolves.PAY IT FORWARD
