The sky is cloudy with dim low light. The temperature is 59 degrees with a bit of humidity in the air. The starting mat is facing to the NE with no wind to speak of. There are several rolling hills and a road on the way to the water for the dogs to maneuver on the way to the blind. The series 8 water blind with a poison bird begins as the handlers exit the holding blind and approach the mat. The poison bird gun station sounds off and throws the poison bird to the right as the handlers walk up (to the mat.) There are 2 bunches of pine trees situated on either side of the road that act as a goal posts that the dogs must travel through in order to stay online to the bird. The poison bird station is situated deep of the road on a gentle rise to the left of the line just before the waters edge. The dead drake mallard is thrown parallel to the road and very tight to the correct line to the blind. Once past the poison bird (PB) the dog must angle into the water cutting a narrow corner of the pond to reach the opposite shore near the levy where the bird is planted at a small brown bush. This bird at the end of the blind measures 205 yards and is a hen mallard. This is a factor filled blind sure to challenge the best of retriever teams.
Test time is averaging 3.5 minutes per dog to complete.
