By VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
The Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA), just south of downtown Overton, was full of the sounds of duck calls, simulated gun shots and splashing into water last weekend. More than a hundred enthusiastic waterfowl hunting dogs, and their handlers, converged on the OWMA on Feb 23-26 to participate in the Las Vegas Hunting Retriever Club dog trials.
The dogs came from all across the west to be put through their paces at the event. It was a challenge to both dogs and handlers. But everyone seemed to be having a great time.
The trials strive to simulate an actual duck hunt on both land and on water. In each trial, the dog is brought forward to stand at attention in front of an open field or a pond of water. The dog being tested watches closely as three ducks are thrown out into the field in various places to simulate a bird being shot while in flight. At the word of the handler, the dog sets off at a run (or swim) to retrieve all three of the downed birds.
It’s not uncommon for the dog to get a little off track in finding one of the ducks. That is when the handler will blow a whistle to get the dog’s attention and then provide hand signals from across the field to give the dog a hint on where to look..
The dog is graded on several perameters including marking, style, perseverance and trainability. Marking is how well the dog pays attention to the location of the ducks after they fall. Style is how enthusiastic the dog is in carrying out the task. Perseverance is how well the dog does at staying on task, not giving up or getting sidetracked. And trainability is how well the dog follows instructions from the handler.
John Gammon; of the Spokane, Washington area; had brought his golden retriever, Willie, to the trials. John and his wife Adena had been travelling on a dog trial circuit for several weeks. This circuit had taken them through two different trials in California before coming to Overton.
“It is an opportunity to get outside during the time that it is pretty cold at home,” John Gammon said. “And it gives Willie some practice to keep sharp as a hunting dog.”
Sue Collins had come down from Reno, Nevada to participate in the trials and to help with the event. On Friday, she took a turn as handler with a 10 year old black lab named Landers Black Gold. Landers has earned the designation of Master Hunter in previous dog trials. He had no trouble retrieving the three ducks in his trial on Friday morning.
“He is an experienced dog and he knows what to do,” Collins said.
