Day 5 August 22nd Report

Wispy strands of mist rising from the ponds, along with crisp and flawless reflections welcomed judges, competitors, volunteers, and spectators to Day 5, the final series of the 2025 Canadian National Master Hunt Test. The setting couldn’t be any more idyllic – Swamp Dog Farm’s Island and Middle Ponds, part of the Big Ponds complex (T 3).

The morning started fairly cool, 7 C, and was forecast to rise to 28 C in the afternoon. There was no wind in the early morning, but later it did rise to approximately 10 km/hr and came from the north. Early in the morning the running line was in shadow, however sun soon arrived at the running line. Visibility was excellent.

The morning’s attitude was described as “tense but excited and happy!” Judges Susie Bell, Catherine Veysey and Alan Davies designed a challenging duck hunt on the two ponds – a quad, interrupted by a water blind.

The sponsor of the day was Cedarbrae Labradors – Tracey Griffin and Jim Girvan.

Their quote for the day - “Challenges are what make life interesting and over coming them is what makes life meaningful” Joshua J. Marine. Fifteen dogs would run Day 5’s water test; 8 dogs were dropped after the Day 4 land duck hunt. Dog 25 would be the starting dog.

Judge Alan Davies welcomed everyone to the last day; he and his co-judges have enjoyed watching terrific dogs and dog work.

Anticipating birds would soon be flying to these ponds from the north, two well brushed holding blinds were situated on the Island Pond; another well camouflaged gun station was located on the Middle Pond. The running line was at the northeast end of the Island Pond, on a gentle point; scattered decoys were situated around this shoreline. The test generally faced southwest and west. The gallery was placed behind and to the right of the running line, north of the Island Pond.

Similar to previous land and water duck hunts, when standing at the line, handlers had the choice to start with a duck call or to indicate to the judges they were ready. Each throw was initiated by the judge’s duck call from behind the running team. Each gunner in turn responded to the judge’s duck call with loud duck calls. All marks were ducks and were thrown middle, left, right, left. All birds were ducks and were thrown middle (Island Pond), left (Island Pond), right (Middle Pond) and left (Island Pond – this gun station threw both left marks). Instructions were to pick up any 2 of the 4 marks, then run a blind which was located 2 across the Island Pond from the running line. The remaining 2 marks would then be retrieved.

The middle bird was first, a winger threw it with a high, long arc and a flat throw, from left to right; the bird landed 98 yards from the running line on the shore of the pond, south of the island. This gunner fired two pistol shots when the bird was at the top of the arc. The line to this mark required swimming to the island, crossing the island, and re-entering the pond on the far (south) side of the island.

The left winger bird threw second; a bridge mark with a high, wide arc and slight angle back throw, from left to right; the bird landed in the middle of the island, 57 yards from the running line. The gunner fired a pistol shot when the bird was at the top of the arc.

The line to this mark required swimming to the island. It’s important to note that, viewed from the running line, this bird was pretty much directly in line with the middle mark, first bird thrown. The right-hand winger bird threw second with a high, narrow arc and was a steep angle back throw, from left to right. The gunner fired a pistol shot when the bird was at the top of the arc. This mark landed with a big splash in the Middle Pond, 93 yards from the running line, in a small bay, deep of a prominent point. The line to this mark required swimming across a channel in the Island Pond, crossing a slightly elevated land bridge, re-entering the Middle Pond and swimming across the pond. When viewed from the running line at a dog’s height, most of this pond was surprise water. When dogs left the land bridge and entered the Middle Pond, they were not visible by the handler for up to 12 seconds. The gunner in the left-hand Island Pond station hand threw a direct in-throw into a small bay between the gun station and the running line. This bird landed with a splash and was 28 yards from the running line. The gunner fired a pistol shot when the bird was at the top of the arc.

The hot blind was located on the shore of the Island Pond, 92 yards from the running line. The line to the blind required an angle entry, a diagonal channel crossing, a shore- line swim, rubbing a point, swimming past a bay, brushing a tiny islet, and reaching the shore. 

The first test dog, Clay - GMH NMH Mutnjeff’s Cajun Gumbo Clay QFTR - handled by owner Jeff Morari, came to line at 8:00. Clay bubbled and bounced with enthusiasm! He retrieved the short left mark first and then the left mark thrown to the island; excellent work on both. When sent for the blind Clay took an excellent initial line, skimmed the bulrushes on the shoreline swim segment, past the point and bay on the right. He hopped up on the small islet, re-entered the water and arrived at the blind. Then he was sent for the middle mark; he ran across the island, not paying any attention to the old fall and retrieved the duck. Clay was still bouncing when he delivered the third bird. When sent to the right-hand mark he took a good line across the land bridge and into the Middle Pond. He landed to the left of the gun station, 3 hunted the land, and quickly located the bird. Well done! Clay took 12 minutes to  complete the test.

Female test dog was Tilly – GCH Rainkist Girl on a Mission CGN MH CDX RM WCX - handled by owner / breeder Krista Wendland. Tilly ran around the small bay to reach the left hand in-throw bird. She was sent to the left-hand bridging island mark next. She swam to the point where the gun station was located, hunted the point, then entered the water, swam to the island and retrieved the bird. When sent on the blind, Tilly’s initial line squared the shore and she started to swim to the closest shore; it took a few whistles and casts to get her back on line to the blind. Early along the shoreline swim portion, she succumbed to the shore suction; it took whistles and casts to keep her on line. She avoided the right-hand point and bay and got up on the small islet. 

She left the islet in a left-hand direction and swam to a point on the left. She started to hunt the point and was quickly handled to the bird. When sent for the middle bird Tilly ran across the island without paying any attention to the old fall. Tilly took a good line across the channel and land bridge on her way to the right-hand mark. She swam to the point and quickly found the bird. Well Done! Tilly took 17 minutes to complete the test. All participants agreed that Tilly was a perfect test dog - - she gave handlers much valuable information!

At 8:38 the first running dog, number 25, came to line. The test challenged the teams – several dogs wanted to hunt the old fall from the left-hand island mark on their way to the middle bird; other dogs seemed to have no memory of the island and/or the middle mark, sometimes requiring a double handle. Other dogs landed on the point near the left-hand gun station and went around the pond, behind the middle gun station before locating the bird. When facing the Middle Pond surprise water, several dogs skirted the pond by following the land bridge, then hunted land behind the right-hand gun station before locating the bird. Numerous dogs ran the blind to perfection, others struggled to stay close to the shoreline and the end of the blind presented difficulties with dogs going ot of sight.

Fifteen dogs ran series 5.

The final dog completed the test at 2:45

After the testing had concluded, workers and contestants gathered at the Swamp Dog Farm barn where tables, chairs, pop up tents, charcuterie boards, dessert trays, champagne, and glasses were assembled and waiting for the long-anticipated announcements.

On behalf of the three judges, Alan Davies thanked all volunteers and event organizers for their excellent work. The judges were especially appreciative of the warm and generous hospitality they enjoyed while on Vancouver Island. Alan remarked that every dog entered in this national event was incredible…. National Master Hunter ribbons were presented to dogs that were able to perform at a very high level for 5 consecutive days.

National Master Hunter ribbons were presented to 10 dogs:

1 GMH NMH Westpeak Ida’s Beretta QFTR owner/handler Leroy Mulrooney

4 GMH Prairiestorm Brown Eyed Susan owner/handler Susan Endersby

7 MOTCH Zaniri GoldnGuns Daretolive in Chaos MH WCX owner/handler Maria Soto

8 CH GMH Cedarbrae’s Bark at the Moon owner/handler Tracey Griffin

15 GMH NMH GoldnGuns Shots Before Daylight owner/handler Louise Roberts

16 GMH Prairiestorm Summer Skye WCX owner/handler Geoff Plouffe

18 GMH Cedarbraes Up the Ante WCX owner/handler Tracey Griffin

22 GMH GoldnGun Dare’s Ode to Tequila CGN QFTR WCI owner/handler Louise

Roberts

25 GMH GoldnGun Marshland Selkie CGN WCX owner/handler Rick Roberts

33 GMH MOTCH Zaniri Dare I Say More CGN JFTR WCX owner/handler Mary

Shillabeer