Upland Tournament hunting

[soonercat]

Has anyone tried this? What did you think? pro's and con's

[JoeBlow]

I've done a few of these in years past - had a good time. Usually, the ones I have done were weekend-long - filled with good hunts, good people and good dogs. Calcuttas and dinners in the evenings can really make them a great time. They can be addictive if they are a circuit hunt - but if you can find a good bunch of guys - you'll have a blast - win or lose.

To be competitive - you'll probably have to run a fast dog with a good nose and a dose of polish to the retrieve. Points are given for solid retrieves and producing birds, and points deducted for bad shooting and bad dog work.

It's fun to watch the dogs work and see how your gun dog stands up to the rest. Just remember that it's a tournament and just because your dog doesn't do well, doesn't mean they aren't great. My dogs work a bit slow -which makes them a joy to hunt with. Although they'll walk over few birds afield, their pace makes them no competition in those tournaments.

Either way - checking them out and giving them a try can't hurt. You'll probably make new friends in the process and learn new training tips as well.

Hope that helps! Good luck and shoot straight!

--JoeBlow

[Buckbuster]

I don't have any problem with these tournaments, as long as it's with planted birds. I've done a few, and it's fun to see how things shake out. I've seen them won in less than one minute. One bird trapped, and two shot as soon as hunter and dog stepped into the field--- bingo, we've got a winner here.

It's a lot like rolling the dice in Vegas.

Buckbuster

[tommy]

Ive Gone To One Of These Tournaments And To Me It Was Not That Serious A Deal , But To Others It Was. As Far As I Was Concerned It Was A Chance To Get A Cool T-shirt, Hat And Good Fellowship, Not To Mention A Good Meal, And Oh! A Fun Hunt For Me And My Dog! As Long As They Keep Them Fun, Ill Go Again.

The Pros Or Hard Core Owners Should Go To Espn Outdoors!

To Tell You The Truth I Dont Even Know Who Won, Nor Did I Care!

Good Duck
Tommy And Boomer

[hunter168908]

wow these sound like fun how do u hear about them and where r they usally held and how much to try your luck i wouldn't mind trying sounds fun happy hunting

[tournament hunter]

Upland Game Tournament Hunting is really fun! Your dog has a blast, and it's a great way to keep in shape for wild birds. go to www.nbdca.com to get involved.

[tournament hunter]

I got involved in tournament hunting for upland birds when I got my first springer spaniel. I wasn't a pro trainer but wanted to teach my dog the basics of flushing and retrieving the birds we harvested. I read alot in Gun Dog and SITF magazine for basic obiedience and entered some NBDCA events. I used the tournaments to keep my dog on birds and in shape, plus it helped my shooting accuracy. We won some trophys along the way, but mainly bonded and had some great times.

That dog is 10 years old now, and recently my nephew asked me if he could take a picture, and one of our big gold trophys to "show and tell" at school. I thought that was pretty cool.