Katy NSTRA

I've had several Private Messages asking about the upcoming Katy NSTRA trial this weekend. We will be there all weekend. Everyone is invited. Lunch will be served both days at $5 each. You will be able to ride with the judges if any are judging off UTVs. You can take home some quail for the table. I might even help you clean a few. It's a great place to socialize your pups. Just tie them out and let them get excited about the gunfire at a distance. Or, better yet run them in the novice trial. There will be a novice trial, and open trials. It's north of the new Katy airport. I marked the spot on the map, and didn't do a good job. The weather is forecasts to be great.

We will be there. Had a great time last year when we went to just watch but ran in a brace.
Cash has been duck and goose hunting the past few months but I'm sure it will come back to him.

I scheduled a pen raised hunt in Columbus Sunday morning, I may stop by on the way back just to say hello.

What time do the trials wrap up on Sunday?

CSF- around 6pm if it's a full trial.

We have a full 16 braces.

I think the girlfriend and I will be there on Sunday. We have a race to run on Saturday. I am new to this game as noted in my thread about looking for a trainer in the Houston area so I look forward to meeting some of you and perhaps picking your brains.

Stay until it's over and take your pup out in the field for awhile. Looks like I got braced up with Kindall for one run.

Cool, two THF ers going head to head, I hope she mops the floor with you. Just kidding, kinda. Get em Kindall!!! Seriously though, good luck to both of you.

I had to go back and look. Your right Bill were in the same brace. I'll have to step up my game.

You can start celebrating now as everyone does when they draw out against Cracker. She's 4 years old and never had a placement. She does everything right, but simply does not find her share of birds.

I was out there this afternoon. They made the fields really big, because of the lack of grass. You'll do well to get around just one time.

Bill I wouldn't count yourself out so quick. Cash is 2 and this is only his second time in a trial. He has spent most of his hunting sitting in a duck blind. I look at it this way, no matter who comes out on top I will have had a fun day watching dogs work the field.

I'd like to hear how this turns out....sounds like both Bill and Kindall may be sandbaggin' to me!

I'm not making this up. Kindall blew it big time. NSTRA is a family affaire. Kindall took her whole family out in the field. He husband was riding with the judge, and her son was gunning for her. (He doesn't miss) Cracker pointed first, at about 400 yards, then Kindall and her great dog took over. Cracker got to back 3 times, but here's the thing; Kindall only had 2 finds. There were 2 birds under the same bush and Kindall ordered her pup to disregard the second bird.

Bills right. I normally trust my dog but I second guessed him and lost. Cash went on point, bird was kicked up but had to call safety on the shot. Cash immediately locks up on same clump of grass. This clump of grass is maybe a foot and a half round. I tell him no bird and kick it. Ha Ha Cash was right, it had held two birds.

The start.


Bill and Cracker


Cracker backing Cash.

Watching the trials.

I was leaving as you were coming in this afternoon. I understand that Cash scored 5 finds.

Bill and Kindall it was good to meet the two of you. It looks like a good way to spend a weekend to me, maybe next season. I wish I could get back to watch a few more braces. Bill, how did Yeats do?

Here are a few pics of Angel my setter.

nice pics

Yes. He had a good day.

That's a good looking setter Pat.

Yeats did fine. He did great considering he is only 17 months old, and has never been in the field without an e-collar. ET1 has never worked him on pen raised birds. He had the highest score on a find in his field on Saturday. The most important thing is that Yeats enjoyed the trial.

This picture that Kindall posted shows something that field trialers should look for. Notice the ATV tracks to the right of the bush. Birds will fly into areas where there have been no ATVs, but the odds are in your favor if you stay on the beaten track.

patf. Angel sure is pretty.
I only watched ET's first brace on Sunday. He didn't score well on finds but Yeats made a beautiful retrieve that would make any owner proud. The fields were big this year and his retrieve was over half the field long.

I don't think I worded that right.
I should have said I don't think he had many finds on his first brace. After I reread my post it looked like I meant his scores were low on his finds, and that wasn't my intention.

I like caught in midstride pictures. This one is great;



My wife always said that ET1 has Tennessee manners. He's great at thank you notes. Here's what he wrote me about the trial;

"Bill. Thanks for inviting me and Yeats to NSTRA. We both had a good time. I met many pleasant people and impressive dogs. I was impressed with how friendly and helpful all the people were. Yeats scored his highest on his last brace. A find and a retrieve, another find and a back, as I recall. He went from 147 on his first run to about 381 on his last, as I recall. I think he does not like the smell it taster of pen raised quail. Thursday I am going with one of DDT's cousin's husband, CG to Top Flight. We will see if he has any interest in pen raised pheasant and chuckers."

I see Dale Heaton went out there. How did he do? Any more Lone Star Region guys out there?

Looks green out there!

I was going to stop by yesterday to say hello but our morning hunt at Top Flight exhausted both my dog and I more than I expected.

Hope everyone had a good time.

Looks like everyone had a great time.

He was the only one from LST. He always does fine.

We must have pretty well cleaned up the fields. Chuck Duran called, and said that he went out there this morning, and didn't fine a bird. Kindall and I did a count after 10 braces, and we had scored 48 of the 51 birds released. There was an 8 bird brace after thet.

Nice looking dogs everyone....very nice looking dogs!!

Rick

Hey Rick, do you think a trial would be allowed at Fort Hood?

How many acres would you need? Ft Hood hunting and recreational areas are divided into Zones. Don't know if they Game Dept people would allow bringing pen raised birds on post. Rick should be able to answer your questions; I shoot skeet there once or twice a week and will check with the manager of the sportsmans center. Didn't mean to butt in but if I can help would be glad to assist in any way. They used to allow us to hold HRTs there years ago before 9/11.

It's probably more of a hypothetical question. We're sometimes looking for a place to hold trials for combined Texas regions. Fort Hood seems central to to the Dallas region and the Gulf Coast region. I hunted there once years ago. It's beautiful country. It would take around a hundred acres.

With all the rain fall we have had lately there should be adequate cover to hold a trial this fall. I will get back with some more information later.

Yes Sir, they have had field trials in the past at Fort Hood. I will ask Judy Johnson manager of the Sportsman Center if they will still be willing to let NSTRA come out and have a trial. Now will one of you nice folks call and remind me tomorrow. 254-371-5270 Thanks.

Rick

Visited with Judy this morning about holding a trail on Ft Hood. The major draw back is; after 9/11 all guns brought onto post have to be registered with the PMO on base. The only way I see to hold a trail would be to let a member of the Ft Hood Skeet Club be the gunner. We have several members willing to do this. She is willing to work with us; you would have to set a date and reserve an area several days in advance. In addition to gun registeration all birds brought onto post must be cretified in good health by the breeder of the birds. Good luck db

If ya'll do want to use Fort Hood for a trial, I would
recommend training area 53 off of FM 116 North and Shell Mountain Road. Nice wide open area covering quiet a bit of land and no wire that I found this season. If I may assist anyone just give me a holler.

Rick

Another thought; if you want to use Ft Hood for a trail us members would be glad to let you use our guns (all are registered on post) so that would be legal. Give it some thought. db