Fun runs combine effort to hunt birds
By Zac Sexton Argonaut Staff Writer
Most hunting for upland game in the Panhandle of Idaho is done on foot with the assistance of a gun dog. Many people felt that the American Kennel Club field trials did not represent hunting situations found in the field. It was with this reasoning that many other dog clubs and associations were begun in the United States.
AKC field trials were run with "continental" breeds.
Continental breeds consist of dogs such as: Weimeraners, Vislas,
German Wirehair and Shorthair pointers.
AKC field trials were run with members of a brace on foot. A
brace consists of the dog, a dog handler and a gunner. A brace
can also consist of the dog and a dog handler/gunner. The judge
follows behind the brace, on horseback.
Over 20 years ago, Gailen Carothers founded the Snake River Gun
Dog and Sportsmen's Association to create what he believed to
be more accurate field trials for gun dogs.
The association operates on the premise of helping young and
beginning hunters learn to train their dogs and how to hunt upland
birds. It provides experienced hunters a chance to socialize
with friends and to help the younger hunters.
The Snake River dog trials take place once a month and are called
fun runs. Fun runs are non-competitive, unlike their AKC counterparts.
Instead of one brace attempting to shoot more birds than the
other braces, fun run braces work together to shoot their limit
of birds.
Because the birds are bought from a game farm, and are not used
for competitive means, the state of Idaho has no regulations
on the number of birds that can be harvested.
The Snake River Club limits each brace to four birds per run,
and each run lasts up to 30 minutes. Once the four birds have
been shot and retrieved, the brace then signals a timekeeper
to stop the time. If a dog handler's dog is on point at the end
of the time limit, then the handler has one minute to flush and
shoot the bird.
Scoring is simple. Each bird is worth 100 points. For every minute
of the 30 minutes not used, 20 points are awarded. Shooters may
take six shotgun shells to the field. Five points are given for
each shell not used.
Safety is always a concern for members. Every hunter in the field
must wear blaze orange. Shooters may not load their guns until
a dog is on-point. If a bird flies between a shooter and an unsafe
shooting area, then a safety is called. A safety is when a shot
is not taken because it was not safe. Points are awarded for
the bird even though it was not brought to hand.
Executing fun runs successfully takes a lot of planning and work.
Due to the lack of volunteers to run the events, the decision
was made that the winner of the previous fun run would be in
charge of the next run. If a brace shoots more than the limit
of birds, then they are automatically in charge of the next fun
run, regardless of their score.
Tasks of a successful fun run include: getting birds, finding
a place to hold the run, making sure members know the time and
place for the run, keeping track of brace scores and planting
birds before each brace enters the field.
Gary Gage ran the fun run Saturday. As he put it members are,
"not really vying for the chore."
Even though the title of the club is the Snake River Gun Dog
and Sportsmen's Association, sportswomen also belong to the club.
Nancy Berger-Schneider, a University of Idaho law school student
is one of two women who participate in club functions.
She joined the club in September of 1998. She and her husband,
Tim Schneider started a German Short Hair Pointer club in northern
Texas, before moving to Moscow.
Berger-Schneider enjoys talking about dogs and the opportunity
to extend the hunting season by participating in the fun runs.
Her English Setter, Stoli, took third place in February's fun
run.
To become a member of the Snake River Gun Dog and Sportsmen's
Association call Gary Gage at 285-1608, or Robert Lopez, at (509)
878-1934.
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