Thread: What's needed for a trial?

Simple question, so quails would be handy and plenty of them.
But what else?

A dog.

Always found it easier to Trial with a dog.

I take it you'll be the resident smartarse, you always need one of them in any group.

I'd be really happy to see wild quail on a trial. Especially after seeing how fun they are to hunt over a dog.
Tho I haven't seen any quail on the trials I've been to. Pheasants are needed equally.
A mate suggested Johny houses (quail recall pens), I'm not sure behind the cost and commitment required for this, but I think I'd be a lot more keener on pre-released quail trial instead of pigeon trial. There are some things that I am not sure about domestically reared quail, that's they behavior and scent in comparison to wild raised quail. Beyond me really but I'd be keen to know.
Upside is that we are releasing quail into the wild, some will be recalled back to the pen and used again, others may not come back and will hopefully survive in the wild increasing the quail numbers.

But also depends what sort of trials we are talking about. Pointer and Setter trials need grounds to suit the breeds... Access to proper grounds with adequate bird numbers are they key in my opinion.

This again is my opinion.

Will have to be a non-shooting trial if using johnny houses as they are released within a certain time frame. What I'd love to see is shooting trials. To do a shooting trial it will have to be on wild game during the season

You mean as a driven bird scenario?

I mean as in there's the quail, now take your dog and go get some but with the style your breed is meant to use.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

I mean as in there's the quail, now take your dog and go get some but with the style your breed is meant to use.

Seems simple enough doesn't it WH but for some reason we like to put obstacles in our own way and complain that the grounds aren't suitable to a blah-blah dog and favors a wah-wah dog and so-so judge doesn't like my blah-blah dog

Edit - tongue in cheek obviously, but there might be a little bit of truth to it....

Yes, gqhoon...the neat neat thing about the location of the trials over Easter was, to my mind, that we were all on a level playing field...there is no flat ground there!!! it is a tough gruelling locale and favours no one...that is what makes it so cool...

I know, Wirehunt, if we could do a quail trial on Pig Island and it was all in place etc, you would have a turnout like no other I reckon...

But you have them there already EB. Talking about a mainland one here.

How much notice do people get for these, or do they plan them for ages?

the trials are planned months in advance as there are a string of them on the trial calendar.If you are planning one I would suggest getting in contact with a club in the south Island or with some of the guys off here in the south like smallfry for some info .
One must have a competent judges also as it needs to be run strictly rewarding those dogs that do superior work . Are you seriously contemplating one Wirehunt ?

Take for instance we have the dates for trials in September, exact venue not yet decided...if you were wanting to get any NIs down there then a least three to four months notice or more I guess...a stab at a long weekend would be excellent i.e Queens Birthday..

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

But you have them there already EB. Talking about a mainland one here.

Go for it!!! You could contact the Pointer and Setter Club secretary, (their website is www.pointersetter.org)...re judges etc and anything else...if we had heaps of notice we would be down there...

I don't mind organising the place and accommodation, but I wouldn't organise judges.
Our season goes 1 Jun to 25 Aug so it's maybe to tight a time frame for the year for you lot anyway. OR could you organise yourselves around that?