Apollo | HRC Seasoned Hunt Test | First Pass

Platte Valley Hunting Retriever Club
35th Anniversary Hunt Test
Date: August 7, 2021
Location: Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area
Judges: Mike Brockman & Curt Lacey
Pass Rate: 44% (11 of 25)
00:00 Introduction
00:19 Walk Up
01:06 Land Blind
02:08 Land Double Mark
03:27 Water Blind
04:30 Water Double Mark with Diversion

[@introuble1000]

You two make a great team! Can’t wait to see more.

[@matthewpatterson588]

Great video Ken Tom! Apollo did great !

[@jamesmullins4023]

Great job! My lab looks very similar to yours. 12 month Chocolate male. We are training at seasoned now, but we are running our first started hunt test in OCT to knock the nerves off.

[@leobartslabradorretrievers5315]

Thanks man! If you’re training at a seasoned level, then you’ll have no problem with the actual retrieving at started. But it’s very difficult (if not impossible) to train for the test environment. Hearing duck calls, gun shots, and whistles while waiting in the holding blinds and just being around all the people, trucks, and other dogs can really get a young lab amped up. So I think it’s smart to run at least 2 started tests: you’ll get the dog used to the test environment and you’ll only need 3 seasoned passes.

[@rbljackson]

@@leobartslabradorretrievers5315 your lab looked real good! Congrats. Our chocolate lab gunner isnt as far along as yours, but we are running our first started test in March! He's 1.5 yrs old. Been doing water and land retrieves, and although not needed at started level, we are starting to train on whistle sits and casting now.

[@justagirlandherdogs615]

What whistle are you using

[@leobartslabradorretrievers5315]

I’m using the short Dallesasse whistle. I got it from Gun Dog Supply: www.gundogsupply.com/dallesasse-hunt-tester-whistle.html

[@justagirlandherdogs615]

@@leobartslabradorretrievers5315 thank you💕

[@outdoorrn2980]

Let's be honest....It was actually 2 land series. :)

[@leobartslabradorretrievers5315]

Yeah that part of the South Platte was fairly shallow but had a decent current. The dogs had to work against that combined with the wind blowing downstream on the blind. Overall, it was a pretty realistic setup for a river duck hunt (while keeping it at a seasoned difficulty).