Land Series: Trees and Thrower Distraction-Proofing

Oaks Area 3

SERIES A. Two land singles and a blind (Lumi, then Laddie)

With Nate throwing, we started today's session with the SL in a sparse stand of trees, so that tree trunks and branches partially obscured the throws. I positioned Nate so that both throws were thrown left to right onto the side of an embankment.

The first mark was on the right at 100 yards. The second mark was on the left at 60 yards. Both marks were ducks thrown as singles, with Nate using a duck call and starter pistol.

After the dog picked up both marks, the dog ran a blind at 120 yards to the left of the left mark. The line to the blind was over a ditch and a ridge, past the end of a hedgerow on the right. The blind, a camo dummy, was midway between two stands of trees.

Oaks Area 2

SERIES B. Two land singles and a blind (Lumi, then Laddie)

With Nate throwing, the marks for Series B were in an open field, while the blind was in front of one tree at the back of a widely spaced stand of trees.

The first mark was on the right at 100 yards, thrown right to left and angled back. I instructed Nate to begin by blowing the duck call, firing the pistol, and throwing the duck. As soon as I released the dog, Nate was instructed to then throw a second duck into the same general area. When the dog picked up one of the ducks, Nate was then to immediately walk to pick up the other duck without waiting for the dog to clear the area.

After last week's practice with Nate throwing two ducks and walking out while the dog was still in the pick up area, which we practiced several days in several locations and at a variety of distances, both dogs now seem proofed for those diversions, and both of them had excellent pick-ups and returns on the first mark.

After the dog returned with the first mark, Nate then threw the mark on the left at 50 yards, another duck thrown right to left, again with duck call and pistol, but this time with no second duck and with Nate remaining in place after throwing.

After the dog returned with the second mark, we ran the blind at 140 yards. As mentioned above, the blind was placed at the back of a stand of trees, so the dog had to run between trees to get to the blind. The line to the blind was thru the area of the fall for the second mark.

Neither dog slipped a whistle running the blinds on either series today.