CHAMPIONSHIP RULES

Safety Rules

1.        All participants must be at least 12 years of age and be able to show proof, upon request, of completion of a Hunters Safety course from their state of residence. 

2.        All participants must wear high visibility blaze orange or green; i.e. a cap, vest, or other article of clothing as an outer garment. 

3.        12 gauge shotguns will shoot no more than 2 ¾ inch shells containing no shot larger than #5.  20 gauge shotguns will be allowed to shoot 3 inch shells containing no shot larger than #5.

4.        Events held on WMAs will require non toxic shot.

5.        Safety is the responsibility of the participant at all times, unsafe handling of a firearm or inappropriate behavior will be grounds for disqualification without refund of entry fees or any other compensation.

General Hunt Rules

1.        A dog can run multiple times, but only once in each division.  For example, a dog can compete in both singles and doubles but cannot compete in singles twice.

2.        Scoring will be as follows:

a.           10 points for each bird in the bag (maximum of 60 points)

b.          5 points for each point or flush (maximum of 30 points)

c.           5 points for each retrieve (maximum of 30 points)

d.          5 points for each shell remaining (maximum of 30 points)

e.           1 point for each minute of time not used

3.        A team will consist of two (2) hunters and one (1) dog.

4.        Singles and puppies divisions will consist of one (1) hunter and one (1) dog.

5.        Teams must check in and sign any required waivers at least one hour prior to their scheduled start time.

6.        Run times (hunt times) in all events, both preliminary and finals, will be POSITIONS not TIMES and will be drawn prior to the start of the contest.  All running positions are approximate, teams will be moved up as necessary to keep the event running in a timely manner.  If you are not in the field, ready to go, when your position is called, you will be moved to the bottom of the list with a 5-point penalty.  (This will not apply if you are hunting in another field.)

7.        Participants (Hunters) must hunt together behind the dog.  Hunters must walk through the course.  NO RUNNING IS ALLOWED.

8.        The hunt shall begin from a designated start area, and only that start area.

9.        In the doubles events, the hunt shall end when six (6) birds are in the possession of the hunters, thirty (30) minutes of time has lapsed, or a team is out of shells. 

10.     For the singles and puppies events, the hunt shall end when three (3) birds are in the possession of the hunter, fifteen (15) minutes of time has lapsed, or the hunter is out of shells.

11.     If a team or hunter is out of shells they cannot bag a bird and no remaining time shall be counted for their score.

12.     Teams or hunters that request to stop their hunt prior to obtaining all of their birds will forfeit all remaining time and it shall not be counted in their score.

13.     In doubles events, each hunter will be limited to the use of six (6) shells.    One shell will be counted as fired from either of the two guns should it not be fired during the hunt.  (Each hunter is required to shoot at least once.

14.     Hunters in the singles and the puppies will also be limited to six (6) shells.

15.     Electronic Collars are permitted in any Main Event, Puppy, Amateur and Masters Events unless otherwise determined by the host or competition organizer and promoted as such prior to the competition date. 

16.     GPS Tracking Collars are NOT ALLOWED.

17.     Judges may call a safety if they determine that the shot will endanger an observing party, the gallery, or another hunter (other than his own teammate or dog).  When a safety is called, full points will be given for the point/flush, the retrieve and the bird.  One shell shall be counted as fired from the hunter with the most shells in his possession or from the handler if both hunters have an equal number of shells.  Safeties may be requested by either hunter but will only be allowed at the discretion of the judges.  If a hunter fires after a safety has been called it may result in disqualification.

18.     Absolutely no person may protest a run other than his or her own run.  The protest must be filed with the hunt chairman within one hour of the completion of the run.  CHECK AND SIGN YOUR SCORE SHEET WITH THE JUDGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU RUN.  Scoring problems will be settled by the official score sheet.

19.     Dogs may not be called back to a bird if a bird is seen in front of the hunters but behind the dog.  The hunter may go around the bird and then hunt their dog back to the bird, or they may wait for the dog to return to them with no verbal commands or hand signals.

20.     Dogs will be placed on leash when the hunt has finished and will immediately proceed to the nearest border of their field by the most direct method so as not to disturb any birds that remain in the field.

21.     All dogs must be on leash or boxed when not being hunted.  Please air your dog away from the designated hunting area.

22.     Dogs interfering with a hunt in another field may be disqualified.  The hunt being interfered with will be awarded full points as awarded in a safety if the bird leaves the field. If the bird does not leave the field and you have time to hunt the bird you will be expected to continue the hunt.  If in the opinion of the judge you do not have enough time to hunt the bird in the time remaining all points will be awarded as in a safety.

23.     Teams will not be permitted to view the bird plant prior to their run, and will be in the designated area prior to the plant in their field.

24.     Ties will be broken by the following: 

a.           Bird Count

b.          Points or Flushes

c.           Shell Count (shooting accuracy)

d.          Retrieves

e.           Time

25.     Females in season will not be allowed in the contest.  Full refund for dogs in season will be given.   Should a female come in season after qualifying for the finals she will be allowed to run, but will automatically draw the final position of the day and must be kept boxed and well away from any other contesting dog until her run time.

26.     Judges will not be subjected to any abusive behavior of any kind.

27.     Points for the "FRED SMITH MEMORIAL AWARD" will be awarded on a per field basis. 12 points for 1st place in each field in the preliminaries on a declining basis, if the field has 12 teams declining to 1 pt. for last place in each field. If the field has less 12 teams the pts awarded will reflect the number of teams in that field. For example a preliminaries field with 10 teams would award 10 points and a finals field with 13 teams will award 13 points for 1st place.

Pointing

1.        Five (5) points will be awarded for each three (3) second pointed bird of the intended species up to but not exceeding the quota established, unless a competitor fails to successfully harvest a bird his/her dog has previously pointed.  In other words a dog must successfully point all bagged birds for a clean run.  The dog must establish a NON-ADVANCING, FIXED POSITION, (it is permissible for a dog to lift a leg and place it back down).  Once the competitor declares “POINT” (and the scorekeeper witnesses the dog on point) this position becomes fixed for the dog until the scorekeeper awards the “POINT”.  If at any time the dog should close the distance between it and the bird before 3 seconds, the scorekeeper will begin the count over at one (1) until the dog has remained steady for three (3) consecutive seconds.  It is not necessary for the competitor to remain motionless during the three (3) consecutive seconds and the competitor may advance toward the dog during and/or area of the point while the three (3) seconds are elapsing. 

2.        A competitor may not ‘whoa’ or otherwise command (verbally or non-verbally) his/her dog into a point.  And once the competitor has declared “POINT”, he or she may not give a command (verbal or non-verbal) to steady the dog until the scorekeeper has awarded the point.  Should a command be given prior to the point being awarded the competitor has three (3) options:

a.        Remove the dog from the area and hunt another area in the field for three (3) minutes before returning to this bird.

b.       Remove the dog from this area and hunt other areas.  If in a period of time less than three (3) minutes elapsed, the competitor harvests another bird or successfully points a different bird he or she may then return to the original bird and attempt to harvest it without penalty.

c.        Flush this bird, losing the ten (5) points for a point and resume hunting.

3.        These rules apply to all birds whether the infraction occurs on the first bird, the last bird or at any other time in the brace; the options (a, b or c) do not change.

4.        Multiple three (3) second points are not awarded each time that the dog relocates whether the bird is moving or remains in the nest.

5.        If the dog fails to establish a three (3) second point prior to catching or trapping the bird (which is then bagged), NO SCORE for the point will be awarded as the dog did not establish an approved point, a shell will be forfeited and five (5) points deducted.

6.        If the dog establishes a three (3) second point and multiple birds rise on the flush, the dog will receive only the number of points for each bird observed by the scorekeeper to have been shot at by the competitor.  However, extra shells used will still be counted for unharvested birds.

7.        If a three (3) second point is awarded and this pointed bird (moving or otherwise) flushes at anytime thereafter for whatever reason (as determined and witnessed by the scorekeeper) full points will be awarded for the point.

8.        Only the dog must remain steady for three (3) consecutive seconds.  The competitor may continue moving after declaring ‘Point’ and during the three (3) second period during which the point is being established and declared valid by the scorekeeper. 

Retrieves

1.        Five (5) points will be awarded for each full retrieve up to but not exceeding the established quota of intended species of birds.

2.        Two and a Half (2 1/2) points will be awarded for each partial retrieve.  A partial retrieve is defined as a dog not marking the bird and/or not making an attempt to bring the bird back to the competitor within his or her pivot foot.

3.        A competitor must keep one (1) foot stationary after the bird is shot, or once the dog has released to retrieve a bird, or catch a bird.

4.        A competitor may kneel down but MAY NOT lay down to retrieve a bird.  The competitor may not place his or her gun on the ground while removing the bird from the dog’s mouth.

5.        A competitor may not physically assist the dog (beyond the pivot foot distance) during the retrieve to receive full points.

6.        A competitor may not use a foreign object to reach a bird the dog has dropped beyond the distance allowed while maintaining his or her pivot foot.

7.        If, in the course of attempting a retrieve, a pointing dog appears to go on point on a new or different bird, the handler or competitor is allowed to move to this “new position” to flush the second bird with no penalty.  However, this position is now the position that the dog must make both retrieves to in order to receive full retrieve points.  Should the handler or competitor move to this position and the scorekeeper does not witness a produced bird, the original retrieve may only be scored as a partial retrieve.

8.        If a shot bird lands in a tree out of bounds as witnessed by the scorekeeper and he or she can determine that the bird is not dead while remaining in the field of competition the bird avoided being harvested and the hunt should continue.  If the scorekeeper, under the same circumstances determines that the bird is dead, full points shall be awarded.

9.        If a shot bird lands in a tree located in the competition field and the scorekeeper determines the bird is dead, full points for the retrieve are to be awarded.  If the bird remains alive, the competitor may shoot or push the bird and if it falls out of the tree, the dog must retrieve the bird to the competitor to receive full retrieve points or the competitor may elect to take a partial retrieve.  If the bird dies in the tree but fails to fall to the ground, full retrieve points will be awarded.

10.     A bird flushed within the boundary of the course but dropped out of bounds must be retrieved by the dog only and returned in bounds to be counted.  A bird flushed out of bounds must be dropped in bounds to be counted.  If a dog is out of bounds on point, one hunter may proceed to flush the bird, but that hunter can not fire his or her gun at the bird.   Uninjured birds from another field must land in your field before it can be shot to be counted as a legal bird.  No pass shooting is allowed.

11.     All birds must be off the ground and flying before they can be shot.  No birds may be shot on the ground.

12.     A dead bird from a previous run will not count for any points.

13.     A bird is trapped or caught when a dog places it in its mouth and has enough control to retrieve it to the competitor.  A bird can be in or out of its nest for this to occur.  Once a dog has placed a bird in its mouth, that same bird cannot be deemed a “non-performer”.

Flushing

1.        In the flushing division, the dog must flush the bird. The hunter is not allowed to put the bird in the air.

2.        In the flushing division a trapped bird will count, the dog will receive points for the flush, the retrieve if made, and the bird will count as bagged.  One shell will be taken from the hunter with the most shells, or if both hunters have the same number of shells, the shell will be taken from the dog handler.

3.        In both divisions the dog may retrieve to either hunter.