Sporting dogs can compete in field trials on public lands
FWS scraps restrictive guidelines
The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced on October 12 that the agency would
not issue new guidelines for field trials held on public land and would instead
revert to the policy outlined in the FWS manual.
Following an audit of lands managed with federal funds, concern about damage
to wildlife habitat and pressure from environmentalists resulted in reclassification
of field trials as secondary (and thus, unlike hunting, prohibitable) uses of
land purchased and maintained with federal money. Field trial clubs, the American
Kennel Club, and the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America met with FWS officials
and convinced them to revert to the current rules that allow field trials that
do not adversely impact wildlife and wildlife habitat or involve the building
of permanent structures on public land.
Field trials are competitions for hounds and sporting dogs used to hunt waterfowl,
upland game birds, rabbits, and raccoons. Some field trial participants compete
for titles and do not hunt; others use the trials to compare their dogs’
skills with others and to enjoy a day in the field.
Many field trials take place on state lands that are maintained in part through
federal grants from gun and ammunition taxes paid by sportsmen. The FWS manual
approved in 1992 considers field trials as wildlife-oriented recreation to “encourage
practices and techniques which enhance the tradition and quality of the hunting
experience” that is suitable for public lands as long as the sponsoring
organization ...
- Obtains a permit, pays any applicable fees, and agrees to abide by these
regulations;
- Agrees not to erect permanent facilities and to remove portable facilities
from the grounds at the end of the trial;
- Minimizes conflicts with wildlife; and
- Provides live or dead target birds of native or established exotic species
for the trial. Live birds must be free of Botulism (Type C); Avian Cholera;
Duck Plague (Duck Virus Enteritis); and Aspergillosis.
The types of field trials allowed on public lands funded with federal dollars
are:
Retriever Trials: Generally, one or more land and water tests
are set up in retriever trials using dummies (floats similar to boat bumper
guards), dead ducks, or live, shackled ducks, pheasants, or pigeons to be retrieved
by the dogs. The trial sites typically include water areas with a variety of
cover, and field areas with different heights and density of vegetation. Often,
it is desirable to have a field mowed or an entry into the water cleared to
create ideal conditions. Retriever field trials involve shooting, and the sites
for the various age classes should not be so close together that the noise from
one event distracts dogs participating in others.
Hound Trials: Hound trials often require considerable space.
Raccoon trials are conducted at night and involve a ‘cast’ being made
by a dog, hunter, and judge. In this test the dog races against the clock in
vociferous location and treeing of a raccoon. The animal is not killed in the
process and firearms are not a part of the test. Beagle trials vary with locality
in the way they are conducted and may involve one dog or a pack of dogs competing
in a brace.
Bird Dog Trials: Bird dog trials include breeds such as
English Setters, Irish Setters, Pointers, Brittanys, Springer Spaniels, German
Shorthaired Pointers and Weimaraners. The trials may involve a shooter, judge,
and the use of pen-reared quail, pigeons, or pheasants. The dogs compete on
a circuit that may encompass up to three hundred acres.
For more about the tribulations faced by field trialers, see “If the radicals
can’t get us one way, they’ll try another,” by Ken Marden at
www.naiaonline.org/articles/archives/marden.htm
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