Spectators invited to 4-H fundraising bird dog fun field trial Saturday and Sunday Dec. 9/10

Spectators invited to 4-H fundraising bird dog fun field trial Saturday and Sunday

The public has an opportunity to watcSpectators invited to 4-H fundraising bird dog fun field trial Saturday and Sundayh local pointing bird dogs do what they love during this weekend’s Botetourt 4-H Shoot-To-Retrieve Fun Field Trial at Juniper Valley Shooting Preserve, Troutville.

Adult pointing dogs will compete on Saturday, Dec. 9 and dogs under two years old will compete on Sunday, Dec. 10.

Various breeds of bird dogs and their handlers will run in the judged trial that will be held on part of an 8-acre field that is established as pollinator/quail habitat.

Spectators will be able to watch the dogs/handlers from a gallery area a safe distance from the field.

The dogs/handlers will be judged on a simple system that includes points, shooting and retrieving on three released quail during 20-minute hunt sessions for each dog.

There is no fee for spectators, who are welcome throughout the day. The first dog/handler goes in the field at 8:30 a.m. each day.

Breakfast and lunch will be available, and there will be a Silent Auction during the event.

The event is a fundraiser for the Botetourt 4-H Shooting Education and Hunting Skills Club and is sponsored in cooperation with the Botetourt Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Joel Hoeffner-Mossy Oaks Properties Land and Realty.

The private shooting preserve is located at 485 Juniper Valley Lane, Troutville.

For more information about the trial, to enter a dog, and/or to get a flyer with details about the field trial, call Ed McCoy at 540-339-0622 or email botetourt4Hshootinged@gmail.com

Submitted by Ed McCoy. Photo: Ed McCoy