Event: Inaugural Jack Mayer Jr. Open Woodcock Classic
Result: Atlantic Sportsman's Club

Location: Havelock, New Brunswick

Post Date: Oct 15, 2024

Submitted By: Ian Corbett

Jack Mayer Jr. Open Shooting Dog Classic (Back row): Judges Bruce Brownell and Dale Hackett. (Front): Trevor London with first Paucek's Up For Adventure.

The Atlantic Sportsman's Club made a difficult decision last fall to move their grounds to Havelock, New Brunswick, from West Caledonia, Nova Scotia. There were growing concerns from the field trial community about the increased travel costs, time on the road, and lack of close accommodations. Last fall, while attending the Maritime Bird Dog Club's Labor Day Wild Bird trial, I stopped in to visit Charles Clarke, who is the landowner where the North American Woodcock Championship resided for nearly 35 years. After walking around his property, I quickly discovered he continued maintaining several of the original courses. Long story short, Charlie agreed to The Atlantic Sportsman's Club to host a one-hour Wild Bird Classic. After further discussion, we decided to honor all the years Jack Mayer Jr. tirelessly spent ensuring the North American Woodcock Championship and Futurity continued to the high standard his father, Jack Mayer Sr., and Robert Buzzell started in the late 1960s. Charlie was Jack Mayer Jr.'s right-hand man from the beginning, brush hogging, cutting, and even operating a bulldozer to expand the routes in the early 2000s. After Jack passed in 2002, the Maritime Bird Dog Club continued under the leadership of Lester Turner, Carl Weston, David Palmer, and Darren Miller for several years. New Members Mikel Jackson and Ian Corbett were added along with a new direction moving their grounds to Campbell Settlement which was recently purchased by club President David Palmer. The North American Woodcock Championship was hosted on the new grounds for one year and then returned to Havelock after David Palmer stepped down as President. Mikel Jackson stepped up as President along with Ian Corbett and worked hard making changes to the Havelock grounds. The North American Woodcock Championship/Futurity continued for several years until Mikel Jackson passed in 2011 and the torch was handed to a new executive under the leadership of Robert Little. The Maritime Bird Dog Club continued hosting the Championship/Futurity on the Havelock Grounds for several years, then moved back to the Campbell Settlement Grounds. After David Palmer died in 2015, the Championship moved to McAdam, New Brunswick, where it has been very successful for over 10 years. Throughout the changes, Charlie Clarke has been the constant since the beginning working on his property and supporting the Field Trial Community. He enjoys managing his property for woodcock and grouse, but his real passion is Big Game hunting, and he doesn't even own a dog. As you walk the trails, you will see elaborate hunting stands and feed crops. He's a good friend helping me lay out the courses and even shuttling trialers between the courses when called. Let's hope we can continue enjoying his property for many years.

Back several months ago, I approached Dale Hackett, NB, and Bruce Brownell, NS, on judging the Inaugural running of the Jack Mayer Jr. Open Woodcock Classic. Dale's been judging for many years, including a Championship, Classics, and many Derby/Puppy stakes. Bruce Brownell has been involved with field trials since the late 1990s, competing with his Brittanys. He was President of the Nova Scotia Pointing Dog Club for several years and has judged many stakes, including a Classic. These men know bird dogs and gave their full attention over the two days of the Classic. Dale Hackett provided his and Bruce's judges' notes for the American Field report. Thank you again for the detailed information.

Without further ado, congratulations to the winners.

1st Place: Paucek's Up for Adventure - Trevor London
2nd Place: Super Storm Cliff - Adam Dubriske
3rd Place: Super Storm Nell - Adam Dubriske

The Running
September 14-15 by Judges Dale Hackett and Bruce Brownell

1. Caird's Big Run Buzz (Seamus Smith). The dog ran hard, wide, and to the front; at 26 bell stopped. The dog was located at the bottom of the ravine, looking good and standing impressive and tall. The handler flushed and produced 1xWC. A shot was fired; all was in order. The dog ran hard for the remainder of the hour. He finished the hour.
Mooselook Texas Star (Jack McNulty). This strong dog hunted hard the entire hour and looked good doing so, handling very well, very nice dog, finished the hour, no birds pointed.

2. Old Glory Ben (Austin Parsons) ran well and ran big, finishing the hour. No birds pointed. Super Storm Cliff (Adam Dubriske) stopped at 5, but no bird was produced. The dog was relocated by the handler while parties moved forward on course. At 7, the dog stopped to flush as a grouse spooked from cover beside a judge and the other handler. The dog looked good, and a shot was fired at 30. The dog's bell stopped; the handler, scout, and judge went to investigate. There was some confusion in that the other handler thought his dog was on point when, in fact, the bracemate's bell could be heard in the distance. This resulted in an extra scout, handler, and judge in the vicinity during gameplay. (which was the video shown on Facebook). Grouse after grouse flushed; One judge heard five, and the other reported seven. The dog finished the remainder of the hour strong. Based on the dog's overall performance and manners during a VERY high-pressure situation, this dog really impressed both judges. (High pressure from second party, large number brood, another dog approaching).

3. Kelly's Blitz'n Wheel Hank (Doug Forgrave). Bell was lost at 20, and the dog was found on point at 32. The dog seemed uncertain, then tightened up while being approached by the handler. 1xWC was flushed, and the shot was fired. The dog looked good, and all was in order. A second WC was walked up while the dog was brought back to course. Very fast, well-built animal. Exciting to watch run and to locate. The dog had tons of gas in the tank and wanted to continue running hard even after the hour was complete.
Lucy's Pride (Adam Dubriske). There are no notes on this dog as the dogs separated during this brace. I did not see much of this run as we ended up being quite far apart at switch time; refer to other judge's feedback. I recall that she handled well and hunted hard for the handler at the start of the brace.

4. Caird's Macy Mae (Robert Little). One dog was scratched, and this bye-dog was moved up. A snappy, moving dog that hunted hard and handled well covered the course nicely and looked happy to be doing it. She finished the hour with no bird work.
Magic Mist Mr. Jack (Adam Dubriske). The dog hunted hard, handled well, and finished the hour without birds.

5. Caird's Rip It Up (Robert Little). A snappy dog that ran fast at 9 and stopped on point; The dog looked super tight. Handler worked hard to flush but no bird could be produced. It was noted by this judge that there was a large pile of fresh grouse feathers 20 ft. in front of the dog that appeared to be a very fresh kill. Noting the wind direction and location of the dog, as well as the fact that this was the same area where this judge saw a large predator bird earlier in the day, this was considered an unproductive, but this judge did not fault the dog.
At 42, the dog stopped. No bird could be produced, so the dog was moved on. At 52, the dog stopped; the handler relocated the dog three times, but no bird could be produced. Handler picked up the dog and thanked the judges.
Numerous turkey feathers were seen on the ground and throughout the cover at the last stop.
Mooselook Fionn Maccool Hail (Jack McNulty). A strong dog at 3. He took out a grouse on the trail without breaking stride, ordered up by the judge.

6. North Country's Soda Pop (Adam Dubriske) finished the hour without birds.
Sweet Southern Belle (Jonathan Wilkins). The other judge reported that this dog stopped on a wide cast and was located on point. While attempting to flush, the dog took out a grouse and was picked up.

7. Kelly's Diesel Smoke Jackson (Doug Forgrave). This dog handled the front wide-open fields at the start of this course beautifully. He continued to run a huge brace throughout, hunting hard and often to the front. Towards the end of the brace, the dog was thought to have been lost to the rear of the gallery, and a tracking device was requested. The dog later appeared towards the front, and the bell stopped, but this was after the tracking device was used. The dog was eventually located in the next field over and was said to have been on point but not witnessed by the judges.
Super Storm Nell (Adam Dubriske) handled the front wide-open fields at the start of this course beautifully. She worked both treelines and hedge rows and ran a beautiful race. She hunted all various covers well while working with the handler. At 55, she stopped deep in an alder/cedar grove at the lower end of the field. The handler, judge, and scout went in. The handler located the dog and flushed 1X WC; shot fired and all in order. On the way back to the course, another WC went up, I believe by the scout.

8. Miramichi River's Real Coy (Kyle Price/Robert Little) was scratched.
Pod Brook Doby (Adam Dubriske), a young hard-driving dog, ran full tilt right from the breakaway. The dog covered a lot of ground for the handler, but eventually, dry conditions took their toll. The dog was watered a few times and continued. The handler opted to pick the dog up at 21. No birds.

9. Sanderling Sadie (Robert Little), a young female pocket pointer, handled like a dream for the handler. The dog covered all aspects of the course and with eagerness to please. She hunted the cover hard and forward at all times. At 21, bell stopped in likely cover on the edge between woods and a clearcut. The handler, this judge, and the scout went in to locate the dog. The bracemate came through the area. Despite multiple attempts to get the bracemate called out and back to the course, the bracemate turned towards the same spot. 1xWC went up, and the bracemate stopped to flush. Bracemate then went with the bird, and Sadie broke point also going with the bird. The dog was picked up. A second WC was heard leaving on the way back to the course.
TT Backwoods Addiction (Tyler Tunny), a fast, powerful dog, stopped to flush at 22 on a WC that he put up while it was being pointed by Sadie. Both dogs went with bird and picked up.

10. Paucek's Up For Adventure (Trevor London) is a quick, snappy dog with a smooth, graceful gate. She covered the ground nicely and was a joy to watch run. The dog handled well, often at the bell's edge but always to the front. Even the few times we lost the bell on larger casts, this dog would reappear to the front. She started the brace with a solid 'hit the binders' point at 8 on the left side of the road going down Course #1. The handler quickly went to work, but no bird was produced at that time. That stop resulted in an unproductive but was a WOW moment to see as the dog had slammed on the brakes hard just as she entered the treeline. At the bottom of Course #1, the dog covered both sides of the course, which included a deep ravine to the left and big woods we were in and to the right. Throughout the woods, this dog handled and stayed in touch. Again, sometimes hitting the bell's edge and always to the front. As we rounded the far end of the course, we stepped out to the old logging road, and the dog continued to cover the ground nicely. In likely cover, a wide cast to the left of the road led to a search by the handler, judge, and scout. After a few minutes, and true to form, the dog appeared to the front of the course and continued the task at hand. The dog quickly spied alder cover and crossed the bottom end of the field to investigate. At 52, the bell stopped; the handler, this judge, and the scout went towards the dog's last known location. The dog was found in heavy alders and ferns. Soon after, a WC was flushed and shot fired; all was in order, and the dog was brought back out to the course and sent onward. Both dogs then homed in on the same lower left corner of the field. At 56, Paucek's Up For Adventure's bell stopped. The bracemate's bell could still be heard. At 56:30, the second dog's bell stopped. The handler said to the judge, "Well, this could be interesting." The judge replied, "It SURE could be!" The handler and judge approached the last heard location of the bells. Both dogs were quickly located on point with their heads cranked. Bracemate Tilley was a near full dog length in front of Paucek's Up For Adventure. The handler asked, "What should I do here?" The judge replied, "Just hold on one second," then looked back for the other handler, who was not there yet. The judge looked back at the two dogs, and the Tilley loosened up and broke point. The bracemate relocated three times, then eventually ran a near full circle around Paucek's Up For Adventure, who never budged. The handler asked, "What do you want me to do?" This judge, "See if you can flush a bird!" The handler started to flush; his dog never moved the entire time despite the bracemate running around the play. Suddenly, a large grouse exploded from the alders above the handler's head! A shot was fired, and all was in order. The grouse flies approximately 20 yards through thick alder tops and to our right. Tilley came back, went with the grouse, and even further in direction. In unbelievable disbelief at what occurred, both the judge and handler celebrate. The handler asks, "Now, what should I do?" With three minutes left in the brace, this judge directed the handler to take his dog back to the course and keep going. The bracemate's bell, still audible and moving this entire time, starts to come back. The bracemate swings in and stops at the grouse's new location.
Handler #2, scout #2, and judge #2 walk past. This judge tells the handler where his dog is located, just to the left of the big birch tree.
Elmer's Waltzing Matilda (Donald Henderson) is a "pocket rocket" Pointer that is both snappy and fun to watch. She covered the open fields with ease, listened to the handler, and was very eager to please. The dog ran and handled well the entire brace, handling the various covers and turns easily.
As mentioned above, late in the brace, the dog entered the same corner of cover as her bracemate. At 56, the bracemate's bell stopped. At 56:30, Tilley's bell fell silent within less than a minute, easily located by this judge and the other handler; when the dogs were found, Tilley was a near full dog length ahead of the already stopped bracemate. While assessing the situation, Tilley broke point and relocated multiple times.
She then left the area and came back when the shot was fired, and she pointed the same grouse. The handler and scout approached along with judge #2. This judge tells the handler where his dog is located, just to the left of the big birch tree. The handler and scout went in to work the situation. In passing, this judge informed judge #2 on his way in that Tilley had stolen point, broke point, and gone with the bird and that the dog was out of contention no matter what was about to occur but let him finish his brace. This dog showed promise to the judges until the unfortunate turn of events.

New Brunswick, Canada, September 14
Judges: Bruce Brownell and Dale Hackett
JACK MAYER JR. OPEN WOODCOCK CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 10 Pointers and 12 Setters
1st-PAUCEK'S UP FOR ADVENTURE, 1693887, setter female, by Long Gone Studly-Paucek's Black Pearl. Trevor London, owner and handler.
2d-SUPER STORM CLIFF, 1691606, setter male, by Blast Zone-Gold Rush. Thor Kain, owner; Adam Dubriske, handler.
3d-SUPER STORM NELL, 1687466, setter female, by Blast Zone-Bridgewater Mt. Pemi. Thor Kain, owner; Adam Dubriske, handler.

Social Events/Final Thoughts

The top of the social event was Jonathan Wilkins and his father Tom opening their home and cottage to the field trial community, providing lodging and meals for nearly a dozen people. Friday evening, we were treated to a lovely fish chowder, and Saturday, we had a sweet chili along with baked pies provided by Christopher Clarke--a picture-perfect location on the edge of Grand Lake. There was good conversation, good people, fantastic meals, and terrific hosts. Thank you both for offering your facilities, and I'm sure every one of your guests appreciated it. I heard from many you made this trial! Lunches were provided on the grounds; on Saturday, we had BBQ sausages in a bun, along with soft drinks, potato chips, and bars. On Sunday, Austin Parsons drove into Havelock to provide the remaining crew with fresh coffee and homemade cookies. We lucked out with both days of warm, sunny skies and a light breeze. Christopher Clarke provided most of the shuttle services between the courses and was greatly appreciated, saving the legs and feet between the braces. Thank you! We didn't keep an accurate bird count, but on Saturday, there were roughly 15 birds moved, and on Sunday, over 20. Woodcock and Grouse were found on all the courses. The numbers were down from what I expected, but the grounds were very dry, and the birds moved to damp areas along the brook edges and ditches. In closing, the Atlantic Sportsman's Club thanks everyone for their support, and we look forward to hosting the event again next year. A special THANK YOU TO Inukshuk Professional Dog Food for supporting The Atlantic Sportsman's Club. Their Dog of the Year report will follow in the weeks to come.

Jack Mayer Jr. Open Shooting Dog Classic (Back row): Judges Bruce Brownell and Dale Hackett. (Front): Nat with second Super Storm Nell and Adam Dubriske with third Super Storm Cliff.