Blog

Hunting season is in full swing, and we hope you are all getting your dogs plenty of time out there on wild upland birds and waterfowl.    While we do our best to simulate real world situations in our training & testing during the off-hunting season, there is no substitute for wild birds in natural settings for your dog’s development. 

While NAVHDA International does not track individual chapter membership numbers, Minnesota NAVHDA is likely the largest chapter in NAVHDA with over 300 members, and we are verified as holding the most testing days of any chapter the last few years.  In 2022, we held TWENTY test days over eight weekends.    Thank you to all of our members and volunteers for supporting that effort!   We are going to keep up our testing capacity in 2023 to keep meeting the demand for testing slots.

Being a very large and active chapter, Minnesota NAVHDA and its board of directors meets year-round to stay on top of planning and administrative duties to make sure our members have adequate training & testing opportunities.    To ensure we have birds, grounds, judges, clinic leaders, test secretaries & coordinators, etc…most of our schedule is planned 9-12 months in advance, and our testing & training birds are all already contracted out for 2023.  Here is a snapshot of what we have planned so far for 2023:

WEEKEND CLINICS

February 4-5 Force Fetch/Advanced Obedience Clinic Hooley Hall Stillwater
June 3-4 NAVHDA AIMS Clinic Kelley Farms
June 24-25 NAVHDA Invitational Clinic Kelley Farms

TENTATIVE TEST DATES

May 13-14 Natural Ability Four Brooks
June 3-4 UPT & UT Kelley Farms
July 23-24 Natural Ability Four Brooks
August 19-20 NA-UPT-UT IRRC Virginia
August 26-27 UPT & UT Four Brooks
September 9-10 Natural Ability Four Brooks

There will also be some weekly winter Obedience classes again that will be announced probably in mid to late November.  These will start in January.

Members will be notified by email when registrations are open for our 2023 events.

One thing we are also aware of is that we have a lot of new members with young dogs/puppies that perhaps are not getting the exposure opportunities they need.  We have been strongly encouraging members to form their own small training groups, but we understand this can be difficult for new members.  For 2023, we are looking into doing some larger chapter “open” training days (perhaps monthly in May, June, July, August) where we have a variety of stations and training/exposure opportunities for members and their dogs.    If we are going to be able to pull this off, we will need a lot of help from you members!  Please watch for more communication about this over the winter.

Enjoy your hunting season!

 

Hello chapter members,

We are heavy into our training and testing season, and we hope that all of you are having fun with your dogs in your pursuits this summer.

We also have just a handful of tickets remaining for our 2022 Raffle fundraiser for the Upland Gun Company’s custom fitted shotgun.   If you would like a ticket, please contact Sam Snyder at:  sam.snyder@mnnavhda.org.  We will hold the drawing as soon as all tickets are sold.

https://mnnavhda.org/mn-navhda-2022-fundraiser-upland-gun-company-raffle/

We have just about a month left of training, and we have four weekends left of testing.  We are still looking for volunteers for these tests.  See chart on our website here.  If you can help, contact the Test Coordinators in the very right column.

https://mnnavhda.org/2022-test-clinic-contact-information-for-volunteers/

Also looking ahead, our Bylaws require that the membership be notified this time of year about upcoming board position openings and terms.

Article VI: Nominations, Elections, Voting Section 1: On or about August 1st of each year, but not later than August 15th, the Secretary will announce to the membership that nominations for expiring board positions are open. This communication shall include a list of all current Board Members and the expiring dates of all terms. Section 2: Nominations will be accepted by the Secretary from the Membership until August 31st. Members may nominate themselves. Members who are not nominating themselves must agree to accept the nomination which is to be verified by the Secretary.

Here is the current Board of Directors, Position held, term expiration, and their intent.

  • Pete Aplikowski-President.  Expires October 2023
  • Brent Haefner- Treasurer. Expires October 2023
  • Mitch Carlson-Director of Training. Expires October 2023
  • Sam Snyder-Vice President. Expires October 2022-nominated self for a new term.
  • Andrew Blonski-Secretary. Expires October 2022-nominated self for a new term
  • Sean Ewaldt-Director Testing. Expires October 2022-nominated self for a new term

So, there are three board position terms that will end in October, and there are three nominees for the positions.  Nominations from the general membership for the board are now open until August 31st.   If there are more nominees than open positions (three), there will be an election.  If you would like to nominate yourself, or someone else, please send an email to secretary@mnnavhda.org.

Based on the feedback from the Northern Groups Committee, The chapter Board of Directors unanimously approved the following proposals at the June 21st Board meeting.

We look forward to helping the Pineridge Grouse Camp group form a new NAVHDA chapter, and continuing the relationship with the Virginia group.

  • Iron Range Retriever Club (IRRC) NAVHDA Group Proposal:  Based on feedback that came from the Committee  about forming any new chapter(s) in the Northern part of the state, Minnesota NAVHDA will do the following for the group based at  the Iron Range Retriever Club (IRRC):
    • Continue to sponsor a NAVHDA test at these grounds provided that:
      • The test is on the 3rd weekend in August. 
      • This group must reserve these dates and negotiate their own grounds fees for the test with the IRRC.   
        • Prior to January 15th of the year of the test, this group must notify the Chapter Director of Testing of:
          • Who the Test Secretary will be.
          • Who the Test Coordinator will be. (If different than Secretary)
          • What the grounds fees will be.
        • The chapter will request approval of the test with NAVHDA, set and collect test fees and pay test expenses. Any other chapter policies related to tests will be in effect.
      • To be consistent with the chapter Mission Statement, the group Testing and Training at the IRRC must identify a person or persons that can be contacted for any NAVHDA training inquiries for the IRRC grounds and this person(s) contact info will be published on mnnavhda.org.
  • Pineridge Grouse Camp (PGC) NAVHDA Group Proposal:  Based on feedback that came from the Committee about forming any new chapter(s) in the Northern part of the state, Minnesota NAVHDA will do the following for the group based at  the Pineridge Grouse Camp (PGC):
    • Support and assist this group with making applications with NAVHDA for the formation of a new chapter, as long as the application is made by Sept 1st, 2022.
    • When the new chapter is recognized by NAVHDA and a bank account is established, Minnesota NAVHDA will send $4,000.00 to the new chapter.
    • Any equipment purchased by Minnesota NAVHDA for this group will be gifted as well.  (Approximate value $1,000.00).
    • Provide advice and assistance as needed going forward.  
      • Establishing Bylaws.
      • Establishing website and online payment systems.
      • Sourcing Birds
      • Consulting on training schedule & events.
      • Consulting on Test management

 

UPDATE 6/22/22-Committe is dissolved. 

At the NAVHDA International meeting this winter, it was announced that NAVHDA International membership has now surpassed 10,000 members.    Along with that, was the fact that growth in new chapters is falling short of being able to support adequate testing & training opportunities for members.

Minnesota NAVHDA has also grown significantly recently, and by the end of each season has had well over 300 paid members the last several years, with about 50 member-families in the northern part of the state.  (Roughly from an east-west line north of Mille Lacs Lake.)

Across North America, suitable grounds for training and testing dogs are always in short supply, especially for Utility Level Tests.    Northern Minnesota members are very fortunate that there are TWO proven grounds to hold quality NAVHDA tests.  The Iron Range Retriever Club and Pineridge Grouse Camp.

Minnesota NAVHDA is forming a committee to discuss the logistics of forming new chapters for the 2023 training & testing season (next year) in the northern part of the state, centered around these two sets of proven training & testing grounds.    The primary goal of this committee will be to identify ways to better serve all NAVHDA International members in the state, and offer more focused local involvement and participation to those members.

Any new chapters would NOT be affiliated with Minnesota NAVHDA, and could set their own dues, policies, bird sources, training programs and sponsor their own NAVHDA tests.

If you are interested in serving on this committee, please fill out and submit the form below.    This committee will meet via virtual teleconference several times throughout 2022, starting in May.

Running on wild birds in the spring when the snow is melting and the timberdoodles are making their return back to Minnesota can be a rewarding experience after a long winter of inactivity for us and our dogs.

Respecting the birds should be at the forefront of our minds when planning to run during the off season on wild birds. To stay legal, in Minnesota, one can run their dogs off-leash prior to April 16 on most state and county lands. Federally owned lands (except National Forest) are generally off limits outside of the hunting season. Now just because you can, does it mean you should?? Depends… personally I feel there are a few general rules of thumb to dictate whether to go or not.

Keep in mind that whenever a bird is disturbed, it wastes energy it could have otherwise conserved. Flushing, running, vacating the area it felt safe all take a negative energetic toll on birds who have already endured a long, cold and snowy winter. Disturbing birds while they were feeding could leave them cold and hungry  Weather is the first factor to consider when deciding whether to go run. If the temps are below freezing the energy demands of all birds are already increased, but keep in mind woodcock feed by probing their bill into the ground, so it must be thawed for them to feed on their primary source of food (earthworms). I do not recommend running dogs on wild birds when it’s below freezing or during inclement weather.

The second rule of thumb is to leave a bird (or birds) alone after one flush. Sometimes this means leaving the area altogether and checking out a new area. Forcing birds further away from their comfort zone increases unnecessary stress. It’s tempting to re-flush birds to get a second attempt at training success but not only is it not ethically a good idea, you’re also less likely to be successful in your endeavor as re-flushed birds carry little tracking scent.

Lastly, if you ever see signs of nesting or courtship (mating) behavior, do not target those birds and better yet; work on heeling and head back to your car. Not only is it unethical, it can be illegal depending on the species, and any disturbance of brood production could reduce a whole lot of birds that you and others could hunt the next season. The quiet season start date of April 16th was set statutorily many decades ago, birds can’t read the regulations book and during a warm and early spring like last year, many game birds began nesting prior to the April 16th closure.

Oh, and don’t forget while you’re in the woods that there are other dangers of spring – bears are waking up, feeding, and raising young. Wolves and coyotes are also raising pups during this time. Beaver trapping is still open so there could be water sets near outlets, culverts or other near shore areas.

-Bailey Petersen

**NOTE**-This is not a Minnesota NAVHDA Event but Washington County PF is looking for volunteers, including handler/dog teams.  Our chapter members have participated in this in the past.

 

Washington County Pheasants Forever

The annual Disabled Hunters / Wounded Warrior Pheasant Hunt will be taking place on Saturday, April 2, at Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm near Menomonie, WI.

The purpose of this special event is to provide up to 24 disabled hunters with an opportunity to get out into the field and hunt pheasants. To conduct a successful event we are asking for your support as a volunteer to help out during the day, or by making a financial contribution. During the day we will need 40-50 volunteers to work with the hunters or to participate in other ways. Many of you have participated in prior years, and we would appreciate your participation once again. There are AM and PM hunt times, so you can decide if one or both of these times work for you. Volunteer assignments include being a gun handler for the disabled hunters, driving a 4-wheeler to transport the hunters in the fields, being a dog handler, catching and planting the birds, taking pictures, etc. We also need to identify who can bring a side-by-side UTV with a bed (like a Gator, Ranger or Mule) to transport the hunters, many of which are in wheelchairs. If you own one or can get access to one for the day, please let me know. Another need is to provide well-seasoned hunting dogs (pointers only) to work with each of the hunters and locate the planted birds. Again, let me know if you can provide a dog.

We also need to identify disabled hunters who are interested in participating, so if you know of someone who would like to hunt, please let them know and pass along this email with the attachment.

CLICK HERE FOR VOLUNTEER FORM

Note: The first two pages of the attachment is the Donation/Volunteer Form. It needs to be completed and then returned by mail or email to Whispering Emerald Ridge. The email address is teresa@whisperingemeraldridge.com

The final two pages contain the application which the disabled hunters need to complete and send back to Whispering Emerald Ridge in order to register for the event by March 20. **Please keep me informed so I have visibility of who has responded. I also need to maintain a list of volunteers and donations. The donations can also be mailed to me at my address below. Please make the checks out to Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm.

The event will be held at:

Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm

N3954 640th Street

Menomonie, WI 54751

**If you intend to make a financial donation, please do so as soon as possible so we know how many disabled hunters we will be able to include in this hunt. If you would like to sponsor a hunter the cost is $125.00 each (to cover the cost of 5 pheasants, ammo, and food), however, any contribution is appreciated. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me or you can also reach out to Bruce Olson at Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm at 715-233-1281.

On February 15th, Minnesota NAVHDA held its annual meeting via a virtual teleconference.   You can see the full meeting minutes here.

For our 2022 Fundraiser, we are excited to announce a raffle in conjunction with one of our new sponsor partners-The Upland Gun Company.  You can read all about the raffle here.  Tickets will be sold at our events throughout the training & testing season.

As I am writing this, the 15 day forecast unfortunately does not look to be indicating any signs of an early spring.   Spring will come, though, and we are anxiously waiting to get started on our outdoor training and our 2022 testing season.  To help meet demand, we expanded our tests to 18 days over 8 weekends this year.   This will likely be an all time record for any chapter in NAVHDA.  We can only pull this off with the help of our member volunteers.  Please consider volunteering at our training clinics and tests this year.  You find contact information for event coordinators here.

We still have room in our 2022 NAVHDA Aims & Rules Clinic on June 4th & 5th.  This year’s clinic leader is Blaine Carter from Maine.    Blaine has been involved in NAVHDA for almost 50 years. He is a tremendous wealth of knowledge and presents it in his own unique way-complete with that Maine accent!   Take advantage of this unique opportunity.

TESTING:  6 of our 8 Test weekends are full with wait lists, but we do still have room for UPT & UT dogs in our Aug 27-28 test and NA dogs at our Sept 10-11 tests at Four Brooks.  Full Test Calendar and details are here.

TRAINING: We highly encourage our members to form their own small training groups, and we will help support that with access to birds and grounds.  If you need help getting into a weekly small training group, please fill out our Training Survey.  We anticipate bird deliveries and training will get ramped up the last week of April.    Our first large training clinic event will be April 30th.    There will be a MOCK NA test (already full) and in conjunction we will be debuting a couple new courses and an OPEN training day.    See the details of Versatile Dog 101 and Versatile Dog 201 here.  These are FREE to members and no registration is required.

HELP NEEDED-FOUR BROOKS TRAINING:  We are still looking for volunteers to organize training at Four Brooks.  Not looking for “trainers” so to speak, just individuals who can be a group leader and organize communication and bird wrangling for the group.  If you can help please email:  training@mnnavhda.org

GROUNDS PASSES:  Unless you are attending a Chapter sponsored Test or Clinic you must have a Pass to be on our two primary training grounds.

  • FOUR BROOKS (Milaca) -**NEW FOR 2022**    We will be selling Grounds Passes to Four Brooks online this year.   You can get your 2022 Pass here.  When you complete the payment process, you will get an email to print out, and that will be your pass.

KELLEY LAND & CATTLE CO (Hugo-Marine on St Croix).    As usual, passes will be sold by Kelley Land & Cattle Co.  We will hold a group night near the end of April for selling passes.  There may also be some availability of birds by then.  More details will be released as we get closer to that timeframe.

WOUNDED WARRIOR HUNT-The Washington County Chapter of Pheasants Forever is holding this hunt on April 2nd, and needs volunteers, including dog/handler teams.   Minnesota Chapter members have helped with this in the past.  Full info here.

Pete Aplikowski-President

2022 ANNUAL MEETING

All members are welcome to join the chapter annual meeting on Tuesday Feb 15th at 7:00pm.   There will be reports from each Director on the Board and a report from our delegate to the NAVHDA annual meeting.  This is a Virtual Meeting.    Meeting Details here.

VOLUNTEERING IN 2022

This chapter could not operate without the help of all of our member volunteers.   Please give back by volunteering at our Events.  You can find all the volunteer coordinator contact info for each event here:  2022 Test & Clinic Contacts .    We especially need help at our first spring events, like the Mock NA test at Kelely Farms in Hugo on April 30th, and the Natural Ability Test at Four Brooks near Milaca on May 14-15.

2022 TESTING

To expand testing opportunities this year, we are now doing 18 days of testing over eight weekends. This will by far lead the NAVHDA system in testing opportunities.  Our 2002 test dates opened for entries on Feb 1st.  Some tests are full with wait lists, others near being full.  If you plan on testing this year and have not secured  a test slot, do not delay.  2022 Testing Dates and Information.

2022 TRAINING

There are still openings for our 2 day  2022 NAVHDA AIMS & Rules Clinic on June 4th & 5th at Kelley Farms in Hugo. Led by SR Judge Blaine Carter from Maine.  The AIMS clinic is an in-depth look at the NAVHDA test and scoring system.  You will observe other dogs, but will not be working with your own dog.  YOU WILL LEARN A LOT!  These clinics always fill up and are limited to 20 people, so if interested, do not wait to register.  This is also a required clinic for anyone interested in entering the NAVHDA apprentice judge program.

TRAINING COORDINATORS-With a chapter of our size, we can always use more help forming more training groups.  You do not have to be an expert or seasoned handler or trainer, just someone who is willing to organize a group, birds and a group schedule.

FOUR BROOKS-We want to expand our training opportunities for members at Four Brooks WMA north of Milaca this year, but we will need people to step up and help coordinate.  We will also be selling Grounds Passes for Four Brooks to chapter members through our ONLINE payment system this year, starting in March.

If you are willing to help in any capacity with small group training, please email training@mnnavhda.org.

Any member that needs help with getting into a regular small training group this year is invited to fill out this survey.  2022 Training Survey

Scholarships

Applications are Open for the Joe Dolejsi Youth & New Handler Scholarship.  Applications accepted through March 5th, 2022.  Full details and application form here.

Interested in becoming a NAVHDA Judge?   The Bill Jensen Apprentice Judge Scholarship was created to assist chapter members in that journey.  More details here