# Whats your best bird boy story????



## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

The thread about which way to face bird boys in the derby and the deviation you will deal with over the course of a series got me thinking back to some (funny now, but at the time - not so much) bird boy issues when judging.

More than once i've had a bird boy stand up and start walking out of the field after throwing a bird so he can use the restroom. We've had to send a four wheeler out to pick up a kid who demanded he be taken to the porta potties. Once had a bird boy walk out of the field in the open because his coach told him he could leave at 1pm and he was tired of dealing with us (remember that Kippy??).

Most recently we had a bird girl have an asthma attack in the field while a dog was running. That was pretty scary.

SM


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## Charles C. (Nov 5, 2004)

I was at Acadiana a couple of years ago, and a birdboy refused to touch the ducks. He didn't say anything until everything was set up, and a test dog was ready to run. He was relieved of his duties and spent the rest of the time playing a gameboy or other such gadget on the equipment trailer. I don't know if he got paid or not.


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## crowncreek (Jan 6, 2006)

Not a bird boy story as most field trialers think of bird boys, but anyway. UKC finished test in North Carolina. Water series in the afternoon, triple with blind off a mark and by a point. Dog picks up the three marks clean, and is clean that morning. This pass is for a title on a black dog who never got any of the breaks. Back to the story, three clean marks and I am lining the dog for the blind when the bird boy on the mark that is just off line stands up, Judges tell him to set back down, dog is looking every where thinking this is a set up. Bird boy stands back up and tells the judges that there is a Skunk in the holding blind and he is leaving, he proceeds to leave and walk around the pond, dog is out of her mind by now, he takes his time walking all the way, as the skunk is following him not 20 to 25 yards behind him. Once he is out of the way and out of sight, I send for the blind, of course the dog falls apart like a two dollar watch, half way to blind she sees the skunk and is hot on the trial, after several recalls, and hand throwing ducks to get her back and away from the skunk. I pull her off line, Judges talk about it and decide to give me a rerun, but not before they shoot the skunk. Come to the line again and give it a college try, of course it was way to late for anything good to happen at this point.


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

Bird boy yells in that he needs to use the restroom.Judge tells him to just turn around and go.Note: nothing to hide behind.He embarrassingly looks around,then turns away from the gallery,and proceeds to drop his pants! WoooooHH the judge jumps up and sent someone out for him.Poor kid ! At least he was good at following orders.


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## gracie (Oct 16, 2007)

There is a great story in the Bill Tarrant book, hey pup fetch it up. He recalls the judges wondering why there was so much suction on one particular blind until someone discovered that one of the blind planters had built a small fire and was roasting a pheasant when discovered.


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## 1st retriever (Sep 2, 2008)

Seems like they should allow bathroom breaks every couple hours!


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## Troy Williams (Sep 7, 2003)

Funny story told to me, I laughed until I cried:

A newer bird girl was helping a very successful pro and his partner on a Thursday before the trial. They were running dog after dog after dog on the pretrial test trying to get done so they could leave. She ran out of caps or bullets for her pistol. So she called in and said "Hey I don't have any more bullets". Pro responds in his hurriedness as he turns to leave line so his partner can run next dog, "Just say Hey-Hey!". Soooo, the girls sits down, looks around and says "Hey-Hey!"; looks around again and in a split second gets on the radio and says, "I'm still out of bullets!"

T-Roy


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## frontier (Nov 3, 2003)

I was judging the Derby/Qual at Cimarron a few years ago, and our bird boy in the Derby had a close encounter of the Chessie kind. He was stuttering and stammering on the radio. I think a certain Oklahoma trainer teaches bird boy intimidation fundamentals as part of their program. Remember Chris???


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

Troy Williams said:


> Funny story told to me, I laughed until I cried:
> 
> A newer bird girl was helping a very successful pro and his partner on a Thursday before the trial. They were running dog after dog after dog on the pretrial test trying to get done so they could leave. She ran out of caps or bullets for her pistol. So she called in and said "Hey I don't have any more bullets". Pro responds in his hurriedness as he turns to leave line so his partner can run next dog, "Just say Hey-Hey!". Soooo, the girls sits down, looks around and says "Hey-Hey!"; looks around again and in a split second gets on the radio and says, "I'm still out of bullets!"
> 
> T-Roy


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA thats too funny!!!

At the handlers request, we had a birdboy stand up and HEY HEY a dog that was lost. The very next dog was heading in the same direction as the previous and all of a sudden whips around and starts back towards the bird boy/mark. It was a long mark, but i could have sworn i heard a "HEY HEY" from the overly proactive bird boy. I asked him on the radio if he yelled at that dog and he was like "um..... no sir, i didn't say anything". I said ok, make sure you stay quiet unless we ask for your help. The next time a dog missed the mark, he gets on the radio "do you want me to yell at this one?" LOL

SM


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## Richard Halstead (Apr 20, 2005)

A bird boy with poor cordination shot himself in the big toe resting the waiting for the next dog. The same guy swamped a boat getting out at a licensed Qualifying had bids and garbage floating all over that had to be clened up so we could resume.


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## sprintwrench75 (Sep 12, 2008)

Not at a test or trial but had to share it. I have a few steel tripod wingers I made that I leave out in the field.Well long story short the wife was my bird girl for the day. Mind you she is small so she really has to lean back to get any distance on the duck.She throws a few I call for another one and the next thing I know it sounds like a pack of males surrounding my female in heat. The front stake that holds it down pulled out she went @#$ over tea kettle. So glad that the winger did not fall on her these things are heavy. Other than a bruised gluteus maximus and pride she was fine.


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## fishduck (Jun 5, 2008)

We had coed bird technicians at one hunt test. One station in particular was always missing the cue to throw the duck. Found out later that the boy and girl behind the holding blind were playing smoochie face most of the afternoon. Cooler minds prevailed and the two were seperated. 

Mark L.


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## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

Troy, you forgot the important part. This WAS a blond wasn't it????


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## HiRollerlabs (Jun 11, 2004)

At Watopa a couple years ago, Paul Panichi and Dave Furin were judging one of the all-age stks--Am I think, and the club had hired college-age guys to help. Needless to say, these college guys didn't have a clue. After wallowing through the land mks with many many no-birds, we made it to land blind with a dry pop and we are ready to run test dog.

Test dog comes to the line. Paul waves the white towel and nothing happens. Paul gets on the radio and splains to the bird boy that he is to pop the gun when he sees the white towel waving. The towel waves, the kid pops, the test dog runs. Gallery is asking questions after test dog, and Paul raises his hand as he's speaking and gun goes off. Then it was comical because everytime paul raised his hand (no waving towel) the kid would pop--when it wasn't wanted.

Later on the blind, some of the landowner's cattle came into the scene. Paul tells the bird boy to chase them out, and the bird boy starts waving and pointing his popper gun as he's running at the cattle which got Paul to yelling in fear he'd accidentally shoot the popper.

Paul and Dave had their patience tested that weekend. They're good judges and great guys.


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## KNorman (Jan 6, 2003)

Our HRC uses prison trustees to throw and they're always great at it. At one Started test I was judging, we had an elderly, respectable type, old ***** man. I instantly liked him. You know, a kindly grandfatherly, country man. Reminded me of an older, grey haired James Earl Jones. I have no idea what he did to land in the clink, but he was well spoken and worked hard.

Anyway, we had set-up and run a few dogs when we came to a re-birding. I drove some birds and some bottled water out to him and casually asked him what he thought of the whole test thing. 

He started shaking his head and says, "Boss, I really like these dogs, but standing out here with this big slingshot tossing dead, stinky ducks for them to pick up is the darndest thing I've ever seen. You white folks have funny ways of having fun."

I laughed and laughed...and can still remember that gentleman's voice making that remark.


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## Pals (Jul 29, 2008)

Running at a HT about 12-13 years ago, they used the Juvies to throw--mostly city kids working off their 'community time'. At the JH running my little bitch, who is very vocal--the whole wagging, crying, growling monkey routine. Well-- after retrieving the duck she spots the birds boys and runs over to say "HI"(we had this problem for years). As she enthusiastically races behind the holding blind screeching like a banshee, the kids were terrified and come running out of the holding blind in all directions. Jaz chased one all the back to the line....took forever to calm those kids down. We flunked, but man was it funny.


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## kip (Apr 13, 2004)

charlie moody has the best stories of anyone.


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## Mark Littlejohn (Jun 16, 2006)

We were lucky enough to be back on a Sunday for a 3rd Master series that Lou Davis was judging at Norco. There weren't many of us there to help set-up, (not even bird boys yet) so I pitched in so we could get the show on the road, and tossed a couple of test marks so Lou could see them.

When the bird boys did arrive, we put them in their stations which are now ready to go. Since they had thrown the day before, we didn't figure a lot of instructions were needed. It was a land/water triple with a short wipe out / go bird to be tossed just across a narrow ditch. The BBs were kids from the High School track team. Lou explained to the big ol kid in the near station that he needed to throw the bird just across the ditch on her signal.

Two birds are thrown, then the go bird is signaled. Apparently this kid was also QB on the football team. He cocks his arm and heaves a perfect overhand, 40-yard duck-spiral over the ditch to the other side of the levee. I think about 20 people roared "Holy $hi^!!" at the same time, with Lou being the most vocal. Not sure if we were more impressed with the kid's arm or the complete miscommunication. We could have spared a winger the first 2 series.

ml


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## DoubleHaul (Jul 22, 2008)

Back at my first test ever, I was a nervous wreck. To top it off I had a gallery, including my training group, my mother who drove 3 hours to watch her 'granddog' and a pro we trained with who let his assistant handle a master dog so he could watch.

Land marks and first water mark went fine, so only one more bird and I was about to die. Mark was across a pond just on the other side of some cattails but we were up on the side of a hill, dog had to run down then up the dam to get in the water. My dog got a little disoriented doing this but got in the water and started swimming. Unfortunately he got out between the mark and the bird boy blind which was up a fairly strong wind.

He scented the ducks in the blind and headed in there. Judge realized what was going to happen so he got on the radio and told the bird boys not to let the dog get a duck out of the bucket.

Obviously, he was a second or two late and the dog came running out with a duck in his mouth. The bird boy gave chase. At first my dog thought it was a game of keep away and was having fun even when the second bird boy joined in. I am freaking out and it took me a while to think to blow the come in whistle. Finally the third bird boy came out with a pool skimmer they gave them to pick up birds that landed in the water so they wouldn't need a pick up dog. That freaked my dog out and he started running for dad with three bird boys, one with a long stick chasing him. The gallery was laughing like crazy but I was completely lost since I had never run a test before.

He ran all the way back to the line and came and sat between my legs. I didn't know what to do until I heard my pro friend yell "take the bird". I took the bird and heard him yell "hand it to the judge and walk away". I handed the bird to the judge, put my slip lead on and headed for the gallery. The applause was as loud as when a dog nails a tough series at the National.

The judges ciphered a bit and gave us the pass. For about two years after that, that dog turned his head and gave a bark in the direction of the gunners every time he ran past them, just in case they got any ideas about coming after him again.


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## 1st retriever (Sep 2, 2008)

DoubleHaul said:


> Back at my first test ever, I was a nervous wreck. To top it off I had a gallery, including my training group, my mother who drove 3 hours to watch her 'granddog' and a pro we trained with who let his assistant handle a master dog so he could watch.
> 
> Land marks and first water mark went fine, so only one more bird and I was about to die. Mark was across a pond just on the other side of some cattails but we were up on the side of a hill, dog had to run down then up the dam to get in the water. My dog got a little disoriented doing this but got in the water and started swimming. Unfortunately he got out between the mark and the bird boy blind which was up a fairly strong wind.
> 
> ...


That was hilarious! I feel for you though. During obedience in 4-h my dog belly crawled out to me and she never got up on the long down and for the stand for exam she was so excited to see someone coming to pet her that she jumped up on the judge to say hi! This was my first show!


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## Lpgar (Mar 31, 2005)

Montgomery Qual 3 yrs ago..... One the water marks the middle gun of the triple (an inmate of the prison farm) who was supposed to retire after the dog picks up the Go bird is still in the open. We see him wailing the ground with the but of the shotgun vigorously. When asked on the radio to retire He calmly reaches down and picks up 4 ft of very dead black snake ...throws it behind the blind...then retires just in time.


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## DSemple (Feb 16, 2008)

25 years ago down in Texas I thought I had the best arm around, but I kept hearing about Jim Swan's son Bobby. Every trial I would hear "Yeah he has a good arm, but you should see Bobby Swan's". 

So one day at the Shrevport trial I'm asked to make a tough throw on a dead bird on Bubba's plantation. I'm doing what I think is a good job, pitching the bird 30 yards high and 40 yards out, but the young guy popping for me is saying things like not bad, or you might try to get it a little higher, or what happened did you slip on that one. 

Well, I'm getting pissed and I'm thowing the ducks so far my feet are coming off the ground. I'm trying to throw the bird plumb into the next county just to shut the kid up. Well, I don't ever satisfy the kid popping for me, but I learned after the series was over that the kid turned out to be none other than Bobby Swan. (He had hurt his shoulder the week before and couldn't throw that weekend)

For years I bragged that when he and I were paired together all he ever got to do was pop.

....Don


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

kip said:


> charlie moody has the best stories of anyone.


True dat... but the best stories involve him throwin rocks!!!

SM


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

Yea Kip....The one about the Purina Power Bar and the Dorito bag still cracks me up......


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

Lpgar said:


> Montgomery Qual 3 yrs ago..... One the water marks the middle gun of the triple (an inmate of the prison farm) who was supposed to retire after the dog picks up the Go bird is still in the open. We see him wailing the ground with the but of the shotgun vigorously. When asked on the radio to retire He calmly reaches down and picks up 4 ft of very dead black snake ...throws it behind the blind...then retires just in time.


Judging down in South Texas. We put a flyer station on an island. Run test dog. One of the shooters asked if he could shoot a snake, we said of course. Ran a couple dogs, then he asked if he could shoot another one. Turned out, the entire island was a big root system that doubled as a snake bed, it was full of copper heads, they started popping out of holes left and right. Test was scrapped and we got them out of there quick like.

SM


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## helencalif (Feb 2, 2004)

True story ... 

Place: trial at White City, OR, a few years ago. 

Series: land blind. First time bird boy.

Marshall on the radio: PLANT THE BLIND.

Bird boy runs out with the bird, lays the bird down in the grass, gets down on his knees and proceeds to pull a big clump of grass with dirt attached, then uses his hands to dig a deeper hole, stuffs the bird into the hole, places the grass clump with dirt over the bird. Get's on the radio and says, "I planted it."


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## EdA (May 13, 2003)

Port Arthur Retriever Club land marks in a cut rice field, 2 boys on each station, one station retired, the guys who were retired got into an argument and proceeded to have a fist fight in the field, don't know if there was a winner or not but the entertainment value was high


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## Troy Williams (Sep 7, 2003)

Jay Dufour said:


> Yea Kip....The one about the Purina Power Bar and the Dorito bag still cracks me up......



Oh that one makes me laugh out loud right now...hahaha


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## kip (Apr 13, 2004)

judging in the spill way and sweezy is running the first dog in the qual land marks. the kid had no idea the dog was coming to get the bird not him! boy were sweezy's coments funny!


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## kip (Apr 13, 2004)

Troy Williams said:


> Oh that one makes me laugh out loud right now...hahaha


 what about "how do you like your eggs? i like em!"


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## Roger Perry (Nov 6, 2003)

I was at a hunt test years ago where they were using quail as their game bird. I was running my dog Bo in a junior and when he hunted and hunted and could not find the bird he went to the holding blind the bird boy was in and grabbed a bird out of the bucket and brought it back to the line. The Judge hollared at the kid "why did you let the dog get a bird out of the bucket" and the kid hollared back "because the dog growled at me".


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## Bud Bass (Dec 22, 2007)

During a HT the judges sent the bird girl to a bush along a tree line to yell a distraction for a blind. She did fine for 5-6 dog before saying something to the judges about the yellow jackets. It seems the bush she was told to hide in had a yellow jacket nest and she had been stung about a dozen times prior to letting the judges know, enough is enough. This same girl at a previous test, her first as a bb, accidently shot herself in the foot with a popper gun, while they were rebirding. Luckly did not do any damage. Bud


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## Wade Thurman (Jul 4, 2005)

I wasn't a judge and I certainly wasn't the thrower. 

This was one of my first experiences with field trials. I was maybe 12 years old and was taking birds off the line. Like most kids get to do when they don't have a strong enough arm to make the throw the judges are looking for.

In this case I guess the adult didn't suffice either. After having the judge yell out to him several times, it was a time before radios, about proper placement the guy gets up, walks in out of the field and as he is walking by the dumbfounded judge, he stops for a brief moment and I quote, "GO F YOURSELF, I'm done"!!!

I have been in love with the field trial game ever since!!!!


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## JusticeDog (Jul 3, 2003)

Ok, Kip.... maybe you guys could tell us teh whole story..... ?  And since we know Charlie is out training dogs....


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## kip (Apr 13, 2004)

i think the chester videos should have a link on here.


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

Wade said:


> I wasn't a judge and I certainly wasn't the thrower.
> 
> This was one of my first experiences with field trials. I was maybe 12 years old and was taking birds off the line. Like most kids get to do when they don't have a strong enough arm to make the throw the judges are looking for.
> 
> ...


Judging at the Cattle Ranch with Henry Ragle and the inmate throwing the left hand bird wasn't hitting the target. I can't remember his name, but i bet a few here know it... he had just won some prisoner weight lifting competition and has arms bigger than my legs. The throw wasn't acceptable, so i got on the radio and told him that Henry said to hit the target or he was gonna come out there to have a talk with him. HAHAHAHAHA

No better group of workers than at the Cattle Ranch, but that dude scared me!

SM


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

kip said:


> i think the chester videos should have a link on here.


I agree!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Yu...showthread.php?t=2015&feature=player_embedded

I think if EVERYONE started their day off by watching this video, we would have world peace.

Eaaaaaaaaasy lef regards,

SM


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## kip (Apr 13, 2004)

shayne "big mac" is his name and he won the world in power lifting in his weight class. we couldnt let him throw the flyers because nobody could hit them.lol


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

kip said:


> shayne "big mac" is his name and he won the world in power lifting in his weight class. we couldnt let him throw the flyers because nobody could hit them.lol


Thats right! Big Mac... and the other guy was Houston right? That was a lot of fun.

SM


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Don't ever put a 16 yo bird girl with PMS out in a boat with a 10 yo novice bird boy waving a gun. I had to send Mitch down to sweet talk her to keep going.


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## BonMallari (Feb 7, 2008)

Funniest one I ever saw was the first series of an open in South Texas, handler blew his whistle to handle the dog and gave an emphatic over, so the bird boy obliged and took the cast,poor kid didnt know what to do, when asked why he thought the whistle was for him and he was out of position and in the way of the dog


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## BonMallari (Feb 7, 2008)

EdA said:


> Port Arthur Retriever Club land marks in a cut rice field, 2 boys on each station, one station retired, the guys who were retired got into an argument and proceeded to have a fist fight in the field, don't know if there was a winner or not but the entertainment value was high


Oh my goodness , that reminds me of the time we took Tom and Rick Martin to a picnic trial, they had a disagreement on how their dog was being handled and proceeded to throw down in the parking lot.

Rick Martin is now the chief cardio thoracic surgeon here in Las Vegas and Tom is a world renown pediatric heart surgeon in Gainesville Fla and credited for innovative techniques in pediatric medicine...not too shabby for a couple of west Texas boys


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## Dave Kress (Dec 20, 2004)

How about a bird girl story-

about 5 years ago on New Years Day Erik Gawthorpe, Dennis Wilcox and Marty and I were together to start the year off right with a session. 
Marty was on the short retired threw for the first dog- on the next dog as she threw there was a slip - a crack and she fell. The dog ran his marks and she was still on the ground. Erik and I went to see about her and helped her up- the leg hurt but she was ok. Dennis was hollering to hurry up

anyway she threw for another dog and that was it for the set up. We helped her out of the field and put her in a chair as she encouraged us to go get the next setup ready. We did and ran 4 dogs as she hobbled over using a blind stake.

We put the gear away and headed in to watch our favorite UT team beat someone- on the way home Marty spoke up and thought she needed to go to the hospital- I headed toward the hospital but no we must go home and care for the dogs and she needed a shower before going to the hospital at 4PM on New years day.

Anyway I watched the bowl game from the waiting from as she had the broken leg placed in a cast.

true story 
Dave Kress


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## Golddogs (Feb 3, 2004)

Last 4th of July we were judging a HT in Minot. Beastly hot and they were doing a double Master/Junior Senior.

"Red", a AFROTC girl was there for 3 days and never slowed down. We got her for our senior water on Sunday and she sprinted out, holding her cap as she ran to plant the blind for every bird, never missing a beat. She had a dude with her in the gun station and he couldn't do her job. She was awsume!! This after 2 days in the sun and heat. Would like 10 of her.


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## Stylesl (Feb 1, 2004)

Not a trial or test but this is one of those "you should have been there."

One of my former training partners was a gentleman, Bill, who enjoyed smoking his tobacco pipe and carried it with him all the time. He would smoke as he took his turn at a gun station. One training day I lined my dog up to run the mark Bill had thrown. I looked up to send him for Bill's mark and it was like a scene from the Bible. You know that burning bush story? Bill had lit his pipe, thrown the match in the dead leaves, and then retired behind the tree. He didn't realize-nor did anyone else-that the brush in front of the trees was on fire.

Anyway after a very scary time, we managed to put out the fire using blankets and water we had brought for the dogs. This was before cell phones so I am not sure how fast we could have gotten help to the property. We were lucky.

L


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## Kyle B (May 5, 2005)

kip said:


> what about "how do you like your eggs? i like em!"


or....."You need to pay them $125 to get your lawnmower back.".....


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

How bout Charlie dropping a handfull of grass and it blew to the side.He asked the guy which way the wind was blowing....He said "that way".Next day ...no wind.Charlie drops the grass and asked which way is it blowing....Guy said "from the top ?"


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## Golddogs (Feb 3, 2004)

A mechanical BB story. 

At a club training night, I was not present, they set up the Top Gun wingers near a pond but in dry grass. Very dry grass. The Top Gun could shoot a popper and was positioned to shoot down. Well,, dry grass, poppers shooting into it and suddenly they have a pretty good fire going. If not for the pond, it would have been ugly real fast.


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## Gun_Dog2002 (Apr 22, 2003)

A friend of mine used to own some strip clubs and had 5 of the girls come out in the summer to throw for us. Course nobody wants to hear that story or see the pics since it was a training day and doesn't really fit with the thread.

/Paul


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## Breck (Jul 1, 2003)

This one was pretty funny. 
One training day John Cavanaugh was the bird boy throwing one of the water marks with a splash. Dog is sent and proceeds to cheat the water, run the bank and slip the whistle. Rather than let the dog get the bird John launches himself and dives into the water to retrieve the bird before the dog could get to it. It was a total crack up. Now that's dog trainin'. LOL
I think a nice Motorola radio ended up being destroyed too.


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## Mary Shillabeer (Oct 29, 2007)

It was about 1996, my first Hunt Test ever. Black Nugget Lake in central Alberta. On the second day, one of the judges was rather stern, not only to the bird boys, but to the participants as well. Not happy with the bird placement, the judge yelled at the bird boy to try harder to throw the bird to a specific spot. The bird boy yelled back "WHY?". 

I seem to remember a collective gasp from the gallery! The judged marched out to the gun station and had words with the BB.

Every bird after that had NO HEAD! 

Oh...and we learned later that the BB was the judge's son. 

Mary Shillabeer
Calgary, AB


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## Richard Halstead (Apr 20, 2005)

I was training with usual group and Herb and Bev Parker. Herb started giving Bev a bad time and Bev threw another and Herb was upset insisting the bird be no more than 3 1/2 inches from shore. Bev shouted back "Show it to me again Herb!" indicating he wasn't well endowed.


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## cvan (Aug 11, 2008)

Gun_Dog2002 said:


> A friend of mine used to own some strip clubs and had 5 of the girls come out in the summer to throw for us. Course nobody wants to hear that story or see the pics since it was a training day and doesn't really fit with the thread.
> 
> /Paul


THAT AIN'T RIGHT "TEASER "


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## Evan (Jan 5, 2003)

This may be a little long, but is absolutely true. My long time friend and former client, Will W. has a younger brother who used to be our bird boy. He was terrific, and a very attentive kid. Now and then Will would get him a gig as bird boy at our local trials.

One weekend he was the blind planter for the land blind in the Amateur. Around lunch time is was slow, as the judges were waiting for some of the pros to bring dogs over from the Open. Someone noticed a trail of smoke coming through the trees beyond the blind area. Without a radio, they were left to walk out and check on the source.

Our bird boy had become both bored and hungry, so he field dressed a duck, built a fire, made a spit, and was roasting it over an open fire. Did I mention he was pretty self sufficient? 

Evan


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## John Kelder (Mar 10, 2006)

I was the BB .Sitting on the bucket , 40 yds. from the line , middle of an open ,cut field ,throwing short,middle ,breaking bird .The collar didn't have adjustable intensities . Trainer brings Chessie to line .Chessie creeps . Chessie gets burned . Chessie turned around and ripped off his pant leg ,never touching flesh .I hurt myself laughing so hard ,rolling off the bucket .


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## 1st retriever (Sep 2, 2008)

John Kelder said:


> I was the BB .Sitting on the bucket , 40 yds. from the line , middle of an open ,cut field ,throwing short,middle ,breaking bird .The collar didn't have adjustable intensities . Trainer brings Chessie to line .Chessie creeps . Chessie gets burned . Chessie turned around and ripped off his pant leg ,never touching flesh .I hurt myself laughing so hard ,rolling off the bucket .


That is a good one!


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## Eric Johnson (Dec 23, 2004)

Years ago at a JH test in Nashville...

Huge test...70+ dogs. Terrible weather. We were nearing the end of the land (boredom had set in) but there was still a large group of folks there.

Birdboy steps out from under the tree where he hides for the #2 mark. He's ready. Handler signals he's ready. Judge signals the birdboy who throws the bird. Everyone in the crowd knew instinctively what was going to happen but we could do anything about it. The birdboy had thrown the bird about 30 feet into the air...straight up. While he looked around for where it landed, it came straight down and knocked him out cold. By the time we got out there he was waking up in a somewhat dazed condition.

Eric


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## John Kelder (Mar 10, 2006)

Breck said:


> This one was pretty funny.
> One training day John Cavanaugh was the bird boy throwing one of the water marks with a splash. Dog is sent and proceeds to cheat the water, run the bank and slip the whistle. Rather than let the dog get the bird John launches himself and dives into the water to retrieve the bird before the dog could get to it. It was a total crack up. Now that's dog trainin'. LOL
> I think a nice Motorola radio ended up being destroyed too.


John always "walked the walk"


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## Andy Symons (Oct 2, 2003)

Finished water in Cental Wisconsin in May. Weather was more like December. Bird boy in a skiff comes over to the dike for birds. Our earlier instructions were "don't stand up in the skiff". I go down the dike to the waters edge, trying to get my footing and the bird boy stands up. Rut ro. Only thing to grab onto was me and he pulls me towards him, his eyes were big as saucers, and in what seemed like slow motion, him and I go in the lake. 

I'll never forget the look on the poor kids face as he was going backwards and me facing him, just before we hit the water.


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## Miriam Wade (Apr 24, 2003)

A club test some years ago and one of the guys sends his dog for the blind. Fairly young dog and she does a nice job, but we're thinking she's blinking the bird. No-she picks it up, but she seems to be struggling coming back & dropping the bird, readjusting it, etc. Handler's squirming a bit. Finally she is back to line and we see it's a Canadian goose she's been lugging in and it has a note attached to it. Handler opens up the note: "We're watching! Signed, The Flock". The handler almost had to be resuscitated he was laughing so hard.

This one isn't so humorous, but I gunned for a FT once and whenever one of the judges would come over to either let us know what they were looking for in terms of fall, cadence, or just to thank us-it was like I was invisible. I really think she thought I was just hanging out, but couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. I was silently steaming and so I told the guys the next time they called for a bird to just sit down- and I shot the next couple on my own. I have no idea if the judge noticed, but I felt better!

M


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## Shayne Mehringer (Jan 3, 2003)

Have i told the story about when i was shooting a flyer and my shorts fell down in front of Unca Jerry's granddaughter? 

SM


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## Judy Chute (May 9, 2005)

..just a compliment to "M"......whenever we have trialed and she is a "gun", I am always confident that the mark is going to be well thrown or shot. She is, really, one of the best..

Judy


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## Miriam Wade (Apr 24, 2003)

Judy Chute said:


> ..just a compliment to "M"......whenever we have trialed and she is a "gun", I am always confident that the mark is going to be well thrown or shot. She is, really, one of the best..
> 
> Judy


Do you owe me money Judy?!? 

M


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## John Kelder (Mar 10, 2006)

She does now !! LOL


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## Kevin WI (Mar 14, 2003)

Cat Squirrel said:


> Our HRC uses prison trustees to throw and they're always great at it. At one Started test I was judging, we had an elderly, respectable type, old ***** man. I instantly liked him. You know, a kindly grandfatherly, country man. Reminded me of an older, grey haired James Earl Jones. I have no idea what he did to land in the clink, but he was well spoken and worked hard.
> 
> Anyway, we had set-up and run a few dogs when we came to a re-birding. I drove some birds and some bottled water out to him and casually asked him what he thought of the whole test thing.
> 
> ...


That was a funny story. Thank you for the chuckle!


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## waterman1971 (Dec 2, 2012)

Sorry to bump an old thread. How much do bird boys receive as compensation nowadays?


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## Mike W. (Apr 22, 2008)

Well, I guess me shooting the flyer counts a birdboy story. 

Tulsa, OK 2012 Fall Amateur....I am shooting the flyer, and they brought us our lunch. Lunch was in one of those styrofoam boxes, with sandwich, chips and pickle.

Dog starts for the flyer, but broke down short, was completely lost. Hunted and hunted, made a couple of loops around the flyer station. On the last loop, he grabbed a couple of chips out of my open box lunch and kept on running like nothing happened.


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## MooseGooser (May 11, 2003)

I throw for information!

I hadnt been a participant of the training group I am with now for very long. I had been there long enough though for them to all make fun of my arm, and the fact I cant throw..

Anyways, One day I was assigned to one of the long stations. That day they had a big group of folks show up. Many of them I didnt know. One big personality of a guy came to the line. I could hear his big voice all the way out to where I was standing. It came time for me to throw for his dog,, and I wound up, and let one fly (5 feet)

I second or two passed,, and all of a sudden, I heard him Yellin "Mike,,, MIKE!!!! what the F$5# are you doin!?/ God Damn5$# IT Get the hell in here!! MIKE<< MIKE<<<<< Get the Hell in here!!!

Gooser was wettin his self!! I didnt know what the heck I had done,, but I did know I was wet,, and found myself gatherin up my chair and my pistol,, and was walkin in to be executed for SOMETHING!!!!

Cherylon came on the radio,,, and said " Not You MIKE,,,, His DOGS name is MIKE!!!


Seriously,,,, It was lucky the training pistol only shot blanks,,, cause at first thought Gooser was just gonna turn the pistol on hisself,,, and end it alll there!!!



I learned later the mans Name,, It was Mr. John Goettel..

I reaally like his dog MIKE. ")")


Gooser


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## TollerLover (Aug 25, 2008)

We pay our bird technicians $60 per day at the test.


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## waterman1971 (Dec 2, 2012)

TollerLover said:


> We pay our bird _*technicians*_ $60 per day at the test.



Wow, back in my day we were lucky to get $20. Lol on the _*technicians*_.


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## Sabireley (Feb 2, 2005)

We pay 80/day for FT BB.


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## waterman1971 (Dec 2, 2012)

What do yall do with the birds at the end? 

Sorry to hijack, this topic brings back some great memories!


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## counciloak (Mar 26, 2008)

Once upon a time at a nameless event far away, I was judging. In between dogs running one of the shotguns went off in the field unexpectedly. I got on the radio and asked the bird girl, "What happened?" She replied, "Sorry, I sneezed!" I turned to my co-judge and asked him, "I wonder what happens when she passes gas?"


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## huntinman (Jun 1, 2009)

waterman1971 said:


> What do yall do with the birds at the end?
> 
> Sorry to hijack, this topic brings back some great memories!


What did yall do with 'em in the old days?


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## Kirk Major (Apr 12, 2012)

I tell the bird technicians we cook the ducks from the prior day and make duck sandwiches to be served to complainers.


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## Rick_C (Dec 12, 2007)

We pay $65 for bird boys working the hunt tests.

The last one I was at in WA was an HRC test. We had kids from the local high school football team throwing for us. For the most part they were hard working and did a really good job. I was up at the finished test making sure everything was going ok when a handler that had had a no bird his last time up came up to the line. First 2 birds go off without a hitch but when the third winger went off, though we could hear it did launch, nothing came out. Figuring the duck hit the side of the winger or something I walked out to the station to ask the kid there what happened. I get there and he's sitting back in his chair like nothing was wrong and when I asked, what happened he said "what do you mean?". I said "well, the launcher went off but the duck didn't come out. What happened?". He says, "OH! Yeah, I ran out of ducks...."


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## Cindy Read (Nov 13, 2004)

Back in the mid 80's, when I had a young dog my son was a birdboy. In the second serier the one judge wanted the bird to land in a certain spot, and I mean certain spot. Not too far left or right or too far forward or back. Both kids did the best they could but could not hit that perfect spot. We finally saw the boys walking in and walked up to the judge and said, "if you're that good and can put a bird in the exact spot 16 times then you go out and throw it yourself and walked off".


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## 1tulip (Oct 22, 2009)

Well... my dog has had 3 no-birds in one series, so I know there are inept bird boys... (forget to put a duck in the winger... twice??? Really??? Add a missed flier and it was a long day.) 

But, not too awfully long ago, I assisted at a stake on a really hot day, and was keeping the judges coolers full of water and so forth. Unfortunately, one of the judges had a prostate issue. About every 4-5 dogs he would get up... walk a short ways off, duck behind a bush, pause, and come back to resume the series. (Yes, there was a port-a-potty but it was kept a reasonable distance from the line so as not to distract the dogs.) 

It didn't seem that weird at the time... just sort of gave the event a bit of an informal ambiance.


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## Labs Will-Do (Jan 31, 2007)

Local kid (college age) from down county road from kennel wants to work.....yeah you can throw for me..... let a dog out box and he seems reallly nervous , show him how to throw bumper and give him handful for walking singles in 50 acre hay field. I send him out about 75 yrds ....get young dog out and send to first mark...dog caves in to new BB at which time he starts screaming and running away....young dog follows he continues running even though I'm yelling for dog and him....begins throwing bumpers at dog as he continues to run finally outa of bumpers at 400 yards or so he drops, stops, and rolls , the dog is all over him thinking he is playing. I have to get in truck and pick up dog as well as BB who is about to have heart attack . Needless to say he had a fear of dogs and didn't want the work anymore!!!!


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## Brad (Aug 4, 2009)

Had one at a hunt test, that needed to take a break. I gave Marshall a role of toilet paper to carry to him.
Kid had to have instructions on how to crap in the Woods


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## BrettG (Apr 4, 2005)

When I worked for the srs I would get the crew together and set up for the first series and then take the group out for a steak dinner before they would be totally abused the next 4 days. Once we were in little rock and went to outback for dinner. One guy from south Arkansas was on the crew and had never eaten at outback. The waiter took all our orders and when it came to Tyler he just said he'd have the something as the guy next to him, hank had ordered the tilapia. We ate and were talking afterward and one of the guys asked Tyler how his fish was and he replied " i didn't have fish I had steak." Needless to say he was now labeled tilapia for the entire weekend and was asked numerous times what cut of the cow does the tilapia come from?


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## BrettG (Apr 4, 2005)

Another Srs event, we were in Stuttgart doing an amateur event. My crew was made up of 16 yr old kids. We were doing a set of 5 singles the bird boys would retire after they threw their mark. About midway through zack threw his mark and walk to the tree line to retire then stopped. I hollered on the radio for him to retire but he didn't respond, finally he went down the treeline about 10 yds and disappeared. I called and called and he didn't respond. When the dog finally picked up the last bird, I called for the closest gunner to go check on him, I then hear the thunder launcher go off super loud, then zack is back on the radio. A snake had taken over his chair and his radio was in the seat. He had shot the launcher toward it to scare it off.


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## BrettG (Apr 4, 2005)

One more story from the Stuttgart am, we got the thunder shotgun simulators for this event. Well, you take a group of 5 kids that are 16 yrs old and give them a toy like that and imagine what they can come up with. They did their best to blow them up or tear them up in the first hour we had them. The funniest thing was when they figured out how to shoot stuff out of them like a potato gun. One of the kids decides to shoot a golf ball out of it. Well, they shot every ball they could scrounge up in the back of the truck and could get them to 250-300 yds.


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## trouble (Apr 10, 2006)

Once years ago at a NAHRA test gunners at live flyer station missed first bird. Reran right away and they missed second bird and Moose barked at them. Mrs. Foote laughed, and asked if I wanted to wait a dog and did. They missed it as well and Moose was barking at them and wouldn't stop. We were all laughing. Well they hit the fourth bird and as he ran to pick it up he barked at gunners on the way by. That dog always had a no bird at each test he ran, we called him no bird Moose. Same dog had a pigeon blasted to pieces, and Ron Sauls the judge sent him any way. He ran out reached down like he was picking up bird. He came back to heel I reached down and he placed the breast and a leg in my hand. It was pretty much defeathered. I asked Ron is this table ready enough for him, would you like me to send him for a wing. We laughed.


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## RJG (Feb 18, 2005)

Though I've only had a chance to read the first 4 pages on this thread, I don't know when I have laughed so hard!!!! Someone should compile a book these stories.


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## waterman1971 (Dec 2, 2012)

huntinman said:


> What did yall do with 'em in the old days?



The old timers would pick through them, find the "good" birds. Then make a Gumbo.


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## Furball (Feb 23, 2006)

Junior test on a Sunday bird boys in one blind keep asking "is this the last dog?" "is this the last dog?" Finally on the last dog they launch the bird complete with about 25 popper shells along with it and yell AFLAC!!!! Wonder how long they took to plan that one


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## Jamee Strange (Jul 24, 2010)

fishduck said:


> We had coed bird technicians at one hunt test. One station in particular was always missing the cue to throw the duck. Found out later that the boy and girl behind the holding blind were playing smoochie face most of the afternoon. Cooler minds prevailed and the two were seperated.
> 
> Mark L.


I heard a similar story from someone in my club at a test they were at, except the kids were doing more than just playing smoochie face  LOL


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## jpford (Mar 15, 2009)

I can't remember the last time I've gotten such a good laugh! Thanks to all for sharing your stories. I'm newer to the game, and have had my share of bird boy experiences where I'm the one doing the comical throwing! Fortunately, it seems that it hasn't been bad enough to make this list. The most unique bird boy situation I've ever experienced was when I was training with a group at H. Cooper Black area. The trainer picked up young men from town to be bird boys. It seemed we were miles from the park entrance. That place is big! Well, at sometime during the morning one of the bird boys called for a bio break over the radio. The trainer asked him to wait, we were on the last dog. Well, the young man immediately started walking in, dropping equipment along the way and muttering about how he was more important than a dog and he wasn't gonna wait for a dog if he had to pee. Walked right past us on the line heading back to town on foot! Someone had to run an errand hours later and still saw him walking out of the park! Seemed like he was cutting off his nose to spite his face, but I guess uncontrolled anger will make you do that!


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## bjoiner (Feb 25, 2008)

We had a no bird at a finished test. Couldn't figure out why the bird boy/girl wouldn't respond until we saw their feet sticking out of the side of the blind. They were making out as hot and heavy as you can with your cloths on. Needless to say, we only have same sex bird boys/girls in the blind now. Please God don't let us have that problem now.


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## fishduck (Jun 5, 2008)

Jamee Strange said:


> I heard a similar story from someone in my club at a test they were at, except the kids were doing more than just playing smoochie face  LOL


We managed to seperate them before the club was faced with a paternity suit!!!


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## Sue Kiefer (Mar 4, 2006)

Yrs. ago I was training down in southern Ga. We had a couple of African Amer. birdboys in boats .
I went back to get my first dog. 
While I was back at the truck I could hear screaming coming over the radio. The the guns started going off. i quickly asked what the is going on?
" Ms. Susan we ain't workin today theres too many dam snakes in here" We's comin in".
I also had to air my own dogs. "We don't do black dogs Ms. Susan"


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## KNorman (Jan 6, 2003)

I think Bobby Boudet told me this one:Charlie Moody had a new bird boy and so Charlie shows him how to throw birds, etc. and sends him out into the field. So, Charlie tells the guy, "When you throw, I want this bird thrown angled back".So Charlie calls for the birds and looks up to see the guy doing his best to LEAN backward at the knees and throw the bird.


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## Wayne Nutt (Jan 10, 2010)

Did I post this before? I forget. Anyway, while at a hunt test, there was a reluctant bb and the judge encouraged him to speed up. The bb gave the judge the finger. It was a scout troop doing the work. The bb was removed and returned to the scout leader. He came back a little while later with a new attitude and some hustle.


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## Good Dogs (Nov 1, 2005)

Like most here I have plenty of BAD bird-boy stories. But the BEST one was a young man who, after being instructed to blow his duck call before releasing the bird asked: "Yessir. Do you want a big hail call or some feeder chuckles?" Now that's what I like about the south.


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