Result: Minnesota Grouse Dog Association

Location: Mora, Minnesota

Post Date: Jun 9, 2025

Submitted By: Ryan Hough

Open Shooting Dog (back row, l-r): Ryan Hough, Neil Anderson, Duncan Bukovich (judge), Paul Bukovich (judge), Mike Rosario, Ben Mergens, Hannah Peterson, August, and Norah Peterson. (Front): Scott Anderson with Planet Queen, Jordan Pharris with Birdogn True Confidence, and Kyle Peterson with I'm Easy Money.

The Minnesota Grouse Dog Association's second spring trial, on the second weekend of April 2025, offered fantastic conditions and plentiful bird opportunities for handlers and dogs. This spring, due to logging operations on the trial grounds, a new course had to be made in short order. With their typical enthusiasm and hard work, MGDA club members came together and completed a new course on very short notice. The MN club is fortunate to have a strong and growing roster of members to overcome hurdles that come with hosting wild bird field trials on public lands.

The Shooting Dog stake kicked off Friday at 8 a.m. on the south course, under the watchful and discerning eyes of judges Paul and Duncan Bukovich. These judges spend a lot of time in the grouse woods each year and understand the intricacies of handling wild grouse and woodcock. From the first brace, it was evident that it was going to be a good bird weekend.
With 24 very capable dogs competing in the stake, and nearly half finishing with acceptable birdwork, it was a pleasure to watch three dogs set themselves apart.

Finishing first with an unforgettable performance on the new course, nearly 5-year-old male setter I'm Easy Money put on quite a show. Owned and handled by Kyle Peterson, "Easy" was Open and Amateur Derby of the Year for MN/WI during his derby season and finished second in national points for the Flanagan Award.
Less than one minute off the breakaway, Easy was found standing tall about 60 yards to the right of the course in a likely thicket. As the handler approached, a woodcock was moved with all in order. About 15 minutes later, Easy stood on the top of a hill behind a blowdown, where another find was recorded on a grouse in full view of the gallery. Less than five minutes later, Easy again stood a woodcock along a low-lying alder edge and was led back to the course with three finds to his credit.
Upon releasing I'm Easy Money to continue down the course after his third find, his bell again fell silent deep to the right side of the course. Kyle dispatched his scout to go directly into the thicket to find the swamp edge and push it down. Kyle continued down the course with the judge, cutting into the woods farther forward. As it worked out, the handler and judge converged on the dog at the same time the scout approached from the other side. As the scout pointed and called out "bird on the ground," it was clear the bird had nowhere to run and was forced into the air. With four finds to his credit, Easy opened up and showed off his race in a much more open part of the course. It wasn't long before the setter made a forward move and stopped in a prime piece of cover along a swamp edge. Although he was a good distance from the handler and gallery, the open woods allowed a great view of the dog standing high on both ends, and a perfect view of a grouse blowing out as judge and handler began their flushing attempt.
The final 15 minutes allowed the dog to show off his easy flowing gait, ability to find and search likely covers, as well as his near effortless handle. When time was called, everyone who was fortunate enough to walk this brace knew that they had just witnessed a rare hour in the grouse woods.

Coming in second place was a female pointer, Birdogn True Confidence, owned by Ben Fleischacker and handled by Jordan Pharris. "Sadie" had a nice forward race on the south course and smooth handle for the entire hour, paired with three crafty finds. Her first find came on a nice double relocation, that ended with her pinning a running grouse on the swamp edge after the turn to the north. A few hundred yards later, she stuck a woodcock with all in order. Her final find came later in the brace, with another grouse pinned against the swamp edge.

Planet Queen, a female setter owned and handled by Scott Anderson, was drawn to run on the recently rerouted Course 6. Rhonda maintained a hard-driving race throughout her run, with a nice grouse find around the 20-minute mark. "Rhonda" continued her extraordinary search for the remainder of her brace until she was found standing at time. After a thorough flushing attempt, the handler returned to the dog and was deciding whether to relocate her or go ahead and leash her up, when a grouse exploded off the forest floor just a few yards away from her. This grouse was flattened out and hiding out in the open, near the dog. It was an exciting end to a very entertaining hour.

The Derby was judged by MGDA veterans Neil Anderson and Ryan Bjerke, and with 23 entries, they had their work cut out for them. Overall, there were bird contacts in almost every brace, with multiple dogs showing mature finished birdwork.

Mora, Minn., April 11
Judges: Duncan Bukovich and Paul Bukovich
OPEN SHOOTING DOG [One-Hour Heats] - 6 Pointers, 16 Setters, 1 Brittany, and 1 German Shorthair
1st-I'M EASY MONEY, F1693862, setter male, by Jetwood-I'm Blue Who. Kyle Peterson, owner and handler.
2d-BIRDDOGN TRUE CONFIDENCE, F1693417, pointer female, by True Confidence-Elli Elhew Birdogn. Ben Fleischacker, owner; Jordan Pharris, handler.
3d-PLANET QUEEN, F1702708, setter female, by Rufus Del Fuego-Stumbo's Scarlet. Scott Anderson, owner and handler.

Judges: Neil Anderson and Ryan Bjerke
OPEN DERBY - 8 Pointers, 11 Setters, and 3 German Shorthairs
1st-NORTHWOODS TYLER, unreg., pointer male, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Northwoods Comet. Josh Matel, owner and handler.
2d-CEDAR CREEK'S POINTING UPLAND, F1711522, German Shorthair female, by Kimber Tactical-Covey Up's Snake River Latte. Matthew Acker, owner and handler.
3d-FULL THROTTLED RUMBLING REBA, unreg., German Shorthair female, by Willow Creek's Northwater Grouser-Full Throttles Royal Megan. Ben Mergens, owner and handler.

Open Derby (l-r): Ben Mergens with Full Throttled Rumbling Reba, Mathew Aker with Cedar Creek's Pointing Upland, Ryan Bjerke (judge), Neil Anderson (judge), and Josh Matel with Northwoods Tyler.