Result: International Amateur Woodcock Championship

Location: Philipsburg, Pennsylvania

Post Date: May 4, 2026

Submitted By: Bruce Mueller

International Amateur Woodcock Championship (l-r): Mark Hughes (judge), William McFadden with Chasehill Poison Ivy, John Stolgitis with Mohawk Mill Good Advice, Bruce Mueller, and Ben Mergens (judge).

The 2026 International Amateur Woodcock Championship has taken place at the Black Moshannon State Forest near Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. The first running of this stake occurred in 1977 at the Mazerolle settlement in New Brunswick. The trial originally was supported by the New England field trial community, and over the years, many from the cover dog world have run in this trial. The first winner, an English setter named Ghost Star, was owned by T.O. Shermore and handled by Bryant Shermore. Twenty-four English setters, 12 pointers, and one Brittany were in the running the first year, and birds were noted to be 162 woodcock and 21 grouse moved. During their one-hour brace, the dogs needed to negotiate the heavy cover and were expected to run with speed and style.

Because of the nature of woodcock coverts, having judges with a great eye, along with keen hearing and physical stamina to walk behind braces for three days, is required. The Championship has a policy of having one local judge serve alongside a judge from outside the area. This year's judiciary assignment was Mark Hughes of Pennsylvania and Ben Mergens of Minnesota--two bird dog people with years of cover dog experience.

The Black Moshannon State Forest was again chosen for this event. Preparing the courses for the running was a person who has no peer in course preparation, Jeff Keller of Sandy Ridge, Pennsylvania. Several years ago, when it was said, "There are no grouse in Pennsylvania," Jeff took it upon himself to show people that there are wild birds in Pennsylvania. Jeff had the grounds meticulously groomed and flagged for the event. He had eight courses laid out for the running, six braces per day, allowing two courses to remain idle, helping reduce pressure.
Many other people need to be thanked for their willingness to help out. From moving cars, preparing meals, marshaling braces, and any other necessity that needed assistance, to all who pitched in and helped make this trial a success, we say "Thank you!"

Saturday evening, a dinner sponsored by Purina was well attended at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. We all enjoyed the roast beef and chicken dinner with sides, along with a nice piece of chocolate cake. Purina continues to sponsor our events, and we all owe a debt of gratitude for their continued support. Without their support, many of the extras that are included in a trial would not happen.

The Winners
Champion, Brace 14, Course 6.
Breakaway was fast and sporty with both dogs searching in the "pocket." Chasehill Poison Ivy (McFadden) is a pointer with exceptional ground speed, and her bracemate Grouse Trails Bathilda (McKellop) is another pointer with eye-catching appeal. As the dogs moved up the hill, Ivy's bell was lost to the right. Bathilda was heard in the same area where her bell also went silent. As Bathilda's handler approached, Ivy was found on point with Bathilda backing. As Ivy's handler approached, a woodcock rose, and McFadden fired his gun. Both dogs stood with head and tail held high. Both dogs were led forward and released. The course traveled over a small spring stream that paralleled a high woven wire fence when both bells were to the left when they stopped. When found, both dogs were facing each other. Each handler flushed for their dogs, but no birds were flown. Ivy was led out of the area while McKellop relocated his dog without success. Ivy raced forward, staying in the pocket, when her bell was lost at the 47-minute mark. After a long search, she was found literally buried deep in a "nasty" piece of cover. She had been standing the bird for approximately 10 minutes (an eternity in the grouse woods) prior to being found. The judge's concerns led him to ask the handler if he could relocate Ivy with a command. With confidence, McFadden said "yes," and with a command, Ivy moved straight forward less than 10 yards and stopped like a statue in Union Springs, Alabama. The handler flushed a woodcock and fired his gun. No other bird work by either dog finished the hour. During the hour, Ivy was in the pocket and hunted the cover with speed and authority. When her bell stopped, she was found standing--a very pleasing, championship-worthy experience.

Runner-up Champion, Brace 9, Course 1.
The brace broke loose at 11:06 a.m. as the day was warming into the 40s. Two pointers, Hifive's Northern Gold (Miotto) and Mohawk Mill Good Advice (McFadden) were turned free and headed up the hill. The course turned right, and "Blaze" (McFadden) went left but was easily handled back on course. As we entered the popple stand, the bell of Blaze went silent to the left. Not long after, Gold's bell was also silent ahead in a different area. A woodcock was produced by Blaze's handler with a shot fired. All the while, Gold was cautioned on his bird repeatedly when the handler produced a bird and fired his gun. Blaze was noted standing with head and tail high through both sequences. Both dogs were collared and moved forward where the course turned left. Both dogs hunted likely cover and pressed forward. Gold was lateral at times, but Blaze worked the cover at a constant 10 and 2. As the brace approached an area where both sides of the two-track were dominated by mountain laurel on a gentle sloping hillside, Blaze was seen making his way, weaving aggressively to the front. Both judges commented on seeing Blaze cross the course from left to right as far as you could see through the woods, then a short time later crossed back. No other bird work was seen for the remainder of the hour. Blaze's application to the cover, his running style, and his style on point awarded him runner-up.

The Running
The running of 33 dogs: 20 pointers, 11 setters, and 2 Red setters, began on Course 1, starting at 7:52 in the morning. Grey clouds with sprinkles of rain were present with great expectations. The dogs headed up the hill with as many as 20 spectators in tow. Grouse Trails Little Bud (McKellop) with bracemate Grouse Hill Rambo (Capocci) were excited and energetic. Both dogs responded to their handlers' voices as the course made its way through the popple. At 21, Bud was stopped. The handler walked in, put up a woodcock, fired his blank, and all in good order. After being released, Bud continued forward. He stopped again at 27 for an unproductive and, unfortunately, Rambo was ordered for a breach of manners. Continuing along the long straight stretch, "the runway," Bud stopped again at 40 with lots of splash but no bird produced. Relocation was unsuccessful, and he finished the hour strong.

Resin, an English setter (Lahoda), and Lightning Flash Dude (Arkley) were off on Course 2 for Brace 2 after some coffee and donuts. The course had been rerouted to touch areas of likely cover. Both dogs hunted forward and hit areas that looked promising, but unfortunately, without birds.

Double Deuce Jack (McMillen) and Doodle Ridge Elroy (Mueller) broke away on Course 3 at 10:33. The course progressed up the side of a hill, and "Zeke" and "Roy" were moving nicely. There were some benches that Roy maneuvered down over, requiring extra handling to keep him on track. Both dogs continued, reaching the limits of their bells. After crossing Dug Road, Roy was seen making a move to the left while Jack was on the right as time was called. Jack was gathered, but Roy required scouting. He was found forward standing and the handler was made aware. Judge Mergens was standing next to the dog when the handler approached and began the flush. No bird was produced; the dog was relocated, stopped again, and no bird was produced. The final relocation popped a woodcock, and the brace was over.

The fourth brace on Course 4 began at 12:05. Hitail Roxy Afield (Fazio) and Wildland Sweet Caroline (E. Munden) were on the clock. The course passes under a deadfall leaning against another tree, creating a potential "widow maker." Both dogs were making good use of the cover. The top of the hill was covered by stands of popple on both sides. Along with the popple stands, wet seeps provided excellent habitat to hold woodcock. Caroline made good use of the cover and stopped on point. The handler flushed a woodcock, he fired his gun, and all was good. The dog was led back to the course to continue. Roxy's handler, not feeling that this was her day, elected to pick her up. Caroline continued to finish clean.

A great tailgate pizza lunch was provided after the fourth brace was completed.

Brace 5 on Course 5 broke away at 2:20. Rowling's Star (Rowlings) and Deb's Jane (Kennedy) had their turn at Black Moshannon. Both dogs were animated in their movements, but after 60 minutes, neither dog had a bird.

The final brace of the day broke away at 3:38 p.m. on Course 6. The course runs perpendicular to the end of a runway protected by a high fence. Grouse Trails Black Knight, last year's winner, and McKellop and Sump's Murphy's Law (Sumple) were our next dogs up. The course covers low-bush huckleberry and wet, swampy terrain. Knight was found standing tall at 30. The handler flushed a woodcock, fired his gun, and Knight remained tall. He was led out and turned loose, pushing forward. The 40-minute mark found Knight standing as before with the same results. Woodcock flushed, gun fired, dog led forward, a very nice piece of bird work. Murphy worked her tail off but was unable to come up with a find. Both dogs finished strong.
For day one, seven woodcock and four grouse were seen, and three dogs were clean.

Day two unfolded under bright sunny skies at 29 degrees for Brace 7 on Course 7. One Acre Wood Flash (Rector) was moving down the course. Her bracemate, Rock Solid Sweet Baby Ray (Arkley), was weaving her way through the cover. The course makes a left-hand turn and pops out on top of a hill. Both dogs continued hunting the cover diligently. Just as the course crosses Shirks Road, Ray stopped to the right. Flash was to the left, unable to see Ray. Flash approached the area when a woodcock got up in front of her, and her day was over. Ray stood motionless, and the handler fired his gun at the 23-minute mark. Six minutes later, Ray again stopped, was relocated, and no bird produced, finishing the hour.

Brace 8 on Course 8 had a flashy setter, Mia Star, handled by Ralph, along with a Red setter, Conneaut Creek Scenic River (Fazenbaker). Mia was off, having sparkle and shine driving throughout her hour. River was a bit more methodical but with exuberance. As we traveled along the top of the ridge, both dogs worked the cut to the right. At the 22-minute mark, Mia stopped, and a woodcock was flown, and a shot ensued with Mia standing tall. River continued along the course, but there were no other bird contacts for either dog.

Brace 9 was discussed under "The Winners."

Brace 10 on Course 2 turned loose at 1:01 after a tailgate lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs fresh off the grill. The fourth brace of the day pitted two pointers, Wildland Wild Man (K. Munden) and Mohawk Mill Dreamer (Dix). As the dogs went to work, we coursed through multiple moss-covered stumps from previous cuts, giving us the cover needed. Both dogs hunted hard and covered all the likely cover with style. Wayne had a stop at the 18-minute mark, and the handler was unable to produce a bird. Dreamer was seen almost floating through the cover, but no birds were seen in the hour.

Brace 11 on Course 3 was started with anticipation. Grouse Trails Warrior Cat (McKellop) and One Acre Wood Bandit (Rector), fresh off her runner-up performance in New England. Both dogs had fashionable, eye-catching races and reached the farthest extent of the course. In the end, their hour produced no bird contacts.

Brace 12 on Course 4 broke at 3:25 p.m. This had been a productive course on previous days. Sudden Silence (Hetrick) and Mulberry Fields Molly (E. Munden) were off. Silence is a flashy pointer, and Molly is a compact, fast setter. After passing under the "widow maker" and summiting on top of the hill, both dogs were found standing parallel to one another at the 23-minute mark. Silence was to the left and Molly to the right. Both handlers flushed, and Hetrick produced a woodcock for Silence while Munden was unable to produce a flush. Hetrick fired his gun and moved on. Both dogs hunted intensely, and at the 50-minute mark, Molly was found standing. The handler flushed a woodcock, and after firing, all was in order. Both dogs finished with a woodcock.

Day two ended with 10 woodcock, three grouse, and five clean dogs.
Day three began with Black Moshannon Lake looking like a pane of glass with the temperatures in the high 20s.

Brace 13 on Course 5 had Double Deuce Zeke (McMillan) and Ralphy's Chasehill Rip (Ralph). Both dogs have multiple championships, and this brace had anticipation similar to the Ali-Frazier fight. Both handlers wished each other good luck like fighters touching gloves at the opening bell. Rip was the first to score a woodcock at 19, looking like a champion. They were both moving well and crossed Shirks Road heading right up to a cut. The course veered left when Rip, for his second find at the 26-minute mark, stood tall and proud. The handler flushed a woodcock and fired his gun. Zeke continued to hunt deep with range and style, and at the 29-minute mark was scouted and found standing to the right. As the judge and handler approached, his bracemate also showed up in the area. The judge noted a breach in manners occurred, and Rip was ordered up while McMillen fired his gun, and Zeke was moving on after a woodcock was confirmed. He finished his hour without further bird contact.
Brace 14 on Course 6 was previously discussed.

The running of Brace 15 on Course 7 began at 10:32 a.m. Course 7 starts by heading down a grade and then cuts across a prime beech popple stand. Previous experiences found woodcock in the vicinity, but not today. Hypointe Monarch Express (Fazio) was moving gracefully through the cover along with Happy's Warbird Farmgirl (Hopkins). At 24, Fazio's dog stopped with nice style. As the handler approached, a woodcock took flight, and a shot fired with all good. Farmgirl required a fair amount of handling and at 48 was picked up by the handler. Fazio's dog finished the hour without further bird contact.

Brace 16 on Course 8 started at 12:40 under a bright sky. It was Backwoods Wild Fire Blaze (Mason) and CC Leni Lenape's (Fazenbaker) turn to perform. As all traveled along pole timber, a cut with mountain laurel was to the right, and both dogs were spending the majority of their time in this likely cover. Leni moved down off the hill that supported a hemlock shelter belt and searched for a bird. Blaze made a nice move off the same hill and headed to the next cut. Both dogs did an admirable job for the hour, but no birds were produced.

The last brace of the trial was on Course 1 with Bell Stop Boomer (Hetrick). Boomer ran as a bye-dog. Progressing through the cover that previously held birds, Boomer hunted hard, but no birds were found. However, at 29, Boomer's bell stopped in some likely cover, and the judges and handler approached. Just when the handler was beginning to flush, a turkey rose. Boomer stood calmly, and the handler jokingly asked, "Should I shoot?" The hour finished with no further contacts.

At the end of day three, nine woodcock and two grouse were seen with three clean dogs, totaling 26 woodcock and eight grouse, with 11 clean dogs for the judges to choose.

Philipsburg, Pa., March 27
Judges: Mark Hughes and Ben Mergens
INTERNATIONAL LAMATEUR WOODCOCK CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 20 Pointers, 11 Setters, and 2 Irish Setters
Winner-CHASEHILL POISON IVY, F1694453, pointer female, by Panola Bacon-Chasehill Little Izzy. William & Karen McFadden, owners; William McFadden, handler.
Runner-Up-MOHAWK MILL GOOD ADVICE, F1685480, pointer female, by Stoney Run's Buddy-Hirollins Fancy Lady. William & Karen McFadden, owners; William McFadden, handler.