Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Posts: 6113

If I was going to come out there and set up a table for UKC and just hope to be able to talk to as many western houndsmen (coon and big game) as possible, what event do you think would be the best to do that at? Which event, what time of year? How many people normally attend?

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Tonasket,Washington
Posts: 923

Todd I attended the Western Tradition in Utah last fall and was AMAZED at the attendance they got.I would say that would be the one.Thirty some dogs in the bench show.Four or five casts in the night hunt(maybe even six) and I'm not sure how many in the field trial(cause I was sleepin from nite hunting),but they said it was a bunch.

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 1522

There is a Big field trial held in Cranbrook<Spelling ?>Canada. From what I gather there are a Larger number of people and hounds there every year. This would be a great place to speak with a large group of hunters.
I would think you could impact a great many hunters who may have never had the chance to attend any kind of UKC event.
Dustin or Brian know far more details about this than I do. I would contact them.
Jess

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 800

I know the Elk Creek Feild Trial here in California draw a lot of people. That is proably the biggest event in CA. Some of our water races bring in a draw, but nothing like Elk Creek.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Montana
Posts: 424

I tend to agree with Travis as far as a pure UKC drawing event.
Without a doubt the Cranbrook event is the largest field trial in the northwest but an unsanctioned event.

The MSHA also hold a huge field trial they call the state championship which brings in hounds people from all around the pacific northwest including Alberta and British Columbia.

You will find houndsmen there that own both registered and grade hounds. The open bear and cougar drags are their largest events with over 100 entries each.

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 1522

I was thinking that Cranbrook would be a good place for UKC to make the most impact on people who are new to UKC.

I don't think UKC can make a Bad Choice. All of these clubs and events would be Good as several others would be also. Just the fact of UKC being at any of them would be making a statement.
UKC might want to consider a feild rep in the west. That way You
could hit all of these Events and more.
Jess

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Posts: 6113

I would like to go to an event where I could meet, thank and help as many of the dedicated UKC houndsmen as possible and also answer any questions for the many houndsmen that currently do not have registered dogs.

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: SW Missouri
Posts: 1405

Both the MSHA championship and Utah Western Tradition have BOTH UKC and grade events. Cranbrook is all open events (though there are UKC dogs that attend).

Utah and MT are where you will run into the widest and largest population of American hunters. The Canadians come down to Waterdaze in Naples Idaho and sometimes you will see a couple at the MT event.

The MT event draws a lot of hounds and people but they are pretty localized (MT, ID, WA, UT). Utah, in my opinion draws from a larger pool of people (MT, ID, WA, CA, OR, UT). MT, ID, WA, OR, UT, and CA have the highest population of active hound hunters out west followed by CO and WY)

I've attended all the above events in the past. I'd also look at weather options. Cranbrook is usually the first or second event of the spring, so it can be cold. I'm not sure when the UT WT is nowadays, but when I went it was in May and rained, snowed, and went to 80 degrees, rained, and froze again all in the same day. (only event out west to have trials, water races, night hunt, and bench show as rest are just trials/water races or trials, water races and bench show). It is centrally located out west and you get more bang for your buck with all the event options because it also includes the nite hunt.

The MT Championships are usually hotter than hell In past years UT and ID have had the BEST food, I've **** near starved at MT events in the past as I came prepared for the standard cookshack; that didn't exist except for the dinner potluck and the stores were too far away to get away and still be able to participate other than lunch break. I can vouch, in the past, ID and WA had the best set ups for actually feeding people during the trials where food was available on the grounds to buy from morning until right before dinner potlucks. (north Idaho use to serve the BEST breakfast of eggs, buscits/gravy, etc).

But again, it has been a few years since I have attended any of the events. The lack of food on the grounds was the reason I quit going to MT events.

To me it would make more sense to go to UT or MT since they have UKC events (I'm not sure what WA is pulling in for people these days but they do have both grade and registered events here as well).

I'm moving back to ID so let me know what one you pick and I'll be there!!! UT will be a bit of a drive, but MT/BC are just a jump over the state line and about 3 hrs away each.

If you are a drinker, Cranbrook would be your best bet. Alcohol use to be a big part of the BC event (reason why I only went once) and also use to be part of the Waterdaze event when the Canadians came down. Some years it was a mess so our ID club stopped it, been several years so I am not sure if it was resumed or not. In UT the alcohol content in beer is diluted, in case you weren't already aware But the MT and UT events are UKC sanctioned and alcohol free on the clock.

MT and UT I can vouch for being places where you will see the most humane treatment of hounds and others in competition. MT is a big family event and it is nice to turn the youngsters loose and know they are having an eye on them when you have to turn your back to mess with the dogs. UT didn't have that much room to spread out or open ground like MT, but I saw a lot of kids and one in a wheelchair having a ball. UT had everything right from camp when I went so there wasn't any trucking handlers and dogs. So spectating was easy at that location, which I am not sure if they still use that location or not.

So there are the ins and outs of just about every aspect of the three events when I have attended.

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 284

Heck, if the idea is to meet as many houndsmen as possible, just go to my hunting spot on opening day of lion season. Seems like half the houndsmen in the west show up.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: NOR CAL
Posts: 524

Come on out to NOR-CAL TREEHOUND ASSOCIATION,OROVILLE CA. We hold all four events and then some will hold some open events next year.Active this year again and had decent numbers just think you can even drive your Toyota home lol....


Tiny Santana

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Montana
Posts: 95

Todd
let me know where you are going to be and i will cook up some mountain lion for you to try!

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Registered: Oct 2006
Location: Alberta
Posts: 435

Todd if you want to see some new country and have some fun,I would like to invite you and your judgeing people to come out to the field trial we have in Alberta Canada. We have quite a few purebred dogs that come but this may make it into a larger scale event. We hold the trial just north of the Montana border in the Rocky Mountain foothills. Our trial is the third weekend of June.
Brian Chorney
President of the Alberta Tree Hound Association

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: SW Missouri
Posts: 1405

Start a UKC club there. There are plenty of us you can get to come up and judge a show or so. That wouldn't be much more of a drive for me than some of the other events I have MOH or BSJ at in MT, UT, WA, OR.

I'm sure you can get one of us out here to become a member of your club to meet the requirement of having a MOH to start up a club with UKC.

If you could time your trial along with the French Ring club in Calgary and the big UKC show that allows my malinois I'd definitely come up and make a 2-3 week vacation. Be a great honeymoon I could judge the show, help with the UKC field trial, the other half can run in the open events, and I can bring my pointy-eared man eaters and go chase down decoys all in one trip; plus show them (which isn't allowed at UKC shows around here). That sounds like a worthwhile trip to me

It sux running so many different venues and registries with dogs! Nobody ever plans their events accordingly with each other I haven't learned how to be two places at once yet

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Registered: Oct 2006
Location: Alberta
Posts: 435

Wow that sounds like one heck of a "vacation" to try to organize.
Brian

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: SW Missouri
Posts: 1405

That would be a typical 'vacation' for me The vacation part being everything located in the same place around the same time

lol, seems I am ALWAYS running my @ss off. Next weekend could be UT and the one after CA and the next could be WA.

I'd flat out LOVE to be able to just park my butt for a couple weeks in one area and be able to do everything for a couple weeks from one base camp

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