DOGS RUN 'N' GUN SHOWDOWN CHALLENGES POINTERS AND OWNERS HUNTING GAME BIRDS.

Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News

CHINO - More than 40 dogs and their owners showed up at Prado Regional Park for the 15th annual Gun Dog Showdown recently to determine bragging rights for the best dog and wing-shooter team in Southern California. It's not just a test of the dogs' ability - the owners have to do their part by downing the birds the dogs find.

Tim Bovard has been organizing the Showdown for the past 10 years along with volunteers from the San Gabriel Valley chapter of Quail Unlimited. Bovard said it's meant to be a fun, informal event that still has some challenge. Funds raised are used to help with the club's habitat-improvement programs, primarily in the Angeles National Forest.

The dog-hunter teams have 10 minutes to find and shoot three of the five chukars planted in the 100-square-yard field. The hunter is limited to five shells and receives bonus points for getting three birds using less than five shots and for taking less than the allotted 10 minutes.

Safety for the hunters and dogs comes first, then fun. If a hunter elects to skip a shot for safety reasons - the bird is flying toward a judge, for example - an extra minute in the field is allowed.

Some hunters grid the field and work systematically. Others wander through the field following their dog.

``In most cases, the people who know their dogs best, do the best,'' Bovard said. ``They read what their dog is telling them.''

If the dogs get ``birdy'' - sense a bird - the owners encourage them. Both flushing dogs, which roust the birds without pausing, and pointing dogs, which freeze and point when they find a bird, compete.

Bovard, who works as a taxidermist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, said dogs and humans have formed a hunting partnership for many thousands of years, going back to when dogs first were domesticated from their wolf ancestors.

``When we hunt with the dogs, we become part of a pack,'' Bovard said. ``Sometimes the dogs have a great day - finding five birds - but the hunters miss them all. On other days the dogs are off, running too fast.''

German shorthair pointers are the most common pointing dogs and labradors are the favorite flushing dogs in Southern California, but many other breeds competed.

``This is a chance to see a wide variety of dogs in action and get an idea of what each breed is like,'' Bovard said.

Black and golden labradors, Brittany spaniels, English springer spaniels and some less common breeds such as Llewellin setters, Deutsch-Drahthaars and small and large munsterlanders hunted at the Showdown with their owners.

Tom Hooker of Orange County and Nikki, an English springer spaniel, won first place, finding and downing three birds in 3 minutes, 17 seconds. Hooker also took second place with a different dog, Xena, also an English springer spaniel.

The San Gabriel Valley chapter of Quail Unlimited meets the second Wednesday of each month at Triple B Clays, 831 Rosemead Blvd., South El Monte (near the 60 freeway). For more information, call [phone] or e-mail SGVQU(at)onebox.com.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Scott Bluemel and Buddy, a German shorthair pointer, competed at the Gun Dog Showdown.

(2) Sarah, a 9-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, gets some retrieving practice at the Gun Dog Showdown at Prado Regional Park in Chino. More than 40 dogs and their owners competed.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News