It sounds like the biggest issue is with the club allowing the hunters to handle their hounds while they are still in bounds. Maybe the guys that placed so well, are really good and breaking their hounds off if they are headed in a not so desirable direction and getting them back in the areas where the judges can see them. That can lead to an unfair advantage if the rest of the hunters are following the boundary rule. One option is to have no boundaries and say that no one can handle their hounds while the hunt is actually going on. I believe that is what Embro does. I'm not casting stones but just making an observation.
Mr Ferrell it sounds as though you guys are trying to put on a fair hunt but with the emergence of the Alpha system, you may have to look at imposing new rules as technology improves. I was at a hunt in a pen not long ago where there MOH announced that anyone caught using the tone or shock features would have all of their hounds disqualified and ask to leave. He said they were trying to judge the hounds running ability not how well they handled.
Good luck on your hunts in the future.

I have been following this conversation from the start just observing and reading so now I am going to provide input. First off, I have ran these local deer trials since before it was a series, always have and always will. I have made a ton of friends and probably several enemies as you would in this sport anywhere, its something I look forward to every year so before I get any further in this post I would like to thank Hurley and everyone else involved for playing a part in organizing this series in order for us to have a good time in the off season for a couple of months. Now, on to other things, the majority of the hunts in the series have never had a written or spoken rule that a hunter could not break his hounds off a pack at the road while still in bounds and take them to the casting point and recast, it is something we have always done for the last 2-3 years as far as I can remember and there has never been any conversation about it or controversy that I know of. Although it may not provide a fair advantage to those who may not hunt collar broke dogs like a lot of the 252 crowd. There is not a rule that states a hunter cannot do it with the exception of Embro and Fork so technically the hunters are still playing by the rules. I myself Saturday was one of those breaking my dogs off a pack at the road going out of the cast block and taking them to recast. Never recasted to a pack of hounds running unless there was a pack running at the powerline (the cast point) which as far as I'm concerned was perfectly legal as far as the rules go and I didn't even place a dog and you dont see me or hear me complaining so that goes to show that catching dogs and keeping them in the cast block doesn't necessarily mean a man is going to place a dog. Deer trialing and hunting inside the wire is two different ball games. I have seen dogs stay in the cast block and in bounds all day and not score the first point. Doesnt mean a dog isn't performing or is no count but running against 35 during season and 400 at a deer trial is a huge difference. With that being said, I 100% agree with what Jimmy just said, as time goes on, this series is getting bigger and bigger. There may have to be adjustments to the rules but lets not take it to the extreme or jeopardize something that is bigger than the picture some of you are trying to present. Finally, Congratulations to Crip, Johnboy and Tyler on the win and everyone else who placed Saturday. Hope to see all of you again this weekend and hopefully some new faces as well. If anyone would like to have discussion on this topic, you are more than welcome to give me a call at 252-904-4492.

I guess that when given a boundary most people would assume that you couldn't catch your hound unless the hound was crossing it. But I guess that's what happens when you assume. Its kind of like playing basketball in your own back yard. You kind of make up your rules as you go.

Why didnt you mention that at the clubhouse after the hunt?

So..... 4 out of top 6 were from the club 5 minutes down the road??? Same club that happens to be hosting a trial this weekend..... will be interesting to see the results..... 401 hounds the odds of having that many in the top 6 is pretty slim.....

Bubba, I tell you what, if you have any issues or su****ion about the hunt give me a call. 919-880-5721. I will be more than glad to talk with you. All of the clubs in the series are in the same general area except for Gatlin. Before you start throwing accusations you may want to know everything. I know pleanty of people that don't need to field trial because if they don't win or place high the hunt was rigged.

Makes plenty of sense to me because there dogs are use to running in the same type of terrain. That's just my two cents.

I agree with Bubba Watts!!!!!

Here we go people always told me when u run by yourself seem like u got the fastest and the best dogs which in your mind you do but it's a big difference between 30 dogs and 400 dogs why can't we congratulate these dogs and their owners instead of always saying it was rigged.That's what u call unsportsmanlike conduct 15 yard penalty against Mr.Watts

I got pacifiers for all you crybabys! Its always the same ones every year...See me saturday for your pacis 😂😉👍🐕🐕🐕

mr Watts if that is even your real name I know we going to have whiners and cry babies at every hunt but I'm sure the top 6 would be glad to give you a invitation to run with them we do not have rig hunts or anything of the sort all of the of the dogs to my knowledge have placed in several hunts or won hunts before so is there any questions that you would like to ask this is my number 25 578 7458 people like you putting negative stuff out there that is what make a hunt bad

I agree mike

Bubba was probably not even at the hunt. If he was he did not place a dog so that is where the complaining is coming from. The longer I field trial the more I realize that whining and complaining when the hunt is over is just as big a part as the running and judging. I guess what makes it bad is when you see hunt results and a group does really well you will see man those guys are strong and dominated. Then anorther hunt group of guys do well and that hunt was rigged. I guess it all depends on who is doing good whether they dominated or the hunt was rigged. We use field trial to raise money for our hunting club, why in the world would we jeopardize that just so someone could place a dog in a hunt? If you are going to whine,complain and accuse people of cheating because you didn't do good at a hunt especially a outside trial with 400 hounds in it you may need to find something else to do.

Here we go again. Every year this is the field trial that brings out bad mouthing.If you feel like it not being run honest just don't go to it and problem is solve, no dogs no field trial,BUT if look at numbers this club numbers at dogs entry they get bigger every year so they must be doing something right

If anybody that is complaining I placed second I will run with you any day

First of all congrats to all that placed!! Only two things I thought could of made it better, first is if you give out maps with boundaries for out of bounds then that should be the only place you are allowed to pic dogs up for recast! People was toning , shocking dogs and catching them up as they was crossing out of the cast block! It was kinda crazy I thought! Second if they were a little more game to run! Prob 3/4 of the 400 stayed in cast block mainly due to what I referred to earlier, the game just want there! Before you go saying I need better dogs the scoreboard reflects what I'm saying! I've been doing this probably 15 to 20 years and you gonna have bad days. If you gonna have out of bounds just make sure that's where you catch your dogs to recast! I will say I loaded mine Saturday in bounds because all the toning and shocking had her crazy and I didn't want her run over! I forgot the 3rd thing, I needed a faster dog lol! Happy Hunting and good luck!

Thanks for the input Jeffrey, I can say this club works hard to ensure a good hunt to the best of our abilities. we definitely could have used more maps, we had a bunch printed off, but they got gone quicker then anti****ted. Then on top of that our copier machine decided to quit at the worst possible time so we couldn't run any more copies. As far as the game, our numbers are undeniably down and have been over the past few years. To combat this, we didn't hunt this block any after December 1st. Not only did we not hunt it, but we did our best to keep corn in there to keep the game in. Maybe numbers will bounce back in the newt few years!


Hope to see you at the hunt next year
Joel

First of all I wasn't at the hunt, but I've read this and know how these hunts go, I do not have a problem if someone catches there dogs at the boundary road (not the cast block), if there is a boundary, which all hunts In the series has one this year, but anyone that catches there dog anywhere other than a boundary road,that dog or dogs should be scratched, everyone knew there was a boundary and you can't tell me that they don't know the rules of having a boundary, last year at one of the hunts without a boundary( which clearly means you can't touch your dog until the hunt is over) the same thing was happening, the only way this will stop s if u start making examples out of the folks doing it and scratch the dogs, no hunt is perfect by any means,but what's right is right and wrong is wrong

I got Pacifiers for all you crybabys...Its the same ones every year! See me saturday for your Paci 😉👍🐕🐕🐕

I'm just gonna leave a fact, an my opinion on this only. First fact is this type of mentality and inter-bashing is what's gonna be the end of our sport. Get it together, and respect each other or sell out. If not the end is closer than farther . Consider getting a group of unaffiliated judges to judge each hunt or put a non hunting judge with a club judge. Just like a buddy hunt format. Stop beating each other up for goodness sake.

Don't really think it's a lot of crying going on, just speaking the truth, if everyone would play by the rules then there would be no problem concerning the matter, u can't please everyone, but I think the majority of hunters would like to see a standard at all the hunts,I'm not saying anyone cheated, moving forward,this post might clear up the rules on boundary hunts, might be a good thing for someone that was part of putting the series on to post something on here about what they are going to do moving forward, just my 2 cents

It all comes down too someone THOUGHT they had the heat and got drug through the woods.. Now they are mad and trying to blame it on the hunt itself.. Happens all the time...

I follow this series and I see these names on the results each and every year. This isn't something that just started. Some people work hard to have good dogs. Maybe some of you guys complaining should spend a Saturday with them and see what your feeding. I think the results will then speak for themselves. Congrats to all that placed.

I AGREE WITH MR. THORNTON AND JUST WATCH THE RESULT PAGE FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES IF THERE NAMES IS NOT LISTED THEN YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IF THERE DOGS ARE THAT GOOD THEY SHOULD BE IN THE TOP 30 FOR ALL THE OTHER HUNTS. IN MY OPINION JUST LET THE DOGS DO THE TALKING.

Just my opinion no matter what any club does in putting on an outside or inside hunt you are going to have those few that want to cry about Something so that being said y'all must be doing things right to get as many hounds there that come. My other thought on this is Its an outside hunt I have ran in outside hunts and enjoy them for supporting clubs and hanging out but I have seen dogs when hunts that I would not give 5 cents for that being said just BC the dog places does not mean he is the best dog at the hunt its 90% luck on outside a pack dog can bounce around in thepocket and get seen a few times and before you no it he is in top 25 so point being go to have a good time and if not stay at home Dont no one want to listen to people cry and brag on things happy hunting

thanks to everyone who congratulated us on another win and to everyone else who placed for all the cry babies if you don't know how to field trial on the outside stay home half the guys don't look at there dogs during hunting season to know what it takes to do good on the outside well our dogs was hunted 3 to 5 days a week for 2 months killing and running deer sun up to sun down Jackie is out of Barbers Jake if you look back on her placings she done well in the pen winning and placing 2nd a few times she is by far as slow leak anyone who knows and have brought dogs from us will tell you we feed some great dogs and take pride in what we do. yes we run alfa and my dogs are broke to handle the hunting club tells everyone b4 cast to try to keep hounds in cast block best as possible so that's what we do its a competition to see who has the fastest dog not who can stay inbounds. ps it's a sport you always gonna have sore losers!!