*VIII. RULES APPLICABLE TO ONLY TYPE (L) FIELD TRIALS
*Effective January 1, 2009

The following rules, in addition to rules in previous sections, apply to only Type (L) field trials run on liberated upland game where game is shot and a retrieve is required.

A. Shooting Game in Type (L) Field Trials.

1. All Type (L) trials are shot game field trials and the gunner designated by the sponsoring club shall make a safe attempt to shoot and cleanly kill the bird for testing gun-shyness, steadiness and retrieving ability, when safe to do so.

2. Game flushed by a free running dog or birds that flush wild shall not be shot except on instruction from a Judge and where such shot may be safely made.

3. If a bird does not fly after an attempt to flush, or does not fly adequately it shall not be shot on the ground or at an unsafe height off of the ground.

4. Any person in the field at a field trial where dogs are under judgment and game is shot shall wear a blaze orange cap or outer garmentfor safety as provided in these rules.

*5. Due to safety considerations, the designated gunners shall flush the birds in Type (L) field trials where game is shot. Only if the bird cannot be flushed by the gunners, may the handler assist. The handler may assist only upon request and authorization by the Judge in trying to produce the bird for the flush.

*1. The Field Trial Committee shall appoint one or more official guns to shoot at Type (L) field trials. At least a single gunner shall shoot for each dog in a heat. However, two gunners per dog are strongly preferred.

*2. In a type (L) field trial, if a commanded couler is not utilized by the handler, the Judge(s) shall request that the gunner( s) flush and shoot the bird. If the bird cannot be produced and flushed by the gunner(s), the handler or another person may then request authorization from the Judge to assist in flushing the bird. It is mandatory that the Judge and handler not shoot the bird in a type (L) field trial in order to observe the dog's steadiness sequence.

*3. There shall be a minimum of two official guns for each heat when running braces; one gunner for each handler. However, two gunners per dog are strongly preferred.

4. The designated gunners shall wear the game bags and a blaze orange cap or outer garment for safety.

5. Designated Gunners shall consider safety paramount and shall not take any shot which may place a dog or person in danger.

*6. Designated Gunners shall be instructed to attempt to flush a pointed bird in a clean single motion, to make a clean kill, and to thereafter remain motionless, until the dog is sent to retrieve. After the retrieve is commanded the gunners should promptly repositions behind the handler and/or judge. The gunners shall make all efforts to avoid distracting a dog making a retrieve by voice, motion, or visual obstruction and shall endeavor to provide a clear and unobstructed view for judge and handler to observe and complete the retrieve.

*7. Gunners shall work in tandem, approximately six to eight feet apart, attempting to flush the bird and should endeavor to avoid crossing the scent cone as much as possible. Typically the gunner on the right shall shoot birds flushing to the right, the gunner of the left shall shoot birds flushing to the left, and both may shoot birds flying straight away. Each should attempt to safely back up the other gunner if they miss, as the object is to safely produce a shot bird for the retrieve.

1. In Open Dog Class, the retrieve must occur after getting the Judge's authorization. An Open Dog Class dog that retrieves before the handler receives the Judge's authorization to command the retrieve shall not be awarded a score of Pass with Honor, Reserve Placement or First Place.

2. Dogs in the Gun Dog Class may retrieve before the handler gets the Judge's authorization to command the retrieve. A dog that retrieves after authorization by the Judge and the command of the handler is preferred and such a commanded retrieve will be taken into account by the Judge in scoring the dog's overall performance.

3. Judges and handlers must make every effort to allow the dog to demonstrate its steadinessto wing and shot. Therefore, dogs should be sent to retrieve only after reasonably demonstrating the requisite steadiness.

4. The dog should mark the downed bird, and when commanded to retrieve, must proceed directly to the area of the fall, establish a hunt to find the bird, pick it up, and return directly to the handler.

5. In the Open Dog Class, dogs must retrieve to the handler's hand.

6. In the Gun Dog Class, a retrieve to hand or to within fifteen (15) feet of the handler shallsatisfy the requirement of the retrieve.

7. The Judge must inspect each delivered bird for evidence of hard mouth, such as broken bones, partially or wholly eaten birds. Hard mouthed dogs will be failed immediately in all classes of competition.

8. A dog in the Open Dog Class or Gun Dog Class that refuses to retrieve in a Type (L) field trial as “retrieve” is defined for the applicable class may not receive a score of Pass, Pass with Honor or Placement.

*9. If a dog does not have any opportunity to retrieve during the course due to a missed shot, due to the inability of the gunners to take a safe shot, or due to a bracemate hindering the opportunity to retrieve, a cold retrieve shall be set up at the discretion of the Judge, preferably at the end of the
course, with a freshly shot bird thrown or planted, or with a healthy bird flushed and shot, as the Judge in his discretion shall direct. The judge may consult the handler to state a preference as to how to set up a cold retrieve.

10. If a shot bird is damaged to the point that a dog refuses to retrieve, upon the request of the handler or upon the Judge's own initiative, the Judge may in his discretion authorize and request a second retrieve with a fresh bird as provided above.

11. In evaluating the retrieve, it shall be taken into account how the dog finds the shot bird (how difficult this task is) and how enthusiastically the dog retrieves it.

1. Number of Birds. A minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) of the designated game bird(s) shall be planted on the course anticipated for the running of a solo heat. In braces competitions, a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of six (6) of the designated game birds shall be planted. Such birds shall be liberated the same day of the running of the field trial heats over such section of the course. (These birds liberated specifically for the running of the field trial shall be in addition to any wild birds or previously liberated birds naturally occurring on the course.)

2. Spacing of Birds. Each bird shall be planted separately, randomly and at reasonable intervals/ distances, but not in a straight line or predictable pattern. The birds shall be planted singularly and not as a group. The Field Trial Committee shall endeavor to accomplish that each dog will be placed under reasonably similar working conditions insofar as the liberation and planting of birds. Where motorized off road vehicles are used to assist in the planting of birds, the birds should be planted at least twenty-five (25) feet away from the path left by the motorized off the road vehicle.

3. Handling of Birds. The birds shall be liberated into cover which is naturally occurring on the course, rather than artificially created cover (such as manmade tepees or cut piles of brush). Birds shall not be placed into holes or into any type of structure or cover (other than brush, trees, grass and foliage naturally occurring on the grounds) where the bird's ability to fly may be impeded.

4. Birds may be temporarily rocked or dizzied to prevent them from immediately flying from the point of release, but no bird shall be injured, harmed or impeded from natural movement. No bird shall be disabled, hampered or restrained from flying or freedom of movement in any way.

5. Timing of Release of Birds. The birds shall be released in sufficient time (a minimum of thirty (30) minutes is recommended) prior to the running of the heats over that portion of ground in order that the birds may leave scent and seek out cover.

6. Designated game birds planted/liberated for a Type (L) liberated bird trial shall be healthy, full feathered and flight conditioned birds of one or more UKC approved species designated by the Field Trial Committee as the designated game to be hunted for the subject field trial.

7. All birds shall be released out of the presence and sight line of handlers anticipated to run over a designated area of the course. Sponsoring clubs should use a holding blind, an appropriate physical structure, or other reasonable means to obstruct handlers' view of birds being planted. A handler who inadvertently observes the location of the release of birds shall report same to the Judge, and shall be moved to another place in the running order and run over a different section of the course. A Judge shall disqualify any handler who purposefully or intentionally observes the release of birds over a section of the course over which his dog is to run and who conceals or fails to report such observation to the Judge or Field Trial Committee.

8. The rules set forth herein for the liberation and planting of birds for Type (L) liberated trials is intended to provide a basic method by which the Field Trial Committee can endeavor to make reasonable efforts to place each dog and handler under similar, but not identical working conditions. However, under the best of circumstances, it is impossible for each dog and handler to be presented with the same identical opportunities, and in no event shall the Field Trial Committee be required to re-plant birds on a given section of a Continuous Course merely because one or more of the birds released or liberated thereon may have relocated.

*9. On sections of a course which are covered more than once in a single day, the Field Trial Committee shall replace any birds shot or observed to be flushed off of a section of the course, prior to subsequent heats being run back over the same section of the course later the same day. However, the number of birds planted/released should be judicious, and the number of birds planted earlier in the day shall not be automatically duplicated or doubled, as such would provide dogs running later in the running order a greater advantage to point game.

1. General Requirements - Type (L) liberated bird field trials may take place on any grounds or topography suitable for holding upland game, but the grounds selected must contain adequate cover to hide and hide the designated game being hunted. Type (L) liberated bird trials shall be conducted in a manner such as to depict an actual hunting situation.

2. Course Layout - The running of Type (L) liberated bird field trials are prohibited to be run in a single bird field course layout such as that utilized for a TAN as such does not accurately depict an actual hunting situation. Type (L) liberated bird field trials shall be run on one or the other of the following types of courses which shall be clearly set forth in the Premium List and Advertisements for the Field Trial and on the score results submitted to UKC:


a. Continuous Course - Field trial grounds designated as a Continuous Course include a series of successive courses where the breakaway area for each subsequent heat shall typically begin at or near where the last heat ended. A Continuous Course may be run in any direction which the Field Trial Committee may designate for a particular course keeping in mind the prevailing wind. In the discretion of the Judge, one or more dogs running in heats on a Continuous Course may be moved to a new location to complete the running of the heats as wind direction, space, logistics, safety considerations and other factors may dictate. The surface area of field trial grounds designated as a Continuous Course should be sufficiently large that the dogs participating in all classes of the field trial whether running solo or braces shall not cover the same ground or course more than once prior to noon and once subsequent to noon on a single day during the running of the field trial. A Continuous Course field trial grounds format is preferable to a Limited Successive Course layout field trial grounds format.

b. Limited Successive Courses - Field trial grounds designated as Limited Successive Courses (without single bird field) shall include multiple (at least two) forward courses with designated breakaway area and multiple (at least two) back courses with designated breakaway area, which forward and back courses shall be used in systematic rotation, without intended covering of ground covered in the previous heat run on an adjoining designated course. The surface area of field trial grounds designated as Limited Successive Courses should be sufficiently large to provide for an adequate area for running the field trial heat for each dog entered without required overlapping of the other designated forward and back successive courses on the designated field trial grounds. There shall be no specific limitation on the number of dogs participating in all classes of the field trial that may cover a particular designated Limited Successive Course in a day. On Limited Successive Courses field trial grounds, each subsequent heat, whether run in solo or braces, MUST be run on a different designated successive course from the previous heat. (Dogs running in successive heats shall not be permitted to run over and over the same designated course as same would amount to a single bird field format, which is expressly precluded by these rules because such grounds do not depict an accurate hunting situation.)

3. The Limited Successive Courses field trial grounds format is intended for use by clubs in areas where large amounts of ground for the running of a field trial are difficult or impossible to secure. Sponsoring clubs may limit the number of entries in a particular class to a designated number of entries in the order received, or may run a field trial over multiple days in order to make allowance for the amount of ground surface area available for the running of the field trial.

• Note under the UKC requirements for various titles and championships for Open Dog Class dogs as set forth in these rules, that there are specific limitations on the number of placements which can count towards satisfaction of title or championship designations which may be earned in field trials conducted on grounds designated as Limited Successive Courses.

4. Intent of the Grounds Requirement - The intent of the above rules concerning grounds requirements is to preserve the integrity of the venue by insuring that UKC Type (L) field trials are conducted in a manner that accurately depicts an actual hunting situation. Conducting field trials in this manner will aid in the objective evaluation of the pointing breeds under normal working conditions in the field. Thus, the course layout in the form of a Single Bird Field is expressly prohibited, except for the conduction of TAN (Natural Ability Tests) events.

5. Limitation on Satisfaction of Title or Championship Requirements for Open Dog Class Dogs in Field Trials Run on Grounds Designated as Limited Successive Courses - Only one Placement in a Field Trial run on grounds designated as Limited Successive Course shall count towards the satisfaction of requirements for dogs in the Open Dog Class attempting to earn the titles Trialer "TR" or Champion of the Field "CHF". Only two such placements on grounds designated as Limited Successive Courses shall count towards satisfaction of the title Grand Champion of the Field "GRCHF". No such limitations shall apply to the titles HUNT or GUN which may be earned in the Gun Dog Class.