Up and coming events:
South Dakota-Huron Ringneck Festival:
November 6-8, 2008 will mark the 11th year of the Huron Ringneck Festival competition and the 7th year for the Bird Dog Challenge. Thirty teams with participants from as far away as Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska compete in the event. If you missed out on the 2007 event mark your calendars as you won’t want to miss out on the 11th Annual Huron Ringneck Festival, November 6th-8th, 2008.
Bird Dog Challenge:
The Huron Ringneck Festival Bird Dog Challenge is an exhibition that tests the skills of dogs and hunters. The event is scheduled for November 6th & 7th, 2008 and kicks off the Ringneck Festival weekend.
Each competition allows for two hunters and one dog to take the field. Each hunter is limited to five shells and has 20 minutes to harvest birds.
Points are awarded to each team based on birds harvested, full retrieves, partial retrieves and normal retrieves, shots not taken, and every second remaining on the clock. A maximum of 40 teams are allowed to participate in the event, with a registration fee of $150 per team. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second and third place teams.
Download the rules and application for the bird dog challenge.
Competitive Hunt:
The Ringneck Festival competitive hunt consists of six-member teams, each attempting to bring back 18 pheasants. Each member is allowed four shells, for a team limit of 24. Limiting the number of shells helps ensure that hunters will take clean shots, reducing the number of injured birds.
The entry fee is $1,500 per team ($250 per hunter) which includes meals, hunts, live entertainment and prizes. The winning team members and hosting landowner each receive a shotgun.
Download the rules and application for the Competitive Hunt.