BLACKTAIL
LABRADORS
ABOUT KRIS HUNT
Hello and Thank You for visiting my Website.
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People ask me how I got involved in dogs, and I have to say I was born in to it.  My mother was training and running retrievers while she was pregnant
and I swear I came out screaming ‘no – here’.  I ran my first picnic trial when I was 3 years old.    We were in and out of the game for many years.  
When I was 11, I got my first ‘real’ field trial dog, a fast crazy little dog named Izzymae.  We earned some derby jams and Qualified All Age with a
Qual 2nd, I think I was 15 yrs old.  A few years later I got another field trial dog named Abby.  I was lucky enough to have two very successful field
trialers take me under their wing, Dick and Estelle Bartlett.  The Bartlett’s spent a lot of time with the great Rex Carr.  They had many Field
Champions and ran numerous Nationals (as well as judged).  I spent my summers living and learning from the Bartlett’s.

After college graduation, all I could think about was getting back into the ‘dogs’.  I bought a field trial pup from Idaho. Unfortunately, the dog
developed epilepsy and was retired. The next  pup came from Sureshot Kennels in CO and I named him Gabe.  What a beautiful dog he was.  I spent
countless days over the years training with Don Remien, Karl Gunzer and Bill Totten, absorbing everything I possibly could.   Gabe was qualified all
age with a Qual win, but unfortunately we lost him at an early age.  Then one day while throwing bumpers for Don Remien, a young precocious derby dog
named Twist came out in the field.  I was so impressed I knew I had to have one.  Tim Coulson set me up to get pick of the litter on the repeat of
Twist.  I named the pup Barkley, unfortunately my mother got ill and I wasn’t able to run Barkley in the derby.  I sent him to Don Remien and Karl
Gunzer for a few months while I took care of my mom.  The first and only time I sent a dog to a pro, Karl ran Barkley in one qualifying and WON.    
The following year Barkley and I were on our own and finishing All Age trials with jams and RJ’s and eventually started placing, earning an Amateur
First and 2 Open fourths in 2005.  I bought and started training another dog, this one from Ron Keihn in Wyoming and I named him Luke.  Luke got 4th
place in his second derby at 14 months old, he WON his next derby at 15 months old.  Luke is now Qualifed All Age with a qualifying 1st and 2nd.    

Besides running Field Trials, I also run AKC Hunting Tests.  I've earned numerous Junior and Senior Hunter titles.  Luke and Barkley earned their
Master Hunter titles without failing a single test.  I am also an avid waterfowl and upland bird hunter.  

In January of 2007 I was presented with an opportunity to train a dog professionally.  I mulled it over and decided to go for it.  I am happy I did.  I
still work my full time job, which provides a lot of flexibility to continue doing my first love, training dogs.  This first year has been a learning
experience and lots of fun.   I only take 3 or 4 dogs at a time because I want to make it fair to everyone and most importantly I want to keep if fun
for me and successful for the dogs.  The dogs spend time in outdoor kennels as well as getting personal house time.  The dogs learn to be an all around
'good citizen'.  I am looking forward to much success and happy owners in the coming years!  And it would not be complete if I didn’t say I owe so much
to my Mother who has been there through thick and thin and has thrown countless bumpers for me and the dogs.

Kris Hunt
BLACKTAIL LABRADORS
BUTTE, MONTANA
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Email Kris
The first 2 years....
January 2009, it is 2 years since I started training dogs as a professional.  Well over 22 years now working and training retrievers and I still
love every minute of it.

The first two professional years I trained several dogs for hunting, two dogs that ran field trials and hunt tests, three dogs that ran hunt tests,
and prepared several other dogs to start their field trial careers in 2009.  My star pupil in 2008 had to be Foxhaven's Born To Run "Dash",
owned by Jared Snarr.  When I first got Dash, he was barely handling in the field.  Dash has a natural talent for marking and once we got
control on the blinds, he did remarkable.  He started and finished his Senior Hunter title going 5 attempts and 5 passes.  He also has one
Master pass.  Dash ran 8 qualifying events earning 6 finishes!!! That is a 75% finish rate, unbelievable.  Dash was QAA with a First Place at
the age of 2 yrs 6 mos.  He also has a third and fourth place and 3 Jams.  Mishka, Newt, Decoy and Reggie tried for and finished their Junior
Hunter title without a single failure. Newt also earned a derby JAM in three trials.  

Owners of hunting dogs have sent glowing reports about their dogs that were trained here.  All are doing very well in the field, both upland and
waterfowl.  Many of those dogs will be returning to Blacktail for advanced training.  What a wonderful compliment that is.

I'm still running two of my personal dogs in All-Age, Luke and Barkley.  Barkley was out most of 2008 with an injury but earned a JAM and a
FOURTH place in the OPEN at the end of the year.  Luke finished 2 OPENS earning JAMs.

I have been lucky enough to find 4 wonderful birds boys (and girl) who I can rotate coming to the field with me.  They are all very hard
workers and are instrumental in teaching the dogs how to manage the field.  I have also gotten access to even more training grounds than I could
imagine.  The latest is a few hundred acres (soon to have water) just 5 minutes from my house!

In 2009, I will have four dogs that will embark on their Derby Career and three dogs will be running All-Age and Masters.  My kennel is full
until fall and I am looking forward to building on relationships and starting new ones.

Best of Luck to you and Your Dogs, wherever they may be......    Kris

Special Thank You to Mary Steinfeldt for all you do!!!
PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINING
BLACKTAIL LABRADORS
BUTTE, MONTANA
(919)633-2550

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Updated 8 October 2011
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The year 2010 was a very eventful year for me both professionally and personally.  I left my 'cushy' job as an Industrial Hygienist with the State of
Montana and this was the first full year that I trained dogs FULL TIME and started my winter trip.  I chose to go to CALIFORNIA for the winter
months, January - April.  Thank You to the California Retriever Trainers Association (CRTA) for starting and owning thousands of acres of property
set up specifically for training retrievers.   I stayed at Lost Hills California training at Goose Lake while running various Field Trials in the area.  
Returning to Montana, or should I say UTAH, I ran several dogs in Hunt Tests and achieved many new AKC Hunting Test titles for clients.  It was
great fun and all but one goal was achieved.  I had a full time bird thrower working for me throughout the summer, CODY LAIRD.  I can't say enough
about how much help Cody was with the dogs.  He took great interest and worked very hard to learn the 'game'.  He is also a nice shot on those flyer
birds.

Then in June little did I know a text message from a friend would change my life.  It was shortly thereafter that I met the man I had been waiting
for, Johnny Betts.  After hours on the phone Johnny moved to Montana from North Carolina and we were married on SEPTEMBER 4th.  We spent the
summer traveling Utah, Montana and Idaho doing very well at the field trials, getting 3 dogs Qualified for All Age.  Johnny is new to dogs but a very
quick study.  He works very hard with the dogs and has a great relationship with them.  This game has a steep and never ending learning curve, and I am
proud and impressed with how far Johnny has come in such a short time.  (He also is a great shot on those flyer birds).

Future plans are that we will return to Lost Hills California in January 2011.  Stay Tuned for more information.
Year 2011 in Review:  Hard to believe we are heading into the sixth year in business as Blacktail Labradors.  2011 was a
very difficult year, a lot of ups and a lot of downs.  Lets start with the good stuff.  Johnny and I spent the winter in Lost
Hills CA on CRTA property with a light truck.  Seven dogs were running field trials and hunt tests with the goals of earning
lots of ribbons and titles, and lots of ribbons we did earn. All seven dogs earned their title they were aiming for from Master
hunters to Junior hunters. We met and hired a great guy in Travis Kline who loved the dogs and was a great worker!  
However CA wasn't all roses.  We went through some rough times with the dog truck replacing nearly the entire drive train
and my mom was at home in Montana in and out of the hospital.  Shortly after getting back from our winter/spring trip my
mom passed away.  A terrible blow to the entire family.  My mom was my best friend for many years, traveling the country
and running dogs and seeing the sights.  I do and will always miss her.  I took the summer months away from the field trial
and hunt test events (besides all the client dogs had their titles by this time and most of them were at home).  After a few
more ups and downs, we were offered and accepted an opportunity to lease facilities in Florence Montana owned by a
fantastic and generous person, Janet Huenergardt (who by the way introduced Johnny and I).  We are now on property with
land and water to train on; a huge fenced in airing yard; and indoor/outdoor kennels!  What a treat this is and thank goodness
for kind people.

It is mid October and the truck is filling up fast for the 2012 winter trip.  We have some returning dogs to continue their
education as well as many new dogs.  We plan to leave for California after hunting season, middle of January.  Not sure if
we will get to be at CRTA again or not, but we have other locations we are looking at.  One thing for sure is that the dogs
will be put first, as always.  This is a sport that Johnny and I both love.

Johnny has taken over doing all the obedience and force fetch and he is very good!  The dogs take to him quickly.  His
patience is unending both with me and the dogs :)  He is becoming an excellent handler on the line and works hard.