The 27th annual Ringneck Festival weekend opened on Thursday, with the Bird Dog Challenge.

Hunters hit the field, with a dog of their choosing and a score keeper, to seek out and bag pheasants that were ‘planted’ in place. After the dog flushes the bird it’s up to the hunter to bring it down. However, as the photos show, how “Wily Ringneck” earned its title and sometimes manages to quietly slip away in the deep cover.