Training Information for Iowa Hawkeye Chapter
Bring your own birds for field or water training or contact Don Cross at 641-792-9280 at least a week in advance to reserve birds. You will be required to pay for the birds you ordered when received.
Each scheduled training day will be held at "BIG SPRINGS SHOOTING COMPLEX" in Searsboro, Iowa. This wonderful complex is managed by Brownells of Montezuma, Iowa. Brownells is the World's Largest Supplier of Firearms, Acessories, and Gunsmithing Tools. Kelly Bryan is the manager of Big Springs and is also an employee of Brownells. His phone number at the complex is 641-527-2377. Big Springs Shooting Complex physical address is 4921 Highway 146 in Searsboro, Iowa. The easiest way to the complex is to go South of Grinnell, Iowa on Hwy 146. It is just about 10 miles to the small village of Searsboro. At the Y intersection, take a left or go back east about 1/2 mile to the barn at the top of the hill. This is our normal training site for field work. This barn is on the south side of the road. The gun club is farther east another 1/2 mile to 3/4 mile on the north side of the road. Eventually, the Iowa Hawkeye NAVHDA Chapter will fix up an area in the building on the grounds to accomodate the club meetings and to host larger groups of people for future Handlers Clinics. If you are coming from the Iowa City area, take I-80 to Exit 197 which is the V-18 highway. Go south to Hwy 85 and head west to the town of Montezuma. Continue straight through town and head west on Main Street with turns into Diamond Trail Road. Past the two lakes and 7 miles down the road you come to a T intersection. Take a right onto Hwy 146 and the gun club is just down the road on your right. The test barn is another 1/2 mile down the road on your left. See you there. Drive safe. Bring lots of water to keep your dogs hydrated, especially in the field.