Tulsa Bird Dog Club History
The Tulsa Bird Dog Club (TBDC) was founded in August 1982 by a group of local bird dog enthusiasts whose purpose in forming the organization was to:
1. Learn about the health, care, feeding and training of their dogs.
2. Provide a format to compete their dogs in field trials.
3. Provide facilities and training grounds for all members to train, condition and compete their dogs.
4. Provide a format for the social interaction of Tulsa are bird dog enthusiasts.

Monthly meetings were instituted, the primary function of which was to further the educational purposes of the club. The meetings were held for the first three years in the former Oklahoma Natural Gas Co. Showcase building located at 3535 E. 51st Street. Meetings were moved to the Central Recreation Center at 1102 E. Sixth Street for the fiscal year 1985. The first club meeting held at the Tulsa West Regional Library (now the Zarrow Regional Library) at 2224 W. 51st Street was in September, 1985.

Speakers at the monthly meetings during the first year included Delmar Smith, work famous bird dog trainer; Byron Moser, then chief of the game division, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and later director of the department; Tulsa veterinarian, Bob Green; local trainer, Gary Purdy, currently director of the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation; and animal nutritionist, Dr. Bob Bingham, president of Win-Hy Foods, distributor of Bil-Jac dog food.

Founding officers of the TBDC were President Jerry Myers who served that office from 1982 through 1988, Vice-presidents Joe Minardi and Dean Lenard, Secretory Buddy Mickle, and Treasurer Karen Dillon. The initial formal election of officers was in January, 1983. Myers was elected President, Dean Lenard, Robert McAlester, and Jim Whittenton Vice Presidents, Barry Moore, Secretary, Karen Dillon, Treasurer, and John Gaines, Reporter/Publicity.

The club leased in 1983 a section of land between 76th and 66th Street North west of Lakewood Avenue from Industries for Tulsa, Inc., a City of Tulsa Trust administered by the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce for club activities.

Rick Morrison was club president in 1989, Dennis Hawkins from 1990 through 1992, Clarence Sisco in 1993, Dr. Kurt Ocshner from 1994 through 1996, Dennis Hartman in 1997, Don Alcorn in 1998, Charlie Hess 1999 though 2003, Preston Smith in 2004 and Greg Kuhke from 2005 to the present.

Other notable contributors to club growth are Duane Boynton, who served as an officer continuously from 1993 through 2005, Elbert Polk, club treasurer from 1985 through 1996, Roy Marshall, an officer from 1998 through 2009, Dennis Drullinger, who served as an officer most years between 1989 and 2005, and Jim Garman, who was responsible fro recruiting most of the approximately 50 initial club members. The membership had grown to 130 by 1985 and continues at about that number today.

The first club newsletter was mailed to members in January of 1983. That same summer, members chose "The Covey Rise" to be the title of the monthly newsletter. The first "Covey Rise" was sent to members in August 1983 and sported the flying quail artwork and the new club logo, all designed by local artist, bird dog lover, and falconer, Dr. Mark Waller.

The first trials conducted by TBDC were NSTRA(National Shoot to Retrieve Association). There were also trials conducted under the running rules of ABHA(American Bird Hunters Association) and NBHA(National Bird Hunters Association) and AFTCA(American Field Trial Clubs of America). At present we are conducting trials using rules that were mostly taken from NSTRA and modified by a committee formed from members of TBDC. Dennis Drullinger and Duane Boynton spear-headed this endeavor.

Sometime in spring of 1996 shooting sports were introduced to club members in the form of clay pigeon shooting, starting the first Sunday of April, and ending the last Sunday of August. This helped many members hone in their shooting skills for the up-coming bird season. Other activities included picnics, and even a few dog shows for children, judged by club members. The club has used many venues to hold trials and at the present time leases a 160 acre tract in Rogers County.

In 1993 TBDC started having competition trials against HLBDC(Hulah Lake Bird Dog Club). It was called Northeast Oklahoma Gun Dog Championship and it continues today. The championship has grown and at times has as many as five different clubs competing. There have been clubs from Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas, as well as other clubs in Oklahoma.


TBDC continues to work with other organizations to help with wildlife restoration, and many youth activities, such as the STEP(Shotgun Training and Education Program). Come join us and be a part of our history and future.

This history of Tulsa Bird Dog Club was compiled by Jerry Myers with the help of Duane Boynton.