2024 Tri-State Certification Weekend

 
 

DATES & Location

When: Friday, May 24 – Monday, May 27, 2023
Where: Gallatin County SAR Building, 410 Yellowstone Ave, West Yellowstone MT

West Yellowstone SAR Building, 410 Yellowstone Ave

Meeting location and IC will be at the Gallatin County SAR building located at 410 Yellowstone Ave. We will meet there each morning at 0800 (or earlier as assigned).  Park on the road or in the dirt parking lot behind the building, and leave garage doors clear so that SAR personnel can access their equipment if necessary.

Briefings will be held in the large garage bay and portable white boards will be placed there with the daily activities. Restrooms will be accessible. Please remember that we are guests in this space, so keep things clean and try to use the Port-A-Potty at camp when possible. 

Registration

Please submit your registration before May 15, 2024 to give us plenty of time to plan! We know that plans can change – just email Alyssa at hitchcock.alyssa@gmail.com to update your registration if necessary.

A note on availability and teamwork…
We usually run 40-50+ tests during Cert weekend and we cannot make it happen without an enthusiastic group of volunteer evaluators and subjects. If you’re coming to test your dog, make yourself available to evaluate or serve as a subject for someone else’s test. Groups, if you’re sending several new teams to test for the first time, please also send a few evaluators to help lighten the load. It’s a group effort – we need all hands on deck!


Registration Fees:

As usual, all handlers are required to pay a $50 registration whether evaluating or testing, regardless of how many tests they are taking. These fees cover the cost of our porta-potties, Saturday BBQ, and help maintain the Tri State website. You will not be scheduled to take or evaluate any tests until we receive your payment.


How to register:

  1. Submit your $50 registration fee

    1. Click here to pay via PayPal – please put the names of the people you’re paying for in the text box!

    2. Checks can be made out to Western Montana Search Dogs, PO Box 4505, Bozeman MT 59772

  2. Click here to fill out the registration form →
    All handlers need to fill this out one time. Just one form this year – test requests included!

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • I’m a group organizer paying for multiple group members. How does that work?
    Pay the appropriate amount for your group (preferably via PayPal) and add all of your group member names in the text box. Then ask members to fill out the registration forms individually.

  • I’m not taking any tests this year – do I still have to pay?
    Yes – all handlers are required to pay the registration fee.

  • Do I have to pay for my non-handler spouse/child/etc?
    No – we are happy to have them join us!

  • When will we see the schedule?
    Tests will be scheduled based on the availability stated in your registration form, so please make sure you contact us if your availability changes. A preliminary schedule will be shared prior to testing weekend, but is subject to change throughout the weekend.

  • How will I know if the registration worked?
    The form will automatically email you a copy of your responses after you submit it. The email will come from forms-receipts-noreply@google.com and the subject will be 2024 Tri-State Handler Registration

  • What if I need to change something?
    We know that plans can change – just email Alyssa at hitchcock.alyssa@gmail.com to update your registration if necessary.

CAMPING

As in past years we will have a USFS Special Use Permit to camp at the Old Airport, west of Iris Rd, from Thursday > Monday. Please find a spot between the WMSD banner (West end) and Bonnie’s A frame trailer (East end) so that we stay consolidated as a group.

The USFS biggest concern is that tourists see us camping there, and think they can also camp there. With YNP park use as high as it is, people are looking for any nook to camp in near the park entrance. We appreciate the USFS granting us this permit and want to continue to be able to use this area in future years, so please keep the following in mind:

  • If conditions are really wet, try to confine your camping area driving to the established dirt roads as much as reasonable. 

  • We MUST stay in a confined area to be known as a permitted group, as this is a DAY USE only area. This will include both sides of the old runway, as long as we are readily identifiable as a group. 

  • We will provide paper signage for you to put in your windows as identifiers.

  • For everyone’s sanity and dog safety, please keep your dogs under control in the camp area. There are tons of acres for exercising right outside of camp and away from others.

  • There will be a port-a-potty at camp for our use. 

  • Most cell providers do have service at camp & around the West Yellowstone area.

Food Storage

Food storage is always a MAJOR component of our use permit, and good practices allow us to return each year. With last year’s human and grizzly bear fatality in the West area, there will be increased sensitivity to this issue. We won’t be removing your garbage for you, so please plan accordingly.

We will be patrolling each night to be sure no one has left anything out. DO NOT leave anything outside unattended at any time, day or night – this includes dog food, garbage, coolers – even if empty, and anything that has odors to attract wildlife. Cadaver material will be stored in the SAR building. We have never had an issue, (despite tracks that we have seen going right through our camp) and know that our diligence pays off. 


Weather

Weather is highly unpredictable in West this time of year. Be prepared for just about anything for prolonged periods of time.  The higher areas we use may still have some snow patches (yeah for dogs!) and no doubt the streams and rivers will be DANGEROUSLY high, so plan accordingly with your gear.  

Suggested Equipment

  • Bear spray – REQUIRED for all teams in the field

  • FRS radio – channel 5.11 for camp, other channels as designated in the field

  • GPS unit + extra batteries

  • CalTopo [SARtopo] mobile app (Free download for iOS & Android)
    Easy reference to find your area assignments

  • WhatsApp Mobile App (Free download for iOS & Android)
    We’ll use WhatsApp to send out daily schedule + group updates during the weekend

  • Warm / Waterproof Clothing – particularly for our subjects. Be prepared for unseasonably warm, cold, or wet conditions.  

  • Human / K9 First Aid kit

  • Tick prevention

Contact Numbers

  • Bonnie Whitman – (406) 640-0162 • bcwhitman2@msn.com
    Contact for general questions, camping questions

  • Alyssa Hitchcock – (303) 884-2105 • hitchcock.alyssa@gmail.com
    Contact for scheduling changes, issues or questions with registration forms

Other WMSD Team Members:

  • Leslie: 406 570-3887

  • Colette: 406 223-1100

  • Ladean: 406 570-3886

  • Gina: 406 406 439-8497

  • Russ:  406 579-2754