What's the size of your training grounds?

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petrey10
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What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by petrey10 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 4:14 pm

I know you all probably have some huge training areas. But realistically how many acres do you absolutely need? Just curious what's everyone's opinion is.

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deseeker
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by deseeker » Sun Jan 03, 2016 4:28 pm

All I do now is run my dogs in hunt tests, so I can get by with small training grounds---My main 3 are between 13 acres to 80 acres. I do have a couple smaller 1 acre to 10 acres spots,that I just use for bird work and backing---the 1 acre site is out my front door---I have tall grass clumps(3' tall) and tall grass lines(2' to 3' tall) that aren't mowed in my front yard :D :D My neighbors are used to my shooting birds in my front yard :roll: :roll: It's great to live in the country :!: :!:

petrey10
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by petrey10 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:00 pm

Yeah I live in the country and contemplating making an acre or so plot for training

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displaced_texan
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by displaced_texan » Sun Jan 03, 2016 8:27 pm

petrey10 wrote:Yeah I live in the country and contemplating making an acre or so plot for training
How big running are your dogs, and how big do you want them to run?

Neil
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by Neil » Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:04 pm

When sent North to the prairies a couple Summers, and then kept in condition through roading, I have developed winning All-Age dogs on as little as 80 acres. For hunting dogs you could make do on 20 acres, with a trip to larger ground ever month or so. But you have to road them to keep them in shape.

I do most of my breaking yard work in one acre.

You just have to learn to do the best you can with what you have.

JAG06
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by JAG06 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:51 pm

How little you can get by with to make it work and what you need to do your dogs genetic potential justice are two different things IMO. You can teach the mechanics on small acerage, but to develop a real bird dog you need space and birds.
It also dictates how you can train - very regimented on a few acres - or enjoy seeing your dog learning about scent, birds, likely objectives etc early without having to worry about dog getting out of your area - without having to put lots of control on a dog before you have let him become a bird dog. IMO it is much more fun having a motor before you have to put on powerful brakes.

I guess it also is a personal thing. I would not enjoy training dogs on 30-40 acres - it would take so much enjoyment out of starting pups for me that I would probably just not do it. Some people enjoy regimented training with pups, pigeon poles, check cords, launchers, helpers etc etc. Personally it takes all the magic out of starting a pup for me - although there are people that do it expertly with great skill.

I am starting three 12 week pups now - I take them out every day. First on a johnny house with some slow quail, getting them to stay in front, they discover the birds, chase and you see them really turn on. Then I go another place with johnny house quail that fly out 3-400 yards. Let out the pups and have them stay in front until we get on the birds. One sees every day the development - and this in the normal cover they will hunt in - with broomweed, prickly pear etc.
Then in a week or so when they really fly when coming out of the truck, then I will start loading them on the mule - drive until I see some wild quail and take them out and put on the covey- let them flush and try hunt up the singles.

This period with a pup is the most enjoyable, seeing them learning every day, and just gently getting them to handle and stay in front - the birds have to teach them the important lessons. They have to learn about scent, about where the birds are to seek out the right objectives etc. This is where you put the foundation for a bird dog, and the better foundation you have before you start to finish a dog IMO the more of a dogs potential you will have left in the fully trained dog.

I am not saying there is a right or wrong - anything that works and is enjoyable for you is the right thing for you. For me personally I enjoy this experience tremendously starting a pup this way - and if it would not be enjoyable I would just do something else. The time for breaking a dog will come soon enough, best he has been on as many game birds as possible before that time. Prevent lots of potential problems and make your job as a trainer much, much easier.

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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by Neil » Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:38 pm

With at least 2 Summers on the northern prairies, and intense conditioning through roading I have developed winning All-Age dogs on as little as 80 acres. I do most of my steadying on 1 acre. Would need even less for a hunting dog, if you can take them to larger land to get/keep a pattern on them once a month or so.

It is about making the most out of what you have.

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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by gonehuntin' » Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:18 am

Neil wrote: It is about making the most out of what you have.
Yes. You can teach a dog all the basics on an acre or less of land but you can't finish him there. To finish a dog you have to expose him to different conditions and birds in different locations. Once he understands and is solid in his basics, the wild birds will take over and finish him.

petrey10
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by petrey10 » Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:34 am

Dogs would be pudelpointers going thru Navhda system. Obviously I would need to have some water to train for that but I got some water within 4-5miles that would work.

Not trying to train trial winners. Just trying to make convenient training area to prize 1 pudelpointers

petrey10
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by petrey10 » Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:35 am

I would have pigeons and maybe a Johnny house on site. Would be roughly 1.5 acres...

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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by RayGubernat » Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:54 am

When I lived in NJ. my main training grounds were my back yard which was about 30X50' and my side yard which was about 40X100. I would go to a private club to which I belonged or state land on weekends. Both were over an hour away. The last dog I developed in NJ was RU horseback puppy of the year and had multiple horseback shooting dog placements as an adult.

I moved down to DE onto a 10 acre piece of property. The house, barn and pastures comprise about 7 acres and there are two parcel that are left in an "overgrown state, which I can work dogs on. I can road dogs on these reas and around the perimeter of my property. There is a wildlife management /dog training area about 20 minutes from my home, that I use frequently to road and free run the dogs. It is about 300 acres. The first two dogs I developed down here had multiple AF Shooting Dog and multiple AKC Gun Dog and All Age placements. One of those dogs took enough placements in AKC all age trials to be awarded a Field Championship. The year she got her FC, she was, I think, the #4 AKC pointer in the country, for whatever that is worth.

Oh yeah, all of her points were first place points and were earned in Shorthair trials. She beat a total of something like 70 dogs during her campaign for her FC. Not too awful bad for a longtail with a bumbler(me) for a handler.

I have had several successful field trial dogs that I developed on my ten acres since then. There were a couple that did a creditable job when I put them in AF Amateur all age stakes.

Oh and FWIW, I also hunt all my dogs on preserves or state lands and they do just fine for me. Just had a hunt with my son on a preserve this past weekend. The field was about 40 acres or so. Had three different dogs down and each had at least three finds. We had 8 birds stocked and drove home with 11 birds in about 2 1/2 hours. The dogs were ten, six and four years of age. One dog mishandled one bird and one other dog failed to back one time. The rest of the contacts were fine, and obviously, the dogs hunted to the gun fairly well. A couple of times the dog went with the dropped bird, but since I do AF stakes, that ain't a real big deal...and it is easy enough to fix if I need to.

If I had more property, there are things I would do differently...for sure. But....

RayG
Last edited by RayGubernat on Mon Jan 04, 2016 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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NEhomer
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by NEhomer » Mon Jan 04, 2016 9:21 am

I'm extremely fortunate to have a huge parcel of woods and swamp surrounding my rural log home. State WMA's are just a short drive away.

I strapped the Alpha on my setter all summer and just let him chase a nice population of woodcock that hung around. They practically trained him for me as he's nicely staunched up here in his first year. Of course I also did a release trap with pigeons but I swear the wild birds did more for him than I did.

It must be very difficult to always have to travel to a training ground.

fuzznut
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by fuzznut » Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:46 pm

Raised and trained several FC's on 20 acres with access to about 60 acres owned by neighbors. Luckily we lived in the more rural area of our county, so could road dogs along power lines and some other land nearby.

But almost all serious training was done on our 20

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DGFavor
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Re: What's the size of your training grounds?

Post by DGFavor » Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:49 pm

What's the size of your training grounds?
Pretty good size:
http://www.vimeo.com/120995376

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