Gundog Training Forum

Hi All

I'm looking for some ideas on how to 'improve' the field at the back of my house for training my spaniels.
The field is approx 1 acre, is fenced and has hedging (not dense) along 2 sides. It is on a hillside and despite sloping it holds water as we are in the wet Ribble valley area of Lancashire.
At present it is mown during the summer months.
I have a wheat feeder at the bottom of the field and currently we attract a few pheasant every day so there is usually some scent around.
Other than walking around it with the dogs hunting the hedgeline or using the dummy launcher i don't tend to use it otherwise.

Any thoughts/ideas on how to make better use of it would be appreciated.

Cheers

retriever lane, hunting/jumping circle, rabbit pen, put brashings down for hunting, mow strips for straight line work the list goes on and on

If I had an acre I would make a rabbit pen... get some willows in for quick cover

Thanks for the replies James and Alpha.
I will get some brashings to put down as extra cover and will definitely have a look at the possibility of putting some willows in as they tend to suit damp conditions.
There will be lots of discarded christmas trees shortly, as well, which will also help to boost the immediate cover.
As to rabbit pens, I do have access to a couple of them locally so that's not a priority.

Tell all your friends to drop there unwanted Christmas tree's off and make a few stick piles, as James said make some lanes just by mowing the grass and letting the rest grow. You could try to get rushes growing in there if it is wet but if you are overlooking it from the house best not to have an eye sore. Some game cover seed planted and all of the above. Your a luck so and so having that to play with a stones throw from your house. Try a local tree surgeon also and ask for unwanted conifer branches etc, the Christmas trees don't last long but the grass will climb up them during the summer. Have fun

Smokey

Mustard is cheap and grows pretty much anywhere and can make nice hunting cover. Willows are great, right time of year too. Pretty much any size of willow twig or branch will grow if shoved in the ground. I'd love to have an acre to play with :jealous:

I have an acre paddock that I have converted for training my dogs.

I have 3 small plantations of wood and cover, which have jumps made out of logs amongst them. The plantations have a number of pheasant feeders scattered around. There is usually a dozen pheasants around which put some nice scent down for the dogs.
One of the plantations is surrounded by a pen which used to be used for rearing turkeys which I am planning on using as a rabbit pen.

I have a small pond in the corner that is fed regularly and attracts a nice number of ducks.

The rest of the paddock is mowed grass.

Help this helps
James