Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:58 pm
I know you said you don't want to join a group, but that's exactly what you should do. You'll get access to grounds, birds, and most importantly, HELP you.
Check out the local retriever clubs. The HRC club [url]llhrc.org[/url] has training most saturdays at various locations, including Kelley Farms and the AKC club [url]nfhra.org[/url] has training on Wednesdays at Kelley Farms. Both clubs offer the training days free for members.
I've had some luck just knocking on doors as well and asking for permission. Training dogs is easier for some people to let you on their land for than actually hunting. You can also purchase a training pass at Kelley and access the land anytime (4000+ acres), but that is much more expensive. I think $250 for the year last time I had a pass there.
Anyway, you probably already figured something out, or just got busy with something else for the summer...