Not talking down to anyone, redfishhunter, I honestly had no idea what he's talking about, and I see absolutely no point to his post, other than to insult others, which I don't like because this is a pretty friendly place.

Re-reading it, I'm assuming he disagrees, on some philosophical grounds, with the entire notion of asking private landowners for permission to train on their property, that it's somehow trying to get something for nothing, that if I were a real man I'd go out and buy my own, and that my failure to do so is some sort of ethical defect for which he's condemning me.

I think that's such a silly and insulting notion to so many that I don't even know how to address it, so I won't try. If someone feels that way, fine. But my point is, this isn't the forum for that.

This, as I stated before, is a simple, non-political, non-contentious blog post about sharing tips for saving a little gas money. Nothing more. And I don't want to see it get hijacked and veered off on any tangents, as so many others do.

I myself grew up in a small town. I love small towns. I have lived in big cites and the suburbs. And I just love small towns, with the obligatory small town restaurant where every one gathers for ham and eggs on Sunday after services. My dream (not necessarily the blondes dream, but mine), when I retire is to own a small farm or ranch near a small town, Just enough to grow some vegetables, an apple, pear, plum tree or 2, corn and may be deer plot/stand and sell what I don't eat at the local farmers market. Maybe grow some grapes and make some home made wine, And maybe get a big dog and a small tractor and maybe a couple of old oaks with squirrels in 'em.

Will I get what I dream for? Not bloody likely, She likes cities. What's my point? Not sure I have one this time. Oh yah; Sometimes you have to live where you have to live; not where you want to live. Thats my point.

This sounds horrible, and it probably is, but I recently switched churches to one that owns a fair bit of land adjoining it. I guess I'll have to answer to that one at the gates of heaven, but for now my dog is happy.

Also, I hate to see Chad talk down to his readers like that. Labrador makes a valid point. If your life revolves around your dogs, which I completely understand, then maybe a little effort should be put forth to obtain your own training ground, rather than spending so much time trying to use other peoples.

No, it's kinda childish. F&S doesn't have any of my personal information so they couldn't send me free stuff even if they wanted to. I pay absolutely no attention to plusses of minusses or points or stars. Again, it's all kids stuff as far as I'm concerned. And there are more than a few little kids on this forum. Some of them in their fifties.

Read you loud and clear, Labrador12... us hunters/fishermen have been paying for the wild for too long so everyone else can enjoy it... the same ones that would take away all our heritage has to offer if given half the chance...

I would rather live in town and leave the country to the birds, deer, close-knit farmer communities, etc. Labrador, if we all moved to the country it wouldn't be country anymore. That is essentially what's happened to most of Montana where I'm originally from. My hat's off to any surburban fella like Chad who decides to be more "green" on every plane and live in town rather than rural. As he has emphasized, dog training in the country can still be done economically even in these difficult times if one is careful and puts some effort into getting things organized from home first. Google Earth is a great resource and would undoubtedly save a pile of moolah otherwise spent driving around. Look for potential places via G-Earth, make a list, go to the land registry office with the list of places and convert it to landowner names, go home, use 411 internet site to find their phone numbers, ring them, up and explain what you'd like to do and ask to meet up to show them the dogs and what they can do, etc. I'm betting the absentee landowners would be thrilled to have someone keeping an eye on their place from time to time.

And I disagree with your entire premise. In the long run it certainly WOULD NOT be more cost effective to buy a piece of real estate out of town simply for dog training. You still have to drive there or build on the place. And how cost effective would the latter be? Still have to drive in to town to take the kids to school (or have the folks in town pay taxes for the bussing costs to ferry your kids around), get groceries, go to work, go to a movie, etc., etc. And then there's the cost that the municipality or utilities incur keeping those much less densely spaced rural homes serviced. Someone please explain to me why my taxes in town are four times what they are for a place outside of town when the cost of providing the same services to those places is about four times more. And why are we in town paying the same electricity and natural gas rates as those guys living here and there way out in the boonies when it costs exponentially more to maintain service for them than it does for me? It toques me off to no end that those of us who choose to reduce our carbon imprint by staying in organized communities are paying the bills for those who carelessly disregard their carbon imprint.

My wife and I relocated 8 years ago for her to be able to take her dream job. We bought a nice house on some rural property 5 1/2 miles from where she works. I had a company vehicle with a gas card most of the time we lived there. My job disappeared in 2009. We decided that even with her short commute, it would be more affordable to sell one vehicle and move into the village so she could walk/bike to work. I now work in the same village and walk/bike to work and the grocery stores and we still grow many vegetables in town. Now my groceries do not come with a fuel cost on top of them, we have no commuting costs other than shoes and bicycle maintenance, we are healthier and I have more money available for diesel to go hunting/fishing/shooting.

Diesels a motor fuel for big trucks but thats not important now. Sorry, 784512 couldn't resist.

I love my truck just as much as the next guy does, but whenever possible I hop in my small 37mpg Toyota Yaris. I can top off my tank for 30 bucks and explore until i get tired.

I'd add one more thing Chad. My new wife works for a company in Mpls, Mn. She telecommutes. She makes good money and when she hangs up the phone and turns off the computer she can walk with the dogs and me down to the pond and watch eagles and osprey fish. We can catch dinner. This is 2012, technology is allowing more and more people to live this way.

So driving all over is green? That's not a large carbon footprint? So all the small farms that are going broke and are being sold for development is a good thing? You should pay more for a house in town or in a development than for a house, a barn, and 100 acres? You are welcome to your opinion, but I think that you are horriblly confused. Of all the decisions I've made in my life my buying my land has been one of the best.