Pardubice Hunters Restore 1949 Training Centre Known as “Dřevák”

The hunting association in Pardubice has completed the reconstruction of a training centre originally built back in 1949, known locally as “Dřevák” — from the Czech word for “wood,” since the building was originally made of timber.

According to association representative Dittrich, only the foundation remained of the old structure. The new building is now brick-built and insulated, making it usable year-round, including through the winter. Inside, new social and sanitary facilities have been added — something the complex had long lacked.

The centre specialises in training children and young people in hunting. It prepares candidates for hunting exams, firearms permits and hunting licences. It also hosts events for children and teenagers, dog-handling camps and shooting competitions, as well as advanced training courses for gamekeepers working in specific hunting grounds. In the children’s clubs, young participants learn to identify dog breeds and tree species, distinguish between animals, and determine which are considered pests and which are predators.

The reconstruction cost roughly ten million crowns. Half of that sum was provided by the city of Pardubice, the Pardubice Region and a private foundation. The association raised the rest on its own — by selling off some of its property.

The Pardubice region is largely flat, with a high share of agricultural land where roe deer thrive particularly well. In areas with denser forest, wild boar are also found. The regional association of Pardubice brings together 70 hunting clubs with roughly 700 members in total. According to Dittrich, an interest in hunting is often passed down through generations within families.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz