Quail Hunting in Georgia Preserves Instead of Quail Hunting New York/Ohio/Indiana By Chuck Larsen

www.burntpine.com

For the past 40 plus years I have had the good fortune to be able to pursue wild quail along with hunting them on the better shooting preserves from South Dakota to Mexico. Since wild birds are becoming harder to find, more and more time is being spent at preserves. Those experiences have taught me what to look for in choosing a shooting preserve for a multiple day bird hunt.

• Location, Location, Location…. As in real estate the location of where you are decide to take your bird hunting vacation can enhance and add to the overall hunting experience. Winter weather can be more of a problem with venue choices above the Mason/Dixon line. With dates having to be booked well in advance of the actual hunt, then current weather conditions may be a problem. When the actual time rolls around you may find you´re in the middle of a winter storm advisory and unable to travel. Even if you can travel you may find that the good cover you were expecting is under a foot of snow. But, if for no other reason you need to go south where quail hunting is a tradition and an art form.

• Quality of the birds: One of the biggest improvements over the years has been the quality of the birds that most, but not all preserves are flying today. Gone are the hoppers at most preserves. If you were to ask five different growers what´s changed, you are likely to get five different answers. There are two factors that seem to make the biggest difference. Quail, unlike pheasants, seem to domesticate easily. So, the less human contact while they are growing the better. Two, they seem to work best when they are not held in captivity at the preserve for long periods of time prior to their release. Larger preserves have higher bird turnover and it´s not a concern for them. Some preserves have gone to an early season release program. It can work, but more often than not, the coveys that form become walkers rather than flyers.

• Bird hunting cover: Since I grew up hunting the cultivated field edges and hedge rows found in Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa, and I tend to gravitate to it. That doesn´t mean that I don´t enjoy a classic southern style thinned pine plantation though. It´s a real bonus if you can find both at the same preserve. The key factor is that the place you are hunting has to look natural and "birdie". Preserves sometime try and cut corners when it comes to cover by planting grain strips in the middle of what otherwise would be a pasture. That´s not very esthetically pleasing or fun to hunt.

• Dogs and guides: If you think there is no end to the health care discussion, just bring up good bird dog breeds in a hunting camp and see what transpires. Most southern plantations use English pointers and English Setters. Part of the tradition of real "Bird" hunting in the south. You will find an occasional Brittnay, but German Shorthairs are few and far between down there. I have always found that strange, as I have hunted over both breeds up north with excellent results.

• Facilities and amenities: Preserve hunting isn´t inexpensive. So, after the above topics are covered, why not look for a lodge that has great amenities and good food. Most preserves are located in a rural area, so check to see what adult beverages are available at the lodge if that´s part of you après hunt ritual. It´s impossible to control the weather but a good preserve can control the quality of the food and lodging.

In the preserve business you may find a few cheap hunts, but there are very few low priced good hunts. Good operations which offer consistently good hunts, and have been around for a while, aren´t cheap. Quality comes at a cost, but then there is also often real value to be received for your hunting expenditures. Spending quality time in the outdoors is good for your health. So get out somewhere this fall/winter and go hunting.

For more information on quail hunting contact me c.larsen@mindspring.com or visit where I hang out www.burntpine.com