''Quail hunting in south Georgia is a very social sport -- it's not just about shooting birds," said Doug Coe, owner of Pine Hill Plantation. "It's so much more -- it's about being among friends, enjoying the scenery, the dog work and so on...businesses bring clients out here as a great way to get to know each other, and at least a third of our private groups are families."

Located near the town of Donalsonville in southwest Georgia, Pine Hill Plantation offers 6,300 acres of long-leaf pine and wiregrass habitat. Opened for hunting in 1991, the plantation is managed for quail and is the only Orvis-endorsed Wingshooting Lodge that hunts exclusively from mule-drawn wagon and horseback in the classic Southern tradition.

Anyone familiar with the works of Nash Buckingham, Havilah Babcock or Ray Holland has read about this type of hunting, and it's a safe bet that most wingshooters would like to experience it firsthand at least once. I definitely fell into that category, and I traveled to Pine Hill in mid-February of this year eager to give it a try.

We were rolling along in the wagon during our morning hunt when Doug made the above observation. Doug had offered me the chance to ride horseback (and later that day I took him up on the offer) but with a camera and a notebook in addition to a shotgun and other bird-hunting paraphernalia, I'd opted to start the day on the wagon.

This gave me a chance to make some notes, learn something about the habitat and the history of the plantation, plus get a first-rate view of the overall operation. And what an impressive operation it is...the word that kept coming to mind all morning was "authentic."

CELEBRATING THE TRADITION & MANAGING THE RESOURCE
As noted, clients at Pine Hill have the option of riding on a very comfortable mule-drawn wagon or on horseback while following the pointers. "There is no 'mechanized' hunting at Pine Hill," Doug explained. "We don't hunt from jeeps; we do everything in the old Southern gentlemanly way -- it's intended to be a relaxing, enjoyable experience."

Hunt groups of four to six -- with up to four customer horses, a mule-drawn wagon and driver, a huntmaster who rides horseback and an assistant huntmaster/dog handler who also rides horseback -- are called a "hunt party." The wagon carries those hunters who don't ride or prefer a more comfortable seat, plus the pointers in dog boxes on the back, the retrieving Labradors on the front, and of course, a cooler of soft drinks and water for hunter refreshment.

Shooting is limited to two gunners per covey rise. Shooters take turns walking in on points, and shotguns are carried either in saddle scabbards or in a rack on the wagon.

In addition to Doug and myself, our hunt party consisted of two long-time friends of Doug's, Joel Joyce and Hal Ayer; Hal's son-in-law, Jeremy Bill; and photographer Mark Atwater. The hunt crew consisted of Todd Howard, head huntmaster; Steven Coe, assistant huntmaster and dog handler; and Hilton Glover, wagon driver and resident philosopher.

The weather was ideal that morning, with a slightly overcast sky, a light breeze and temperatures in the low 60s. In addition to the wiregrass, long-leaf and slash pine, the cover also included red oaks, live oaks and post oaks, interspersed with stands of grain sorghum, nicknamed "Egyptian wheat."