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Hunting Bobwhite Quail on a Southern Plantation

The nostalgia transports upland hunters to a time long forgotten.

Hunting Bobwhite Quail on a Southern Plantation

The opportunity to hunt these handsome gamebirds amongst the pine groves of the Red Hills is a famous southern tradition. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)

The aroma of a well-worn leather saddle permeated the unmistakable pine perfume as I dismounted the palomino-colored Tennessee Walker. Underneath the canopy of long leafed pines and dense but manicured briar hedge rows, I felt oddly at home despite being several thousand miles from my humble abode. 45 yards in front of us, a handsome pair of nearly pure-white pointers, staunchly locked on point, indicated that they had located our quarry. A tangible sense of excitement filled my lungs as I pulled the 28-gauge Browning Gran Lightning from the scabbard and began to cut the distance between us and the dogs.

25 yards, 15 yards, 5 yards. The chiseled shoulder muscles of the locked-up English pointers quivered with anticipation. Without warning, the underbrush erupted, sending a dozen or more feather bombs buzzing in every direction. I frantically danced around trying to pick a bird, but my efforts were fruitless. Mesmerized and paralyzed by the sights and sounds of the covey rise, I stood in awe without firing a shell.


Few traditions are as entrenched in the Americana of the deep South than that of hunting the venerable bobwhite quail. During the Post-Civil War era, many of the old plantations were purchased and converted primarily into recreational properties, several specifically for quail hunting. The staggering numbers of wild quail quickly spread and hunting these handsome gamebirds in the South began to take on a world of its own. Hunting the “Gentleman Bob,” as they were often referred to, very much became a social event, complete with a team of trusted steeds for the hunters and a mule drawn wagon to haul around the prized bird dogs. Novelty shotguns, well trained pointers, and time in the saddle, tied together with the adrenaline rush of a covey rise, has carried this timeless hunting tradition on for more than a century.   

Growing up as a western upland hunter, the bobwhite quail was foreign to me. This last fall I was extended an incredibly gracious opportunity from a good friend to experience a traditional Southern quail hunt for myself that far exceeded any and all expectations that I could have dreamed of. The opportunity to hunt these handsome gamebirds from horseback amongst the towering, long leaf pine groves of the famed Red Hills region was a rare experience that transported me back to a time long forgotten.

southern plantation quail hunter on horseback
The outside world gets drowned out by the rhythmic motion of a horse combined with the warming sun, quartering bird dogs, and quality company. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)

Bobwhite Quail Hunting Paradise  

The Red Hills region, nestled among the sprawling pine forests between Albany, Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida is widely recognized as a quail hunting Mecca. This incredibly beautiful, biodiverse region of the Red Hills encompasses over 400,000 acres of fertile land and, thanks to tireless conservation efforts, boasts one of the highest concentrations of bobwhite quail in the country. But that is not by chance. The Red Hills region is comprised of more than 100 plantations, all of which make a concerted effort to preserve their quail hunting heritage passed down over the last century.

Situated in the heart of the Red Hills, right along the Florida/Georgia line, lies a slice of quail hunting paradise that I was fortunate to call home for a few days. As we entered the plantation, the paved road meandered through the meticulously manicured landscape that left me in awe of its beauty with every turn. Mature long-leaf pines dotted the landscape with a carpet of wire grass and briar pockets flourishing below the canopy. The distinct whistle of a bobwhite in the distance greeted us as we unpacked and prepared for the afternoon hunt. Joining me on this special experience was my wife as well as my mom and dad.

southern plantation quail hunting with wagon
Hunting the Red Hills is taking a step back in time to engage in the time-honored southern tradition of bobwhite quail hunting. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)

After settling into our rooms, we were ushered to the field where we met up with the general manager and dog handler of this plantation, Chris Craver. Craver has been working full-time in the quail hunting world for 21 years and is an absolute wealth of knowledge and a genuine southern gentleman. After a brief introduction and orientation, we saddled up and a pair of English pointers were turned loose. We hadn’t been in the saddle for 10 minutes before Craver lifted his hat to signal a point. My first experience with a chaotic covey rise of quail left me dumbstruck with my inability to pick a bird and pull the trigger. Craver simply chuckled and we carried on. Luckily, I pulled myself together the rest of the afternoon as we worked our way through the plantation and put up more than a dozen coveys of birds. In the hustle and bustle of the world we live in, serenity is not something easily obtained. The outside world was completely drowned out by the rhythmic motion of my horse combined with the warming sun, quartering bird dogs, and quality company.

southern plantation quail hunting with pointing dogs
Pointing dogs are often used to locate birds on plantations, with flushers used to flush and retrieve. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)

Dedicated Conservation

Over dinner that evening with Craver and his wife, I had the opportunity to pick his brain a little more about the plantation and some of the conservation efforts that they put into bolstering and preserving the quail. Craver and his team work year-round to ensure the quail on the plantation have the best chance for survival. “As soon as our quail season ends, we address cover and feed issues starting with prescribed burns,” said Craver. After the prescribed burns, they spray other undesirable grasses that are missed by the burns and implement an intense predator control program to keep the “egg eaters” at bay as much as possible. Possums, racoons, and armadillos are the primary culprits. “Even on an extremely good year, we will only have a 30 percent hatch survival, most years we are more around the 15 to 20 percent mark,” said Craver. “It’s a tough road for the quail.”

southern plantation quail hunter holding browning shotgun with dead bobwhite quail
The sad reality across most of the South is that bobwhite quail numbers have been drastically declining for years, mostly due to habitat loss. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)

Another unique practice that they have implemented is building “brood fields.” In early fall, Craver and his team disk up large areas and leave them to grow over with rag weed. By mid-spring when chicks begin to hatch, these “brood fields” provide a dense cover that gives the quail protection from winged predators and foster a home for insects, their primary source of protein. Come early fall when those chicks that survived have reached adulthood, they disk the brood fields to flush the birds out into the areas where they are huntable and begin the process for a new brood field all over again.

Die-hard quail hunters are as passionate as any niche of hunters that I have spent time around, going to great lengths to conserve and preserve the sport they know and love. In the Red Hills region, an organization called Tall Timbers is leading these conservation efforts. Known for their bobwhite quail research program and their experience and understanding of the science behind prescribed burns, perhaps the most important effort that Tall Timbers has headed up is that of conservation land easements. Through these land easements and trusts, Tall Timbers has permanently preserved more than 150,000 acres of the Red Hills region from ever being developed. The magnitude of these conservation easements and the impact that they will have on the preservation of the bobwhite quail for generations to come is monumental.

A Timeless Southern Tradition

With no need to rush, the morning hunt began at 10 a.m. after a leisurely drive along the sandy roads to another corner of the plantation. By the time we arrived, the mules had been harnessed, dogs were loaded, and horses saddled. The morning sun was as high as our spirits as we made our way along the groomed course. It didn’t take long after the dogs were turned loose before we had our first point of the morning along a dense hedge row. My dad took one side and I took the other as we walked parallel with Craver towards the locked-up dogs. Once even with the dogs, Craver began beating the brush with his flushing whip, also referred to as a crop. Not three yards under the closest dog’s nose, 20 or more quail frantically burst out of the briars in a bundle of chaos. Unlike the first covey from the previous day, I was able to keep my composure and opened the day with a double on the rise.

english cocker spaniel retrieving bobwhite quail in grass field
English cocker spaniels are often the top-choice retrieving breed when bobwhite quail hunting on southern plantations. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)

As we continued our way through the field, I caught myself daydreaming in the saddle watching the dogs zigzag back and forth through the endless rows of cover and scattered timber. Watching a pair of well-trained bird dogs do what they are meant to do is truly a living and breathing work of art. The dozen or so bird dogs that live on this plantation live the high life, getting 65 plus days of bird work each year. Most are pointers with lineage tied to legendary trainer and breeder, Ferrell Miller. Craver also runs a couple of English setters, although the heat they often deal with makes it more suitable for the short-haired pointers. No traditional quail hunt is complete without an English cocker spaniel riding shotgun in the wagon eagerly awaiting the command to fetch a downed bird. Dutton, the little English cocker that accompanied us on most hunts, was an absolute joy to have in the field and a sight to behold when it came time for her to do her job.

“The beauty that is encompassed in quail hunting from the land, to the guns, to the dogs, is just something special,” said Craver. I couldn’t agree more. Honestly, I lost track of how many coveys we pushed over the next couple of days or the number of birds we may have shot.

What I vividly remember is the pure rush of adrenaline in my veins every time a covey of quail erupted at my feet. The smell of burnt gun powder lingering with the morning dew. Watching the pointing dogs fulfill their God-given drive to hunt over and over again. Laughing at the easy shots that were missed and reliving the difficult ones that resulted in a quail tumbling to the ground. But, what I remember most is the shared camaraderie, stories told from the saddle, and the overwhelming feeling of gratitude I felt to have experienced such a special tradition in the Red Hills.

southern plantation quail hunting shooting shotgun
These little feathered speed demons provided some extremely sporty shooting with sporadic flight patterns and no two covey rises ever being the same. (Photo By: Jaclyn Heward)


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