The need was apparent. The demand was high, but supply was low. Wild quail hunting in the Volunteer State was nearly nonexistent.
Farming acreage was at a premium and the farmers were utilizing their ground to within five feet of either side of fencerows, as opposed to what used to be five yards on either side of fencerows. These tall, warm weather grasses used to be safe havens for bobwhite quail to feed, rest and lay their eggs in the safety of cover. The farmers couldn’t be to blame. They had to feed their families and worry about weather and crop prices. Land was renting for a premium. They had to become as cost-efficient as possible, utilizing every square food of tillable ground.
The wild hawk family is a protected species. It is too bad that we can’t protect our resident wild quail from these bird devouring machines. I have been told that they are the number one predator of wild quail. The same sources informed me of the second feasters of “quail cuisine is … get this … the domestic house cat. If you really think about it though, it makes sense. If you have ever watched a cat hunting in the grass, or in a field, that are stealth in fur.
The fact remained that there are still a great number of quail hunting enthusiasts in Tennessee and the surrounding states. Granted, Quail Unlimited, the TWRA, and other conservation groups have initiated programs offering seed, researched advice, and even paid programs for landowners for planting and maintaining suitable habitat to bring the bobwhite quail population back to the prominence it enjoyed fifty years ago. We researched and visited with wildlife biologists, Quail Unlimited, the TWRA, and others.
We visited upland bird hunting reserves, seeing everything fro shoddy, boot em’ and shoot em’ services to lavish, plantation style, quality hunting preserves.
With the information garnered, we decided to open up “Quail Gone Wild.”
Our plan was to open up an upland bird hunting preserve that was the closest thing to preserving the concept of hunting wild quail as it could be. We took 100 acres, built a 17 acre pond on it, and planted it in milo and sunflowers. I brought my good friend, Stuart Wolcott in as a consultant. In my opinion, there is no one in the Mid-South, who is more knowledgeable about habitat and game. We purchased 3000 adult quail, that were weather and flight conditioned, and bought two broke Brittany Spaniels, that came from a championship bloodline and were trained by my friend, Kenneth Smithson, of Kenton.
Then, I contacted every quail hunting enthusiast and established guide service operator I knew, and picked their brains on how to provide quail hunters with the “closest experience to wild bird hunting imaginable.”
We put in a trailer with deck, purchased a deluxe, stainless steel grill, built a dock that reaches out to the pond, and decorated the inside of the trailer to look like you just walked into Bass Pro Shops.
My sources explained that the ambiance of the hunt was important. So, we decided to replace the normal soup and sandwich fare, with a choice of Southern Style, golden fried quail, or rib-eye steak as entrees, both coming with all the trimmings. We even offer limousine service from the lodge to my partner’s fine restaurant {Crawdaddy’s} and nightclub {On The Rocks}.
We are still looking for one or two quail hunting enthusiasts {maybe retired gentlemen}, who love to hunt and have excellent people skills, to run some of our hunts. We made our hunts affordable, at $125.00 per man. We began manicuring our acreage in strips to mimic crop rows, and let the fencerows grow wild in warm season grasses.
Our five year plan includes purchasing adjoining acreage, adding chuckar and pheasant, and even offering European-style, tower hunts. I promise you that you won’t regret booking a hunt with us at “Quail Gone Wild.”
For contact info, you can email me at twoww@ocol.net. Come out and experience the days when “Quail Gone Wild.”
|
When you come to “QUAIL GONE WILD” – UPLAND BIRD HUNTING PRESERVE, you will feel like you have been transported back in time to when the Bobwhite quail thrived in the Deep South!Our birds are flight trained to simulate actual “wild bird” hunting at its best. Our guides are experienced, lifelong bird hunting enthusiasts and our dogs are top-notch. We have developed our acreage to be the exact replica of the type of warm weather grasses, crops and fence rows that wild quail once thrived in. |