The heart of Southern plantation
quail hunting lies in a vast expanse of wiregrass
and tall pines that stretches from Albany, Georgia,
to Tallahassee, Florida, and encompasses the
broad reaches of the Flint River basis. Wingshooters
from across the country have been traveling
to this region for more than a century to partake
in the ultimate “gentleman’s sport.”
Even though many of the antebellum plantation
homes have succumbed to fire or age and the
pure-wild-bird hunting of yesteryear has been
dramatically reduced, the true essence of Southern-style
quail hunting still lives deep in the heart
of Dixie.
Last March I fled the cold and snow of northern Vermont
for Camilla, Georgia’s Rio Piedra Plantation in
hopes of experiencing that essence. And experience it
I did. The driveway leading into Rio Piedra winds through
one of the plantation’s many stands of loblolly
and slash pine, all of which have been meticulously
thinned to create the classic open setting for south-Georgia
quail hunting. Each spring the woods are burned to keep
heavy underbrush at bay, allowing wiregrass and broomsedge
to grow as ideal understory for birds. Rio Piedra has
more than 2,000 acres of pine woods divided into 21
different “courses” (or quail hunting areas),
all well-managed and inviting to the eye. Prime habitat
combined with an early release program for birds equates
to quail hunting as challenging as you’ll find
anywhere in the South today.
On the first afternoon’s hunt I was accompanied
by Rio Piedra owners Bill and Annie Atchison. We loaded
our gear and guns onto one of the lodge’s quail
rigs, a refurbished Jeep Scrambler with dog kennels
and a bench seat in back and two jump seats on the front
bumper. Our guide, Hartley Horton, already had loaded
up a half-dozen dogs, so we headed off for a course
called the Sink Hole.
For the next three hours
we followed a parade of crackerjack pointers and
setters with names like Zip, Bandit, King and Magic
through majestic open stands of pine. The dogwork
was excellent, coveys were bountiful, and the shooting
was challenging. We ended the day with almost 30
birds.
As with many of the region’s
plantations, the original house at Rio Piedra was
destroyed by fire and a new lodge was erected in its
place. The two-story building has an inviting deck,
an expansive living room filled with leather furniture,
wide-plank floors fashioned from 80-year-old Southern
yellow pine, and large guest rooms with private baths.
The Orvis-endorsed lodge also has a pro shop with
clothing, shells and shooting accessories.
Six of Bill and Annie’s friends
arrived for a couple of days of quail hunting and
joined us for dinner. Rio’s German chef, Dirk,
prepared bourbon pork loin that was a culinary masterpiece.
Other popular entrees include deep-fried quail, grouper
and a host of authentic German dishes.
Quail
hunting licenses are available at
no
charge at Rio Piedra.
The next morning I shared the quail hunting rig with Bill and Annie and one of their friends
from Atlanta. Trampas Thompson, an accomplished
dog handler, was our guide, and again the
scenery and shooting opportunities were magnificent.
We took turns on covey points, stepping down
in pairs to walk in on tightly pinned birds.
After a filling lunch on a deck overlooking
the Flint River, we climbed back onto the jeep
and headed for a special part of the plantation:
the long-leaf pine woods. It was a treat to
see those magnificent trees, with needles
more than 12 inches long.
The last covey of the day
flushed from a clump of wiregrass, streaking
off through the pines like little gray phantoms.
I managed to scrape down a double, which was
a fitting end to my hunt.
Contrary to what some might
think, classic Southern quail hunting is not
a thing of the past. It’s alive and
well at Rio Piedra plantation.
For more information on
Rio Piedra, contact Bill or Annie Atchison, Rio Piedra
Plantation, 5749 Turkey Rd., Camilla, GA 31730; 800-538-8559
or 229-336-1677; www.riopiedraplantation.com.
