Hello everybody;
I surely do wish we had phesant around here (Georgia) to hunt in the numbers available in other parts of the country! There are some offered on the hunting "plantations" here in Georgia, but, they are pen raised or imported and released for the purpose of being shot. Those "plantations" are about $800.00 per day (meals are included, drinks are extra) propositions. They really encourage corporate clients -- you know the kind of deal where the exectutives do the hunting, the corporation foots the bill, and a portion of their party gets a tax write off.
Now, quail are in much lesser numbers, but if you know where to look they can still be found in Georgia contrary to myth. I am speaking of Bob White quail. There is a covey that lives behind our house, but that particular covey is so small it would be (to me) unetherical to hunt them. Of course there is always quail available at the $800.00/day plantations! But I'll just go to the Dept. of Natural Resouces Wildlife Management Areas, or to some local landowners that I know that don't care if I hunt a few quail as long as I don't shoot the cows (which I don't). Generally, the quail do not live on sections of the land heavily populated by cows has been my experience anyway. They prefer the edges of wooded area, fence rows, and areas that have broom sage and / or briars.
To me, bird hunting is not about how many you get, but instead that you went and the experience you had. When I was a teenager, I felt I had "failed" if I didn't bring many home. Now, honestly, 2 quail is as good as 12 -- as long as I went bird hunting.
I would LOVE to get to try out grouse hunting someday! I hear they are very fast flying birds. It is my understanding that people that are priviledged to be able to live in areas where grouse are available wouldn't trade it for any other bird. Of course, I cannot imagine trading the Bob White quail for anything else. But I have heard fantastic stories about the excitement of grouse hunting. Please describe it to me. Is it anything like what I see in the media like the grouse hunting in Scotland? Is the US grouse and the UK grouse similar? (I mean in flight speed and evasion tactics -- I realize that in the US, birds are shot over dogs, whereas in the UK birds are driven).
Those of you guys who love grouse hunting, I would highly recommend a book by Mike Gaddis titled, "Jenny Willow".
DHE
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