Quail Hunt with my son

Friday, February 18th, 2005. I am working on a customer's house (Marvin). I got there early and asked what he was going to do when he went to his farm. He says "I HAVE A SHOOTING PRESERVE AND I HAVE TO GUIDE A HUNT THIS MORNING". My ears perk up, my eyes glaze over. I have wanted to go on a guided quail hunt for years with my son, but our schedules haven't worked out.

It's about a 2-3 hour drive to most of the big hunting plantations in Georgia, and fees run about $350.00 per man for a 1/2 day for 12 birds.

My son is flying in from Fairbanks (Ft. Wainwright), Alaska tomorrow! Can you work us in before Thursday? Yes! How much? $160.00/1 hunter 12 birds, $230.00/2 hunters 24 birds or $300.00/3 hunters 36 birds. Guide, dogs, birds dressed included. WHAT A DEAL! And a 20 minute drive from the house.

Yea, I know that pen raised birds aren't that hard to hunt, but a hunt is a hunt.

Sunday afternoon and Denny (son) and Bubba (my brother) are with me for the first of many Crabtrey bird hunts. I have my O/U 28 guage, Denny has a Remingto 870 20 guage, and Bubba the unyielding and uncouth is hunting with a raggedy oly wore out single barrel XXX Hardware store 12 guage with a Four Tenner 410 insert.

We're off! The dogs are working great, the birds are flying OK and we are having a blast! A couple of hours and 13 birds later, we break for a cold drink and a rest. My back/hip is killing me. Time to dose up on the lortabs and head back out. Late afternoon, 16 birds later we're done for the day.

Resting back at the van waiting for the guides to finish cleaning our 29 total birds, we reflect on at least one day of our sorry lives well spent; Denny missing a hovering bird 3 times, Me opening the breach instead of releasing the safety and waiving it at the departing bird, and of course Bubba's not 1 but 2 bird hits at 4 feet. Explosive!

If there is a Heaven for rednecks, birds, dogs, guns, friends and family will all be there.

Great times.

  My two brothers (one is from Florida and his name is Bubba) with my son and nephew go on a preserve bird hunt every year the friday after thanksgiving.  We get 30 birds and they supply the dogs, and clean the birds.  Really a great tradition.  With lots of laughs like you say.

BEAR

Good luck dad.  Our prayers go with him.

BEAR