A good quail hunt is where great friends and good dogs make memories that stretch beyond the field. Life changes, but traditions endure. Turkey Hill Plantation is a sportsman’s dream, a bird haven in a pristine Southern landscape, complete with majestic live oaks, pines, and plenty of wire grass and little bluestem grasses to support the quail, whitetail deer, ducks, and dove.
Quail season starts the Monday before Thanksgiving and goes through March 1. I think about it once there’s a chill in the air.
I remember the anticipation of the hunt once the road narrowed and I approached a sign that read Turkey Hill Plantation. I pulled through the gates onto a dirt road with a canopy of live oaks that led to a stately white brick two-story house. From there, my car bounced along a rustic path, trying to avoid potholes through tall timbers to Log Hall, where I came to a clearing and met up with my group and plantation manager, Canada.
A strong wind was blowing as I got out of the car. I wrapped my wool scarf up snuggly around my neck and shoulders, now realizing I had forgotten my gloves. Canada led us all inside, where a crackling fire at one end of the room warmed us. Morning sunshine cast its rays across wide plank floors. By the time the coffee pot made its final gurgle, we were seated and ready to get our instructions.
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