Shooting Sportsman, September – October 2002
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.
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.
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