COME ALONG ON QUAIL FOREVER AND FRIENDS' HUNTING ADVENTURE FOR ALABAMA BLACK BELT BOBWHITES
A belly full of fine food. The scent of longleaf and loblolly pine on the late winter air. The sound of horses nickering and dogs whining. The sight of a staunch pointer locking down on another covey of quail. The vision of a little cocker spaniel bringing your prize back to hand.
Alabama is a special place indeed, and we went there to hunt the little firebird princes of the pine savanna -- the bobwhites of the Black Belt.
To find out more about Alabama Black Belt quail hunting, visit
Alabama Black Belt Adventures.
Southern hospitality: The lodge at at Senandoah Plantation, headquarters for the hunt.
Fortifying for the first morning's foray: Breakfast at High Log Creek Preserve.
Getting ready: Pre-hunt safety talk at Shenadoah.
Guide Kinsey Rolling saddles up our transportation: Much of the group rode horses at High Log Creek Preserve.
Gentle steeds: The horses knew the drill well.
Who says scabbards are just for rifles in the mountains?
Riding out: Note the white speck of a pointer up ahead, already looking for birds.
Jeri Madden of Jon Kohler and Associates loved her ride. She shot plenty of birds, too.
Lulu the cocker rides along in the wagon, patiently waiting to perform flushing and retrieving duties.
We rode specialized hunt wagons at Shenandoah Plantation.
Quail Forever Editor Chad Love (standing) does his best General Patton imitation at Thomas Harris's Gusto Plantation.
Quail Forever graphic designer Emily Snyder (left) and Realtree's Steve Hickoff ride like royalty in a parade.
Thomas Harris chauffers a crew including Quail Forever president Howard Vincent (bottom left) and Board Member John Thames (top left) to the next point.
Point!
Flush!
Emily Snyder walks in on a covey.
Pushing in on another covey.
Gusto Plantation.
Videographer Jake Schiller exchanges video camera for shotgun.
Steve Hickoff in action.
Quail fly fast, yes!
Bob St. Pierre, Quail Forever V.P of Marketing, swings on a big covey at Great Southern Outdoors Wildlife Plantation and picks out a bird.
Pointers at Shenandoah.
"Thank you!" High Log Creek Preserve Guide Kinsey Rolling accepts a retrieved bird.
Back on board: Oh, I have to give this back? I'm holding onto this bird as long as possible.
Elegant feathers in hand.
More feathered beauty.
Pheasants Forever Editor Tom Carpenter (known merely as "Carp") shot a double at High Log Creek Preserve.
Another double, this one for Howard Vincent at Gusto.
What could be better than a meal featuring quail for a hungry quail hunter?
Dessert never hurts.
Rex Pritchett and crew at Great Southern Outdoors.
Rex Clark gives Carp the story of High Log Creek Preserve.
Thomas Harris always wears a smile when ferrying hunters around his beautiful Gusto Plantation.
The sun sets on a perfect Alabama day spent with good dogs, big coveys of quail, and great people.
Here's what a pine savanna quail hunter sees in his or her dreams.