Quail Season finale at Deerfield Plantation

Guide retrieves a quail from Turbo for me

English Setter STYLE from Molly

Continuing a trend of quail hunting up until the end of the private lands season, which ends each February 28, I went to hunt bobwhites in Dorchester County. Just south of St. George lies a property that has cobbled together different parts of longtime family farms. Owner Hugh Walters began with his own family farm and then bought the adjacent property which included the historic house which now serves as the hunting lodge at Deerfield Plantation. A mix of hardwoods along Indian field swamp and a sprawling tree farm of pine trees help to define the property, and we hunted in pines that had been thinned and burned looking for five coveys of pen-raised quail. Longtime guide Harry Batten had us hunting over a French Brittany spaniel names Turbo and a classy English Setter with black specks named Molly. Together these dogs did the trick and I was able to pick up a dozen quail during our brief hunt. Then we headed back to the lodge for a home-cooked meal of southern cube streak with rice and gravy, green beans, and pineapple dressing washed down with some sweet tea.

Shooting down for a low bird

Quail finale - photography team

To view past blog entries about the quail season finale click 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009.