The tradition of hunting Bobwhite Quail in North Carolina has been preserved over the years by practitioners of controlled hunting clubs. As wild native stocks of quail have diminished, these tradition-preserving properties have flourished. Proper hunting practices for wild quail, as described in Robert Ruark’s The Old Man and the Boy instruct us to shoot only one or two birds out of a covey, per year, thus ensuring the continuity of the stock, availing the avid hunter of future sporting pleasure. But the days of State Senator Nathaniel Macon, c.1780’s, a Warren County, NC founding father, are over. He was often heard to utter the words “a man should not live near enough his neighbor to hear his dogs bark”.

So it was today in the shadow of the ghost of Sen. Macon, on a hunting preserve, that I had the pleasure to join my friends, Bill Morris, Warren Davis, and dogs Toby--seen below--and Brandy, first year in the field, for a day of hunting in Carteret County.




A north wind blew in cooler air, and we adapted our approach to hunt to the North through the fields, so the dogs, especially the yearling Brandy, could wind the planted birds. We had a great day, collecting some birds for the table, training for Brandy, and memories for all. Living in Carteret County couldn’t , really, get much better. And I hope Senator Macon might think that too, if he had joined us in the field today.

Tags: Bobwhite Quail,Pointers