Living in southwestern Georgia in winter
On a find in the middle of a block, Northwoods Confidante (HOF CH True Confidence x Red Sunshine, 2022), call name Sophie, oozes confidence and style. Photo by Ben McKean.
Jerry and I have reached the age when many of our siblings, friends and clients are retired. Some head off to winter places in Florida, California and other warmer regions with a couple pieces of luggage and few responsibilities.
Not so for us.
While we do head south, we haven’t retired. Our destination isn’t sandy beaches or country clubs. Instead, our vehicles and a horse trailer are stuffed with dogs, training equipment, horse tack, office supplies and all sorts of boots, jackets and hats. We spend the winter training dogs and otherwise taking care of our business.
A decade ago, Jerry and I discovered a small corner of southwestern Georgia. It has a perfect climate, park-like woods to train our dogs and Thomasville, a nearby, charming small town complete with a brick main street, hunting/bird dog vibe and wonderful restaurant and shopping choices. There’s even a health club with a 6-lane, 30-meter, outdoor swimming pool.
But what primarily drew us to this region were wild birds. Beginning in the late 1800s, dozens of vast plantations were established which were devoted exclusively to wild bobwhite quail. Even though ownership and boundaries of many plantations have changed, quail management and hunting traditions remains strong.
Two-year pointer male Northwoods Rudolph (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023, call name Rudy, points on a chopper trail amidst statuesque loblolly pines. Photo by Ben McKean.
Other reasons keep us going back. The overstory of the woods are majestic longleaf and loblolly pines, native to the southeast. The undergrowth, perfect quail habitat, is managed through periodic fires. Buildings—whether houses, horse barns or dog kennels—are landscaped with massive live oaks, dogwoods, redbuds, magnolias, azaleas and camellias.
These trees and shrubs are home to a large, noisy collection of songbirds. A favorite is the native, tiny brown-headed nuthatch that walks up, down and around the pine trunks and branches.
On a chilly morning, mist rises from a small lake bordering the kennels and exercise pens.
All these inducements aside, though, the bobwhite quail are the true magnets. From the first, we fell for their cute size, their calls, incredible camouflaged feathering and covey habits. Most thrilling is the sound of a covey rise when 10-20 birds flush.
Please enjoy the video below of our favorite sound in southwestern Georgia. It was edited during our 2020 winter. Also below are more photographs.
The woods were dry this winter but muddy ponds and puddles were still handy. Layla (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) is normally a beautiful tricolor female with a white body. Photo by Ben McKean.
A tunnel of live oaks, draped with native Spanish moss, leads toward a horse barn. Photo by Ben McKean.
The tradition of training bird dogs and hunting quail off horseback dates to the origin of quail plantations. Blaze, a 16-hands-high Tennessee walking horse, greets us at the corner of his paddock.
Jerry usually trains a brace of dogs and often pairs a young dog with an experienced one. Northwoods Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), call name Dusty, and Northwoods Snowswept (CH/RU-CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023), call name Sweep, share point.