Georgia 2013: January training report and photo album
Chablis (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice) finds a covey in tall broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus).
Jerry and I have been in the Thomasville area of southwestern Georgia since January 5 and now are fully in the groove. We’ve even started eating grits, pimento cheese and mayhaw jelly.
Since there were few reported wild coveys on the 600-acre farm where the kennel and house are located, Jerry reserved 175 quail and planned to put out coveys. He explored the grounds to find 12 spots with good cover.
Tripp (Houston x Northwoods Blue Babe) has a beautiful find in the middle of a large strip.
In the afternoon of the day he picked up the quail, we placed 12 birds and spread a bucket of milo at each location. He put the balance of 31 birds in the Johnny house.
After giving the quail a bit of time to settle in, Jerry started working dogs on them. He has also driven the quick six miles to the Miami Plantation, a 2,000-acre plantation managed specifically for wild birds that is part of our farm.
The dogs have pointed quail in different locations and in various types of habitat—including mown and harrowed strips, edges near deciduous shrubs and small trees, in knocked down (un-identified) cane-y plants and near clumps of broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus).
Even though the habitat can be diverse, one genus of plants provides a unifying look and feel to the landscape. Stately pine trees, either longleaf (Pinus palustris) or loblolly (Pinus taeda), tower high overhead.
Franny (Northwoods Blue Ox x CH Houston’s Belle) points a quail covey at the edge of a harrowed strip.
In the shadow of a tall pine, Liz (CH Magic’s Rocky Belleboa x CH Houston’s Belle) nails a covey.
Choice (Gusty Blue x CH Houston’s Belle) has a nice find on a covey that was buried in dense cover at the edge of field.
Setter puppy Manhattan (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chardonnay) and Labrador May (rather unusual but not unprecedented for May) score a divided find while stylish setter puppy Rickey (Blue Shaquille x Snyder’s Liz) backs.