There’s an axiom in sports journalism that says, “The smaller the ball, the better the writing.” Debatable though that may be, I’ve found, to some extent, the same principle holds true with the size of game when it comes to outdoor writing. The smaller the game, the better the story, and stories of upland bird hunting, quail hunting in particular, stand out as some of my favorites of all time.
Many elements of nature conspire to make the pursuit conducive to good writing. Quail season opens on Thanksgiving Day and closes after Major League Baseball players report for spring training, so there’s no terrible rush. In fact, because of the climate and the length of the season, the opportunity is there to avoid any weather that’s too hot or too wet. Walking the fields and hedgerows, too cold is scarcely an issue.
The interaction with the dogs brings another element into play. Not so much a companion as a teammate, pointers and setters live to work, to run with the wind in their faces and answer their instincts — much the same reason we’re out there ourselves, though walking suits my instincts just fine.
The shotguns we carry typically hold a lot of memories of their own, connecting us to moments and people from the past with their every swing and volley.
And the birds … the birds live and thrive in their own segment of the environment, and in one that’s often an allegory of our own lives. They spend their days working the edges of nature. Edges of fields, edges of cover, edges of sunlight and shade. They hide in tall grass and closely-mown strips. Their story is one of safety and danger and the small spaces we afford them in the world. These places are theirs, and they’re returning where allowed, but we’ll come back to that.
Overall, it’s a pursuit that invites you to come at your own pace, to arrive on your own schedule. The dogs and birds will do what they will do and, on the rare occasions that find all three parties singing from the same sheet of music, the experience is one to remember. Every day that finds you afield with a shotgun in hand and a cold breeze at your back is one to remember, though, because it’s the simple things that make up the best parts of any experience, and bird hunting is all about simplicity, no matter how complicated we seek to make it.
For too long, days like these have been only memories, but thanks to people like Jimmy Bryan and his family, with Prairie Wildlife near West Point, who are dedicating family land to an effort tailor-made for wild quail habitat, there’s a quail hunting future in store for generations to come.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
