SEEDS Quail Hunt A Big Hit

With more than 200 quail and 30 pheasants in the field, kids on the SEEDS quail hunt had experiences they will never forget.

Chatter, chatter, chatter was all that could be heard in the bird-hunting fields at Clybel Farms located just outside Covington. With the dogs pointing and the kids shooting, there was enough for the 15 participants to talk about for a lifetime.

On March 7 there were 15 kids from Henry, Cherokee and Pickens counties gathered for a day of quail and pheasant hunting with breakfast and dinner mixed in between and a little sporting clays action to end the day. The event was solely sponsored by the Henry County and the Cherokee-Pickens banquet committees who paid for the entire event from local-committee monies raised at their respective local GONetwork events.

With more than 200 quail and 30 pheasants, J.R. Landruss, the caretaker of the plantation, helped give these kids a hunt they will never forget. The kids were able to hunt behind some great bird dogs ranging from pointers to setters and just about everything else in between. From the moment of the first point, excitement was the norm all day long. The first pheasant flush of the morning made all the hearts flutter with amazement at something the kids had never seen before.

The kids along with their dads or moms were invited to come the night before and stay in a cabin provided by J.R. Landruss and Clybel Farms. The accommodations were great as about 25 folks scattered sleeping bags and cots from the front of the cabin to the back deck where a few braved the unseasonably warm air to sleep outside. As the kids arrived, pizza was ordered and then the tall tales began to flow through the group. Hunting stories from just down the road, to Africa, to Argentina, Colorado, Idaho and finally back to our own great state. How much of the stories were actually true or not we may never know, but the kids seemed to hang on every word and added a few lines of their own.

Saturday morning was much anticipated as all went to bed to get ready for the next day that would be filled with firsts. After breakfast the kids were given upland bird-hunting vests to keep and use in their future hunting trips and a Case XX pocket knife. At last the fields were made ready, and the dogs began to show up. The kids divided up and hit the fields with great anticipation. The command “hunt dead” was heard all morning as the kids blasted away at some great flying birds.

After the birds were cleaned, Bobby Yeargin, Jeff Scott, Jacy Scott and Donna Scott had dinner ready to eat. With a meal of hot dogs, hamburgers a drink and chips, everybody got full. Then it was time for the prizes. A new over-and-under shotgun, binoculars, bow cases, arrows, scopes and almost anything else pertaining to the outdoors were given to each of the 15 kids. Congratulations to Daniel Holcomb, of Canton, who won the grand prize of the day, the shotgun.

After lunch and prizes, sporting clays were a great day-ending activity for the kids and the dads. Much like the day started, it ended.

Chatter, chatter, chatter…Special thanks to Harry R, Garrett, who donated all the door prizes with the exception of the shotgun, Lawsons Homecenter and J.R. Landruss with Clybel Farms.