SOUTHWIND PLANTATION

They call it the quail belt—a swath of bobwhite-rich ground stretching from Albany, Georgia, to Tallahassee, Florida. And nestled in the southwest portion of the belt is SouthWind Plantation. Comprised of more than 5,000 acres of fields, longleaf-pine forest, wiregrass understory and live-oak and cypress bottomlands, this picturesque private estate has been intensively managed for quail. Hunters travel the rolling hills in jeeps or in traditional fashion on mule-drawn wagons and horseback. Professional guides run dogs from a kennel of about 70—a mix of pointers, English setters, German shorthairs, Brittanys and English cockers—with hunters setting up on pointed coveys before the flushing dogs are released. (SouthWind also breeds and sells its own line of English cockers.) In the evenings guests enjoy meals prepared by award-winning chefs and accommodations in one of seven uniquely furnished lodges—including the main lodge, overlooking a 20-acre stocked pond. With such great hunting and amenities, it’s little wonder that SouthWind draws sportsmen to the quail belt again and again.