WHY HUNT A QUAIL PRESERVE

Combo Quail Hunt

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you want someone to become excited about fishing and have lasting memories about the sport, then take him to a place where you know he'll catch plenty of fish. You can follow the same plan for successful hunting. If you really want someone to get excited about hunting, take him on a hunt where he can shoot at numbers of birds, regardless of wind, weather and other hunting conditions. That's why I recommend you go to shooting preserves. If you live in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas or some parts of New Mexico where plenty of wild quail thrive, shooting preserves will not seem as attractive as to hunters in states east of the Mississippi River, which have extremely low quail populations. But in states east of the Mississippi River, you can have a fun time finding and taking numbers of birds at a shooting preserve. Most shooting preserves also will allow you to shoot more than the limit for an extra charge. Let's look at several reasons to hunt shooting preserves.

When you hunt wild game, you can't predict what the weather or the game will do. To ensure a successful deer or turkey hunt for my friends and myself, I usually will plan at least a one-day hunt at the quail preserve. Then I'll have a successful hunt, regardless of whether the deer move or the turkeys gobble. For the people you hunt with to have success, regardless of hunting and weather conditions, plan to take them to a quail preserve. Don't forget the birds that you take at the preserve will make a delicious meal. Here's a list of some quail preserves in Louisiana and how to contact them.

LOUISIANA

Ace Hunting Club
19337 Rush Rd., Abbeville, LA 70510
(318) 643-2910 Contact: Gerald Patin
40 mi. from Lafayette
Acres 12,000 Type Public, Member On Site Clubhouse, Meals Shoots Tower, Blinds Birds Ducks, Geese Dogs Avail Packages 1/2 Day, 2-30 guns

Bon Amis' Hunting Club
301 Greenhill Circle, Broussard, LA 70518
(337) 837-5944 Contact: J.P. & Rochelle Theriot
85 mi. W of Baton Rouge
Est 1996 Acres 500 Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Meals Shoots Field Birds Quail, Pheasant, Chukar Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 1-10 guns NAGA

C&C Game Birds Hunting Preserve
612 W. Main St., Broussard, LA 70518
(318) 837-6782 Anytime Fax (318) 837-6782 Contact: Charles E. Langlinais
150 mi. W of New Orleans
Est 1980 Acres 1,000 Type Public Shoots Field Birds Chukar Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 1-4 guns

Delta Ridge Ranch
PO Box 159, Carencro, LA 70520
(318) 896-1600 Contact: E. Blanchard
Shoots Field Birds Chukar NAGA

Doug's Hunting Lodge
194 Specklebelly Rd., Gueydan, LA 70542
(800) 888-0960 Anytime Contact: Doug Sonnier
40 mi. SW of Lafayette
Est 1969 Acres 5,000 Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals, Clays Shoots Field, Tower, Blinds, Boat Birds Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Chukar, Snipe, Ducks, Geese Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 1-54 guns

Dry Creek Ranch
1925 Kingrey Rd., Ragley, LA 70657
(318) 666-2657 6:30-5 Contact: Josh & Rane Sills
30 mi. NE of Lake Charles
Acres 2,000 Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals, Clays Shoots Field, Tower, Blinds Birds Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Chukar, Ducks Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 2-20 guns

The Florence Club
PO Box 8470, Metairie, LA 70011
(504) 837-5766 Fax (504) 837-5766 Contact: Pam McLemore
Est 1926 Acres 5,000 Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals Shoots Field Birds Pheasant, Ducks, Geese Dogs Avail

Golden Ranch Plantation
146 Coteau Du Cypre Lane, Gheens, LA 70355
(504) 532-5221 Contact: Lanny Lades
55 mi. W of New Orleans
Est 1988 Acres 26,000 Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals, Clays Shoots Field Birds Quail Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1 Day, up to 10 guns NAGA

High Point Shooting Grounds
1637 Marengo St., New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 656-7575 12-6, W-Su Fax (504) 656-7575 Contact: Donald Vallee
15 mi. SE of New Orleans
Est 1989 Acres 120 Type Member On Site Clubhouse, Meals, Clays Shoots Field Birds Quail, Pheasant, Chukar Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 1-4 guns

Land of Lakes
Rt. 3, Box 93, Ville Platte, LA 70586
(318) 363-6310 (318) 363-6310 Contact: Woodson Harvey
150 mi. W of New Orleans
Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals Shoots Field Birds Dove, Pheasant, Chukar Dogs Avail Packages 1/2 Day

Pecan Brake Lodge
437 Bob White Lane, Shreveport, LA 71106
(318) 865-1444 (318) 865-1444 Contact: Frank G. Harris, III
On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals Shoots Field Birds Woodcock, Snipe, Ducks Dogs Avail/HDW

Pin Oak Mallards
711 Hwy. 15, Rayville, LA 71269
(318) 248-3549 Contact: Ace Cullum
15 mi. E of Monroe, LA
Acres 2,670 Type Public, Member On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals, Clays Shoots Field Birds Ducks Dogs Avail/HDW
PIN OAK MALLARDS "Best Damn Duck Club in Louisiana<190>" with modern rustic lodge overlooking duck reservoir. Price includes 3 meals; lodging; experienced guides, excellent callers; loaner guns; bird processing; crappie fishing; airport pickup service; brochure available; flooded timber hunting; flood rice field hunts in pit blinds; boat to heated blinds or wade hunts; $250 per gun per day; airport pickup; clay shoots. Call Ace Cullum (318) 248-3549.

Plum Ridge Shooting Preserve
PO Box 364, Arcadia, LA 71001
(318) 263-2850 (318) 263-2850 Contact: John M. Futch
50 mi. E of Shreveport
Type Public, Member Shoots Field Birds Quail Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, up to 3 guns

Smokin' Gun Lodge & Guided Ventures
6229 Chaisson Rd., Lake Charles, LA 70615
(318) 582-HUNT Contact: Charlie LeDoux
15 mi. NE of Lake Charles
Est 1994 Type Public, Member On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals Shoots Field Birds Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Chukar, Ducks, Geese Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day NAGA

Southern Wings Plantation
114 Lakeview, Delhi, LA 71232
(318) 878-3825 Contact: David McEacharn
Est 1995 Acres 2,000 Type Public On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals, Clays Shoots Field Birds Quail, Ducks Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, up to 15 guns

Tallow Creek Shooting Grounds
Hwy. 1077, Covington, LA 70434
(504) 893-1951 Anytime (504) 893-1951 Contact: Mike Dunnington
35 mi. N of New Orleans
Est 1994 Acres 450 Type Public, Member On Site Clubhouse, Meals, Clays Shoots Field, Tower Birds Quail, Chukar, Ducks Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 2-4 guns NAGA

Triple C Farms
312 Grammont, Suite 402, Monroe, LA 71201
(318) 361-0170 8-5, CST Fax (318) 361-0170 Contact: Tom Jones/Lee Ainsworth
Est 1997 Acres 3,400 Type Public Shoots Field Birds Quail, Pheasant, Chukar Dogs Avail/HDW Packages 1/2 Day, 2-4 guns

Wild Wings Hunting Preserve
PO Box 26, Downsville, LA 71234
(318) 982-7777 (318) 982-7777 Contact: Steve Bryan
75 mi. NE of Shreveport
Est 1979 Acres 2,000 Type Public, Member On Site Clubhouse, Lodging, Meals, Clays Shoots Field Birds Quail, Pheasant Dogs Avail/HDW

TOMORROW: SOUTHERN QUAIL PRESERVES