Hunting Preserves Can Extend Your Season

by Herb Allen

Despite gallant efforts put forth by state fish and game commissions to provide and maintain public hunting land, bird hunters annually lament waning opportunities to pursue their favorite pastime.

Unless Nimrods join a private hunt club, lease their own property, or have a friend who owns bushels of acres, those of us who enjoy a day in the field chasing quail or sitting quietly in a blind calling up a wild turkey increasingly are in a quandary about where to go.

A possible answer to this dilemma may be a well-run private hunting preserve that assures customers of plenty of birds, top guides, and superb dogs.

For beginning or veteran woodsmen, a hunting preserve provides a natural environment with plenty of bird cover. Many will have provisions for handicapped hunters, and they're a great place for dad to teach his son or daughter the hunting basics.

Business people who lack the time to hunt conventionally, or city folks who cannot maintain hunting dogs and vehicles in an urban locale, will find preserves a godsend.

In addition to natural game bird populations, preserves have pen-raised birds which are released and present challenging targets.

Many states offer year-round preserve hunting with no bag limits on many species, and most have some sort of on-site trap shooting facility affording shotgunners an opportunity to sharpen up their skills prior to the hunt.

Certainly one amenity that everyone appreciates is a quality bird dog, and most preserve kennels have several with sharp noses and an ability to hold to a point. Those who have their own dogs can often board them at preserves for training.

Available game birds at commercial preserves often include quail, chukar, pheasant, wild turkey, and ducks. In season, some preserves will offer dove shooting, while others may feature many varieties of exotic game animals from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Wild hog and deer hunting are sometimes options.

Some commercial hunting preserves offer food, lodging, airport pick-up, licenses, ammo, and loaner guns.

There are more than 1,000 commercial hunting preserves located throughout the United States, and many are situated near heavily populated areas which make it possible for residents to enjoy half or all-day hunts within easy driving distances of their homes or offices.

Preserve prices vary depending upon accommodations, amenities, and facilities.

For a basic price, hunters will have a guide, a vehicle, several dogs, and a guaranteed opportunity bag a limit of birds. After collecting a limit, they have an option to continue hunting and pay an additional fee on a per-bird basis.

There are probably quite a number of commercial hunting preserves located close to metropolitan areas throughout the country and anyone wanting to learn the locations, prices, etc., can contact Wing & Clay, a New Jersey publishing company that puts out a comprehensive guide to wing and clay shooting.

They can be contacted by writing: Black's Wing & Clay, P.O. Box 2029, Red Bank, NJ 07701. Call 908-224-8700, or fax them at 908-741-2827.


Copyright (c) 1996 Herb Allen. All rights reserved.

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