2009 Quail Unlimited Wolf River Chapter #605 Annual Youth Hunt

By Jurey Howard and Johnny McFarland

In the extreme northeast corner of Shelby County lies the Jerry Payne Quail Farm and Preserve, where the Fifth Annual Quail Unlimited Wolf River Chapter Youth Hunt was held Saturday, November 7th. On a cool morning, when later the temperature would reach ten degrees above normal, twenty-three youths and thirty supporters made the trip down the gravel of Jerry Payne Drive and parked, surrounded by the barns, quail pens, clubhouse, and bird dogs that were staked by the pond, restive and yapping with excitement.

Blaze-orange was the fashionable color of the day, which featured safety education, clay bird shooting, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with the trimmings, and morning and afternoon quail hunting in the crisp, autumn fields beneath a warm, gentle sun.

This year's hunt was dedicated to the memory of Billy McLemore. Billy was an avid bird hunter and a dedicated member of the Wolf River Chapter. He passed away in October after a long battle with cancer. The hunt was financed in part by a generous grant from the NRA Foundation awarded through the Memphis Friends of the NRA. The NRA Foundation supports those organizations and programs that ensure the continuation of our proud shooting and hunting heritage and has awarded over $70,000 in grants in Shelby County alone. Safety equipment for the hunt was donated by Allen King at Grainger Supply, Chad Onash with 3M, and Tom Gray at North Safety products. Volunteers such as hunter safety instructor Gene Smith joined the chapter members in preparing for the hunt. Phil Ramsey filmed much of the action to be shown in an upcoming episode of "Inside the Wildside" on Channel 14. The goal of the Youth Hunt is to introduce the next generation to the time-honored sport of quail hunting in a day when the traditional pastime has all but disappeared, as bobwhite populations have drastically declined due primarily to the problematic loss of productive habitat.

A "warm-up" at the clay pigeon target site was the first event, where the youths were divided into five groups and mentored with shooting instruction and safety protocol. After each group finished shooting, shotguns were shouldered for the march to one of the five fields where the handlers were to loose the bird dogs among them Brittany Spaniels, German Shorthaired and English Pointers, and English Setters to scour the fields seeking the Bobwhite Quail. The handlers first went over the rules and re-emphasized the safety protocol that would have to be followed for a successful and enjoyable day afield. A safety monitor was appointed to each group, who in turn counseled and positioned each youth in a strategic manner at each successive point of the bird dog to insure that the trailing gallery of other youthful hunters and their parents and guests were secure.

 Most who revere the sportsmanship of quail hunting advocate that there is no more tense and exciting moment of anticipation than stepping into the cover waiting for the flush of a hidden, crouching quail before the timeless, statuesque point of a bird dog. Likewise, the natural jolt of adrenaline that follows the exploding flush and the furious flapping of wings as one endeavors to lock in on the fleeing, flying blur of feathers to fire a shot is a moment unlike any other. No matter whether one is seven or seventy, that experience never grows old; and memories of such remarkable moments linger a lifetime.

At noon everyone gathered at the rustic clubhouse for the picnic lunch, after which Gene Smith distributed the various hunting-related gifts such as camouflage, hunting clothes and accessories, gun cases, game calls, and canteens that had been donated by members, Ducks Unlimited, Friends of the NRA, and other sponsors and were the objects of many a youth's curiosity, as they were spread out on a large tarpaulin for all to see. Then, the groups marched back into the fields for an afternoon that would make for a full day of excitement and some tired bird dogs.