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Shoots and Tours

Join Readers & Writers Afield Next Season

The Lindskov family has built a diversified farm and ranch beginning in 1934 that has grown to 60,000 acres of high prairie straddling three counties in northwestern South Dakota. Now run by second and third generation stewards, the Lindskov Ranch is among the largest family-owned land parcels in the Dakotas, offering a huge variety of terrain and plenty of room for gamebird habitat management.

The Lindskovs offer spectacular wingshooting and hospitality at Firesteel Creek Lodge on the ranchlands and on 60,000 more adjoining acres. The ranch’s extensive grassland and riverine systems of breaks and flats hold sharptail grouse and Hungarian partridge, and because of its sheer size—allowing the lodge to manage hunter pressure—hunters at Firesteel can expect some of the best wild-bird hunting from a lodge anywhere on the American prairie.

Of course, Firesteel Creek guides guests to a delightful plenty of ringneck pheasants, but here, because of extensive management of cropland and other habitat, much of this population is wild birds as well. (There is an area permitted for preserve hunting as needed.) Enjoy classic South Dakota field drives or follow guide and dogs into the thick edges by day, and enjoy an evening cocktail and fine dining at the main lodge, a 5,000-square-foot ranch house built in impressive style for 1916.

Shooting Sportsman’s Contributing Editor Bruce Buck—writer, gentleman, a fine shot, freelance bon vivant and an old hand at these things—will host our group for three days of hunting in early November. Guests will arrive Friday, Nov. 7 and depart Tuesday morning, Nov. 11. The cost of $2,375 includes license, ammunition and transportation between the lodge and the airport at Bismarck, North Dakota. In fact the only expenses not included are taxes, gratuities and the cost of shipping birds home.

We'll reconvene on  the hallowed ground of classic southwest Georgia quail plantations—to 3,500 acres near Albany at Quail Country Plantation. Quail Country was among the first in the state to develop quail hunting as a business a few decades ago, yet it has only recently expanded to allow a broader public access to the plantation’s extensively managed hunting grounds.

The recent changes began with the right man for the job: Bill Bowles was born and raised in ‘quail country’ and has learned the region’s bird-hunting business from the ground up. As the new manager Bowles has overseen the expansion of Quail Country’s beautiful rustic lodge to 13,500 square feet and 15 bedrooms, with a dining room, two lounge areas and an outdoor deck and pavilion that overlooks water.

Several guides and lodge staff followed Bowles to Quail Country, a testament both to the loyalty he inspires and to their talents for providing Southern hospitality and top-notch fieldwork. Bowles has also overseen the growth of one of the area’s finest kennels and hunting dog programs, and Quail Country puts out pointers, setters and German shorthairs that complete the wingshooting experience, plus intense cockers and springers to put the coveys to flight. Hunting on thoughtfully designed courses, guests traverse the plantation in jeeps or a custom-designed hunting buggy.

Our group—again hosted by Bruce Buck—will arrive at Quail Country Plantation on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 for three days of hunting, departing Sunday, Jan. 11. The cost of $2,875 includes license, ammunition and transportation between the plantation and the Albany, Georgia airport. The only expenses not included are taxes, gratuities and the cost of shipping birds home.