A Worthwhile Read

If you are reading this blog then chances are you are interested in wildlife, and wild places. I would like to pass along a recommendation for book I just finished for the second time, For a Handful of Feathers, written by Guy de la Valdene. I read this book for the first time probably 5 years ago and at that point was ignorant to the work and effort that goes into shaping a piece of land into a haven for wildlife.

For a handfl of Feathers is one year look at an 800 acre quail farm located in the redhills of North Florida, approximately a hour south of Bollingbrook. Valdene shares his thoughts on quail management, hunting philisophy and even his culinary adventures with wild game. These topics have always been of great interest to me, but after having my own place and working to shape every square inch into my vision Valdene's words have much more meaning than the first time around.

While at times the frenchmen is less than complementary about southern cooking, and deer hunters. I can't say that I disagree with him on many isssues. Furthermore, Guy de la Valdene is successful in his elequent description of the joy, pride, heartache and frustration that comes with hunting quail, living with bird dogs and working one's own land.

October 24th, 2008 - Sparring Match

I arrived at the farm on Thursday afteroon excited to see how the pond was coming along. I was amazed when I made the first turn on the two track road and saw at the bottom of the hill, a deep red clay whole much larger than we had planned. Gerald said it was going to work and I really didn't have a choice but to believe him. Shortly thereafter the rain came and did not stop until Friday afternoon. I spent the day inside with Krisitn and Hudson just relaxing, and watching our duck pond fill up with water.
When the rain broke I snuck out to the big field to sit for a hour or so before dark. Bored, I decided to get down and walk. As I approached the point where the planted longleaf meets the soybean field I saw two does wander out into the field. I sat on the ground and enjoyed the show, minutes passed and six more deer where in the field including two 2 1/2 year old six point bucks who put on quite a sparring match for me. The wind was in my face and and the wet conditions supressed my scent so much so that two of the does came within 15 feet of me! They never spooked and as the moved to the low end of the field I crept up and back towards the house.