As lifelong residents in the mountains we have farmed cattle, horses, and timber.
in Clyde, North Carolina and our hunting preserve is in nearby Spring Creek.
We also operate a seasonal Christmas tree farm at our Fines Creek location.
Visit us in the winter, wander through our tree farm, and select your “perfect “ Christmas tree!
We have customers who return year after year!
ABOUT THE QUAIL WE RAISE
female bobwhite quail
During the 1950’s and 60’s quail were very common in North Carolina.
But in subsequent years their numbers declined as their habitat (fields)
reverted to forests, or old farms became urban developments.
Related to chickens and turkeys, you may have heard them referred to
as partridges, too.
As we know… most birds live in trees, but not quail. Instead they live on the ground and at night hide in ground thickets roosting in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, facing outwards to detect danger.
During the day they walk to hunt for food searching for insects, seeds, and fruit.
If a predator such as a snake or fox approaches they will either stay in place, outrun the predator, or take flight.
To identify a male from a female just look at the feather colors on their head. A male has a white patch under his neck and a white line above his eye.
The female’s feathers are light brown, although both genders have a combination of brown, black, white, and buff colors which offer camouflage.
quail pen at Split Mountain Farm
To ensure quality we only breed bobwhite quail. They are raised in a large flight pen measuring 72′ x 14′ x 12′. This large pen is a desirable feature when raising quail to prepare them for their eventual release on a hunt.
Bobwhite quail prefer a weedy field or meadow as native grasses and shrubs offer them protection from their predators. Prior to your hunt we will release the birds into a zone on our preserve. You’ll quail hunt from 1 of 3 dedicated zones that are surrounded by over 700 acres of wooded mountain land.
CHARACTERISTICS OF BOBWHITE QUAIL
Breeding:
1-2 clutches per summer/laying an average of 12-14 eggs per clutch.
Size:
average length- 10″
average weight 5-8 oz.
wingspan- 9-11″
Life expectancy:
short life span; less than 20% live to be a year old
A 3 year old quail is considered past “middle age” and a 5 year old quail would be considered very old.
Predators are the main cause of death but luckily quail are very productive breeders .
Migration:
none; they live in small flocks called coveys
just a week old little quail in his hands
CALL US AT: 828.627.6392