If you’re a hunter, and you have the sudden urge to bag a variety of upland game birds, you need not go farther than Tecumseh.
Dave Martin, a native of New York, owns and operates Quail Ridge Hunting. The business encompasses about 500 acres southwest of Tecumseh, and visitors can hunt quail, pheasant and chukar, as well as shoot sporting clays.
In case you are wondering, a chukar is an upland bird indigenous to the mountainous Northwest. It is about three times the size of the 6-ounce bobwhite quail, Martin said, and he refers to them as “quail on steroids.”
“They’re a lot of fun to hunt,” he said. “They always fly real well.”
Martin pen-raises all of his game birds before releasing them onto the property. The birds are shipped to him from breeders in Oklahoma and Texas.
It is the breeders’ business to breed the birds for hunting preserves, Martin said, and preserves like Quail Ridge Hunting fill the void of low numbers of wild upland birds in their areas. Many hunters, he said, take advantage of preserves’ year-round operations to keep their hunting dogs in shape for upcoming statewide designated seasons.
Martin was raised in upstate New York and was born into a love for the outdoors.
“I was lucky. I grew up with a trout stream and hunting right out my back door,” he said. He describes his home turf between Rochester, N.Y., and Buffalo, N.Y., as “picturesque.”
At age 18, Martin joined the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in 1984 and has been an Oklahoman since.
Martin began looking for a place of his own to hunt on when his son was 11.
“I wanted a place for him to be able to hunt on,” he said. He found 120 acres for sale southwest of Tecumseh, and in 1999 Quail Ridge Hunting was born.
Hunts were booked for the property before Martin even closed on it, he said.
Martin initially opened the property for hunters without the use of guides, but by 2001 his needs changed. Not many hunters had their own bird dogs, and business was picking up.
“We saw there was a need for guides,” he said.
At one time, Martin employed five to six hunting guides with dogs, but now has three who are regular workers. Guides for Quail Ridge Hunting are selected from the operation’s membership list, and each is paid a guide fee per hunt.
Martin recently added sporting clays to his list of activities, and he hosts summer camps for youth and retreats for a handful of churches. Even Boy Scouts stop by to earn their shooting badges, he said.
The property boasts an office; cabins that sleep four people each; a bunkhouse that sleeps 20; and a pavilion that seats 150. All the structures bear a natural, rustic appearance, but electricity and running water are included.
Martin said running this type of business is more work than he thought it would be. Guiding hunters is the fun part, he said. Behind the scenes, he works on bird pens, maintains sporting clays machines and performs basic management. Many similar operations are closing because of the large workload, he said.
More and more hunts are being booked on his property, Martin said, and he estimates that last year 3,000 hunters took part in a total harvest of 14,000 quail, 5,000 pheasants and 2,000 chukars. There is no bag limit per species, he said, and hunters pay up front for a specified number of birds to be released.
“We’re growing,” he said. “It used to be a Friday, Saturday kind of thing. We’re starting to book more during the week.”
Preserves like Quail Ridge Hunting do not have to follow seasons set aside by the state for upland bird hunting, and hunting would be available on his property year-round if weather were not a factor, Martin said. The summer months are just too hot.
“We could really hunt year-round if we wished, but we don’t because it’s just too hot for the dogs and the birds and the hunters,” Martin said.
Those interested in hunting at Quail Ridge Hunting still must have a valid Oklahoma hunting license or a 10-day preserve permit available from Martin. Preserve permits are only valid on the land they are purchased on, he said.
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Jason Smith may be reached at 214-3932.
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If you’re a hunter, and you have the sudden urge to bag a variety of upland game birds, you need not go farther than Tecumseh.
Dave Martin, a native of New York, owns and operates Quail Ridge Hunting. The business encompasses about 500 acres southwest of Tecumseh, and visitors can hunt quail, pheasant and chukar, as well as shoot sporting clays.
In case you are wondering, a chukar is an upland bird indigenous to the mountainous Northwest. It is about three times the size of the 6-ounce bobwhite quail, Martin said, and he refers to them as “quail on steroids.”
“They’re a lot of fun to hunt,” he said. “They always fly real well.”
Martin pen-raises all of his game birds before releasing them onto the property. The birds are shipped to him from breeders in Oklahoma and Texas.
It is the breeders’ business to breed the birds for hunting preserves, Martin said, and preserves like Quail Ridge Hunting fill the void of low numbers of wild upland birds in their areas. Many hunters, he said, take advantage of preserves’ year-round operations to keep their hunting dogs in shape for upcoming statewide designated seasons.
Martin was raised in upstate New York and was born into a love for the outdoors.
“I was lucky. I grew up with a trout stream and hunting right out my back door,” he said. He describes his home turf between Rochester, N.Y., and Buffalo, N.Y., as “picturesque.”
At age 18, Martin joined the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in 1984 and has been an Oklahoman since.
Martin began looking for a place of his own to hunt on when his son was 11.
“I wanted a place for him to be able to hunt on,” he said. He found 120 acres for sale southwest of Tecumseh, and in 1999 Quail Ridge Hunting was born.
Hunts were booked for the property before Martin even closed on it, he said.
Martin initially opened the property for hunters without the use of guides, but by 2001 his needs changed. Not many hunters had their own bird dogs, and business was picking up.
“We saw there was a need for guides,” he said.
At one time, Martin employed five to six hunting guides with dogs, but now has three who are regular workers. Guides for Quail Ridge Hunting are selected from the operation’s membership list, and each is paid a guide fee per hunt.
Martin recently added sporting clays to his list of activities, and he hosts summer camps for youth and retreats for a handful of churches. Even Boy Scouts stop by to earn their shooting badges, he said.
The property boasts an office; cabins that sleep four people each; a bunkhouse that sleeps 20; and a pavilion that seats 150. All the structures bear a natural, rustic appearance, but electricity and running water are included.
Martin said running this type of business is more work than he thought it would be. Guiding hunters is the fun part, he said. Behind the scenes, he works on bird pens, maintains sporting clays machines and performs basic management. Many similar operations are closing because of the large workload, he said.
More and more hunts are being booked on his property, Martin said, and he estimates that last year 3,000 hunters took part in a total harvest of 14,000 quail, 5,000 pheasants and 2,000 chukars. There is no bag limit per species, he said, and hunters pay up front for a specified number of birds to be released.
“We’re growing,” he said. “It used to be a Friday, Saturday kind of thing. We’re starting to book more during the week.”
Preserves like Quail Ridge Hunting do not have to follow seasons set aside by the state for upland bird hunting, and hunting would be available on his property year-round if weather were not a factor, Martin said. The summer months are just too hot.
“We could really hunt year-round if we wished, but we don’t because it’s just too hot for the dogs and the birds and the hunters,” Martin said.
Those interested in hunting at Quail Ridge Hunting still must have a valid Oklahoma hunting license or a 10-day preserve permit available from Martin. Preserve permits are only valid on the land they are purchased on, he said.
———
Jason Smith may be reached at 214-3932.
