Bobwhite quail hunts in New England

When most hunters picture bobwhite quail country, they see Georgia pine plantations or Kansas wheat fields. Rhode Island doesn’t feature in that mental map — but it probably should. Tucked into 3,500 acres of conserved wilderness outside Richmond, The Preserve Sporting Club & Resort has built a quail hunting program that competes with anything the American South can offer, set against the backdrop of one of New England’s most spectacular landscapes.

The man behind it is Paul Mihailides — known universally as Mr M — a self-made entrepreneur who purchased the abandoned property from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in 2014. Where others might have seen a development opportunity, he saw something rarer: a chance to restore a forgotten hunting tradition. “We’ve brought back something that was commonplace in this region 200 years ago,” he explains. “This area was once prime quail habitat, but as forests reclaimed the farmland landscapes, quail populations declined. What we’ve done is try to recreate those historical conditions.”

The result is a quail hunting operation that runs from late September through to the end of April, seven days a week, across ten to fifteen distinct hunting grounds for bobwhite quail hunts plus a 2,600-acre wildlife sanctuary.

How a day’s hunting unfolds

Bobwhite quail hunts at The Preserve begin at the lodge over breakfast, while dog handlers ready their working companions — pointers, flushing spaniels, or a combination of both, depending on the party’s preference. Then comes a moment that immediately signals this is no ordinary shooting day: transportation to the fields by horse-drawn wagon. Two black draft horses pull a distinctive red wagon through the morning mist, carrying the hunting party toward grounds that have been months in the making.

Once afield, parties of up to six hunters work in a parallel line, rotating positions after each flush to ensure everyone gets time on the trigger. Smaller groups move more intimately with the dogs, at a pace dictated by the habitat rather than any timetable. Hunts run anywhere from 90 minutes to five hours. The bobwhite themselves — sourced from licensed breeders and released into purpose-designed cover — are strong, fast-flying birds. Push them through dense sorghum and any assumptions about released game evaporate quickly.

At day’s end, the bag is laid out against a cedar peg rail in the main field for the traditional game display: a quiet ritual of appreciation that has closed a good day’s shooting for generations of hunters.

A habitat built for wildlife

What separates The Preserve from a straightforward shooting estate is the seriousness of its land management. The hunting grounds are not repurposed pasture or hastily planted food plots — they are meticulously designed ecosystems, developed in close partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), whose inspectors visit twice yearly and consistently commend the operation’s approach.

Native switch grasses grow shoulder-high across hundreds of acres, interspersed with partridge pea that provides both food and cover. Strategic plantings of sunflower and sorghum add height and seed. Controlled burns renew grass vigour at carefully timed intervals. Dead timber is assessed for ecological value before removal. “We’re not trying to maximize one species at the expense of everything else,” says wildlife biologist and operations director Eric Northup, a lifelong Rhode Islander who has shaped much of the habitat program. “This is about creating a working ecosystem that’s healthy, diverse, and resilient.”

That philosophy extends to the resort’s development model. Rather than spreading 287 home sites across the full acreage, cluster development principles were applied to preserve larger contiguous habitat blocks — a decision that costs potential revenue but protects the integrity of the land.

Planning your hunt at The Preserve

The Preserve is well equipped for hunters of every stripe. Rental shotguns from Beretta, Browning and FAMARS — the Italian gunmaker Mr M acquired — are available for those without their own firearms, and guests are welcome to bring their own dogs. A heated shooting hut with simulated quail clays offers a useful warm-up before heading afield. After the bobwhite quail hunts, birds can be processed on-site and returned oven-ready, or taken in-feather; the resort’s restaurants will also prepare the day’s bag for dinner.

Accommodation ranges from characterful Hobbit Houses to contemporary homes, and with 70 activities available across the wider resort, the hunting trip extends naturally into a longer stay. Early season brings shirtsleeve weather and turning leaves; mid-season offers snow-dusted fields and the austere beauty of a New England winter — both, in their own way, worth the journey north.