Huckleberry Ridge

Pulling onto the grounds of the Huckleberry Ridge Hunting Preserve was like stepping back in time. The lodge that was built in the 1800’s and served as a plantation home is surrounded by magnolia trees that are the biggest that I have ever seen. The lodge itself is a historic location that deserves a drive by tour even if you don’t come to hunt.

I had called owner George Johnson because we were running early for our meeting and he informed me that he was on his way. He had been guiding a hunter on a successful bear hunt. When Mr. Johnson arrived he was on a cell phone that didn’t seem to stop ringing. That’s a sign of a man that has an operation that is working.

George Johnson is a soft spoken true southern gentleman. The operation that he has is by far one of the best that we have seen…..anywhere. His idea of creating something that he can be proud of has paid off. From the back yard of the lodge you can see a pheasant tower that has recently been constructed. This was a first for me. It is truly unique to the area. Also on the property is a skeet range where hunters can practice before heading to the field with pointers or Brittany spaniels in the effort to hunt quail chucker, and pheasant. The guides here are second to none. One that we met was a real character. “Snoogie”, I think I got that correct, as they call him has trained bird dogs for more than 35 years. So you know that the quality is here.

Mr. Johnson was hesitant to get on camera, but once the film started to roll it was impressive. Talking to him was like talking to your best friend. In his interview, which is available to view on this site, George went on to tell us about how he is producing quality game here because it is his passion. With very little hunting pressure on the massive 2500 acre property clients are in for a treat. According to George there have been some really nice 130” bucks taken on the property and with a continued effort to manage the property they expect that score to rise. When it comes to turkey it gets even better. Hunts here are selective for a reason. When you practice patience and selectivity you get the best end result.

After our interview Mr. Johnson asked if we knew of a guy named Steve Mintz. The name was familiar to my childhood since I was a lover of baseball and still am. George told us that former major league pitcher Steve Mintz was hunting on the property and would be around shortly if we could stick around to meet him. Of course we stuck around! Meeting a real pro athlete was a treat.

George Johnson is all about building friendships. If you are fortunate enough to book a hunt here you will be treated like family and become a lifelong friend no doubt. If you are looking for a quality hunt for upland game birds to black bear and whitetails then this is it. To view more about Huckleberry Ridge Hunting Preserve log on to www.huckleberryridgehuntingpreserve.com.

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