By Ben Robinson
When I was a boy, I attended a small country church in rural central Kentucky. Our pastor, Brother Bob White, was a boisterous, jolly fellow and I remember him fondly. I never knew if he was named after the bird, or if the bird was named after him. It didn’t matter. I smiled to myself every time I heard his name.
I can also remember the warm Sunday afternoons of spring when the familiar whistle of “bob-white” echoed through the hollers near my home following the sermon. It was a different sermon of sorts, delivered by a different Bob White … the whistle of the northern bobwhite quail, forever known to me as Brother Bob.
While I didn’t have the privilege of growing up in the “glory days” of Brother Bob and his congregation of coveys, I was fortunate enough to grow up in the country … a place where the soothing whistle of “bob-white” was considered a real treat.
Central Kentucky was never considered the Mecca of Bluegrass quail hunting. Consequently, I spent most of my time hunting squirrel, deer, turkey and other critters. But I’ve always had a deep appreciation for Brother Bob.
As I grow older, I’m starting to realize that my early encounters with that feathered version of Brother Bob really did shape my character and mold me into the man I am today, a man who has a deep respect for the land and its wonderful resources, a man who has dedicated his career to ensuring that the next generation gets to experience the calming whistle of Brother Bob. I’m sure that cheerful old country preacher played a role, too.
As we move forward we’re excited to share our ideas to restore quail to Kentucky’s rural areas. Some of our ideas may appeal to you. Others may seem, well, downright absurd! We look forward to your comments. Remember, we’re all in this together. Restoring quail to our great state won’t be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. But we think it can be done. We hope you agree.
Until next time…
