Vol. 4 Num. 2 – February/March 2016

For several issues reaching back to early 2015, Covey Rise has brought to our readers insider looks at incredible outdoors products and the people who make them. Several converge in the February-March 2016 issue—and the first such story is on a great man who has made his mark on working-dog training for centuries. Delmar Smith has an authentic approach to getting to know a dog’s mind—molding it like an artist molds a lump of clay—and helping to shape the dog’s behavior. “To train like a pro, you have to think like a dog,” Delmar says.

Next, we learn how Russell Moccasin has made one-of-a-kind, made-to-order footwear for decades from their workshop in Berlin, Wisconsin.

David McKay Brown is a skilled and talented craftsman making best guns under his name in Scotland. We visit his workshop to behold his beautiful guns.

The Georgia artist Bucky Bowles makes inviting and authentic paintings, transporting viewers into each scene—in other words, he is constantly “Painting the Familiar,” which is the title of our feature on Bucky and his work.

Chef Sean Finley of The High Adventure Company makes memorable meals in exquisite upland-hunting settings. We check in with him at Cheyenne Ridge in South Dakota to learn his approach to great food (and we share his recipes!).

Vol. 4 Num. 1 – December/January 2016

Gathering our news of the world from a nightly network television broadcast has long been a fact of daily living in America, through generations. For many years, either from a network studio or broadcasting from the field, Tom Brokaw has been our evening information anchor. Covey Rise spent a weekend in the pheasant fields of South Dakota at Paul Nelson Farm last fall with Mr. Brokaw, a native son of South Dakota and longtime pheasant hunter.  

From a personality profile on an inspiring man and hunting devotee to a gun profile of generational significance, we share another exciting feature written by Miles DeMott, about a Stevens shotgun passed down to young hunters-to-be.  

The Continental Field Trials hosted by Florida’s Dixie Plantation are the epicenter for top-level bird-dog competition, and have been for decades. Barbara Teare writes about the Plantation’s history and Field Trials’ important role in setting the bar for the ongoing improvement of the dog breeds. 

Nancy Anisfield takes her German shorthaired pointers—trained on hunting birds in the Northeast’s dense upland coverts—to discover pheasant and other game on Castle Valley Lodge’s wide open 14,000 acres.  

 And we embark on a driven shoot in the UK with prominent sporting-travel hosts Bettws Hall, written by author and shotgun expert Chris Batha.  

Vol. 3 Num. 6 – October/November 2015

Access to nearly 6,000 acres along the South Carolina coast, with fishing and wingshooting and use of all amenities, plus residential ownership of an acre of land, the October-November 2015 of Covey Rise welcomes our readers to the shared plantation concept of Brays Island.  Located outside of Savannah, Georgia, Brays Island Plantation is a private home for families who love the outdoors: fresh – or saltwater fishing, wingshooting, target shooting, equestrian sports, golf, tennis, and much more.

Further south, Romona Brumby of Atlanta’s The London Trading Company handpicks clothes and accessories from around the world. We explore the unique concepts and “personal shopper” approach to her store.

As we take a look at our favorite sporting dogs, author Nancy Anisfield takes an in-depth look into the Weimaraners breed that are known for their tracking ability speed, courage, and durability – and their drive to find gamebirds.

Drawing from a lifetime of outdoor experience, Chef Chris Hastings prepares locally sourced food that’s synced with the seasons, honoring the place and traditions of the past.  We sit down with Hastings as he tells us stories of his childhood summers in South Carolina and his inspirations to begin his field to table concept. 

We take a look at the handmade works of art over which Italian gunmakers Remigio and Elio Bertuzzi worked together to create a unique shotgun and an exclusive opportunity.  In contrast, crafting from a different texture, Montana sculptor Liz Lewis produces bronze sculpture with sporting and wildlife themes.

Writer Sydney Lea gives an ode to the Main woods in autumn and celebrates the history of the state’s sporting camps.  Will this become your new hunting grounds for the Fall?

Wherever the art and passion of your hunting experiences may take you, we hope that Covey Rise continues to enrich and fulfill you with knowledge and new occurrences.

Vol. 3 Num. 5 – August/September 2015

The Covey Rise team continues to travel to all corners of the world in the August-September issue 2015 of Covey Rise.  We start our travels with author, Tom Keer who discusses the experiences of Wild Wing Lodge and Kennel in Upland Kentucky and the lodges’ thriving bird populations in a healthy habitat as well as providing exceptional dog kennels.  We also traveled along the Kentucky River to the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which continues to make bourbon that sets a standard of excellence in taste and the community motto, “Honor Tradition, Embrace Change” is strongly shown through the passion and elegance of its bourbon.

Up next, author Everett Potter takes us to a mountain paradise at the Yellowstone Club, a sportsman’s year-round playground set on about 14,000 acres of land.  Featured in this story is professional golfer Tom Weiskopf, who has turned his considerable talents to golf course design into a stunning mountain golf course experience at Yellowstone Club.

Next, the Covey Rise staff travelled to Hawick, Scotland to stop at the home of tweed and reveal how this historic fabric is made today, just as it was two hundred years ago.  Dating back to 1882, Lovat Mill is the sole producer of tweed in Hawick, weaving and operating at the mill 24-hours, to keep their business vibrant.  Computerized looms from Germany at Lovat Mill operate at speeds that will be dizzying to previous generations of tweed makers.  

In Spain, Covey Rise, along with Spanish gun makers Aguirre and Aranzabal, celebrate one hundred years of making fine shotguns and the preservation of the Basque firearms industry.

In a South Carolina church in the early 1900s, a stray dog became the foundation of the Boykin spaniel breed.  Over time, the Boykins’ reputation has reached into the upland side of hunting.  Tolerant of hot weather, the dogs are especially popular in dove and quail fields.  Is this the right dog for you?

Additionally in South Carolina, Chef Sean Brock brings panache to his four Southern restaurants and into your kitchen through his new book Heritage that speak to Southern culinary pride and Brock’s beginnings in rural Virginia.

Ultimately, traveling helps Covey Rise celebrate the entire sporting lifestyle experience.  Where will we travel to next?  Be sure to check out the October/November issue to see where Covey Rise will take you next!

Vol. 3 Num. 4 – June/July 2015

As summer’s heat sets in, we begin to focus on the dog-training schedule. Running and working our dogs becomes an early morning endeavor or happens just before dark when the heat has subsided here in the South.  The focus is solely on training the dogs and watching these remarkable companions adapt to our requests and commands.

Robert G. Wehle spent his life raising and training exceptional dogs. He bred Elhew English pointers for more than 60 years and his bloodline of dogs became known in the reverse of his last name—Elhew.   In our feature “The Elhew Legacy,” we share with you the exciting next steps in this working-dog-breeding history.

In this issue, a new writer for Covey Rise, Miles DeMott, discusses prescribed burning— the danger and beauty of it, and the rewards of renewing habitat.

Writer Roger Catchpole takes Covey Rise on a spectacular UK grouse shoot with Atkin Grant and Lang Sporting at Coverhead Moor in North West England.

We also hope you enjoyed our first “Handmade” feature in the last issue. The value of how bespoke products are made is in the intricate details and the care, time, and effort that go into producing something. Just like making a fine shotgun, walking sticks made for the UK moorland terrain have a story behind the finished product. We’re sure you share our thoughts that learning about the process is as intriguing as the finished product is. We are excited to uncover these stories in the issues to come through our “Handmade” features. 

Writer Tom Keer enjoys a memorable shooting experience with Burt Spiller’s Parker while the Covey Rise team discusses Purdey’s traditional British walking sticks and their artistic flair to create products of artisanal value that showcase excellence and quality.  And we can’t forget about the quality of culinary expertise from Chef Scott Ostrander, who conjures quality at the Red Stage Grill in Asheville, North Carolina who spices up the kitchen with quail and waffles.

We have another unique piece to Covey Rise in this issue. Silvio Calabi travels to a Northeast hunt inside a Ferrari. Check out the case he makes to convince his spouse to own one—maybe it will work for you? Covey Rise celebrates the entire sporting lifestyle, and sometimes how you get to the sport is as enjoyable as the hunt itself.

Vol. 3 Num. 2 - April/May 2015

True artists make life more pleasing and pleasurable, often simply by making us feel happier and better about ourselves through their art. Whether we gaze at framed art hanging on the wall, wear it on our backs, store it in a gun case, serve it for dinner, or appreciate it surrounding us while at a lodge—Covey Rise offers up stories on each in our April-May 2015 issue.

First is a visit to Hageman Reserve in Texas, a new private-club frontier offering top-quality accommodations in an opulent, 65,000 square foot lodge that resembles a French chateau. The Hageman family’s guiding principle is leave it better than you found it—and they’ve endeavored to create a sporting club that has guests feeling immersed in an artistic environment—with top-flight wingshooting of course.

Bespoke clothes made at the expert hands of a Savile Row trained tailor such as Leonard Logsdail transform your wardrobe into functional art. “The process begins with a meeting in Leonard’s comfortable fitting room in New York to discuss needs, wants, and style, and to browse among 12,000 fabrics,” writes Silvio Calabi, author of our feature. “A two-piece suit starts at $6,500 and can be double that, depending on fabrics and features.” But what an investment! As Silvio writes, “It’s also true that you’ll never be satisfied with something less.”

Wearing such clothes makes you want to hold and shoot a shotgun of value, of course. Learn how to start a collection of fine double guns in Greggory Elliott’s “Become a Collector” in this issue. 

In “Travels with Easel” we journey into the world of en plein air painter Chris (C. D.) Clarke. “I paint the things that are important to me and that I truly enjoy. I don’t have a career so much as I have a lifestyle,” says C. D.

All this appreciating art really does build up an appetite—and Chef Charlie Palmer comes through with fantastic recipes to please any palate. Marinated Spatchcocked Quail, anyone? There’s art in that entreé, for sure!

Buy the Issue and read more!

Vol. 3 Num. 2 – February/March 2015

Elvis is the king . . . of the quail fields at Sinkola Plantation in Thomasville, Georgia, that is. Covey Rise introduces readers to an cocker spaniel with loads of personality—Elvis. When he’s not the family dog of the Kirkhams at Sinkola, sleeping at the foot of the bed, he’s riding poised in a quail wagon ready to flush or retrieve bobwhites. Read more in “Finding Elvis.” (By the way, that’s Elvis on the issue’s cover!)

We journey next to northcentral Idaho and Flying B Ranch in Kamiah. Recipient of the Orvis Wingshooting Lodge of Year (twice, actually), visit and stay there and you’ll know why! Recreational choices abound—hunting for chukar, pheasant, partridge, and in the “offseason” a chance to fish for Clearwater River steelhead. And don’t overlook taking advantage of the facilities to train your canine companion through the spring and summer months.

International travel is on tap, too, in this issue. Guayascate is a lodge in Argentina at which you can indulge your shooting passions and soothe your soul, as writer Roger Catchpole informs us. And in this issue check out La Porteñita, a nearby lodge, as well!

Rust never sleeps and neither should you when it comes to cleaning your prized investment of sporting shotguns. Gregg Elliott takes you through a master class on gun cleaning, with the techniques and tools to do a thorough job. 

And for some spiritual uplift, read about fine artist Gordon Allen and spent some time appreciating his incredible artwork. 

Similarly, enjoy the culinary uplift of Christopher Kostow in “Portrait of An Artist.” Kostow is the inspired chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood in California’s Napa Valley. His recipes, and his book A New Napa Cuisine, will introduce new culinary horizons.

Vol. 3 Num. 1 – December/January 2015
From the Publisher: “As I travel back across the country from Seattle to Alabama, I can’t stop thinking about the past month’s adventures. What a great pleasure it was for me to spend several days walking the hillsides and watching and listening to a wise teacher. At times, I actually had to remind myself I was in the great outdoors to hunt wild birds. You see, this was like opening a history book on life, dogs, birds, and fly fishing—just to name a few subjects. Ben O. Williams is a legend in the outdoor world and it was an honor to walk alongside of him in the Montana fields he has hunted for more than 60 years. This is one trip I will never forget. Ben, don’t ever stop teaching life lessons to your students. When I mount my gun, I promise I will try and keep my head down and get my left hand far out on the gun’s fore end!

I truly love the sporting lifestyle and all it has to offer. It has been a wonderful fall, with the leaves changing and cooler temperatures settling in. As we prepare for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, let’s stop, slow down, and give thanks for the many blessings we all enjoy. As you relax and relish the holiday feasts and time with family, I hope you will enjoy the start of year three for Covey Rise.” 

Vol. 2 Num. 6 -October/November 2014
From the Publisher: “It’s always sad to say goodbye to summer, but I’m ready for fall, as I’m sure you are—cooler weather, bird dogs on point, and new adventures outdoors. I hope you’ve made time to get your dogs in shape and have polished up your shooting this summer.

We have arranged an exciting season-opening issue for you. First, we start on the Southeast Coast with a fantastic quail hunt at Cabin Bluff. Then we cross the pond and visit Barbour and learn a little about their clothing, which we all love. Next, we spend some time visiting with Simon Clode as he sets the mark high for handmade best guns at Westley Richards. Nancy Anisfield gives us some insight into the Gordon setter, and Bob Bertram shows us what great talent looks like, through his paintings. We also head into the hills of Tennessee and meet with Chef Joseph Lenn at Blackberry Farm, which everyone wants to visit and now we know why!

We are thrilled to include cigars in our lineup, for the first time. Joe Healy, our editor, introduces us to cigars in our newest column, “One Cigar at a Time.” The magazine’s team is excited to add this section and we hope you will enjoy it as we begin to talk all things cigar.” 

Vol. 2 Num. 4 – June/July 2014

From the Publisher: “This issue has multiple ties to the West Coast with feature stories on Dancing Hares Vineyard and the breeding and nesting habits of California quail. We have a road trip from Montana to Canada with Dale Spartas, and Gregg Elliott talks a little German history while we learn about today’s Merkel. To go along with the majestic cover, our dog feature this issue is on the Lab. We also offer tips on dog training and canine first aid. Next, we travel to Augusta to join Chef Kent Rathbun as he entertains the masses at this year’s Masters Golf Tournament with his culinary flair, while fine artist Christine Coombs gives us descriptions of her world of art. Roger Catchpole and Terry Allen offer a fresh look at a quail plantation back in operation in Albany, Georgia; and Fred Minnick shares some brands of rye whiskey to sip while remembering the past. This summer issue is full of entertaining reading (and viewing), while we all patiently wait and restlessly dream about the next hunting season.” 

Vol. 2 Num. 3 – April/May 2014

From the Publisher: “We have an exciting lineup of photography and stories for you in this issue. Pour your favorite beverage and find that cozy place to relax and enjoy these exceptional pages. We start off with some high-flying birds and great company in North Yorkshire, England. Then we travel to the Rockies for a dude-ranch experience on horseback at The High Lonesome Ranch, and after that get a visual expression of one bird species seeking love during mating season. Gregg Elliott puts us at the oak table as he describes two vintage British shotguns. Bob White paints us a covey of art like you have never seen. Nancy Anisfield introduces us to the colorful vizsla and Tom Keer gives us some tips on teaching and learning new tricks with our favorite companion(s). We visit Frank Stitt at one of his four restaurants in Alabama for some outstanding fare and Fred Minnick gives us info on bourbon trends in this new year. Gary Lewis delivers some roosters for lunch and Doc Blythe gives us something, well, to chew on till next issue. Enjoy.” 

Vol. 2 Num. 2 – February/March 2014

From the Publisher: “I was fortunate to spend a couple days in New York City in December, for the MIN and FOLIO Awards. MIN stands for Magazine Information Network and is one of the leading trade organizations reporting on the business of magazine publishing. FOLIO gives out The Eddie and Ozzie Awards that celebrate innovation in design and editorial. It was humbling to find out that Covey Rise was nominated for the Best Magazine Launch for 2013; Best Design, New Magazine, and Best Use of Illustration for Consumer Magazines with Circulation Under 250,000. It was astounding to be there in person when the award-winners were announced. Covey Rise was the winner of Best Use of Illustration and placed second in the other two categories!

I can’t thank you, our readers and our staff, enough; and I also credit the incredible support we’ve received from advertisers. Together, you’ve made this magazine a reality. I say once again, humbly and sincerely, thank you!” 

Vol. 2 Num. 1 – December/January 2014

Let me start by saying two important and sincere words: Thank you. What a year it has been for Covey Rise! This is our First Anniversary issue of the magazine in its new format and it comes with a big “thank you” to you, the reader. Each issue, Covey Rise is published with you foremost in mind. Our articles and images are intended to heighten your fun, enjoyment, and appreciation of upland hunting, wherever you live and get outdoors. I hope this first year of the magazine has been more than you expected; it sure was for us. 

Vol. 1 Num. 6 – October/November 2013

There is nothing quite like a pheasant hunt at Paul Nelson Farm in South Dakota. We hope you enjoy the story as much as we did the visit. From there, in this issue we head south to the Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival in Thomasville, Georgia, which you don’t want to miss. We also spend some time enjoying the contributions two families have made to the upland sport, one with exceptional habitat and vision in Mississippi and the other with a history of fine gunmaking in Italy. As always, we will sample some good food and have a taste of Irish Whiskey while we take you back to an era during which one enjoyed the upland lifestyle in his own way. 

Vol. 1 Num. 5 – August/September 2013

Join us this issue as we travel to Oxford, Mississippi, and visit with Mike Stewart and his fabulous dogs on our way to the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoying the breathtaking views at Primland. Head south and enjoy some fine fare at Pine Creek and taste some rare bourbon with Fred Minnick. We look back at an ole witty hunter gone by, Gene Hill, and read about one still going in Montana (Ben O. Williams). 

Vol. 1 Num. 4 – June/July 2013

Our journey this issue takes us to several great places from one end of the country to the other. We start our with a Perkins family tradition in Montana. Then we head to south Georgia for a traditional Southern quail hunt at Pine Hill Plantation; to Vermont for some shooting instruction with Lars Jacob; and to Boston for some fabulous bistro fare with a French twist, courtesy of Chef Gordon Hamersley. 

Vol. 1 Num. 3 – April/May 2013

In this issue we’ll share stories about T. Boone Pickens and Bob Williamson, and we’ll go back in time with a similarly minded family, the Berettas. We’ll visit a Utah artist considered and adopted son of south Georgia, and we’ll trudge through the Alaskan tundra in search of ptarmigan. Cowboy Chef Lenny, aka the Black Mamba, and Doc Blythe add some spice too.  

Vol. 1 Num. 2 – February/March 2013

In this issue, we travel across the pond with our newest contributing writer, Terry Wieland, who takes an intimate look inside Holland & Holland. In Texas, Covey Rise drops in on the home of Tito’s Vodka and visits Greystone Castle, a picturesque sportsman’s paradise. Along the Gulf Coast, award-winning celebrity chef Tim Creehan shares his tasty recipes, and from the Northeast, our friend Tom Keer tells the story of his transplanted Yankee Cover dog. Also, Don McKenzie of the National Bobwhite Conservative Initiative explores the potential of the new Bobwhite Foundation, while Dr. Blythe will leave you smiling with his tale of Old Doc Foshee.  

Vol. 1 Num. 1 – Premiere Edition, December/January 2013

The Premier Edition of Covey Rise Magazine includes contributions from well-known writers like Gary Lewis, Jim Casada, Ben O. Williams and Tom Keer.

Inside this issue learn more about the beautiful upland hunting companion, the Springer Spaniel. Then take a look inside Joshua Creek Ranch. Learn about the heritage of artisan gunmakers, Caesar Guerini. Tag along with the ladies from Kevin's Fine Outdoor Gear and Apparel as they explore the Estancia Cortaderas in Argentina. Enjoy an illustrated essay, Wingshooting the Quail of North America featuring the works of John and Jim Denney. Then head north to New Brunswick for a walk alongside the ghost of Edmund Davis.