Wildwood hunting preserve

About Us

The history of wildwood hunting preserve

John Sales

For nearly a half a century the fields of Wildwood were owned and operated by Callaway Gardens. The Preserve at Callaway hosted up to 1500 hunters each year and became one of the nation’s top upland hunting destinations. The Preserve was rated by Orvis as one of the nation’s Top Ten Upland Hunting Destinations and dawned the covers of Southern Living, Sporting Classics, and Progressive Farmer among others. These covers almost always featured Callaway’s coveted dog trainer and guide, John Sales. After retiring from the Army, John joined Callaway and learned the art of training pointers. For decade upon decade he did just that. It was said that John could train a dog to do just about anything. Over the years John, along with his wife, Irene, trained hundreds of world class bird dogs. Never having children of their own, their dogs were their children and they loved them just as much.

 

Wildwood’s Preserve Manager and Head Guide, John Batastini, learned just about everything he knows about pointers from John Sales. Being retired at the time, the elder John recounted story after story of his times in the field. “I don’t think John cared how famous you were or how much money you had. From what time I’d spent with him and all the stories I’ve heard by others who worked with him the only thing he cared about was whether you could shoot or not. From his point of view, his dogs found those birds in the field and did their work and you missing was robbing them of the joy of retrieving that bird and bringing it to him. I’ve had many people tell me that if a client couldn’t shoot he take the gun from them for a rise or two because he said the client who was missing the birds was ‘ruining his dogs!’

Wildwood’s Preserve Manager and Head Guide, John Batastini, learned just about everything he knows about pointers from John Sales. Being retired at the time, the elder John recounted story after story of his times in the field. “I don’t think John cared how famous you were or how much money you had. From what time I’d spent with him and all the stories I’ve heard by others who worked with him the only thing he cared about was whether you could shoot or not. From his point of view, his dogs found those birds in the field and did their work and you missing was robbing them of the joy of retrieving that bird and bringing it to him. I’ve had many people tell me that if a client couldn’t shoot he take the gun from them for a rise or two because he said the client who was missing the birds was ‘ruining his dogs!’

 He told me stories of guiding Dale Earnhart and his son, Dale Earnhart Jr., when Jr. was just a boy, the CEO of Exxon, who brought his daughter out to get her first bird. “We hunted all day and she couldn’t hit a bird,’ John said, ‘ and finally she shot a quail. As soon as the dog retrieved that bird the hunt was over.” John told one story of Hank Williams Jr. showing up one morning with a black powder shotgun. All John was worried about was whether he could hit a bird with “that thing.” Well, apparently he could because, as John told the story, ol’ Hank didn’t miss a bird all day with that gun. John guided at Callaway until his retirement. During their tenure of hunting the land, The Preserve became a staple in the local community and a premier destination for upland hunting.

 

A Message from the owners

Our family purchased Wildwood Farm near Callaway Gardens in 2004. The farm, at that time, was a commercial quail hunting plantation, known as Llewellin’s Point, and run by Mr. Floyd Clements.  Prior to Floyd opening his business, Callaway Gardens had run a quail hunting operation managed by Mr. John Sale. For over sixty years upland hunters have traveled to the fields of Wildwood Farm to experience some of the finest quail hunting the south has to offer. Our natural grasslands provide lush bird habitat and a picturesque setting. 

Since 2004 we have made numerous improvements to the property as well as the ponds. Now we are happy to announce that we will once again run commercial hunts at what is being called “Wildwood Hunting Preserve”. 

Come enjoy a day in the fields and trail our pointers in search of a covey rise!

-Claude Scarbrough

Gordy, Claude, and Mo Scarbrough