Quail Hunting in Alabama: A Conversation with Al & Ben Bracewell of Turkey Creek Outdoors

In this episode of The Storied Outdoors, we sit down with Al and Ben Bracewell, the father-and-son team behind Turkey Creek Outdoors—a premier hunting lodge located in Eldridge, Alabama. Spanning more than 2,000 acres of diverse terrain, Turkey Creek has become a sought-after destination for those looking for an authentic quail hunting experience in Alabama, along with unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Built as a family-owned and operated retreat, Turkey Creek Outdoors was created with a clear mission: to offer a place where guests can find rest, connection, and meaningful experiences in the outdoors. Today, the property hosts everything from guided quail hunts and Continental pheasant shoots to sporting clays, corporate retreats, and group gatherings—all set against the quiet beauty of Alabama’s countryside.

Bryan and Brad had the privilege of experiencing a traditional quail hunt firsthand, and it delivered in every way. But what stood out most began the night before—gathered around a roaring fire pit, swapping stories under the open sky. That evening captured the heart of Turkey Creek: genuine hospitality, unhurried conversation, and the kind of moments that stay with you long after you leave.

This episode is a continuation of that fireside conversation.

We hear how Turkey Creek Outdoors grew from hosting sawmill customers into a full-scale destination for hunters, families, and organizations seeking quail hunting in Alabama and beyond. Al and Ben share their story of building something rooted in legacy, faith, and a deep love for people.

Recorded inside the lodge’s main hall—overlooking a peaceful lake and framed by wide windows and rolling hills—this conversation reflects the setting itself: open, thoughtful, and rich with perspective. It’s more than a hunting story. It’s about fatherhood, stewardship, and creating spaces where people can reconnect with what matters most.

As the Bracewells put it:
"We strive to ensure that every visitor leaves feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges of the world."

From wild coveys rising in the field to quiet moments by the fire, this episode captures the spirit of Turkey Creek Outdoors—an Alabama hunting lodge where adventure and story meet.

If you’ve ever searched for the best quail hunts in Alabama, or longed for a place where the pace slows and the stories deepen, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://www.turkeycreekoutdoors.com

Email us thestoriedoutdoors@gmail.com

In this reflective episode, Bryan and Brad sit back down after their conversation with Kevin Burrell, author of Considering Sparrows, to linger a little longer in the world of birds, beauty, and attention.

From the everyday entertainment of backyard bird feeders to the surge of birding during COVID, they explore how these small, winged moments invite us to notice something deeper. Bryan shares how even a simple sighting can offer a glimpse into the Creator’s design, while Brad recalls a memorable duck hunt in the rice fields of Arkansas—rich with species, history, and the echoes of early birders who once hunted as their only means of close observation.

The conversation drifts offshore as Bryan tells the story of spotting a Magnificent Frigatebird in the Caribbean—a “lifer” moment made possible with a little help from the Merlin app and a downloaded regional guide.

Along the way, Brad and Bryan reflect on birding as a mindful practice—one that slows us down, pulls us into the present, and gently shifts our focus away from ourselves. Whether it’s spotting birds along the roadside in winter when the trees are bare or giving full attention to a fleeting moment of movement, they consider how this often-overlooked hobby can be both restful and eye-opening.

They also celebrate the encouraging return of bald eagles to their region—something rarely seen in their younger years, but now a shared joy they get to experience with their children.

Rooted in their conversation with Kevin, the episode weaves together nature’s metaphors and spiritual insight—from the persistence of a kingfisher to the care God shows even to sparrows—reminding us that time outdoors can lead us not just to observation, but to worship.

In a world that keeps our eyes down, birding invites us to look up—and in doing so, draws us out of ourselves and back into wonder.

In this episode of The Storied Outdoors, Bryan and Brad explore the rich connection between birdwatching and the Book of Philippians, inspired by a recent conversation with author Kevin and his beautifully illustrated new book on birds and faith.

We had a wonderful discussion about backyard bird feeders — complete with mischievous squirrels, bold woodpeckers, and hovering hummingbirds — unfolds into a thoughtful reflection on how observing birds invites us to slow down, pay attention, and rediscover wonder.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, birding surged in popularity as people searched for meaningful outdoor hobbies. Bryan and Brad reflect on that cultural moment and share their own birdwatching experiences, from spotting winter bald eagles to studying the vibrant detail of pintail drakes and hen mallards.

These encounters remind them that birding is more than a hobby for retirees; it is a mindful practice that pulls attention away from self and toward the Creator.

Drawing from themes in Philippians and Kevin’s bird-centered reflections, Bryan and Brad discuss how creation points beyond itself. The persistence of a kingfisher, the care of sparrows, and the elegance of a soaring eagle become living metaphors of provision, humility, endurance, and joy.

As always, The Storied Outdoors sits somewhere between Lewis and Tolkien and Lewis and Clark — finding clarity in the stories we tell and the adventures that shape us. This episode invites listeners to step outside, lift their eyes, and rediscover worship in the wild.

Visit https://www.ornitheology.com/about

Purchase his book Here

In this episode, Bryan and Brad return to the fire to stoke the embers of “Maybe Today, Granddad,” rekindling the flame of spring mornings spent chasing longbeards with a century-old shotgun and a heart full of memory.

They sift through the smoke of missed shots and close calls, turning over the coals of legacy, brotherhood, and belonging. What does it mean to carry a grandfather’s gun into the dark? Can a story be inherited through pursuit rather than proximity?

With warmth, honesty, and a few hard-earned laughs, they rekindle the fire of conversation, reflecting on turkey hunting, patience, public land lessons, and the quiet ache of stepping into a story you didn’t grow up in but somehow feel invited to continue.

Pull up a chair. The fire’s still burning.

In this reflective episode of The Storied Outdoors, Brad walks into the spring woods carrying more than a shotgun — he carries memory, longing, and the quiet hope of stepping into a story he never inherited. With his grandfather’s century-old gun in hand and the dawn breaking over the Mobile Delta, he recounts a season of near misses, unexpected lessons, and the slow shaping of a woodsman’s heart.

Through owl calls in the dark, conversations with his brother, and encounters that range from humorous to humbling, this story explores what it means to receive legacy not only through family, but through pursuit. It’s a meditation on patience, belonging, and the sacred work of showing up, whether or not a longbeard ever hits the ground.

For anyone who has felt the pull of wild places, wondered about the stories that formed them, or sensed that inheritance sometimes arrives from behind rather than ahead, this episode is an invitation to listen for the promise in the dawn.

Bryan, Brad, and Chase sit down to stoke the embers from Saltwater and Sharks, reflecting on fear, wonder, and faith in the deep. Together they take a deeper look at the stories, Scripture, and experiences behind the essay—exploring how God meets us in chaos and invites us back into the water with trust.

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“There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath. The same waves wash the moles of the new-built California towns, but yesterday planted by the recentest race of men, and lave the faded but still gorgeous skirts of Asian lands older than Abraham.”

– Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Chapter 58

What do sharks, saltwater, and the sea teach us about fear, wonder, and faith?

In this wonderfully reflective episode of The Storied Outdoors, Dr. Bowers traces a lifelong relationship with the ocean from childhood awe in the Caribbean, to fear sharpened by real danger, to a hard-won return to wonder.

Along the way, dolphins dance, sharks surface, reefs shimmer, and Scripture speaks. Drawing on personal stories, biblical imagery, and the ancient human fear of the deep, this episode explores why the sea has always symbolized chaos and why God repeatedly meets His people there.

From Newport Beach to Grand Cayman, from Jonah to Revelation, this episode wrestles with the tension between beauty and danger, awe and fear, chaos and hope. It’s a meditation on the ocean as both mirror and metaphor: reflecting a broken world groaning for redemption, and pointing us toward the God who still speaks peace over the waters.

This is a story about getting back in the water—not because the sea is safe, but because God is faithful.

Brad and Bryan sit down to reflect on their recent meeting with Saddleback Leather founder, Dave Munson — a man whose business acumen is matched only by his humility, generosity, and gospel-driven imagination. Like a modern-day Matt McPherson, Munson builds excellence not for the sake of product alone, but for the sake of people. His priorities run from employees to customers to orphans and single mothers through Saddleback’s nonprofit arm, Love 41.

Their conversation wanders the trail of Munson’s fascinating life — from living in tents and working out of a Toyota Tacoma, to navigating cartel-controlled roads, to trusting God in the face of uncertainty. Along the way, Brad and Bryan marvel at the quality and longevity of Saddleback’s Indiana Jones–inspired leather goods, the kind of items built to last a century and inherit a story of their own.

The episode even detours to Japan, where a colleague shares the gospel with playful clarity, and to the cold southern winter sweeping across the country. But at the heart of the discussion is a simple truth: faith, craftsmanship, and generosity can shape a company into something far more than the sum of its products.