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S.G.S POC Destinations: The Locations Behind the Birds

  • Aug 15, 2025
  • 5 min read

Updated: Jan 25



The game bird species I set out to simulate in the prototype of Small Game Seasons (S.G.S.)—starting with the Ruffed Grouse—were chosen through a mix of deliberate design rationale and personal inspiration. Just like the grouse, every other featured bird and its corresponding destination grew from either a real hunting experience I’ve lived or a scene I’ve long imagined.


In this article, I will summarize the reasoning and logic behind each of the destinations that I chose as habitats for the featured game birds. More on the birds themselves in this blog article: S.G.S Basics: Featured Game Birds (And Why a Thrush?).



I covered the Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock habitat in this blog article as a tribute to a Canadian province and environment where I experience the magic of fall and ruffed grouse hunting. This article talks about the other destinations in the S.G.S prototype.


Now let's go through the different destinations that I chose to create for the different game bird species in my prototype.


Please note that all the destinations featured in the prototype of S.G.S are fictional and do not represent any real-life location or destination.




Prairie Rose Farm: An abandoned farm where pheasant hunting tradition lives on


S.G.S features two distinct styles of flushed‑bird upland hunting. The first is represented by the Ruffed Grouse, which bursts from dense cover and forces the hunter into quick, instinctive shooting.


The second is represented by the Ring‑necked Pheasant, a bird that flushes in open fields and allows for a more traditional wingshooting approach with time to mount, swing, and lead the shot.


Just like the Ruffed Grouse, the Ring‑necked Pheasant, is a bird deeply rooted in North American upland traditions. For this destination, I imagined an abandoned farm surrounded by grass and corn fields and named it Prairie Rose Farm.



Here, pheasants can be flushed with the help of a pointer dog or simply by walking the fields and staying ready for a rooster or hen to burst into the sky. And unlike the driven pheasant scenario featured elsewhere in S.G.S, this location requires quick identification: only roosters can be harvested.



In real hunts, groups call out “Rooster!” or “Hen!” to help each other avoid mistakes. Since S.G.S is a single‑player experience, I added an optional virtual voice that performs the same role.


Learn more about Prairie Rose Farm on its destination page.




Dominio Del Halcón: A Mediterranean Landscape of Olive Groves and Migratory Flights


For the migratory game birds scenario, I wanted to explore a hunting experience I haven’t seen in any other game. I chose the Thrush — a small, fast-darting bird beloved in Mediterranean countries but unfamiliar to most North American hunters — and paired it with flocks of Wood Pigeons, two iconic game birds of Mediterranean skies.


Dominio Del Halcón is inspired by my own childhood memories — early mornings in the olive groves with my father and uncle, quiet afternoons in the hills, and the seasonal passage of migratory birds.



The landscape was built from quality Mediterranean biome asset packs, but its composition reflects real places I remember vividly: olive fields under sunlit hills, winding roads, the ruins of shepherd houses, and dusty trails leading to eucalyptus-lined valleys.


Here, Thrushes and Wood Pigeons fly solo or in flocks, hugging the hills and valleys. Their speed challenges even seasoned virtual wingshooters.


This location pays tribute to the birds of prey that rule the skies — and blackbirds that mimic thrush flight, introducing players to the concept of identifying protected species and promoting a responsible hunting ethic.



I envisioned this destination as a fictional family-owned property, where father and son tend olive harvests while hosting hunters for a Mediterranean upland experience.


For the ambiance, I blended valley echoes, hawks, goat bells, and the soft breeze — punctuated in hunting season by the distant shots of other hunters, just as I remember.


Learn more about Dominio Del Halcón on its destination page.




Brakenwood Glades: The Charming and Mysterious Countryside of Classic Stories


The driven pheasant scenario in the S.G.S prototype demonstrates fast passing game birds in an environment where the complexity and challenge of wingshooting vary depending on the shooter’s position in one of the drives (pegs) along the paths that cut through the dense oak forest.


Some pegs are located in open glades, while others are trapped between two rows of trees — demanding quick reflexes to mount the shotgun and lead the birds before they vanish behind the next tree line.



That was the main objective behind choosing a wooded driven pheasant estate rather than one with open fields.


My creative and aesthetic direction was inspired by the charm and mystery of English countryside estates in classic films and TV shows. I wanted the woods, the gamekeeper's house, the intro scene interiors, and all the adapted vegetation to feel like they came out of a fictional story representing early 20th-century rural England.


The estate also features a fictional owner and gamekeeper, whose faces and clothing were created with AI prompts inspired by classic English characters from that era.



Sound design is central to the atmosphere — the beaters flushing the pheasants, the wingbeats overhead, the gamekeeper’s remarks — all balancing the minimalistic woodland ambiance punctuated by a pheasant’s distant crow.


In the prototype, the only visible companion in Brakenwood Glades is the Labrador Retriever. In a full version of S.G.S, this destination could feature multiplayer scenarios or virtual hunters to enhance the immersion in this traditional driven pheasant shoot.


Learn more about Brakenwood Glades Estate on its destination page.




Maple Feathered Flight: A Private Sporting Clays Club in a green late-spring coastal woodland


Maple Feathered Flight began as a simple ballistic testing range for fine-tuning shotgun parameters during the development of  S.G.S (in Unreal Engine 5). Over time, it evolved into a fully imagined sporting clays destination in the S.G.S prototype.



The club’s 11 stations feature unique, challenging shot scenarios that test reflexes and precision. Clays fly at lifelike speeds and trajectories, making them just as demanding as real game birds in S.G.S. Scoring high here requires patience, practice, and persistence.


Set in the warm green landscapes of late spring in a coastal woodland, this destination is a tribute to Canadian nature, much like the Bois-Mulé Wildlife Reserve. I envisioned Maple Feathered Flight as a private sporting clays club owned by a passionate bird hunter, who inherited it from his father.


Between stations, players walk trails bordered by maple trees, flowers, and ponds. The soundscape captures a late-spring and beginning of summer — birds, crickets, buzzing insects, and a gentle breeze.


Learn more about Maple Feathered Flight on its destination page.



Conclusion:


By giving each destination its own story, immersive environment, and set of challenges, I wanted the prototype of Small Game Seasons to be more than just a true-to-life wing-shooting simulation. It’s a demonstration and collection of convincing locations — each inspired by real traditions, authentic landscapes, and personal memories that have shaped my journey as a bird hunter and the creator of Small Game Seasons.



References & Guidelines


Disclaimer: The following resources, links, and references are shared for context and inspiration. They are unrelated to the S.G.S prototype and its destinations, which are entirely fictional and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing any real organizations, brands, or publications.


 
 
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The acronym S.G.S is used throughout this site and related materials as a shorthand for Small Game Seasons. It is not intended as a standalone brand name or trademark.

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