Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew
This past year we started hunting a new piece of land in our area and one of the things we looked forward to doing was some off-season scouting. During the season we got a good feel for where deer were traveling, what food sources they liked, and the locations we should probably put stands in. Though, we specifically wanted to wait until the leaves got off the trees to walk around and see where any deer sign is when the deer haven?t been pressured in a while. We thought that we may be able to find deer sign in places that we didn?t expect and give us better insight as to hunting strategies for next fall.
This past weekend provided a great chance to not only do all that, but to do it in the snow! Since Adam and I were both in the area we headed out to do some scouting. We walked over a large portion of the land looking for sign and checking game cameras. One thing we noted was that the location of one of our feeders wasn?t feeding anything but raccoons and black birds! Walking in the fresh snow also gave us insight as to the paths the deer were traveling. And not one track led to that feeder?so yes, we?re going to move it!
As we walked over the land we saw a couple of prominent places where the deer were frequently walking. You could easily tell that they were deer trails because of all the deer tracks that were printed in the snow. One trail showed us where the deer were crossing a creek on the land. It was also good to see that one of the trails led straight to our Tecomate Seed Food Plot! One of the heavily traveled trails led us to several rubs on trees. It?s a good sign to see buck sign in the area and I was glad that we did get out and do some scouting.
The snow definitely gave us a unique perspective of the land. We?ll probably move some stands and do some strategic thinking about our food plot placements in the upcoming Spring & Fall. If you haven?t ever taken the chance to get out and walk your land after a snow, then I encourage you to do so because it could give you some insight that may change the way you hunt your land!
Another interesting note was that Adam was scanning the woods as we drove down the road and he spotted 3 does. So, like any webneck would do?we stopped, backed up, shot some film, and then tried to make bleat and blow sounds at the does.
Regards,
Clint
One of my most favorite parts of working on the web site is to be able to give the competition winners their prizes! One of the winners quoted this past weekend ?Shooting the deer was good enough, now this is just the icing on the cake!? and that?s what it?s all about! Seeing the winners smile while they get their prizes makes us feel good and is rewarding for us too!
Again our winners were (See pics of the winner's deer):
The winners received some great prizes from our sponsors and each left with a handful of goodies to play with and we hope to get some ?field test? reports from them as well. I think in total we gave out just short of $2,000 worth of prizes to the winners. This is pretty good for the site just being a little over 1 year old and we hope it will get even better in years to come.
We did get some interviews from this year?s winners so check it out in the video below. Thanks again to the sponsors and to everyone who participated. Be sure to tune in early next season to see what competitions we?re hosting, what rules we?re enforcing, and what prizes you can win.
A field of whistling wings turned into a field of chirping crickets after the last snowfall. I had hoped to get one last dove hunt in before the end of the season, but the snowfall changed my plans just a little. A snow storm rolled through on January 9th and covered the cut soybean field in about 6 inches of snow and ice. My plan was to get in one more hunt on January 15th. I was sure that the snow and ice would melt by then but I was wrong. Well, with fingers crossed I decided to give it a shot anyways.
I had taken my cousin JD on his first deer hunt this past year and thought it would be fun to take him on his first dove hunt. Leading up to the snow storm the field was full of whistling wings. I joked that there were so many doves that my 4yr. old son Riley could have gotten close to a limit with his toy shotgun. Seriously.
I knew from scanning the field earlier in the morning that we were going to have a tough go at it because of the recent snow. The morning was cool and the sun shined bright that morning, but the field was still a soggy mess. JD and I set out across the field at about 9:30 am. The ice still covered the field in the shady areas which made our trek a little slippery. I found a good spot on the shady side of the field behind some broom straw. We sat down and talked about everything besides the doves that were not flying. We traded guns and talked about that for a few minutes. JD was toting his .410 shotgun that has been passed down through the family. I was carrying my 20-gauge side by side that has also made its rounds. We talked a little more about the rabbit hunters off in the distance that seemed to be having more success than us. It?s funny how you can almost visualize a rabbit hunt from listening to the beagles run. We were both a little envious of their success. Well after awhile I decided that maybe we could jump a few doves by walking the tree line. We got close a couple of times but couldn?t quite seal the deal.
After lunch we found our way outside to play a little football. Riley, JD, and myself tossed the football around a little while when the whistling wings of several doves flew overhead. I immediately looked at JD and could tell that he was thinking the same thing I was. I went back inside and grabbed his .410. The doves had flown into a set of pines next to my house and I figured we maybe could get a shot. As we entered the woods the odds were stacked against us. Thick briars, crunchy ice, and my little sidekick were all on my mind. Well, I let JD take the lead and Riley and I sat back and were his eyes and ears. After what seemed an eternity we spotted the doves. Two of them flew off without giving a shot and now we were down to one lonesome dove. JD made a couple of slick moves through the thick stuff that would?ve made those cottontails we heard being chased earlier envious and he got into position. One swift shot and the lonesome dove was down. JD?s first shot at a dove was a success.
We were all extremely excited. We cleaned the dove and I sent it home with JD. I told him he would probably have to wait till next year for his first dove meal, but it might make a good snack. It?s funny how sometimes when plans change the best memories are made. Does anyone have a good story of their first dove or first dove hunt? Please share.
This past Friday morning was New Year?s Eve and a handful of the WeHuntSC.com crew and some other local hunters got together to go rabbit hunting. We all met up near McBee, SC and Chip was even nice enough to have cooked sausage for everyone. We munched on sausage and hung around for a little bit before starting out on the hunt. There were probably 12 ? 15 people there and I met some nice guys from River Bottom Kennels in the Rock Hill area there too!
While everyone was talking and eating, ?Hoot? (the internet phenom who grunts up rabbits) showed me the new addition to his dog box. He created a piece of metal that reads ?Hoot?s Holdaline Hounds? and mounted it on his dog box. So, if you are in SC and see a dog box with "Hoot's HoldALine Hounds" on it, then you?re riding behind Hoot.
Since we were over by Hoot?s truck I grabbed Hoot and did a quick pre-hunt interview. We had to cut the first interview short as someone cranked a truck up in my ear and messed up the audio. We did a second interview, but since the camera loves Hoot so much I?m posting both below for your viewing pleasure. Shortly after the interview it was time to chase some rabbits.
We left and ended up at a cut-over within a couple of minutes. Everyone got ready to walk through the brush of the cut-over. I think the dogs could sense that we were getting close because you could hear their anticipation building in the dog boxes. Some of us parked on the side of the road and the others drove up the dirt road that went to the cut-over. Once we all got there Hoot did something that I thought was neat?he opened the hunt up with a prayer. We all stopped and paused while he lead us in prayer and then about 5 minutes after the ?amen? dogs were hitting the ground.
I?m not an avid rabbit hunter, but once the dogs got on the ground it reminded me of when we went rabbit hunting last year. Within minutes the dogs were all fertilizing the soil and a strong stench filled the air! Hoot says that?s just part of the fun though!
I wasn?t able to stay too long because I still had some family holiday functions to attend so I had to jet early in the hunt. I would have loved to stay and get some more footage though. I believe the guys ended up getting about 5 rabbits in total. Hoot was kind enough to send me a pic of two rabbits on the tailgate.
It was neat to get out and meet up with some of the crew plus to meet some new faces. I hope we can do it again sometime soon! Thanks to Chip for cooking and all the other guys for making it a good time.
As the sun sets on another year, it's time to reflect on the 2010 season. One thing that I always like to think about is what happened during the season that has never happened before. These "firsts" are the things that keep me motivated, inspired, and excited about future hunts. For me it always seems like my deer seasons are full of "first" time events. I've been hunting for about 19 years and every year something happens during a hunt that makes me say, "I haven't seen that before.", or "That's the first time I've ever...".
Early on it was easy to accumulate "firsts", like the first deer stand that Dad and I built. At the time we didn't know that this "first" built stand would become a stand that led to the "first" buck for three hunters, including myself. My "first" buck was a four point that I shot when I was 13. It was an October day and I had just settled into my deer stand. Earlier that day I bought my "first" grunt call and pulled it out to see how it worked. After blowing on the thing for about an hour (I had no clue), I saw a buck coming straight at me. It stopped at about 30 yards and I shot. The buck bolted and then hit a pine tree at full throttle and broke off both sides of its antlers. That was probably a "first" for the pine tree.
This year hasn't been short on "firsts". I had an opportunity to take my "first" "Wall Hanger", which was an eight point buck for another "first". I also took my cousin on his "first" deer hunt and he saw his "first" deer while hunting. We will have to work on his "first" kill next year. We also saw a little snow which for me was a "first" as far as hunting in it. My year was also filled with the not so usual "firsts". I got buzzed (within inches) by a red tail hawk at sunset that nearly scared me to death. I also saw a possum while hunting. That was one that I had to think about for awhile.
What "firsts" did your year of hunts have? Hopefully, your year and past years are filled with as many "firsts" as mine.
It's not too often that WeHuntSC in the SNOW! I made a little extra time to get in the stand on Sunday because there was a little white stuff on the ground. A good bit had melted during the afternoon but it was still enough on the ground to get me excited.
The wind had picked up during the afternoon which made it the coldest hunt I had been on this year. As I sat in the stand I thought about how cool it is that in South Carolina our deer hunting season extends from late summer to early winter. Thunderstorms to Snow is how I like to think about it. Well this season has definitely provided both ends of the spectrum and everything in between.
The hunt was successful in my book because I saw deer. Four doe eased out of the cut-over and into the hardwood funnel my stand was in. They seemed very cautious as they entered the hardwoods. I'm not sure if it was the wind or if they were wondering why the woods had been highlighted in a blanket of white powder. They definitely stuck out like a sore thumb against the white backdrop. Well they moved on and so did I. It was a pretty fun hunt. Did anyone else have chance to get out and hunt in the snow? How did it go?
Hey Everyone,
Just recently, me, my dad, and good friend Robbie Boone headed out to Stuttgart, AR for the Intermediate World Duck Calling Contest. There were 26 contestants from all over the United States between the ages of 14-16 who had high hopes just like me.
After enduring the 12 hour ride, we finally arrived around 8:00 pm and Macks?s Prairie Wings was still open so we took advantage to stretch our legs and look around at the enormous display of waterfowl supplies. After dad and Robbie purchased a few items, I called my duck calling mentor and good friend Butch Richenback of RNT Calls , to see what time I could come by the RNT shop the next morning for a call tune up and for him to listen to my routine.
So the next morning we stopped by the RNT Shop where Butch re-tuned my call and worked with me for about 30 minutes prior to being overrun with other callers and store customers. This particular week was Stuttgart?s annual ?Wings over the Prairie Festival? with an estimated 50,000 people in attendance which was huge for not only Stuttgart but the state as well.
After we left Butch and the RNT shop, we headed to Main Street so I could register for the World Contest. Once I registered, we had a small lunch (nerves were starting to set in) for both me and my dad. At 1:30 they called back all of the contestants for to go over all the rules and to begin the contest.
While we were getting ready backstage, the callingducks team was setting up their video equipment which would be giving live video footage for their site www.callingducks.com. This allowed other family members and friends who were unable to come , to watch and see what it?s all about .
Once the contest started, and I was #3 to come out, boy the nerves really started buzzing. When my number was called out, I said here we go, and just blow clean. I blew a solid routine and was tied for 4th after the 1st round and was called back in the top 12. I drew #6 for the second round and surprisingly found myself less nervous.
When my number was called out, here we go again, and blew a solid routine again but with combining scores of the first two rounds, put me at finishing 7th in the world.
I would like to congratulate Seth Hartman for winning and two of my good friends Devlin Hodges who finished 2nd, and Greg Hubble JR for finishing 5th. Way to go guys!
I would also like to thank everyone at Drake Waterfowl, Decoy Outdoors, WinnTuck, and the team of WeHuntSC.com but especially Butch Richenback of RNT Calls for all of the support giving to me . I could have never finished 7th in the World without you.
Good Calling & Hunting - Blake
The potential change in the South Carolina deer regulations as highlighted in the blog by Clint titled "South Carolina Buck Regulations?" has a lot of people talking about buck limits, fees, and the one I'm most interested in, PREDATORS.
I had the opportunity earlier this year during trapping season to watch what I would call a professional trapper at work. If they were to give trappers a degree, this guy would have his Masters. For the purpose of this blog, I will refer to him as Master Trapper. His main goal was to trap wily coyotes from a friend?s property and he didn?t disappoint. My buddy told a story of a few days before when they noticed Master Trapper abruptly stop his ATV and examine a spot on the pasture fence. My buddy said they stopped and asked him what he was looking at. Master Trapper replied, ?coyotes are crossing here.? He spotted a single coyote hair on the fence while traveling 40 mph on his four-wheeler. That?s impressive.
Over the past few years, the coyote has expanded his range and is often seen in places you wouldn?t expect. I read an article this morning on CNN of coyotes in New York City. I wouldn?t have believed that a few years ago. I also have seen them in my backyard, which just a few years ago would?ve been unheard of. According to SCDNR, ?populations in South Carolina were established in Pickens and Oconee counties in the late 1970?s by houndsmen, and coupled with natural immigration, have since expanded to include all counties in the State.?
The question that often is asked is ?what impact do coyotes have on deer/turkey/predator populations?? Based on my research there are various opinions on this question. The scale goes from those that say that we need to eradicate coyote populations to those that say they have no impact at all. Personally, I don?t think it?s rational to say they have no impact at all. I found an interesting article called, ?Coyotes in the East: Are They Impacting Deer?? which was done by the USDA Forest Service. Its research has found that coyotes do have a significant impact on deer fawn populations. In its research they monitored 60 fawns and noted that 44 of these fawns didn?t survive until the fall season. During the research, they were able to attribute 36 of the 44 (80%) fawn deaths to coyote predation. That sounds significant to me. They are still conducting research as highlighted in Clint's Blog "South Carolina Buck Regulations?" . I also found an article at Outdoor Life magazine, which showed a series of pictures in which a coyote caught a fawn. This just gave me a visual of the research done by the USDA Forest Service. As with everything, I feel that the impact depends on the situation, but you can?t ignore that there is an impact.
The next question would be ?What does a landowner do?? Let?s face it, the coyote is here to stay, but there a measures that can be done to control them. SCDNR has a good publication that gives a history of the coyote and how they can be controlled. I got to see this done first hand by Master Trapper and it?s something I will not soon forget. Let?s remember that they don?t call them Wily for nothing.
Personally I'm not against buck limits because I usually don't reach the proposed limit. I usually will kill a doe or two for meat and then hunt for a "Wall Hanger". That's just me though. What impact do you think coyotes have as it relates to the proposed change in buck limits?