Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew
Last night I made a trip to Hartsville, SC to Kellytown Baptist Church. The church put on a ?Wild Game Banquet? that had a little something for everyone! The event was neat and I wish I would have arrived a little bit earlier than I did. To start off with they had skeet shooting competitions and as I walked up I could hear the final shots being fired in the tie-breaker rounds of the competition. I didn?t expect to know many people at this event, but before I even got in the door I saw a couple guys I know and even a guy who played on the state championship team with me back in 1997! The good ol? days just never die I don?t guess.
As I got close to the door I could see a Ducks Unlimited chapter breaking down a booth that they had set up outside of the church. I made my way into the church?s multi-purpose room and could hear music as and smell food as I entered. It?s always a good sign to smell some country cooking when you enter a room! The multipurpose room was big in size and there was a band playing on the stage. There were a couple of tables and displays set up around the room and I made my way to the back to where the Wrecking Crew & Blake Hodge were set up. Blake was on schedule to do a calling demonstration as part of the program. When I got to the back and talked to all the Wrecking Crew I noticed that my local taxidermist Carlyle Sutton had some displays set up and one of the deer looked awful familiar too! Since I knew a couple of people at the back I hung around there and put some WeHuntSC.com stickers on the Wrecking Crew?s table.
Once the skeet shooting competitions were complete and everyone made their way inside the emcee started making some announcements. He gave information on the door prizes and talked about the schedule for the evening. The preacher then blessed the food and everyone got in a line to eat the food we had smelled for some time. The buffet line consisted of catfish stew, catfish, rice, and alligator meat. It was the first time that I had ever eaten any alligator and I have to say?it wasn?t that bad! (It all tastes like chicken right?) I snapped some pics of the food and the line in the kitchen and then made my way back out. They also had a dessert table too. The dessert table had a bunch of cookies and cakes on it, but I was able to be self disciplined enough to pass it up this time.
After we ate Blake went up and blew his calls for the audience. I shot some video of Blake shooting, but I?ll have to say that I did a terrible job of filming it. I kept bumping the camera and I had the tripod head so tightly screwed into place I couldn?t budge it without being rough with it. So my apologies for the bad filming on this one!
After Mr. Patterson spoke the emcee gave out the rest of the door prizes to the audience. It seemed very fitting that a young kid won the shotgun that someone donated to the event since Mr. Patterson mentioned several times in his speech the notion of how it?s important for a boy to have a gun as he grows up. He always quickly followed that up with how it was also important that the father guide and instruct the kid on how to use the gun. It seemed like a good ending to a good night.
I was glad to have gone and met some new people, eat some good food, and hear a good speaker.
Below is a quick video I made from the event...sorry for the bumpy footage
Regards,
Clint
In the most recent news and events we?ve seen how countries in the Middle East have used, and are using, Twitter, Facebook, & YouTube to organize, communicate, and overthrow governments, regimes, and dictators. The internet has increased social connectivity and is changing the fabric of many cultures around us. The same principle of technology being used to change the dominant narrative within a society parallels a shift currently going on within the outdoor industry.
Narrowing the focus, I?m specifically talking about how online video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo are changing the outdoor industry as they relate to hunting and fishing TV shows. What change you ask? Well, it?s not quite so evident yet, but as technology becomes more integrated into the lives of outdoorsmen it will become more noticeable. To further investigate this notion let?s look at the current dominant narrative, the disruption, and the resulting model that is arising out of the disruption.
The Dominant Narrative Currently, hunting and fishing TV shows are watched by many outdoorsmen on networks like the Outdoor Channel, ESPN Outdoors, the Pursuit Channel, Versus, and other networks similar in programming. These shows consist of quality footage, professional editing, and action packed content. The TV shows are fun to watch and they set the bar high for what trophy animals are in the outdoor world, they introduce new products, and give informative tips to the viewing audience. Many of these TV shows are made possible via the contributions of sponsors and other organizations that have a vested financial interest in the success of these shows. The sponsors and networks also have a financial interest in the success of the personalities they spend tons of marketing money creating. These shows reach their target audience sitting on a couch in a living room taking in the action?and yes, I?m an audience member too! This is the model that we have grown accustomed to expect and accept.
The positives for this model are obvious?quality content delivered directly to the target audience. However, there are some drawbacks to this model as well that can easily go unnoticed. Some flaws for this model are:
Cost - To have a show you must have financial backing or support from sponsors. Essentially it takes money to produce, edit, and buy the air time for the show. Thus, the need for financial backing from sponsors is never-ending. This model means you have to have money in order to have a show, to have your products(s) featured on a show, or to be a personality on a show. This model is expensive and makes it difficult for budding entrepreneurs and smaller organizations to get product placement in these ?prime time? shows. The barrier created by the necessary financial backing is a strong deterrent for many trying to ?break in? to the industry whether they have product(s), talent, or wisdom they aspire to share with the outdoor world. Many really neat products or bits of knowledge have never received high amounts of exposure simply because the people behind them couldn?t foot the bill to get publicity on this level of shows. It?s an understandable dynamic and it?s also becoming an outdated one.
No Exposure for Grass Roots Hunters ? Do you know someone in your local area who is an avid or exceptional hunter? I do and I also know that their knowledge and experiences could make for some good TV material?or at least content good enough to draw interest in the outdoor community. In the current model, these exceptional, local hunters won?t get much exposure. I also know some guys who were pushing to have their own hunting show on TV, but they eventually gave up as they couldn?t get enough financial backing to make it possible. The current model within the outdoor TV show industry makes it nearly impossible for grass-roots hunters to get exposure and promote their ways of hunting or fishing, their knowledge, and wisdom.
Authenticity ? In today?s society we seek authenticity...realness? and we can easily pick up on it when something or someone doesn?t seem to be 100% real. It?s not that hunters on TV are viewed as fake, but we, in the back of our minds, always think that these guys are hunting on a ranch somewhere or that they?re hunting in a pen. Whether they are or not is yours to decide. I?m sure you?ve heard outdoorsmen talking about how their hunting/fishing experiences ?aren?t like the hunting/fishing you see on TV? and this statement alludes to the notion that outdoor TV shows don?t accurately represent real life examples that they experience during hunting or fishing season. Whether the outdoor show is 100% real or not, the perception of the viewer often times leans towards the less authentic side of the argument. And as you know, perception is reality.
Lack of Availability & Sharing ? TV shows run on a schedule. You can easily figure this out by looking on your program guide in the newspaper or on your network?s program guide. You can also record programs and watch them at a later time. These are neat features for TV, but it still lacks in a few areas. You can?t watch these programs on a mobile device as easily. You can?t ?like? or ?share? or embed or search for and easily find these videos so that you can effortlessly share them with others. If the shows aren?t seen on TV then they?re not as easily accessible for viewing. Sharing and searching is out of the question as well in the current model.
The Disruption Enter YouTube and Vimeo. In this day and age anybody with a video camera can easily post videos for the world to see. The ability to document events on video and post them online has caused drastic changes in the way we communicate and share videos and media.
The videos posted on YouTube & Vimeo reach their target audience wherever they are via their mobile devices, Iphones, Droids, Ipads, Galaxy Tabs, computers, etc. We can consume these videos at work or at home. Though, the target audience for consumption of these videos is a mobile generation that?s constantly on the move, has a short attention span, is accustomed to interacting with media, and spends more time online than they do watching TV.
The online videos are instantly searchable, shareable, ?likeable?, embeddable, measurable, and they have the ability to go viral very quickly. These features are the same features that TV lacks. The new generations of hunters are pushing this disruption and in doing so are contributing, video by video, to the paradigm shift that is being observed. The end result will be a new, blended model in the way outdoorsmen consume videos and consequently a new way for marketers to reach their target audiences will be created along with the possibility for anyone to become a well known outdoorsmen.
The New Shifted Model The new model for video content consumpetion will consist of a blend of hunting TV shows that air on networks as well as prominent hunters who present their video content in an online, shareable, searchable, measurable, and ratable format. This new blended model has several benefits for many involved in this industry. Some of those benefits are:
More authentic/genuine content ? There is just something about a home video that gives an authentic feel. Whether it?s the bloopers or bumps of the cameras or moments of unsteady handling, when I view one of these videos I feel like the video is genuine. I feel like I have something in common with the person shooting the video and that common link is that the creator of this video is an everyday hunter/fisher just like me. It may just be me, but I feel that I can identify more with someone a few miles down the road from me with a hand-held camera than I can with someone hunting in a distant state harvesting deer/turkeys that are unrealistic animals for my area. This new, blended model will give me both types of content that I can consume. I can see the fancy editing and high-dollar product placement on TV as well as being able to see online content that I feel I can identify with on a greater level.
Cheaper marketing of sponsoring organizations - Along with working with ?big names? in the hunting TV show industry, sponsoring organizations will become more open to working with grass-roots hunters to have their products featured in their YouTube and Vimeo videos. Why would an organization reach out to the ?good old boys? who post YouTubes & Vimeos? They will do this for several reasons with the main one being that the cost will be much cheaper while the reach will become much further. Instead of having to pay for air time, editing, production, and backing high-costing TV personalities, organizations will easily save money and also work with local hunters to feature their products in the blogs and/or videos of the grass-roots outdoorsmen. They may donate products to these hunters or work some agreement up for promotions, but whatever they do will be cheaper for them than what they?re currently doing. The smaller entrepreneurs will start to jump on this and will start reaching the grass roots hunters and will cover ground in this arena earlier than the large organizations will because it is initially more attractive to them. The big boys will be a little behind, but they will catch up once they take note of the shift and start operating in the new blended model. Also, initiating change within a large organization takes more time so it will take the larger organizations more time to adjust.
Large organizations and smaller entrepreneurs will now both be able to benefit by receiving publicity and promotions from this new, blended model. Since viewers of the next generations will increasingly seek authentic videos from people they can identify with ?and will access the content where they spend most of their time (online)? the new generation of consumers will lean more toward online video than they will hunting TV shows. When consumers change where they?re viewing their media then so will the location of marketing change somewhat for the sponsors and organizations promoting products.
Increasing quality of videos - When hunters start understanding the ripple effects of the new, blended model they will start producing higher quality home videos. Just look at what has taking place on our site within this past year. Hunters are now carrying video cameras in the woods and are commentating while they video when possible. The videos submitted by our site users and bloggers are getting better all the time as well (and so are the available tools for creating videos). Hunters are spending more time documenting and editing the videos from their hunts. Current video editing software allows for some great, creative videos in the end. Over time more and more hunters will have better software and will produce higher quality videos and they will post them online! Organizations are noticing and are starting to donate products for our bloggers to field test and blog about. It?s cheap for them and the grass-roots outdoorsmen directly interface with the audience they want to reach which, in our case, is the audience of our fellow outdoorsmen here on the site!
Increased Exposure for Grass Roots Hunters ? Through these video sharing sites, local hunters will have an avenue to share their stories. In the new, blended model hunters will easily be able to reach greater size audiences (at the audience?s convenience too). The barrier for getting exposure will no longer be determined by the amount of financial backing that you can obtain from sponsors. Because of this increased level of content sharing hunting, knowledge, and wisdom will be more readily available. In short, anyone can create a YouTube or Vimeo channel and begin building their credibility and reputation online. Just go to Derek?s YouTube channel and tell me that you don?t see content that is intriguing to you?and this will happen to a whole generation of outdoorsmen who are figuring this out just like we are.
Ease of Availability - A TV show may air a couple of times. A YouTube/Vimeo video will always be there and is accessible 24-7. It?s way more convenient to find a video via Google search at your leisure than it is to find a TV show and be present when it airs or either DVR it and watch it later. Another intriguing fact about online video is the possibility for the video to ?go viral? and quickly circulate the net. Users can access these vides on any device and can connect from virtually any location. Its real time and it?s social and it?s easy.
More easily measurable ? Video views are quickly and easily measurable. I know TV shows have the Nielsen ratings and other methods of finding out viewer stats, but seeing how many views a video has on YouTube or Vimeo is way more easily accessible than waiting for ratings to come out and find out how many people watched a specific show. The view count on YouTube & Vimeo is as close to real-time insight as one can get. The ?view-count? on each video is a direct signal as to the visibility an outdoorsman is receiving and it?s easily available to both the sponsors and the hunters. The transparency reveals the truth and the stats can?t be manipulated. These quick and easy metrics help sponsoring organizations make an easy assessment of the value of working with various outdoorsmen.
Conclusion Don?t mistake what I?m saying here? I don?t think hunting shows are going to end because I think there?s a place and demand for them. I?m just saying that over time they won?t be in as high of demand. I think this change will become more evident in the coming years, but you can see it happening already if you simply look around. Just look on YouTube and search for hunting or fishing videos and you?ll see a ton of outdoorsmen having their own ?shows? via their YouTube or Vimeo Channels. Outdoorsmen are picking up on it and the sponsors are slowly starting to as well and they should!
What means more to you?? seeing someone on TV shoot a deer/turkey on a ranch in a distant state or seeing one of your fellow South Carolinians bag a good buck or turkey on a YouTube video?
The shift has begun.
With 58% of the total votes John Shell has won the 2011 WinnTuck Waterfowl Competition! We had some really good entries in this year?s competition and it didn?t take long for the crew from the Charleston area to start logging a ton of votes. We had a major traffic surge in the site out of the Charleston area voting for John so I imagine that?s the area where John?s located!
John had a really nice pic of his dog on a dog-stand right over the water with the wood ducks (what I assume is a limit) hanging from the tree. Most importantly John did get the date in the picture as well! The combination of a good pic + a ton of votes = John?s about to get a bunch of free goodies!
See the voting statistics
Congratulations to John for winning and another big thanks to WinnTuck, Hobo Calls, & Lodge Creek Calls for donating products to make this competition possible! ? Oh yeah ? John, when you read this send me an email so we can figure out when we can get you the prizes.
It?s going to be like a second Christmas for the winner of the 2011 WinnTuck Waterfowl Competition! WinnTuck, Hobo Calls, & Lodge Creek Calls all donated the products that comprise a great prize package for this year?s winner so thanks to our sponsors for making the competition possible.
Thanks to all the hunters who participated and posted pics. We really had some good entries which made it tough to select the best. We had a tough time narrowing down the finalists and we decided to narrow it down to a top 5 instead of a top 3. Now the fate of the winners lies in the hands of the voters!
Voting will be live from 2/9/11 throughout 2/12/11. The winner will be announced on 2/13/11 and the prizes delivered shortly thereafter.
The top 5 pictures (in no particular order) were:
Be sure to go and cast your vote for the WinnTuck 2011 Waterfowl Competition winner!
The top 5 are below
Dale Knight
Gavin Jackson and Justin Gainey
The Wrecking Crew
Dale Knight & Travis Johnson
John Shell
This past Saturday and Sunday (February 5th and 6th) were designated as Federal Youth Waterfowl Days. Youth 15 years old and younger could hunt waterfowl when accompanied by an adult and only the youth could hunt! "These hunts offer the perfect opportunity for youth to be introduced to waterfowl hunting in a positive manner" said Dean Harrigal, S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) biologist.
With a busy schedule this past weekend I wasn?t sure if I was going to be able to make it, but it turned out that I could and I was excited to see what some of our youth would do. As I drove down the night before it rained for a solid hour without letting up. It wasn?t a good sign and I hoped that it would quit before the morning, but we didn?t end up that lucky. It rained throughout the night and for a couple of hours in the morning. As ?Murphy?s Law? would have it, the rain slacked up once the hunt started winding down.
I was pumped about this hunt because I was going to be in the blinds with the guys. I knew I would be able to get some really neat footage from being right there ?in the mix?. I was glad that I was in the blind too because if I had been out in the open I would have gotten soaked even more than I did and filming wouldn?t have been possible. The blind offered some cover where I could keep the camera somewhat shielded from the rain.
In our crew we had 3 youth hunters, 2 adults who assisted, me, and a dog hunkered down in 2 different blinds. I should probably describe the blinds a little because they were unique, but the video will give you a better feel than my words can. The blinds were rectangle in shape and they were in the ground. When sitting on the benches inside the blinds, our eyes were just above the level of the water. The blinds were camouflaged really well with brush all around the top edges. The blinds also had tops on them that flip open whenever it?s time to shoot, but for our hunt we left them open so as to have increased visibility for the youth and for the camera. The blinds were situated side by side on a point in the middle of the waterway. In case the blinds flooded the blinds had small pumps that pumped the water out in the corners of them. While we were sitting in the blinds our boots were about ankle deep in water due to all the recent rains and it wasn?t letting up.
We got there early and some of the guys put out decoys while I was getting my gear situated in the blind. The rain was still falling and I knew it was going to be tough to film and take pictures in this wet environment. After a little while everyone was situated and we just sat there waiting on the sun to rise and we also listened to the driving rain pinging the roof just over our heads. With the blinds over our torso our legs were exposed to the rain and within time I got soaked! The water ran straight down from my pants into my boots and before too long I felt ?gushy? on the inside of my boots. It wasn?t fun and before too long everything from my waist down was soaked and it seemed like it weighed 10 lbs more than when I came in. I guess I should also mention that everyone except me had waders on! I?ll probably have to invest in some waders here at some point, but leave it to me to go without any and having a valuable learning experience from it.
After a little while some ducks started swimming across the waterway. I could zoom in and see them with the camera better than we could with our eyes and they were heading our way. I got some good footage of this and I told the guys that the birds were coming our way. The guys were ready and within a few minutes the shells were flying in the air and I think the kids got 5 ?Coots? in total.
We still had birds coming in even after the first round of shots and after the dog had retrieved all the ducks! We sat there for a while and I got some more footage of the guys in the blinds and the overall setup. As it got lighter out the video got clearer and you?ll that reflected in the video below. Randomly we?d have a group of ducks come in and I was able to get some footage of birds flying in and I also got footage of the guys missing some shots that were right down the pipe. We were all laughing and having a good time with it though. I couldn?t believe the number of ducks we had around us throughout the morning and it really compliments the guy?s hard work done in the off-season to that area.
By the time the hunt was over I was completely soaked and my cameras had water all over them too. I wasn?t sure if I was going to be able to pull footage off the camera, but luckily it went undamaged. After the hunt we all went up and ate breakfast and had a good time hanging out. Though it was pouring and not the best filming conditions, it was still a great hunt and a great time together in the outdoors. I?m glad that DNR has a youth day set up because it helps get the youth fired up and keeps the hunting legacy going.
The rain, mist, fog, and clouds made it a little difficult for me to film?especially when trying to pull focus on various objects. So, some of the shots you?ll see in the below video are a little blurry.
Thanks again to the guys for inviting me along!
Have you ever gone to a hunting/fishing/outdoors tradeshow? If not, you should give it a try. It?s a good excuse to get out of the house and it?s also a good way to see what the new products are for the upcoming year. If you get any kind of ?out-of-season-blues? then these expos will put you right back in the zone because it?s nothing but hunting in fishing for as many booths as you care to walk by.
When I go to these shows I always like to look for new, creative products. It?s amazing to me what people come up with and many of these products come from hunters just like you and me who see a need for something so they create it. I like to see the products and to also hear the stories behind them.
It sounds odd to say it, but going to the shows can wear you out because it?s like information overload on Wildlife Energy Drink! Around every corner and with every new booth you see there?s something else to investigate and learn about. Some products and services may interest you more than others, but either way it?s firing all of your sensory receivers as you stroll through?at least it does for me. Combine the new products, new faces, competitions, and the smell of food in the air and you?ve got a hunter?s weakness, which leads me to the next point? only take the amount of cash that you want to spend before you go. Don?t take a check book, don?t take a debit card, or more cash than you plan to spend because I can tell you that you will want to buy more than you need! It?s really hard for me to go to any show and not buy something, but then again?I guess that?s what the vendors want!
Some info on upcoming shows?
SC
The 2011 Palmetto Sportsman?s Classic is being held on March 25th ? 27th, 2011 in Columbia, SC at the state fairgrounds. If you can find USC?s football stadium, then you can find the state fairgrounds. The Sportsman?s Classic is put on by SCDNR and features products for both hunters and fisherman. It seems that this year one of the guests will be ?Twiggy? the Water Skiing Squirrel. The Sportsman?s Classic is a neat event and you can see just about anything you?d want to see from fishing to hunting at the Sportsman?s Classic.
See our review of last year?s Sportsman?s Classic
The Pee Dee Deer Classic is held in July 29th ? 30th in Florence, SC right before deer hunting season starts. This trade show is right up the deer hunter?s alley. Obviously the focus of the show is on deer hunting, but you will see some other sports represented there as well such as turkey and boar hunting. The Pee Dee Deer Classic is a good way to get your blood pumping and get you motivated right before deer hunting season gets here.
See our review of last year?s Pee Dee Deer Classic
NC
The Dixie Deer Classic is held on March 4th ? 6th, 2011 in Raleigh, NC at the state fairgrounds. I have never been to this show, but I have only heard great things about it. Everyone says that it?s the biggest show they?ve been to and has the most in attendance over the course of the show. I may try to go this year just to see what it?s like. I think all the big names will be in the house, but if I go I?m not going to stalk them?though if you?re into being ?star-struck? then I think it may be an option for you. From looking at their web site it seems that they have a waiting-list for vendors. This tells me that the demand is high and so everyone?s statements about the show must be true. Depending on where you are in SC then a trip to Raleigh might not be a long haul.
Oh and just in case you?re wondering? you?ll be able to get a McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag at all 3 of these shows because I know Mr. McKenzie is planning on being in attendance at the shows.
Have you gone to any of these shows before? If so, what did you think? Which is the best and why? Also what are some of the upcoming shows that you know of in your area?
As many of you are aware, this past hunting season has been a little cooler than normal. I?m interested in knowing what you to do stay warm. You?ve probably got some good, wind-breaking, waterproof, insulated camo pants, jacket, or suit along with some nice insulated boots and thick socks?and you probably even base-layer it with Under Armor?s ?Cold Gear?. At least that?s the approach I take, but when temperatures get really low (like they have been lately) the cold still seems to find a way to cut right through all that stuff and grab me.
I usually put my gear on inside the house and by the time I?m through getting it all on I?m sweating so I rush outside to cool off. Then by the time I walk to the deer stand or to the duck blind I?m sweating again and you all know what happens next?the sweat eventually dries and you are even colder! In attempt to counter this sometimes I?ll leave my gear unzipped or untucked until I reach my location. This helps a little, but doesn?t eliminate the situation completely.
With a few weeks remaining in hunting season I was talking about how cold it was and my mom said ?You ought to just get some of the heat wraps and put them on? because that?s what they used when they had back pain or something. At first I didn?t give it much thought, but after I went on a hunt and sat on a chair covered in ice for 3 hours I decided that I would take the time to find out. When I returned home I asked her about them and she explained a little more. Later on I went to the Springs Wild Game Center where I picked up some ?Toasty Toes? and then I went to Wal-mart and got about 3-4 different brands of those Thermacare?s Heat Wraps?.and the next morning I was so glad that I did! I guess they say ?Mama?s know best? for a reason.
I started off putting my base layer of Under Armor gear on. All of the warnings on the heat packs say ?Do not apply directly to skin? so I put them on after the base layer. Back in the day you had to shake those things to make them warm up, but now all you have to do is open the package and the oxygen makes them heat up. Got to love technology! So I took the ?Toasty Toes? and stuck one on my chest (where I pressed the camera against to keep it warm) and I stuck the other one to the other side of the camera so that it had heat coming from both sides. The "Toasty Toes" are unique in that they have adhesive on them which helps them stick to your clothing.
After applying the ?Toasty Toes? I took the Thermacare Heat Wraps and put one on my lower back and one on my neck. Within minutes I could feel small pockets of heat start warming up all over me. I knew I didn?t have long before I would be sweating on the inside of the house so I hurried up and got dressed. By the time we got to the duck swamp those heat packets were even warmer.
I was so glad that I had investigated, purchased, and used the Heat Wraps and Toasty Toes because those things saved me. I could lean back in my chair and the rail of the chair would press that heat into my lower back and it felt so good. Of course I didn?t tell anybody that I was wearing them?after all, I?m a man and can endure the cold!
You may laugh and give me a hard time, but next time you have a hunt in cold weather plan ahead and give some ?Toasty Toes? or Thermacare Heatwraps a try and see how your hunt goes.
What other methods, tips, or products do you use to keep warm during your hunts?
As the sun faded and the sky darkened the sound of wings filled the air. Shooting time ended without a shot but what transpired in that thirty minute window before dark was something to treasure.
My dad and I were invited by a cousin to come hunt his farm on the outskirts of town (Chester) this past Saturday. We had a chance to hunt this property a few years ago and we were able to take a few mallards. The thought of those memories had me eager for more. The hunt on Saturday started at about 3:30 p.m. My Dad and I got set up overlooking a flooded corn field. A few decoys set the stage for the afternoon hunt. Dad and I hunkered down on the other side of the berm behind a few mature sweetgum trees. The air was cold as we waited but the thoughts of ?wings in the air? kept my blood pumping. It wasn?t long before we saw a few mallards circling off in the distance. Those birds sat down on another pond and we soon realized that our plans and the ducks plans weren?t coming together. This pattern continued through the afternoon and the shooting time started to dwindle away. Our cousin came up with a few minutes of shooting time left and said that the full moon and recent ice had changed the ducks pattern and they would more than likely pour in right after shooting time.
Sure enough probably not five minutes after shooting time the whistling call of several wood ducks could be heard as they zoomed over our set up. Then the grunt of a drake mallard and quack of the hen could be heard circling overhead. It was as if the ducks were watching a clock and knew we could do nothing. They started to pour in and I was amazed. The ducks were literally crashing into the flooded corn stalks. As a novice duck hunter just being in that moment and watching the birds work was so satisfying. Most experienced duck hunters would?ve probably been disappointed but I was in a trance and enjoying every minute of it as the sound of wings echoed through the fading sky.
Below is a five minute video I put together of the hunt. I apologize for the quality as it doesn?t do the hunt justice, but hopefully you can get an idea of the experience. Turn up the volume and listen carefully. ?Do you hear wings in the air??
Sometimes people ask me ?What is WeHuntSC.com???so I figured I?d write a blog about it and try to give an adequate answer...
I guess the web site can be different things for different people, but it kind of depends on your perspective. Since the perception of the site can differ, I?ve tried to write from a few different lenses in case you happen to fit into one of the below vantage points.
From a Hunter?s Viewpoint WeHuntSC.com is a website geared toward the hunters of South Carolina. We are an information hub and an online location for hunters to share information, photos, videos, and stories. We are flexible and open to suggestions from our site audience and we try to adapt and accommodate as much as possible.
We promote hunting and conservation and we respect the game and land we are blessed enough to hunt. We support our governing body (SCDNR) and promote and abide by their regulations. Our site gives hunters another online area to debate and dialogue about whatever?s on our minds. Our site offers hunters in South Carolina a location to connect with other hunters who share the same interests and who are regionally close to them. By providing an avenue for information exchange, our site fosters relationships among the outdoorsmen of South Carolina and beyond.
From the metrics, it?s evident that hunters in states all over the US and from several foreign nations are also interested in seeing what we?ve got going on in SC. Hunters in other states view the pages of our site and seldom comment?they are just curious about us and what we?ve got going on. In that regard, our site is a window to the rest of the hunting world for what kind of animals we?re harvesting in South Carolina and how we go about hunting the game in our state.
Hunters come to our site to connect, to compete, and to communicate?and we try to have a good time with it!
From a Sponsor?s Viewpoint We also host various online competitions throughout the hunting seasons to give back to SC hunters. For an organization, these competitions represent opportunities to directly interface with hunters throughout the year. Organizations can donate products and sponsor competitions in exchange for publicity and marketing on our site. We monitor our site?s metrics daily and we continue to grow. If you have an organization interested in promoting via our site, just let us know and we can send you some metric reports if you?re interested in cost per impression analysis.
We also have a team of bloggers who blog about their hunts. Some organizations give us products to use/field test and blog about. This offers organizations a grass roots means to connect with hunters throughout the hunting season and the year. Our bloggers aren?t professional hunters with TV shows?we?re just normal guys who like to hunt?and write about it. We utilizemedia rich techniques of images, lightbox image galleries, and YouTube videos to document our hunts and any products that we may be field testing. When SC hunters have memorable hunts we?ll also post guest blogs that they submit. We have also done blog series when it made sense. An example of this is the Tecomate Seed Food Plot Journey where we did a year-long blog series of creating food plots.
We, our bloggers, our hunters, and fans all promote different areas of our site via social media. Organizations that partner with us receive product promotion, increased logo awareness, and greater brand recognition on our site, on YouTube, on Facebook, and Twitter. From this standpoint, we help organizations reach people in several different online locations.
From a Web Viewpoint Ah yes, the web! I am a web guy (actually a "webneck") by trade and this site offers me a place to sharpen a skill set. I keep this site up on the side with the help of a couple other individuals. Running this site helps me gain a greater knowledge about this platform, gives me a creative outlet, and helps me keep my mind turning. The challenge to innovate, keep fresh content, and keep users engaged is interesting and fun, but most importantly it forces me to learn. The push to try to be on the fringe with technology is an endless task and the struggle breeds knowledge.
I hope this entry has helped communicate what WeHuntSC.com is about from whatever perspective you find yourself. The site may change in time, well, it will have to change in order to survive, so stay tuned as we keep pushing to find ways to connect and engage online.
