Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew
Most of you probably think about turkey season, green grass, and fishing as the winter turns to spring. I think about Poison Ivy! I was reminded of it this past weekend as my son and I walked through the woods behind my house.
As Riley and I cruised through the mature oak hollow I soon realized that we had managed to walk into a maze of tiny red leaflets. This new growth seemed to pop from the earth and surround us just for spite. I picked up Riley and he got a free ride out of the woods. The bad part was that there was nothing free about my journey through this maze of poisonous plants. You?ve probably heard others say, ?If I look at poison ivy I get it?. Well, that saying seems to apply to me. You would think that after years of dousing calamine on my skin I would learn, but it seems that this pesky plant always gets the best of me.
After maneuvering through the woods I thought it would be a good time to teach Riley about poison ivy. The one thing my Dad always told me that seemed to stick was, ?Leaves of three, Let it be?. Others that I?ve heard are, ?One, Two, Three, Don?t touch me?, and ?Red leaflets in the spring, it?s a dangerous thing?. These mnemonics are a neat way to teach kids about the outdoors.
As we enter springtime and make plans to chase turkeys through the countryside these plants are often hidden and harder to spot. Check out the video below and see how it's hard to see in early spring. These are the times that it usually gets me. I?m pretty conscious of it in the late spring and summer when the leaves are broad and green and cover the edges of the timber, but I often forget about the early spring when it's hard to see. Believe me when I tell you it's not any less potent in early spring. I?ve found that washing the areas of the skin that have contacted the plant as soon as possible helps. One tip would be to make sure you take off your watch when washing your arms. I have made the mistake of not doing this in the past and paid the price. I haven?t really found a cost effective remedy as I?d almost rather go to the doctor to get rid of it.
Does anyone have a good remedy to share?
How does this pesky plant affect your hunts? I have buddies that get on me about how aware I am of it. They seem to be able to sit in the middle of it with no consequence. I have learned to respect it on the other hand.
SCDNR has some good info on poison ivy. A couple tidbits I picked up from reading their website is that only 70% of the U.S. population is allergic to poison ivy. That means that 30% of the population is very very lucky. Also, I didn't realize that poison ivy produces a fruit that is popular with wildllife. Maybe it is not so bad after all. Scratch that last statement. Caution - Poison Ivy is bad!
An old oak stump looked like a good hiding spot for a big bass waiting on an easy meal on this brisk day. It looked so good that the three of us fishing threw to it time after time. After about twenty casts to the stump one more wouldn't hurt would it? Absolutely not! My black shad Culprit worm sailed through the March wind like an eagle diving down to catch a summer trout. It landed softly on the bank padded by a layer of oak leaves. One twitch and it slivered into the cold water. At that instant a swirl of the water signaled that this Culprit was in trouble. A couple more twitches and then a sudden thump. An easy pull on the rod to get the slack out and then I dropped the hammer. No doubt that this was going to be one to talk about.
I'll pause the story for a split second to give you some insight on why this was going to be an even better fight. We were fishing in kayaks! If you've never done this I would definitely give it a try. It takes a little while to get used to it but once you do it is a blast. When you're on the water it almost feels like you're floating. Imagine sitting at water level with an eight pound bass tail-walking across the water and pulling you around like an Alaskan tugboat. Good Stuff!
Back to the story. I set the hook and the fight was on. I recall Eric saying "Man what do you have?" I just knew it was big. Back and forth like Ali and Frazer we went. Eric eased his kayak over to stabilize mine. After what seemed an eternity the bass surfaced and I lipped it with the quickness. As I pulled the bass up the hook fell out. Talk about just in the nick of time. Did I mention that this was the second lunker of the day!?
Although the day was slow it was definitely productive. We caught three nice fish. Eric and I caught eight pounders and Eric's nephew, Alan, caught a four pounder. The water was a little stained from the recent rains so black seemed to be the most productive color. Eric was fishing a texas rig black Zoom Finesse worm and I was fishing a black shad Culprit with a shaky head jig. As noted in the story the fish were on the bank but you had to be patient. We would hit a spot over and over. I'd say it worked out. Check out the video. Who else enjoys hooking big bass?
There?s nothing I enjoy more than a slow grilled slice of venison backstrap, wrapped in bacon and glazed with sweet honey barbeque sauce. I often think about how lucky we are these days to have all of these ingredients at our finger tips, because not too far back in history figuring out which seasoning we put on our food wasn't the main concern.
On a cool evening in late October, the hoot of an owl echoed through the oak hollow I was hunting and quickly faded as a swift breeze rustled the leaves under my stand. It was as if I wasn?t alone. I started to think about an arrowhead my Dad found earlier in the day. These little treasures are hidden throughout the countryside. They have become harder to find, but occasionally when the land is tilled they can spring from the earth as if they had been planted many years ago. It was definitely evidence that this land had been hunted before. Not for sport, but for survival. I was immediately hit with a shivering chill.
This thought got me interested in hunting with more primitive weapons. My dad had an old re-curve bow that we dusted off and got in shooting condition. Although, much more advanced than what an American Indian would?ve used, it was very primitive to me. We also have an early Virginia flintlock rifle (circa 1770) that I intend to take hunting. (see video below) Having handled these weapons, I?ve gained a tremendous respect for the challenges that hunters faced years ago. These days my survival might not be in question, but I?ve got a sneaky suspicion that if the clock was turned back I wouldn?t have trouble turning into the whisper of wind that sent chills up my back that day I was hunting. Today?s technology is truly impressive, but sometimes it?s fun to step back and follow in the foot-steps of hunters many years ago.
The area where these arrowheads have been found was probably a dividing line between the Cherokee and Catawba Indians, so I'm unable to say for certain the origin of the arrowheads. Also, many arrowheads were traded from other regions which makes their origin even harder to pinpoint. The ones we've found are made of quartz and chert rock and come in all shapes and sizes. Some were probably used as spear points and others true arrowheads.
As the temperatures begin to rise and plans are being made for the summer crops the time is right to get out and search for these treasures. You never know what you might find. Check out this video of my collection.
The question that often arises around this time of year is, "When should I start looking for shed antlers?". It has been my experience that it's never too early. I have found sheds in the past as early as January 5th. That is only four days after the last day of deer season in South Carolina. One memory that stands out is a set found in early January several years ago by my Dad and I.
Dad and I set out on an afternoon stroll one Saturday or as we like to call it, "a walk in the woods". We decided to walk the fence line that bordered the pasture behind my Dad's house. As we started out we fought through a thicket of small sweet gum trees and a briar patch that was too thick for the slickest of cottontails. We some how managed to squeeze our way through and found ourselves in a young stand of pines. We found a well traveled deer trail and began to follow it. It wasn't long when we spotted one side of a nice eight point rack. I had just read an article not too long before our walk that stated that the more mature dominant bucks often loose their antlers first due to their increased energy output during the year to maintain their dominance. I'm not a biologist but this makes sense to me. I also read that often a deer sheds both sides of its antlers in the same general area. So we continued our walk and followed this deer trail. As luck or fate would have it, we stumbled on the match to the shed we found earlier. It was only approximately 200 yards away from the first one we found. Not a bad day for just a "walk in the woods".
My most recent find occurred this past Sunday. My son Riley, Cousin JD, and myself headed out for an afternoon stroll. My intentions were to check the field edges and then to check the pine thickets around my Dad's house. It has been my luck in the past to find sheds in those general areas. Well after about an hour of walking we hit the jackpot. We found one side of what appeared to be a six point. This find was a little unusual though. The brow tine on this shed was huge. I measured it at about 9 inches. The rest of the rack was not impressive. We will definitely have to hunt him hard next year to get him out of the gene pool. Check out the video.
To me these sheds are a treasure. Although they hold some value if you search an auction site like eBay, it is more than just a price tag. It is like finding a lost piece to a puzzle. It offers a glimpse of the unknown, because these animals are so elusive. The sheds that I've found in the past are from deer that I have never seen and haven't seen since, but it's this clue to the unknown that keeps me hunting. So don't hesitate to take that "walk in the woods", because it's never too early to find that treasure. Clint's blog "Shed Hunting" has a little more detail about the sport. Check it out!
Has anyone else had any luck?
I wanted to update the blog since my neighbor Griff Wilson emailed me a picture of the deer that the shed belongs to. I thought you may want to see the other side if the shed is never found. Pretty cool looking buck.
At some point in everyone's life you're influenced by someone or something. In some cases these influences lead us in a direction that dead ends. Other influences ignite an internal fire and will lead us down a never ending road. One influence in my life that I'm thankful for and that will burn forever is my outdoor influence.
When I was twelve I can remember going with my Dad to a local pawn shop looking for my first deer rifle. At the time money meant nothing to me, but now I realize that was no small purchase. My Dad traded one of his shotguns and a sum of cash for that rifle. It was a semi-auto .243 that seemed to weigh as much as me. It was already equipped with a scope and it was ready for action. My Dad poured a lot of sweat that summer getting ready for the upcoming deer season. Now I realize that he did that for me because he saw the passion I had and he wanted to fuel that fire.
That first season came and went without a deer. I learned a lot that year. One thing was that a semi-auto was heavy and I needed a lighter rifle. We traded the .243 for a bolt-action .270. Another thing was that we had to get the stand out of the back yard. I know Dad (probably Mom) wanted to keep me close but that just wasn't working. So we moved that stand to an oak hollow that was a good hike from the house.
Not long into that season I had my opportunity for my first deer. A four point strolled down through the oak hollow and met his match. I was so pumped that I jumped down and ran all the way back home. My Dad was at work so I pulled Mom out of the house and we made the trek back through the woods to find the deer. My Mom always joked that she passed the hunting gene to me because she was 1/16th Native American. Well after watching her find that deer I would agree. My Mom passed away this year and I will always cherish the pride she had and interest she showed in my outdoor adventures. I told her to find a good hunting spot for me in heaven. No doubt that she influenced me.
Although hunting is now my favored outdoor activity, fishing was my first love. I was lucky enough to grow up with a small pond within walking distance from my house. I can remember many a day when my Dad and I shoveled up a few worms and hit the pond. As I got older I started to let my imagination wonder. My favorite TV show was Hank Parker's Outdoor Magazine. The jingle still rings in my head. "The house needs paintin, the yard needs mowin, where's he at? He's gone fishin!" Talk about influence. Well I had a many of battles with Hank on that small pond. (In my imagination). It would always come down to the last minute. I would be down a fish in the Bassmaster Classic with 10 minutes to go. I always seemed to catch that fish, whether it took me three hours or not.
As many of you would agree, those who have been bit by the outdoor bug will never heal. An outdoor influence is needed more than ever in today's world, and hopefully I can pass it on!
Share your story of what influenced the outdoors in you.
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.
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?
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?
Let me first say that I'm excited to be able to share my outdoor adventures with WeHuntSC.com. I was born and raised in Lowrys, SC (Chester County) and I have had a passion for the outdoors since I was a little kid. Hopefully, I can paint a picture of some of my hunting memories that illustrates my passion for South Carolina and Hunting. I will start out by telling you about a deer hunt from earlier this year.
Every hunter dreams of harvesting a Trophy animal or as I like to say, a Wall Hanger. I've always had the mindset that the glass is half full. With that thought, I've never judged the success of a hunt on whether I killed a "Mature" animal. A "Trophy". A "Wall Hanger".
Now for the whole truth. Over the past few years, I've started to wonder if taking a "Wall Hanger" would ever happen. Let me remind you that a trophy is in the eye of the beholder. To me a trophy is a mature animal. Period. I'm not worried about Boone and Crockett status. To me a "Trophy" whitetail is defined by more than just how many inches of antler are on its head. Anyways. My chances to harvest a trophy animal have mounted over the past several years. The most recent "chance" happened during the opening day of the 2009 season. A perfect quartering shot put the deer down, only to have him disappear without a trace. That haunted me for an entire year.
Fast forward to October 16, 2010. The morning was cool and crisp and the air was still. I started to my stand about an hour and a half before first light. I wanted to get in early because I had to cross a soybean field which usually held deer during the night. By going in early, I thought if I were to spook deer going into my stand the woods would have time to quiet down before light. Well, on the way in to my stand it was quiet. No spooked deer was a good start. As I got settled into the stand, I put on my face mask and gloves and prepared for an hour of sitting in the dark. You would think that this would be a boring hour, but it was actually quite exciting. A pack of coyotes made themselves known with a sequence of howls that sent chills up my spine. Then a few hoots from several owls made me feel like I was not the wisest one in the woods that morning. After all that fuss, the crunch of the leaves signaled that a deer was approaching. The deer cruised through without pause and the crunch of leaves faded into the dark. It was too dark to see but my suspicions led me to believe that this was a buck heading to the soybean field to check his scrapes.
As the horizon started to brighten, the silhouette of several deer moved through the soybean field. I was on full alert. Several deer moved through the hardwoods to my left and eased into a cut over that I was facing. It seemed that the deer were all around. The next deer I saw was a doe on the far edge of the soybean field. She was by herself which to me signaled that a buck could be following . She stopped for a split second and then moved on. Then I saw him. WOW! I immediately got into position because I knew that my window of opportunity was small. He stopped and worked a scrap for a second. It was as if time stood still. Here was my "chance" to redeem myself and silence those haunting memories. He then turned and started to walk off. I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed. BOOM! The buck jolted and ran out of sight. My heart and mind were racing at this point. Do I get down or do I wait. That wasn't a hard decision. I jumped down, literally. I made a quick pace to the edge of the field and there he was. I put a quick stalk on him to make sure he was down and then I woke up the woods. BBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAWWWWW! (Can you tell I was pumped?)
My glass was now full! That mindset that the glass was always half full started to be an excuse. Of course I love to be in the woods and yes it's not all about the kill, but every hunter dreams of harvesting a "Mature" animal. A "Trophy". A "Wall Hanger". Well, now I have mine!
