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Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew


The Brow Tine Buck
If you read my blog "Shed Crazy" you would have seen a shed that we found this past year of a buck that we later named the Brow Tine Buck.  This deer had unusually long brow tines that measured approximately 9 inches.  For that reason, this deer was on the top of the hit list for the 2011 season.  Fast forward to October 29th.

When the alarm clock sounded at 5:30 a.m. on October 29th the sound of rain was tapping steady on the window by my bed.  Without much thought I quickly turned it off and drifted back into oblivion.  What only seemed like a minute later, alarm number two sounded off on my Timex Ironman watch.  It was now 6:30 a.m.  As I lay there for a few seconds a couple thoughts drifted through my mind.  The first was the rain and the second was the rut.  After a few more seconds went by I figured that I better get up and check the weather.  After checking weatherchannel.com and taking a peek outside I decided that my thoughts of the rut outweighed the rain that seemed to be on its way out of town.  It was time to go hunting.

One thing I've enjoyed about this season has been using the Mckenzie Scent Fan Duffle.  It has allowed me to store all of my gear in one spot and has kept my Crossover Camo suit ready at a moments notice.  Because I was running a little behind on this morning it was important that I have all of my gear ready to go in order to get ready quicker and get in the stand faster.  Did I mention that it's nice not to have to worry about cover scents.  The bag takes care of all that for me.  There's nothing like a good mixture of fresh earth and pine.  

As I made my way to my stand I thought that with the storm moving out the deer should be on the move.  I had a good wind as I walked in and I had a good feeling about the hunt.  Since I was late walking in I didn't have to sit long before the sky started to lighten up.  At about 7:30 a.m. I caught a glimpse of a deer moving through the cotton field.  I quickly turned to get my rifle ready.  The first deer was a doe.  I knew this could get good quick.  The doe was moving at a steady pace through the field so I scanned back across the field and there he was.  My first thought was what the heck is that.  I immediately knew the deer had a big body, but his rack was very unusual.  As the deer moved through the field I knew my window was closing fast.  I had to make a decision quick.  The deer then stopped and looked my direction.  That's when it hit me.  This was the Brow Tine Buck.  I quickly clicked off the safety and put the crosshairs behind his shoulder.  A loud crack and the buck jolted out of sight.  I couldn't see him crash but I could tell he didn't go too far.  What a feeling!  The Brow Tine Buck was down!  

As I sat in my stand after making the shot I thought to myself this must be the Year of the Brow Tine.  First we found his shed antler in March.  Then I picked up an awesome knife from CRKT.  Coincidently the knife is called the Kommer "Brow Tine".  And then it all comes together on October 29th with the "Brow Tine Buck" on the ground.  Awesome!  

The buck was definitely a good one to get out of the herd.  He ended up being a 187 # 7 point and a trophy in my book.  This year his brow tines measured close to 12 inches.  Crazy is all I can say!

Due to the rain I left my video camera at the house, but once the buck was on the ground a made the quick trip back to the house and got the camera.  Check out some of the footage.


Site Updated

If you've noticed that I haven't been blogging as much and my activity with the site has been a little slower lately... it's because I've been doing a lot of updating behind the scenes that will hopefully serve everyone better in the long run.  As you can probably tell, I've updated the site. I wanted to post a quick update to key you in to some of the new features. The site now has:

  • Enhanced profile
  • A wall where users can post updates
  • An internal messaging system
  • The ability to friend/follow other users (there will be more updates to the friend section soon)
  • A member directory
  • Social Groups (you can create a group for any reason/purpose)
  • Updated message board (making it easier to add hyperlinks now)
  • And a new site design


I hope that you will enjoy these new updates and I hope they make it easier for everyone to communicate. I'm going to continue to update the site with enhancements in the weeks/months to come. This update has taken me a lot of time and because of that the competitions have suffered a little, but I'm about to get on them here shortly as well. If something is a little off or doesn't seem right to you, please send me an email so that I can look into your issues as they arise.

I tried to clean up the design of the site and make it less "busy" so that it's easier to focus on collaboration and information exchange. As part of the update we lost a few message board posts, comments, etc.  If one of your posts was lost I apologize and ask you to re-post.

Thanks again for your patience as I continue to work to serve SC outdoors better! Look for some more really great stuff coming in the future. We're not done yet.

Regards,

Clint



Camouflage

"He said: 'I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'" -- Genesis 3:10


Many years ago when I first started hunting, there were really only two camouflage patterns available:  woodland green or woodland brown.  Most of the guys that I knew wore the green variety, but occasionally I would run into an old-timer who favored the brown.  Either way, there wasn't much choice when it came to picking out your hunting clothes for the new season.  You might get lucky and find the occasional Trebark shirt in the Gander Mountain catalog, but we were still a few years away from seeing the first Realtree pattern.

Things have changed in the modern world, and there are now more patterns available than I could begin to list.  And although I have my own favorites and I wear them regularly, I often wonder just how necessary this stuff really is.  It's obviously important to break up your outline in the woods, but I've killed deer while sitting behind a brush pile wearing jeans and a Carhartt shirt.  

My buddies and I have often talked about how camouflage is really just for the hunters themselves.  It gives us commonality; a way to recognize each other when we cross paths in the little stores and grills that mark the countryside where we do our hunting.  It is the uniform of our sport, and I proudly wear my own camouflage whenever I'm afield.

But thinking about camouflage also makes me think about how we as men often hide our true selves.  Adam hid from God because he had become aware of his nakedness, and men as a whole have felt naked ever since.  We fear being exposed as posers or phonies; as something less than real men, so we put on these personas that are images of masculinity, but are not who we authentically are.  We wear our camouflage not just in the woods, but in our homes, our offices, and particularly in our church lives.

Several years ago, when my wife first mentioned the idea that we should start going to church, I resisted her.  The idea of being around church people revolted me.  I wanted to be in the presence of people who lived authentic lives, who talked about real things that were going on in their lives, and who would say  more than "God is just blessing my socks off."  I didn't want to go into a building where I would have to smile and make small talk with people who would do nothing more than talk about the weather or about how good God is.

In the end, I gave in and agreed to go with her to church.  It was a life changing decision, and though she took the lead in the initial effort I quickly took the reins from her - sometimes gently, sometimes not - and assumed my place as the spiritual leader of our home.

We were fortunate in that we found a church home where we could share our lives with the people around us, and where the small talk is kept to a minimum.  I've also formed a group of men -- a "band of brothers" -- among whom I can be who I really am and not hide behind the camouflage of "churchiness".  I do not need to wear my fig leaf when I am with them, and though getting to this point has been a struggle, it has been one that was worth undertaking.

There are a couple of books that have helped me along my way.  I highly recommend John Eldredge's Wild at Heart and Fathered by God. Erwin McManus also wrote a keeper in The Barbarian Way.  These books have helped me to understand what freedom in Christ is all about, and they have helped me to remove my camouflage and move toward a more authentic life.

Action Point:  What kind of camouflage do you wear as a man?  As a Christian?  Ask God to help you take off that camouflage and lead you into an authentic life where you truly experience freedom in Christ and have no need to hide behind a false self.


Sutton's Taxidermy
WeHuntSC.com - Suttons TaxidermyI recently got a mount back from Sutton?s Taxidermy in Pageland, SC and it looks really good.  Carlyle Sutton always does a great job with his mounts and this one is no exception.  Carlyle did this one up extra nice throwing in some extra pine straw, rock, & a tree limb in with this one making it look really neat.  I couldn?t be more pleased with how this mount turned out.   
 
From visiting Sutton?s Taxidermy it?s easy to see that Carlyle is doing way more than just deer.  Some of the mounts he?s got in his building definitely can?t be found in South Carolina.  Anytime you see a taxidermist getting animals come in from international locations you know you?re dealing with the right person!  Carlyle gets this kind business because he consistently turns out quality mounts and has built up his name over the years. So if you?re a local hunter wanting a quality mount or if you?ve been on an international hunt and harvested some exotic animal, Sutton?s Taxidermy can assist you with both.
 
 
Regards,
 
Clint

 


Christmas Dog Hunt

The season was coming to an end and I was looking for a way to get a few deer on the ground before it ended. So Instead of sitting in the stand I tried my luck at a dog hunt. I was invited on this hunt by a buddy that hunts in that area of Santee. 

 

We arrived at the club house to the sound of dogs barking as they were being loaded in the trucks. After signing in and drawing stands we headed out to the woods. Just after the dogs were turned loose they struck a trail. My heart started to pump faster as I heard the dogs moving my way. But in the back of my mind I had doubt, I was sitting on the edge of the of an open field, and I didn't expect any deer to run out in the open. But luck would have it both deer crossed the field.

 

 

 

This hunt was a blast! Surely I am going to attend more dog hunts next season.


JR World Goose Calling Contest

    
   Blake Hodge with his LCC Mayhem on the stage
Hello again everyone,

November has been a busy contest calling month for me, as I traveled to Easton, MD for the World JR Goose Calling championship.  Callers from all over the United States traveled to this event.

We met Mark McDowell, owner of Lodge Creek Calls in Archdale, NC and we rode the rest of the 8 hour ride with him.  John Hand was also along with us for the ride as he competed in the Mason Dixon Duck Calling Championship.

After, arriving in Easton, and checking into the hotel, we decided to go to the Waterfowl Festival and see the Dock Dogs and attend other festivities.  We ran into our good friends Jeremy Smith and Clay White, who work for Drake Waterfowl Systems.  We hung out with them for a little while and they gave me some added support and since I?m on Drake?s Competition Calling Team, I really tried to make a good showing.

   
Blake Hodge grabbing 5th in the Jr. World Goose  
Saturday was the big day! After blowing the 1st round in the JR World Goose I scored high enough to make the second round even though I was really nervous.  Coming out in the second round, I had settled down and really got in my zone.  I blew a clean round and had a lot of volume which again scored me high enough to make the big show for the top 5.  We had a 3 hour break and then it was time for the top 5 to strut their stuff.

I started really well, but half way through my final round, I locked up my call and couldn?t even make a sound!  Finally, after 2 or 3 puffs, I got it going again.  I continued on with my routine but realized I had blown my chance for the win.  I finished solid and walked off stage with my head high (that was tough).

Once all five contestants blew their final round, they called everyone out to announce the winners.  As I figured, I finished 5th but wait a minute, I had just finished 5th in the WORLD! Man how cool is that?

Later that night, a good friend of mine, Mitch Hughes won the World SR Goose Calling Championship and he even let me hold up the big $10,000 check (back stage of course) .  Congrats again Mitch.

Sunday morning came and we headed back to SC with a 5th place finish and written excuse to miss last Friday?s day of school! 

I would like to thank Lodge Creek Calls, Drake Waterfowl, Decoy Outdoors, and WinnTuck Waterfowl Lanyards, and the crew here at WeHuntSC.com for their continued support.

 

Good Calling & Hunting,

Blake


Not Organized = No Ducks

The 7 day Waterfowl season is not going as I planned, but I have definitely learned my lesson. This past Saturday, as most of you know, was the opening day for ducks here in South Carolina. Nick and I were excited to get out on the water and try to harvest a few ducks, but due to poor planning and time management, our season hasn?t gone as planned. We don?t like to hunt rivers too often due to the crowds there, so as part of our strategy for duck season Nick and I get on Google Earth and scan the Francis Marion government woods for locations where ducks would reside such as swamps, ponds, etc. When we find a location that looks good we mark the coordinates and punch them in our hand held GPS, ride out to the area, and check it out. Before the season started we executed this plan and marked some spots we wanted to check out. Due to poor time management by Nick and me, we only got around to 3 of the 7 spots we marked down. The days got closer to the season and eventually opening day arrived and we still hadn?t checked out all our previously identified spots. So we grabbed our guns and headed out to one of the spots on Saturday afternoon. (Saturday morning I was unable to hunt because I went to my girlfriend?s North/South game) Well to make things better there wasn?t any water in the swamp we selected to hunt. We had just wasted a trip so we left to visit a spot we knew had water, but a lot of people hunted it and we roosted some ducks. The next morning we went back to the same location, and again, poor scouting got us. The birds were flying all around us but not where we had set up. We didnt kill any birds that morning either. Though, the next morning I went back and set up were we had seen the birds coming out of the roost the day before. On this hunt we finally killed some birds! We ended up with 2 Drakes and a hen.

Throughout all of this we still had fun chasing ducks around in the swamps. One thing I did learn is to get all my scouting in before the season is in!!! We still might not kill any, but at least we know where the birds are lol.

P.S

If anyone is into filming there hunts you need to take a look at Deer Ridge Innovations Camera Mount. It simply attaches to your shotgun, rifle, or bow and you can film anything you shoot at. In the clip below I used it in my duck hunts, and it worked very well! I?m pleased with the purchase and suggest it to anyone trying to self-film. I self-film my deer hunts with a portable camera arm, but this Mount is going to be much easier for me to setup and use in my future hunts. I?m sure y?all will see more videos from me while I use the Deer Ridge Camera Mount.

Deer Hunts This Past Weekend

Trail Camera Bucks This Past Weekend

 

Derek


Happy Thanksgiving
I just wanted to drop a quick blog entry since Thanksgiving is upon us.  I always look forward to Thanksgiving because it?s one of my favorite times of the year.  Thanksgiving means time with friends, family, & love ones coupled with football, playoffs, deer hunting, duck hunting, our annual ?Turkey Bowl?, and a ?lead belly? stomach.  Did I forget to mention the annual USC vs Clemson game?  I imagine that some combination of those activities makes up part of your Thanksgiving weekend as well.  I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.  With the business of the celebration and activities of the weekend, be sure to remember the reason for the holiday!
 
I will be hunting throughout the weekend at various times & places when I get the opportunity.  Hopefully I?ll be able to get something on film throughout all these hunts in order to have some good blogs for next week.
 
So what are you plans?  Are you able to hunt over Thanksgiving or are you traveling?  I?m interested to see if anyone gets anything over the holiday.
 
Regards,
 
Clint
 
 
 

Boom. Boom. Pow!

The first day of season has finally arrived and man was I pumped! We?ve had two great mornings of feathers flyin?  and shells slingin?. We?ve seen many ducks and fired many shots. The first season always starts a little slower, but as the temperature drops the ducks will continue to fly south to our great state.

 
  A few wood ducks

Just to tell you a little about our first few mornings, our first morning, we decided to hunt a little beaver hole that we planted Japanese millet in a couple of months ago. We hadn?t taken the time to go to watch them fly in yet, but we knew they were there. (That being said, please scout every duck hole you plan to hunt before you hunt it.) We got in the water right at shooting time and got set up on the dam. Last year, it was one of our most successful shooting spots. This year, the ducks were flying from a different direction. Oops! We learned our lesson. We watched about twenty or so ducks fly in, but all we could do was watch. We could never get a shot on them. It was still a great hunt. We killed a few woodies, but next time we will be more prepared.

The second morning we decided to go to what we call the ?Big Beaver Swamp?. We had a quite a hike, so we got an early start. Unfortunately, when we finally got to the blind, we realized the beavers had been over working themselves and the water level was higher than we expected. We treaded on through and the water got closer and closer to the top of my waders. I decided to hunt from the beaver dam which was a bad choice to make. My buddy, Richard, decided to tough it out in the tree blind. It was finally ?shooting time? and I couldn?t see a thing or shoot in a safe direction. I decided just to call the ducks in and let Richard do all the shooting.

 
  Green wing teal

The first pair of ducks that flew in were green wing teals and he dropped them like a sack of hot taters. I was impressed so I just continued to call and let Richard continue to shoot, since he had the safest shot. We watched a bunch of mallards circle us, but they never committed to flying in toward us. Finally, some more woodies and teals came in on him and he let the ol? Remington sound off again. He shed a few feathers but no duck. He redeemed himself after that by knocking down a pair of drake woodies. I was thoroughly enjoying myself but pretty upset that I didn?t get to help him out. We broke the dam a little to get the water level down. Next time, I will be getting in to help him out. Hopefully, it will continue to be a good week of duck hunting and early morning breakfasts with friends. I can?t wait to see how it turns out.

So get out your Winn Tuck lanyards and get your LCC calls in tune, and go out and have some fun. Be safe. Be prepared. And don?t forget to enter the Waterfowl Competition!


 


All Quacked Up

The first day of duck season is just around the corner. There are many emotions that come along with the few weeks prior to opening day.

   
   

Excitement and anticipation are on the top of the list. There always seems to be that feeling of ?unfinished business? as this day approaches also. I have spent the last few weeks preparing for the second best day of the year. (The first being my anniversary, of course.) I have been planting the swamps and building the blinds, but there is still that feeling in the back of my mind that I?m not quite ready. But ready or not, the season is almost here- and I can?t wait. Time for me and the ducks to have a little fun!

From the scouting time I have spent in the swamps, I hope the birds continue to fly like they have been. If so, we will be wading into a good season. I hope to have some great stories to tell after next week. Hopefully all our hard work will pay off. I want to give a special thank you shout out to all the eager beavers who have kept our swamps full- you have helped make this season possible and keep up the good work.

Grab your waders, decoys, calls and guns and be ready to rock and roll. Read the rules and abide by them. Be safe and have fun. Don?t forget to enter the Waterfowl Competition. There are lots of cool prizes to win!
 


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