Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew
The WeHuntSC.com crew is excited to announce that Evan Peterson will be blogging on WeHuntSC.com! Evan hails out of Blythewood, SC and is very passionate about the outdoors and hunting. Evan is an aspiring outdoor TV show host and is very connected in the industry.
We recently met with Evan and from speaking with him one can feel the energy and motivation he has towards hunting and the outdoors. We look forward to the good hunting stories, experiences, and videos that Evan will bring to the site in the coming hunting seasons. Join us as we welcome Evan to the site and to the blogging crew.
Regards,
Clint
My name is Evan Peterson. I am twenty years old and live in the ever expanding town of Blythewood, South Carolina. I graduated from Heathwood Hall and attended one year at Clemson. I have been brought up hunting from a very young age and have always had a huge affinity for anything to do with the outdoors. I live in one corner of my grandmother?s 400 acre farm not far from the small horse farm where I grew up. This is the place where my hunting addiction began.
I was introduced into hunting by helping my dad take care of the pesky squirrels that liked to cause damage on our horse farm. I started off by being the spotter. I took it upon myself to be on constant recon for the invasive critters and alert my dad the moment I saw one enter the perimeter. For my eleventh birthday I got my first gun. It was a Gamo high powered pellet gun and from that point on no squirrel was safe at our farm. I can remember several times that my dad and I would keep our guns close at hand, just in case one rodent became brave and decided to cross into the danger zone.
Not too long after that I went on my first turkey hunt on my grandmother?s farm and successfully bagged a good three year old gobbler with an eleven inch beard. From then on I was hooked and moved on to deer and ducks. I am still that way today. The only difference is that my addiction has grown so much that I am looking to become a popular hunting show personality as a profession. It takes time, but one day I intend to see myself on a hunting channel pursuing wild game across the world and getting it all on camera. This may seem like an unusual career path to some, but it is something I can?t imagine not doing.
I got a huge break last July when I contacted Ken Cobb from Huntin the World Southern Style. I went up to the studio to see what the show was all about and from the moment I walked through the door, I was convinced that this was the place for me. From that point on I have been doing all that I can to learn as much as I can about the industry and running a camera. I went on several trips last fall as a cameraman and got to see first-hand what it is like to be a part of a hunting television show. I got to see the low-country of South Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Virginia, and Iowa last deer season which has given me so much experience and really helped me realize that I am meant for this job.
I love everything there is about hunting; the adrenalin, fatigue, and emotion are what keep me craving more. As soon as one season ends, I am getting ready for the next. Whether it is honing my skills in the field by looking at new travel corridors and tracks or shooting dozens of arrows every day in the summer in preparation for the following fall, I am ready and motivated.
I look forward to sharing some of my hunting stories and experiences here with you on WeHuntSC.com. I?m glad to be a part of the team and glad to have the opportunity to share stories with my fellow SC hunters. Hopefully I?ll learn a great deal about the outdoors and have fun doing it. Counting down until the season starts,
Evan
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for fishing. This passion was instilled in me by my Dad who got me involved in the sport at a very early age. I was lucky to have a small pond located on the family farm. I can only imagine the number of times that I cast a line across that pond. Millions of memories fill my head of those days. Let me see if I can paint a picture with words of just a few of them.
The sun peeked over the horizon and transformed my bedroom walls from baby blue to bright orange. The chirping of the robins in the yard signaled that the days were getting longer and warmer. One deep breath of the spring morning air and I was up and at 'em. The one thing on my mind was getting Dad's shovel and finding a few worms to dangle in the small pond that sat within view of my bedroom window. When I think of fishing, I often think of those mornings of spring fishing fever.
Dad always found time to take me on an adventure to the family pond. In my younger days, Dad and I would grab the cane poles and dig a few worms from the pasture behind the house. Then we would set off for an hour or two of fishing. The trek to the pond was an adventure in itself. A long winding trail sliced through a thick forest of oaks and pines. One day that is etched into my memory is a day in which I persuaded Dad to let me ride on his shoulders. We headed down the path humming a tune that Dad made up and singing a song from the "Wizard of Oz"..Lions, Tigers, and Bears 'Oh My'. Well, lets just say at about the time my Dad said "Bears", a snake decided to show his head on the trail. I think my Dad hit mach two and lost his shoes. I'm not sure how I stayed on his shoulders. I never cross that spot on the trail without thinking of that day.
My fishing memories of that pond are endless. These memories include the early years of chasing tadpoles and minnows to more recently watching my son catch his first fish. I used to pretend to be Hank Parker. I would set up a scenario which put me a fish down with only a few minutes remaining in the Bassmasters Classic. I seemed to always find a way to catch that fish. Whether it took me a few hours or not. As I got older, I would always try out new baits in the pond. I can remember catching two bass with one cast on a new rattletrap. I was amazed. I learned to throw a baitcaster, tie different knots, site fish, fish topwater baits, fish the carolina rig, and on and on and on.
As I look back on those memories, I understand now the impact that being outside and with my Dad had in my life. Now that I'm a Dad, I try to strive to teach my son those same things. Take a kid fishing because maybe that one memory will turn into a million.
Below is a video of my son catching a bass out of the pond I grew up fishing. Do you have a favorite spot that fills your head with memories?
This is a video of a few bass we caught several weeks ago at a pond in Chester. I'll provide a little breifing on the day but I'll keep it short and let the video speak for itself. A few friends and I decided to give the kayaks another try at this pond a few weeks ago. If you read my blog Kayaking for Lunkers you know that we landed a few big bass out of this pond back in March. Back in March the fishing was slow but the fish were big. On this day the fishing had picked up but most of the fish that we caught were what I like to refer as crumb-snatchers. We did manage to pull in a nice three pounder though. Check out the video! It was a beautiful morning and I was glad I got to spend it fishing with great friends. Hope you enjoy.
Just recently, the Lancaster County Ducks Unlimited had their 1st annual ?Green Wing? event which consisted of 57 kids.
We had four different educational staging locations, where the kids rotated through each one gaining not only valuable lessons but a ?butt? load of fun. We had DNR, who brought their Laser Gun Trailer and went over gun & boat safety and allowed some laser shooting. Lancaster Co. Soil & Water District, who provided land conservation tips and some ?wood crafts & painting? session. Oak Ridge Kennels of Monroe, NC came and brought two trained labs and allowed the kids to throw out the ?bumpers? or fake ducks, to retrieve for them and to catch a lot of water being shaken off by the dogs!
The last location was our ?Wrecking Crew? calling & decoy placement area.
We put out several different species of duck decoys in the water for a game called, name that duck. We also used full body Mallard & Goose decoys in the field, along with our ?lay out? blinds, which the kids loved getting in and covering up! My dad Daryl, would circle the spread of decoys and lay out blinds, flapping one of our goose flags, while I was calling. This really excited the kids and most of them remained motionless, until he said ok, ?Take ?em?! Even the girls came up quick looking for geese!
During one of my goose calling demos, I had a pair of geese come over and actually landed on the pond and started swimming towards our group. I was thinking, man how cool is that?
I used a RNT MVP duck call for a Competition calling demo, a Hobo World Championship duck call for a hunting demo, and a Tim Grounds Goose call for both Competition and Hunting scenarios.
The kids just loved blowing their lungs out on the calls and I?m sure their parents and grandparents haven?t forgiven me yet! Oh well, that?s how we roll!
After leaving our area, everyone had lunch which consisted of hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, chips, cookies and drinks. All the kids received t-shirt, and a gift bag to take with them, as they left the event.We handed out green duck calls to the boys and pink to the girls which were donated by Ducks Unlimited. Drew Winn of Winntuck Waterfowl, donated duck call lanyards for all the kids too. Ricky T. of Decoy Outdoors, donated t-shirts and stickers as well. Wehuntsc.com donated stickers, and as everyone knows you can?t have too many stickers. Love to put ?em on everything!
I would like to give a big ?shout out? to these people for this special event, it definitely put smiles on everyone?s faces.
Hal Crenshaw ? for the use of his land.
Robbie Boone- Lancaster Co. Ducks Unlimited Chairman and committee members.
Drew Winn of Winntuck Waterfowl Lanyards, Ricky T. of Decoy Outdoors ,Wehuntsc.com and Ducks Unlimited.
Good Calling & Hunting- Blake
I always enjoy seeing the deer mounts from the prior season so I figured I would follow up on my ?Wall Hanger? post.
Tucked away on a little road called Split Trail in Clover, South Carolina you?ll find Whitetail Taxidermy. Joe Spearman started taxidermy as a hobby years ago and now he has turned it into a full time passion. On the morning of October 16th, 2010 our paths crossed based on a referral from a buddy of mine. With this being my first experience of having a deer mounted I didn?t have a clue of where to take it, so I called my buddy for advice. After a short conversation, I think his words were ?I wouldn?t take it to anyone else?. With those words spoken in confidence I was sold and therefore I made the trip to Clover.
As I drove up that morning and made the turn onto Split Trail I didn?t find any big business signs or fancy buildings. I almost wondered if I had pulled into the right place. As I stepped out of my Dad?s truck it didn?t take long though to figure out that I was in the right place. I spotted several mounts hanging in the garage and immediately started to envision what my mount would look like. I didn?t get to meet Joe that morning because he was out hunting but looking at some of his work I was pumped.
When this process started I didn?t realize how much taxidermy had evolved and the numerous options that I had to choose from. I meet Joe back at his house in January and decided on a ?full sneak? mount. I was itching to see my deer (rack) again so Joe took me down to the shop behind his house and I soon realized as I gazed at the racks hanging that Joe had the confidence of numerous other hunters. As I talked to Joe that morning and realized his passion for what he does my excitement was raised to another level.
Fast forward to May 18, 2011. I received a call that morning that my deer was ready. It was like Christmas in May. I was really excited and made the trip that evening to pick it up. As I stepped from my car I had flashbacks to October 16th as I spotted my deer hanging in the garage. Joe did an awesome job. Joe and I talked for awhile and I continued to be impressed by his humbleness and passion. Although Whitetail Taxidermy may be settled off the beaten path with little flash it is not hidden from the world. Joe let me know that some of his clients have included Ken Cobb from Huntin' the World Southern Style, and NASCAR Crew Chiefs Greg Zipadelli and Drew Blickensdurfer. Pretty impressive Joe! Hopefully, I?ll be back!
I didn't realize until after I got my deer back home that I actually had found the sheds from this deer before. I found his 2007 matching sheds and based on conversations with Joe about his jawbone we figured this deer was about six and a half years old. The sheds that I found would've been his three and a half year old rack. I'm trying to figure out how to display his sheds now. Check out the video below of my son Riley and I goofing around with my "Wall Hanger". Riley loves the mount so you can guess where it's hanging in the house. Check out the video below.
I know there were some awesome bucks posted on WeHuntSC.com during the past season. Lets see your "Wall Hanger"!
The following blog is a guest blog submitted by Andy Belk...
After a year of discussing a hog hunt, my buddy Michael Rodgers of Latta,SC and I were finally able to put together a June hog hunt. Michael recently purchased a two man boat so we decided to turn the afternoon into a combo fish/hunt. The crappie cooperated with us catching a nice mess of crappie in less than two hours. Afterwards, we loaded the boat and headed to the stands. The videos tells the story of the hog hunt. Truly, a great day to be in the outdoors, a rare day when everything comes together.
Andy Belk
Thanks for the the submission Andy!
I recently met our 2011 Montana Decoy Turkey Competition winners to give them their prizes. As you are most likely aware, our site audience voted and Mark and William emerged as our winners. After the announcement we had to schedule and coordinate a meeting place to deliver the prizes. Since Mark and William hail from areas distant from each other we had to line it up for different days and it even was raining as Mark received his prizes. Nevertheless we still got it done, but we didn?t shoot much video? just pictures. It was definitely a good day for William Babb and Mark Cody when we met and they were all smiles as I got the prizes out of my car.
Below are the pictures and videos from the winners receiving their prizes.
Below is a video of the winners receiving their prizes
Thanks again to our sponsors and to everyone for participating in our 2011 Turkey Competitions! Without our sponsors and participants none of this would have been possible!
I just returned from a weeklong trip (where I didn?t have much connectivity) and one of the things I was interested in seeing when I returned home were the results from our 2011 SC Turkey Competitions. When I looked at our site metrics and checked the results from the competitions I saw a big surge from one city which correlated with a ton of votes for one of our entries in the Montana Decoy 2011 SC Turkey of the Year Competition! Then in our Montana Decoy Youth Turkey of the Year Competition we ended up having a pretty close finish.
So without making you read a long entry I?ll get to it! Our winner of the 2011 Montana Decoy Turkey of the Year Competition is Mark Cody from Chester SC! Mark obviously had some loyal voters because he won by a landslide with 458 votes with the nearest competitor only having 30. We saw big traffic spikes out of certain cities where Mark received votes.
Then in our 2011 Montana Decoy Youth Turkey of the Year Competition William Babb edged out Alex Carnes in a close race. William received 60 votes and Alex received 42. William hails from Marlboro County and the bird he won the competition with was the first gobbler he?s called up and harvested by himself.
Thanks to everyone for entering this year?s competitions. Without your entries and participation we wouldn?t be able to host these competitions on the site. And congratulations to Mark and William!
Now we?ve got to deliver the prizes to Mark and William so? when you read this?send me an email (clint.patterson(at)WeHuntSC.com) and we?ll work out the details!
See the results of the competitions