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Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew


Vote for the 2011 SC Waterfowl Competition Winner
    WeHuntSC.com - WinnTuck Logo
   

It?s going to be like a second Christmas for the winner of the 2011 WinnTuck Waterfowl CompetitionWinnTuck, 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:

  1. Dale Knight
  2. Gavin Jackson & Justin Gainey
  3. The Wrecking Crew
  4. John Shell
  5. Dale Knight & Travis Johnson

Be sure to go and cast your vote for the WinnTuck 2011 Waterfowl Competition winner!


The top 5 are below

WeHuntSC.com - Waterfowl finalist Dale Knight

Dale Knight

WeHuntSC.com Finalists - Gavin Jackson & Justin Gainey

Gavin Jackson and Justin Gainey

WeHuntSC.com - Waterfowl Finalists - The Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew

WeHuntSC.com - Dale Knight & Travis Johnson

Dale Knight & Travis Johnson

WeHuntSC.com - Waterfowl Finalist John Shell

John Shell

 


Be sure to go and cast your vote for the WinnTuck 2011 Waterfowl Competition winner!

Regards,

Clint

 


Wrap Up

It has been a while since my last blog. I have been busy with school, and baseball season starting. I have a couple good hunts to discuss that have video included with them. 

I will start with the deer hunts from the last part of the season. This first hunt was during Christmas break. Our good friend Griffin Crane is in the armed forces and is stationed in Alaska. He had the opportunity to come home for Christmas and visit his family and do a little hunting. Of coarse he was excited about the opportunity to hunt whitetail. He said in Alaska there is phenomenal duck hunting, bear and moose. But whitetail do not reside in the area where he was stationed . Griffin and Rodger Pye were sitting in a box stand looking down a cut road with pine trees on both sides at "Walters" hunt club in Andrews. Ill let the video explain the outcome to the hunt.

Watch In HD (especially the duck video, difficult to make out some of the ducks) 

 After that successful hunt. Rodger decided to take the rifle in hope they got another chance at a doe for the freezer. Luck would have it, about 5-10 minutes later 3 does came out behind the stand, and he got his chance to take a shot at a doe.

 

 

 Nick also had the chance to harvest a doe a few days later. Nick climbed in the stand before day break. He didn't see any movement until  8:00-8:30AM. 4 does wondered out to the corn pile. As nick was setting the camera up and the right angle, and preparing his rifle to take the deer 3 of the does lined up. nick attempted to take 2 with one shot. He dropped one and bloodied the next.

 

 

 

 After nick took a doe for the freezer he wanted his girlfriend to harvest her first deer before the season ended. This was an interesting hunt. Snow is rare here in the low country. Well it began to snow so nick thought with it being so cold the deer would be moving trying to keep warm. Well he was right! Everything was walking that afternoon. Turkeys and deer.

 

 

 Duck Hunting this season was a blast! Well before the season began I purchased a camera mount to fit on the end of my shotgun. I soon figured out how difficult it was going to be to film my hunts. A few problems I had consisted of having to turn the camera on and off record mode according to the birds flying over. Every time I went to throw the gun up I had to make sure the camera was recording to conserve hard drive space on the camera.  Also pointing my gun up to the birds to early was a problem. I would try to film the ducks while they were flying in, but obviously the ducks would flare when I would throw the gun up.

 

 

 

All in all I had a good time filming these hunts to share with y'all. I learned a lot about filming and will use that knowledge for filming next season.

 

 


SC Ducks - 2011 Youth Duck Hunt
  WeHuntSC.com - Duck Decoys in the water
  Decoys in the water

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.

WeHuntSC.com - Youth Duck Hunt Day Hunters in the blind next to us        
Matt, Cody, & Sam in the blind to our left  

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.

  WeHuntSC.com - Kyle Sutton was in our blind
  Kyle smiling after a miss!

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. 

WeHuntSC.com - Coots swimming toward us      
Coots swimming toward us  
Since the weather was bad the birds flew a little later, but they did still fly.  It was too dark to start filming (and I didn?t want to get my camera wet if I didn?t have to) when the birds starting coming in.  It was a sight to see and hear!  Any duck hunter would have loved to experience what was going on around us.  I was a little frustrated at not being able to get it on film because it was so dark, but what can you do.  We had mallards, woodies, and several other types of ducks filling the air, circling, landing, calling, you name it and it was happening all around us.  I?m not exactly sure when legal shooting time was, but the guys were waiting for it and when it finally got time the guys were a little hesitant to shoot.  It didn?t take too long for them to start firing though. 

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.

  WeHuntSC.com -
  "Dux" the duck dog retrieving 2 ducks at the same time
After the shots were fired and the smoke cleared we got to see something really unique.  I was specifically interested to see our dog retrieve the birds because I, probably like many other outdoorsmen, enjoy watching a trained dog work.  It?s just something that?s neat and it never gets old to me.  Anyway, the dog? I believe her name was ?Dux?... set out to retrieve the ducks.  She had been in anticipation all morning and it was her time to shine!  On her first trip out she picked up 2 ducks in one trip!  This was pretty impressive to me.  She came back, dropped them off, then went right back out there to get some more ducks.  On her 4th trip she went to get the furthest bird out there and when she got close to the duck, the duck dove underwater.  I had heard of this happening before, but had never seen it happen in person.  When the duck dove underwater the dog chomped at it a time or two and then turned a few circles and was seemingly confused as to what had happened.  She turned and came back and when she got back one of the guys finished the duck off and on her 5th trip out she brought the last coot back to the blind.  I got a lot of good footage of the dog working and it was truly something neat to see. Being right there in the blind gave a unique perspective of the dog working too.

WeHuntSC.com - CJ & Cody holding up some of the coots!   
 Sam & Cody holding up some of the coots!  

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!

Regards,

Clint
 


Upcoming Shows of Interest

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 

WeHuntSC.com - The Palmetto Sportsman's Classic

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


 

WeHuntSC.com - The Pee Dee Deer 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 

WeHuntSC.com - The Dixie Deer Classic

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?

Regards,

Clint

 

 


Staying Warm During Cold Season Hunts
   WeHuntSC.com - ThermaCare's Heat Wraps
  ThermaCare's HeatWraps

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.

WeHuntSC.com - Toasty Toes

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.

WeHuntSC.com - Toasty Toest on my shirt

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!

WeHuntSC.com - ThermaCare HeatWraps

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?

Regards,

Clint


 


Wings in the Air
 
Rem. 1100 and stool.  

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. 

 
  Set-up.

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??

 


What is WeHuntSC.com?
   WeHuntSC.com
   

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.

Regards,

Clint
 


SC Turkey Competitions
   WeHuntSC.com - Turkey Hunting in South Carolina
   

Last season was my first season turkey hunting and I have to tell you? I really liked it.  Mr. Bruce Puette was nice enough to take me on my first turkey hunt and it was a blast.  He made it look easy and then we gave it a shot!  We fell short a few times and learned a little bit, but by the end we were able to call some turkeys in and get them on camera.  We even got one to talk back to us while using a shed antler! Now that I know a little bit more about turkey hunting and have a video camera that will actually zoom, I?m really looking forward to this year?s turkey season.

And speaking of turkey season, I just want to let everyone know it?s already decided that we will be having 2 turkey competitions in the upcoming season?a Turkey of the Year and a Youth Turkey of the Year.  Yes, you will have to have the date in the picture again so get ready for it!  Go ahead and think about how you are going to take your picture and be sure to carry your camera with you! 

We are in communications with some sponsors and I can tell you that it?s looking like the prize packages will be good this turkey season as well!  We'll post more information about the competitions in the weeks to come...

Regards,

Clint
 


2011 SC Predator Competition Winners

    WeHuntSC.com - The Predator Challenge Check-In
  The check-in sign
As you are most likely aware, we just crowned the winners in South Carolina?s first predator competition this past weekend. Terry Williams, Chip & Amanda Humphries emerged as the victorious team and they even got some of their hunt on video! Congratulations to the winning team hailing from McBee, SC.
 
I?m not a big predator hunter, but I don?t think I?d mind giving it a try!  Earlier this year some of our site members were mentioning to me that we should have a predator competition, but by not being an avid predator hunter this presented a dilemma for me.  I was hesitant to try to create and structure a competition that I didn?t fully understand.  For this reason, I?d like to say a big ?Thank You? to Chip Humphries (and everyone that helped him) for partnering with us and helping us properly structure, recruit sponsors, and run the competition.  We leaned on Chip and crew for insight in creating a good competition.  Without their help, it wouldn?t have been possible? so it may have just been destiny that they emerged victorious in the competition!   Also, we should give another big ?Thank You? to the Sportsman?s Warehouse in Columbia, SC as well for letting us base the check-in out of their facility. Pulling this competition off was a total team effort so thanks to everyone involved.
 
 
 WeHuntSC.com - The Predator Challenge T-Shirt  
Want a T-Shirt
Contact Us
 
We really didn?t know what to expect from the competition given that there is no official predator season and due to the youth of the site.  We were pleased to have 19 teams entered in the competition in just the first year.  We think (and hope) that the predator competition will continue to grow and get bigger every year.  While we were at the Sportsman?s Warehouse we had several people come by and note that they ?wish they had known about the competition? because they would have entered.  This is a good sign.  We also got some good marketing while socializing at the check-in.
 
The final results of the competition were:
 
1st Place: Terry Williams, Chip Humphries, Amanda Humphries ? McBee, SC
2nd Place: Dan Brothers ? Santee, SC
3rd Place: David Pruett & Todd Davis ? Spartanburg, SC
 
While we were at the check-in, Chip told me that they had some of their hunt on video.  I was pumped about this and eager to see the footage.  Since they had the footage, they were nice enough to let me include it in the below video.
 
 
I think everyone had a good time? I know we did!  We appreciate the sponsors and hunters who competed in the competition.  We hope to see you at the check-in next year as well.
 
Regards,
 
Clint
 

SC Ducks ? The Iced Out Duck Hunt

    WeHuntSC.com - Snowcovered Duck Blinds
  Snowcovered duck blinds
Have you ever been on a hunt and didn?t get a shot at anything, but still had a great time?  If so, then you can identify with one of my experiences from this past weekend.  I went on a really fun duck hunt in Pageland, South Carolina where I saw sights that I won?t soon forget.
 
I have never been on any big-time duck hunts in other states or to well-known duck hunting locations like Stuttgart, Arkansas.  I?ve got a lot of friends who have been on these types of hunts and they speak of the sky turning black with ducks and seeing more ducks than they?ve ever seen before.  This past Saturday morning I thought I was on a guided trip in a different state with how many ducks that I saw!  You may think I?m lying, but the footage below will settle any doubt that you may have?and yes, it was right here in South Carolina!  
 
The first thing I need to mention is that it was extremely cold!  This past week we got a good 7 inches of snow, followed by rain, which froze, then 3 days of below freezing temperatures?add all that together and you get a cold, slippery, snowy, icy, crunchy situation.  The location we hunted was over a big body of water and we hoped that there would be at least a few open sections of water.  As we got out of the vehicles and walked toward the water it was obvious that we weren?t going to be sneaking up on anything because every step brought a loud ?CRUNCH? of the ice-crusted-snow beneath our feet.  When we reached the water it became evident that the whole pond was frozen over and that would later prove to be a critical factor in our hunt.  Upon arriving to the water some of the hunters in our crew broke the ice and put out some decoys.  However, it didn?t take long for the water to re-freeze.  
 
WeHuntSC.com - The Sky
The guys were positioned in some blinds that were on the water level? as in?they were sitting below ground level with their eyes at water level.  In order to shoot the guys would have to flip open the top and start shooting?at least this was the game plan as I understood it.  The blinds were set up very similar to a baseball dugout that?s below the field level. With the recent snow, the blinds looked like 2 small patches of snow that were on a point located near the middle of the water way.  Also in the blind with the guys were 2 labs that I was eager to see work!  Every now and then I could hear the dog?s excitement building in anticipation of retrieving a duck.  I knew that the dogs fetching some mallards would make for some great video footage.
 
 
I was setup about 30 yards behind the blinds on the point of some winter-withered brush.  Sitting behind the blinds gave me the perspective to get the birds and the action.  We bent some of the brush around my seat and I was ready to rock.  Everyone was in position and we waited on the sun to rise.
 
WeHuntSC.com - One of the dogs        
He was ready for action  
Another aspect of hunting in this frigid atmosphere is that the video camera simply won?t record!  I?m not sure why, but if you get the camera out to record in cold weather it will flash a message and tell you that it can?t record in that cold of temperature.  To counter this I opened 2 ?Toasty Toes? (because they have adhesive) and stuck one on the right hand side of the camera (where my hand holds the camera) and one on my chest.  While I was waiting on the action I held the camera to my chest so that I was heating both sides of it and kept it at a temperature warm enough to record.  So my movements were constantly back and forth from my chest to the sky.
 
The guys said that the ducks were roosting where we were hunting and that they were already on the other side of the water when we arrived.  As I waited on the sun to rise I could hear ducks start quacking and calling from afar.  The sunrise gave us a really neat looking sky which I got a few pictures of.  When the light from the sun was enough to reflect off the ice it looked like huge piece of glass.  The ducks that were quacking were all the way on the other side of the pond and they were walking on the ice.  As the sun got a little higher up we had some wood ducks flying in early.  I could make out their silhouettes against the pink sky of the rising sun and I could also hear their wings cutting through the air as they came in. I was able to get a few of these on video. (Side note : It?s a whole lot easier to film deer than ducks!)
 
The guys had told me that they were going to wait until late to shoot and that as soon as the first shot rang out that the ducks that were roosting there would get up off the water and that I would definitely want my camera on!  I was just waiting on the moment for a shot to ring out as I knew I was going to have to be quick on my feet with the camera in order to get the maximum amount of footage.  I waited and more ducks came in, but the majority of them were landing on the other side of the pond.  Eventually the guys started moving around in the blinds. Before too long Ethen came back to where I was and told me to zoom in on the other side of the pond.  I put my camera on the tripod and zoomed in and was able to get some good footage of the ducks walking on the ice right before they jumped.  I panned from right to left and couldn?t believe how many ducks we had just hundreds of yards away from us on the ice.  They were just waddling around on the ice.  Mallards were everywhere!
 
WeHuntSC.com - Ducks on the ice
 
The guys had decided that there would be no shooting today.  The ducks were too far off and it would be very difficult for the dogs to attempt to retrieve any if they did shoot.  Sometimes you just don?t want to force things when the conditions and situations aren?t right.  As the guys got up out of the blinds the ducks were startled and got up and fled the scene.  When they got up I got the camera out and started videoing.  This is why you?ll see tons of birds flying and yet the hunters walking the other way.  I zoomed in on the birds and it may have seemed like they were closer than they were in reality, but they were a good ways out.  Some of the birds fled and some circled and then came right back down.  It was a really neat site.
WeHuntSC.com - The sky
 
 
We hung out a little after that and then it was time to go as we had to start handing out prizes to our 2010 Deer Competitions winners, but it did make it a little easier that I happen to be hunting with 2 of our winners!
 
Thanks to the guys for taking me along!
 
Regards,
 
Clint
 

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