2012 Three Rivers Turkey Invitational

Jerald Sholar with winners Steve McMillan and Tom Osmer

Bose and Ted Bratton with their trophy

The South Carolina Quail Project is wrapping up another fundraiser to benefit quail habitat restoration efforts by Tall Timbers. The Three Rivers Invitational was hosted by Penn Branch in Williamsburg County and eight two-man teams fanned out in search of a quality gobbler that would win the friendly competition. With overnight temps right around 40-degrees it was a glorious morning to be in the outdoors, and most teams reported good to excellent gobbling in the morning. No one had more luck though that Team Milliken Forestry, with Tom Osmer and Steve McMillan, who both harvested a turkey. Osmer was the first to shoot at 8 a.m. when he tricked a 'field gobbler' to come into the gun. Osmer's tom weighed just 16-pounds but it had an impressive 1.5-inch spur and sported a beard that measures 11.75-inches! McMillan's gobbler weighed 18-pounds, and their team effort earned them the top spot, and their names will be etched into the perpetual trophy. Custom box calls for longest beard and longest spur also went to Osmer, as did a free full mount from Matt Taylor at Woods N Water taxidermy. A father and son team came to hunt from Raleigh, N.C. and son Bose made Dad Ted Bratton happy when he tomahawked a 19-pound gobbler that put them in second place overall, and won the heaviest turkey category - which is good for a custom box call. Finishing in third place was the team of Billy Nichols and Berry Coggeshall for the 18-pound tom that flew across the Black River to come to their calling. Several close calls with gobblers were also reported by Jerald Sholar, Jeff Dennis and famed turkey biologist Dave Baumann who served as the official weighmaster. A fish fry with catfish freshly harvested from the Cooper River while bowfishing served as nourishment at the awards lunch by the fishing pond at Penn Branch. The next Three Rivers Invitational will be held during one of the first two weekends in April 2013.

Billy Nichols and Berry Coggeshall

 To view past blog entries about Three Rivers click here.


To view past blog entries about the Tall TImbers Fall field days click here.

Lapel pin for the winners