Middleton Hunt Club visit with Bill Green

Horse driver on his 'paint' heading through the woods

Awesome buck rub at my stand location **

Despite a balmy 75 December degrees, about three pick-up loads of members and guests hit the woods at Middleton Hunt Club for a special Wednesday afternoon deer drive. As one might expect due to the weather that calls for snake boots and a Thermacell, not much wildlife was encountered. Despite nothing being harvested, the horse drivers and the deer standers enjoyed their time in the Lowcountry outdoors and are richer for the experience. Past huntmaster Henry Lowndes was in the saddle this day, as was Bill Green, his sone Jamie and two others. The deer standers wait with anticipation, with the understanding that it is the horse drivers that are the 'engine-room' for the driven hunt, and that they deserve many THANKS! Speaking for a minute with Bill Green, I find that we are both native to James Island. When I asked him if he could join me for a rabbit hunt and then show me how to cook one, he indicated that he is busy conducting drag hunts for the Middleton Place Hounds for the near future, a role that he has played for 40 years! Bill Green is more than a veteran horseman, huntsman and dog trainer though, he is also a gifted gullah cook. The members at MHC have enjoyed his tasty lunch offerings many times, and are his most devoted culinary fans. Green can also tell a story while cooking and here in this video he is compelling to watch - getting downright excited (about the six-minute mark in the video) when the shrimp gravy is being coaxed out of the Lowcountry shrimp before joining forces with Lowcountry grits. To view the video click here.

Bill Green tells me all about his Gullah Grub !

** On the second drive of the afternoon my stand location was along a hardwood drain that was clearly marked with buck sign. After all five horse drivers passed by me, I hadn't seen any deer. Five minutes later a small doe came galloping right down the trail. Seeing her clearly I judged her not to meet the minimum weight requirements and did not raise my shotgun. Getting back on the truck with my fellow hunters I relayed my close encounter story and one knowledgable member replied - "That will always get your pulse up, and it will keep you coming back for more." Indeed, the hunt is not always about the harvest!

Deer standers happy in their work!

To view past blog entries from Middleton Hunt Club click here.