2015 Salkehachie Longbeards Banquet

Jamey and Sharon Copeland with Andy and Erica Strickland

This dog (from silent auction) will hunt!

The 2015 calendar day for March 15 was a Sunday, meaning that the 2015 NWTF Salkehatchie Longbeards banquet came about a week after the start of the turkey hunting season, breaking a long streak of many years when the banquet was held prior to opening day. Even without all the build up and anticipation seen in past years, the banquet hall was full and a new record of 150 sponsor members kicked up their spurs in the name of hunting heritage.

Steven Murdaugh gave the invocation before Park Lane Seafood from Columbia served up fried fish, oysters and shrimp. The comfortable temperatures allowed for the fresh seafood smells to sail through the air at the National Guard armory in Walterboro. The silent auction and raffle sales put the jakes, hens and boss toms into a frenzy about how to spend their bucks in the 'Boro. Plenty of turkey hunting lifestyle merchandise went home with Colleton County families.

Auction trips included dove hunting in Argentina, quail hunting in Denmark and hog hunting on the Salkehatchie River swamp. Knife, gun and print of the year items were hotly contested with only those willing to dig deep getting the goods. One dove hunt donated by Rusty Kinard was in memoriam of the longtime auctioneer who had passed away fetched nearly $5000 dollars! The end of the night includes a general raffle giveaway, sponsor drawing and knowing that the tradition of turkey hunting is alive and well in the Lowcountry outdoors.

To view past blog entries from the Salkehatchie Longbeards banquet click 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011

Unique boot scrape on live auction

Sponsor members Zeb Hutto and
Ashley Ayer from Broxton Bridge Plantation