Bonneau Ferry Youth Waterfowl Hunts Begin

Quarter man's Reserve Impoundment for Youths Only

You can always walk in the woods too!

Some SCDNR properties offer the very best water control and crop management available, and the waterfowl harvest records for last year bear that out. The Bonneau Ferry WMA in Berkley County has completed trunk and dike improvements, and recorded a banner year in 2015 for ringneck hunting, plus a mix of teal and wood ducks. What makes this hunt location unique is that it is only open to youth waterfowl lottery hunts on dates ranging from November 26 through February 11.

            

I recently toured the waterfowl areas at Bonneau Ferry and can report they are in excellent condition, and should be full of ducks soon. My first visit to this sprawling 10,000-acre property came on Tuesday November 16th with biologist Will Carlisle and I found that the vast majority of this Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is planted pine trees. No surprise there, since timber company MeadWestvaco owned the property until 2001 when it was sold to the SCDNR.

This property is a SCDNR diamond in the rough

Birdwatching enthusiasts look at migratory ducks

SCDNR and Ducks Unlimited deserve credit for utilizing a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant to improve 387-acres at the Quarterman’s Reserve area on Bonneau Ferry. They replaced water control structures which allow for flooding and draining of the agricultural crops when it is time to plant for ducks, or to hunt for ducks. Not all of Quarterman’s Reserve was flooded when I was there, but I already saw ducks including blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, ringnecks and wood ducks.

To view the feature story in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about youth hunting click on Duck Hunt - Dove Hunt - Coon Hunt 

To view past blog entries about NAWCA click ACE Basin - Washington, D.C. - 2011 S.C. Partners