Naturalist Lecture with Rudy Mancke Revealing

Rudy Mancke and aspiring naturalist on 1/16/2017

Sometimes wildlife sightings dwindle down to a trickle, making hunters and naturalists alike wonder if they should rather pursue a different hobby. It’s a little like a pro athlete that shares they don’t force the action during a game, rather they let the game come to them. Last week will be remembered as a great one since I took in a lecture from SCETV’s Rudy Mancke, and then took a friend hunting to shoot his first ever Canada goose.

Sometimes heading indoors is a good way to learn about the outdoors, and I headed to the Charleston Museum (founded in 1773) on Jan. 16 in order to listen to naturalist Rudy Mancke speak. Mancke addressed the Charleston Botanical Society about the heyday of naturalists in S.C., which he reports was in the 1700’s and 1800’s. “I missed it,” said Mancke. “When Europeans came to the New World it exposed them to a biodiversity in the Southeast that did not exist where they came from. A modern day similar example might be if I led a group to discover the jungle in Costa Rica.”

Todd Baxley with his first ever goose harvest on 1/19/2017

Joined by friends Julian Clark and Todd Baxley for a Canada goose hunt, we felt lots of anticipation while waiting to see if the geese would decoy to our position. At the end of the hunt, Baxley would celebrate his first ever Canada goose harvest with a visit to the taxidermist. A successful hunt with friends is a great way to reinforce our hunting heritage, and gives us something to savor until next year. This naturalist is sometimes drawn to harvest game birds, but I sure you that I also marvel at them too, and always practice being an ethical outdoorsman.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past Field Notes and Photos click on January 2017 - December 2016 - June 2016 - February 2016- December 2015 - October 2015 - September 2015 - August 2015 - July 2015 - June 2015 - February 2105 - October 2014 -  September 2014 - August 2014 - June 2014 - March 2012 - February 2012 - October 2011 - September 2011