Duck season opener at S.C. Waterfowl

Mac Bagnal and the Clarendon Chapter leaders hunt from the duck blind

SCWA biologist Stuart Cochran with his redhead and pintail
and Hugh McLaurin of Big Lake Ducks Calls

The 25th anniversary of the South Carolina Waterfowl Association continued with the annual Opening Day of Duck Season duck hunt at their education facilities near Rimini. SCWA volunteers from across the wetlands of the Palmetto state came to celebrate the start of another waterfowling season, and to share in the fun of following up a meal and auction on Friday night by climbing into a duck blind in the 'pole barn' the next morning in order to try and bag a limit of ducks. Cold weather came in overnight and the 29-degree temperature made it feel more like duck season weather. Mac Bagnal is the SCWA Director of Chapter Development and he addressed the crowd by thanking his volunteers for all they do during banquet season - and for a list of upcoming dates click here. SCWA staff members serve as guides on this hunt and even the SCWA auctioneer got to go hunting! A unique environmental education camp dubbed Camp Leupold is being started at the existing Camp Woodie facilities and the buzz around SCWA is how they hope to bring many youths into a fuller understanding of the outdoor world via this education program. To read all the latest SCWA news in their e-magazine Waterfowl and Wetlands click here. The SCWA hunt harvest included several species of waterfowl like wood ducks, bluebills, ringnecks, redheads, pintails, buffleheads, spoonbills, green-winged teal and mallards. A fantastic breakfast was served back at the lodge and all the hunters felt like the 2011 waterfowl season campaign was off to a fast start.

Robert and Jeremy from Atlantic Game and Tackle

My opening day bag of ducks: ringneck and mallards

To view past blog entries on SCWA click here.