Driven Hunt 9-Point in Velvet / 2014 Opening Days Success Story

Harrington Bissell with his velvet 9-pointer,
with horseback drivers ready to assist.
Photo By Chris Silcox.

With the traditional August 15 staring date of deer season falling on a Friday, many hunting clubs celebrated their opening day on Saturday August 16. Though the heat of August is constant, many outdoorsmen will not let it slow down their sporting pursuits. One such story came from the Middleton Hunt Club in Charleston County where a stander used some scouting knowledge to pick a spot in the woods to try his luck during a driven hunt. Keep in mind that doe deer season is not yet open, so viewing any deer on the run calls for discretion, with veteran hunters better able to quickly distinguish the sex of a deer and make a decision about offering a shot.

Harrington Bissell slipped into a section of designated woods that the horseback drivers would soon stir up with their vocalizations and with a pack of hounds. When he found a shed antler from a 6-point buck near his assigned location he felt is was THE spot and set up his stool. The drive began quietly enough, and then a lone hound began to bay, and it sounded like it was coming closer. Scanning the woodlands for movement, he saw a deer bounding in his direction. A lot of small sweetgum saplings made the viewing difficult but when the white-tailed deer closed to within 15-yards of his position he clearly saw antlers in full velvet and squeezed off a shot from his shotgun and cleanly harvested the 9-point buck.

He blew on his hunter's horn to draw the attention of the horseback drivers who came to retrieve the downed buck. A tale of the tape showed the rack had a 13-inch spread with 9-points. This was the hunt club's first harvest in 2014 and it was Bissell's FIRST EVER buck in velvet, and weighed 133-pounds. The venison was shared among the club members and now one more person understands how the early deer season in South Carolina can reap special memories for those willing to get outdoors and hunt in August.

For past blog entries about Opening Days Deer Success Stories click on 2013 or 2012 or 2011 or 2010 or 2009.

To view past blog entries about velvet antlers click on NJ hunter or Bull's Island or youth hunter.