Middleton Place Hounds - Closing meet & Fox hunt w/VIDEO

On March 8 in warm and sunny conditions the Middleton Place Hounds began their closing meet at the traditional place, the Historic Middleton Place Greensward. With the previous meet rained out due to several inches of rain, rider and "follower" turnout was strong, and the feel of springtime was in the air. Founding Master Hunter Carol Rivers was not riding and she took a few minutes to chat with Lowcountryoutdoors.com about her 35 years of leadership with Middleton Place Hounds, adding that "fox" Bill Green also had 35 years of experience with the Middleton hounds. This fox hunt does not involve a live fox (or guns), rather it involves Mr. Green dragging a fox-scented rag through the course ahead of the field of riders. Jamie Green (Bill's son) is the Huntsman and he will join other hunt staff called whippers-in in directing the hounds to the trail. The huntsman and the staff wear a pink (or scarlet) coat, but the only other riders wearing a pink coat will be gentleman members who have two years in good stead with the group. The field of riders is regimented with the master hunters in the first field, followed by all other experienced riders, and finally the hilltoppers - riders that are new to the hunt. The meet consisted of four legs of hunting, with each leg punctuated with a pause to greet the "followers" in the field, who travel via auto caravan to designated locations. A grand social occasion takes place in the woods when riders are offered a "stirrup cup" of nourishment after their brisk-paced ride, usually port wine or champagne. Followers also serve up appetizers for both riders (cheese, shortbread, etc.) and horses too (apple slices). The third leg of the hunt offered a bit of drama when a white-tailed deer was pushed from its cover for the followers to see, just ahead of the hounds. Most of the hounds stayed on the "fox" scent but a young puppy named "upright" found the deer trail and left the pack, which prompted the whippers-in to crack their whips and give chase. "Upright" came back to the pack that was now stopped, and most of the riders offered him a hearty "good boy" for being smart enough to let that deer go. The last leg of the hunt was in an area known as the "fox den," which is a convenient finishing point  - leaving the now hot and sweaty horses a short "hack" (or ride) to the horse trailers and water stations. The followers headed back to the Middleton Greensward banquet hall, and were soon joined by the riders for a late "breakfast" and final bit of fellowship before the formal fox season ended. My photos show riders ready to start the hunt at the historic Middleton Greensward, the fox hounds in the woods, followers from Bray's Island Mac James, Charlene Harris (with Foxy) and Darby James, and Hunstman Jamie Green blowing the signal - Tallyho!

My one-minute video allows my readers to hear and see the exhilaration of the hounds running through the woods followed by the bounding field of fox hunters.

Downtown Charleston - Cedar Waxwing Photography

Each spring in the Lowcountry there are "signs" that winter is nearing completion, and often it is the birds (and other animals) that are telling us with their presence and activities, that they know another season cycle is beginning. Flowers in bloom early include forsythia, quince, azaleas and telltale trees are redbuds and pears. In my experience one of the most abundant signs of spring for the outdoorsman is the presence of cedar waxwings. These birds are already in the Lowcountry, and will linger for some time feeding on available stocks of red berries, but their gregarious nature makes them a signpost that everyone should be able to spot. They congregate in groups or flocks, from 15 to 150 birds, and have a high-pitched heeeeee-heeeeee call that is easy to recognize when they are singing. Experienced birders will also be able to recognize the call of the cedar waxwing, because it is one that is absent from their ear for most of the year. The cedar waxing is a grey bird with a yellow-ish belly, a black eye mask, a distinguished head tuft, and a notch of yellow at the end of its tail feathers. I recommend that birdwatching families and amateur photographers look for the cedar waxwings downtown; their frequent haunt is at the corner of Ashley Avenue and Bull Street. The birds gather in deciduous trees that have lost their leaves, and they zip back and forth singing their song and offering photography opportunities when lit. If you don't see them at first, I recommend walking around the block of Ashley Ave., Bull St., Rutledge Ave. and Bennett St. until you have heard them, and then you can follow your ears to them. Morning and afternoon tend to be their most active times of the day, so chances of spotting them then  are best. This is a great example of how urbanites can get outdoors for a bit during a beautiful spring day and accomplish a bit of birding or photography. Be polite in helping others locate the birds and who knows, you might cross paths with Lowcountryoutdoors.com.

My photos show cedar waxwings perched in a tree on Ashley Avenue in downtown Charleston.

Adult-Youth fishing at Bonneau Ferry WMA

March 4 marked the beginning of the fifth adult-youth fishing season at the Bonneau Ferry Wildlife Management Area, located near Cordesville in Berkeley County. This 10,000-acre WMA that was purchased from MeadWestvaco has multiple hunting and fishing opportunities specifically for youth and Lowcountryoutdoors.com will always highlight programs that involve youth and females in our outdoor heritage. Fishing will be allowed on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during daylight hours until the fishing season closes October 31. One caveat to remember is that on the Saturdays in April fishing will not begin until 11 a.m. due to the youth turkey hunts that are taking place that month. By the way, all WMA's have public turkey hunting season in April. The fishing rules state that a youth is 17 years old or younger and must be accompanied by an adult. Boats are allowed on the property but can only be powered by a trolling motor or by paddling. Creel limits per person per day are 2 largemouth bass, and 10 panfish (either crappie, bluegill, redear, pumpkinseed, redbreast) - with no size restrictions. Questions? Call the Dennis Wildlife Center at 843-761-8820. My photos show a nice crappie, a brim and cricket bucket (with orange), and the essential tackle like Gerber pliers and a Berkley beetle-spin.

Slightly North of Broad supports local agriculture

When Maverick Southern Kitchens learned of the Fresh on the Menu program at its inception in 2008, they were only too glad to agree to use certified S.C. products when they were in season. That good will paid off in the January 2009 edition of Southern Living magazine when High Cotton, one of Maverick's five restaurants, was recognized with a Reader's Choice award.

Just across East Bay Street from High Cotton lies Slightly North of Broad, and Lowcountryoutdoors.com joined them for a fine dining experience in order to raise awareness about their efforts to support Fresh on the Menu. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture's slogan is "Nothing's Fresher, Nothing's Finer," and our local agricultural products are stamped Certified S.C. Grown. Fresh on the Menu is an extension of the S.C. Grown program, bringing fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and dairy to participating restaurants. The S.C. Ag. Dept. is seeking to increase the per capita income of rural citizens through this generation of agricultural commerce.

During one of the coldest nights of the year, the Slightly North of Broad restaurant offered a warm ambiance and was filled with patrons bold enough to venture out. The Specials Menu featured plenty of Fresh on the Menu selections and server Matthew Thompson offered details about what was particularly good. The Head Cheese Salad, with goat cheese from Split Creek Farms in Anderson, saw a mix of spring greens, hazelnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. The head cheese is a local pork product and it had a decided ham or fat back taste, and thoughts of being on a farm somewhere in rural South Carolina crossed my mind.

Two main course dinners were sampled including the Keegan Farm's Chicken Marsala from Keegan & Keegan Farms in Walterboro. The chicken was stuffed with kielbasa sausage, in what was a seamless presentation by Chef Frank Lee, accompanied by cheese gnocchi, asparagus and marsala sauce. The marsala sauce was light-colored and thin, and the cornbread served with dinner proved to be the correct southern utensil for cleaning the plate. The Carolina Quail dinner, from Manchester Farms in Sumter, consisted of a pan-fried boneless quail on a bed of cheese grits and drenched in butter beans and a port wine reduction. The quail possessed a welcome grilled taste and the sauce with this dish was rich and heavy, which combined well with the creamy grits to satisfy this outdoorsman's desire to enjoy a game dish that's Fresh on the Menu.

The service at Slightly North of Broad was excellent and I give credit to wine manager Danielle Bantle because the wine she selected married well with the main course meals. The Douro 'Twisted' was bottled in 2006 and is a product of Portugal, blending five port grapes to produce a wine that is fruit-forward, and earth-toned with medium tannins. The dessert menu was not sampled, but each item listed had a suggested dessert wine or sherry pairing that looked very helpful. A blonde brownie and sugared orange peel was a surprise from General Manager Peter Pierce, and a sweet treat. Next time you dine at Slightly North of Broad be sure to ask Peter what's Fresh on the Menu.

My photos show the Head Cheese Salad, the Keegan Farm's Chicken Marsala, and the Carolina Quail entree.

Spirit of South Carolina - Maritime education

The Spirit of South Carolina recently returned to its home port of Charleston after completing a training mission with select sailors from Ashley Hall School. The Spirit of South Carolina Leadership Project is a joint venture between the South Carolina Maritime Foundation and Ashley Hall School, that allows eighteen students from 14 to 18 years in age set sail on the Tall Ship from Florida and continue to the Dominican Republic. While onboard they assist the crew in every way - steering the Spirit, taking bearings on other marine traffic, standing watch on four-hour shifts, observing the weather and making regular equipment checks. Each student also made entries on the ship's logbook, providing a hands-on learning opportunity when recording sea surface temperatures, salinity levels, cloud formations, wave height and wind direction. Were the students completely free from school? No mam, every day there were classes conducted on navigation, journal writing, ocean currents and maritime history. The Spirit of South Carolina is dedicated to offering a unique educational platform for the youth of the Palmetto State. The on board programs are designed to challenge and engage students while promoting responsibility, teamwork and stewardship. With the success of the student program that has seen over 3000 kids sail on the 140-foot pilot schooner, the Spirit of South Carolina is all set to offer its first adult and family programs in March. The adult sailing trips will be offered on March 19 and March 26 departing the Charleston Maritime Center at 5:30 and lasting until 8:30 p.m. A family sail will be on March 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. There is a fee for each voyage so contact the S.C. Maritime Foundation at 722-1030 ext. 11 for full details. Thanks to Dan Muller for the photo of the Spirit of South Carolina sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, while the S.C. Maritime Foundation provided the photos of the Ashley Hall students at the helm and on the deck while enjoying their wonderful experience at sea.

2009 Battle of Broxton Bridge - Civil War Reenactment

Readers will see that Lowcountryoutdoors.com is seeking to expand from the traditional format of conservation, hunting and fishing in order to cover events that take place in the outdoors or report stories that celebrate the outdoors. This blog entry takes place outdoors, and revisits history for those of us with a Southern heritage who are forever bound by the efforts that our predecessors put forth to support a Confederacy they believed in whole-heartedly.

The 'Fire Trail' cabin burning during a skirmish

Despite having a father who cherished Civil War history and memorabelia, I cannot recall ever attending a reenactment until the 2008 Battle For Broxton Bridge. The circumstance that took me to Western Colleton County on the Great Salkehatchie Swamp in 2008 was the filming of the movie "Fire Trail" - complete with a scene where rebels and yankees skirmished while a movie set cabin was burned to the ground in the dispute. Lots of people and great weather made the event memorable, and with mercantile stores and tent cities filled with reenactors, all on the edge of a vast beautiful swamp.

Rebel Cavalry spoiling for a fight

I decided to support their cause again this year. The Varn family has owned Broxton Bridge Plantation for nine generations, and the Salt-Ketchers Chapter of the Order of the Confederate Rose has held the battle reenactment for seven years. The battle was actually fought on February 2 and 3, 1865 . The reenactors man the remaining Civil War fortifications at the edge of the swamp and Confederate artillery batteries repel the Union skirmishers that emerge from the swamp, trying to secure a foothold.

The Stars and Bars at a camp site

Many Colleton County families were represented at Broxton Bridge. However, my own ancestor, Lt. Edward Henry Benton served in Company E of the 24th S.C. Infantry and perished at the Battle of Stone Mountain near Atlanta in 1864. A letter he wrote to his wife Martha Varn in 1861 states, "Dear Martha you must take good care of the plat (land) for if I never see you again, keep it for to remember me for my children." The plat still survives, known as Snipe Hill, and has been in the care of my family for seven generations, and Lt. Benton's wishes are still being heeded today.

To view another blog entries about the Battle of Broxton Bridge click here.

Rabbit Hunt

James High Jr. of Eutawville brought his rabbit beagles to Snipe Hill in Colleton County for what must be about the tenth year in a row. This annual rabbit hunt brings together folks who share a love of the outdoors, and appreciate the sound of a beagle on the chase of a cottontail. James is a lifelong rabbit hunter who won't even pick up his gun for a deer or duck hunt, becasue nothing compares to chasing the darting furry bundles. Small game numbers are down in recent years (rabbits, bobwhite quail, etc.) and big game seems to be having its heyday, but those who continue to support small game hunting honor the heritage of past hunts and continue the support for small game hunting until populations rebound. Turning loose his beagles named Little Man and Amigo sets a process in motion where the dogs will smell and hunt until they find a rabbit and then they will chase that rabbit until he is harvested. One dog has a cold-nose better suited for smelling where a rabbit had recently traveled and one has a hot-nose that leads the chase once the quarry has been located and jumped. At first, a bay or two can be heard when a scent is struck, but then a continuous chorus erupts in the woods that can be heard for some distance. But don't worry if the dogs run away from you at first, because a cottontail has a conspicuous habit of circling back on its own trail in an effort to throw off the pursuit. On one particular chase that lasted for almost one hour, a cotton-tail was using thick cover beside a cow pasture and even though five standers were looking to glimpse the rabbit - he proved to be too much of a survivor. Shots were fired and misses were accumulated - the normally trusty shotgun of this writer sent three errant shots towards the scurrying target with nothing to show - but others joined in the chorus of misses. Rabbit hunting is truly one of the sports that celebrates being out of doors and watching dogs do the work they were trained for. With small game season ending March 1, next year's rabbit hunt is being looked forward to. My photos show Jessie and his .410 picking up a harvested rabbit from the beagles, Jerroll pointing which was the rabbit went after his four-shot barrage, and James ready to shake up the rabbit cover with his beagles.