Holiday Hunting Double Dose to Finish 2016

Running 8-Point Buck from 12/17/2016

The to do list heading into Christmas week means last minute shopping for Christmas gifts for almost everyone, but for deer hunters it also signals a last chance to harvest some venison for the freezer. With both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve falling on the last two Saturday’s of the calendar year, it’s like getting two extra special chances at tagging a buck or a doe. Other seasonal pursuits can easily be mixed in such as a holiday dove hunt, watching bird dogs work for quail, and don’t forget the Christmas goose.

            

Most holiday hunting is enjoyable due to cooler temperatures and the arrival of winter, but the 15-day forecast through Christmas and New Year’s Day looks to be unusually warm. With only one hard freeze so far in December, there is a chance that we don’t see more frost until 2017. Deer hunters will have to make the most of it though since the clock on the final season without buck limits is ticking down to a conclusion at the end of the day on January 1.

A lack of cold weather could translate into a lack of deer movement, and less need to feed heavy at corn piles and food plots. A buck with an 8-point rack likely knows that it’s a waiting game now until the hunting pressure drops off like a stone falling into a wishing well on January 2. But it’s never too late to take down a quality buck, and my personal best late harvest came on December 29 of 2011 when an 8-pointer stepped out, after a season of paying dues.

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click Colletonian.

To view past Big Buck Harvests click on Hurricane Matthew Buck - 2012 Bear Island Droptine Buck - 2011 Youth Hunter - 2013 Cooper Buck -  2012 Cedar Knoll Ten-Point - 2012 Twelve-Point Buck - 2012 Draw Hunt Buck - 2012 Halloween Buck - 2013 Donnelly WMA buck - 2014 Gnarly Buck - 2009 Dog Pen Buck - 2011 Rosser Buck - 2012 Crandall Buck - 2011 Man Drive Buck - 2011 Birthday Buck - 2010 Bricketto Buck - 2010 McCarty Buck - 2009 Blogger Buck - 2011 Bowen Buck - 2011 Thanksgiving Buck - 2011 Savannah River Site Bucks - 2011 Santee Delta Man Drive - 2009 ACE Basin Driven Hunt - 2009 Thanksgiving Buck

Dove Hunting Late Season Begins Dec. 15

A limit of late season doves is a worthy pursuit!

The final 30-day sprint to the conclusion of dove season on January 15 is now underway. Late season dove fields are almost always under extra pressure from being depleted of food, but in 2016 a new challenge arose when Hurricane Matthew blew down much of the corn in Colleton County. Supplemental feeding is not legal, but some manipulation of the blown down crop is allowed, so tuning up your dove field for a holiday hunt is still very possible.

After the November holiday I had time to notice that the dove field still seemed to be holding some doves, so I looked closer at the blown down corn. Besides the ears being on the ground, where it is much more likely to be consumed by deer, it seemed the doves were still making use of the bare ground and other sources of food, like native plant seed. The solution for this predicament if you have similar conditions in your dove field, is to bring in a wood chipper in order to chop up the ears on the ground.

            

A wood chipper in a dove field? The same machine that is in use in yards all across the Lowcountry after Hurricane Matthew, chewing up small limbs and debris, can be utilized for dove hunting. A typical gas-powered wood chipper is small enough to load up into the back of a pick-up trick or an UTV cart in order to haul it to, and then through the dove field. This process takes some extra time doing field work, and requires at least two workers, but any time spent in the dove field usually equates into some of kind of outdoor recreation.

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

To view past blog entries on late dove season click on 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012

2016 Christmas Wish List - Plano Hunting Stool

When it comes to what outdoor enthusiasts want for Christmas, don’t overlook the simple stuff. The cost of ammunition isn’t a trifle anymore, so a few boxes of shotgun shells are a great gift to share. The winter season doesn’t last long in the Lowcountry, but an extra pair of gloves can sometimes make the difference between comfort and misery. Niche items like duck call lanyards and canine accessories can round out the short list for useful presents to go under the tree.

Part ammo box and part hunting stool

            

When it comes to the basics, it is hard to beat a hunting stool, so one can take a seat when the shooting slows down. New for 2016 is the 1812 Hunting Stool by Plano, which combines their popular storage box with a cushion on top and several outer pockets to keep water and hearing protection in easy reach. A padded shoulder strap makes it easy to transport and the Mossy Oak camo pattern helps it to blend in once in the field.

A list of modern gear is always worth checking twice, but vintage outdoor gear or artwork can offer something more that harkens back to yesteryear. Antique stores can yield old canvas treasures like ditty bags, raincoats and well-worn caps at a fair price. Older gamebird scenes on plates, paintings or even wood etchings may provide a spark of imagination that keeps a hunter on schedule to head into the field on weekends, and thus making time for the outdoor moments that will resonate for as long as they can be recalled and relived.

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

Field Notes and Photos - December 2016

Slimy salamander I saw crossing a road!

Field Notes is a column I began twelve years ago in the Charleston Mercury newspaper, but as the amount of newsprint space in the 'salmon sheets' has diminished, so has the space for my nature photography. Now when I have a fresh batch of observations I share them via Lowcountry Outdoors. 

To view past blog Field Notes click 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    

Green insect (katydid) seen during a warm afternoon

White-throated sparrow - Roadkill specimen

Milkweed buds one day before blooming