Summerville Youth Coon Hunt

The Summerville Chapter of the South Carolina Coon Hunter's Association held their annual youth coon hunt and bench show on February 7, 2009. The event draws kids from the area who are interested in the outdoors, and for some avid competitors they are competing for an invitation to the State Youth Coon Hunt to be held February 28 at the Webb Wildlife Center in Estill, S.C. The Summerville event is one of seven qualifying events throughout the Palmetto State that the S.C. Coon Hunters Association supports. For more information try the Internet at www.sccoonhunters.com. Their youth coon hunt tournaments are well established and really provide an excellent outlet for youths to stay connected with the outdoors through the tradition of coon hunting. The Summerville event features youth but requires efforts by parents, judges and hunting guides to provide the total experience. One note, no guns are allowed on these "hunts" becasue no racoons are harvested and the competion is "won" by the assigning of points when coon hounds perform in the woodlands at night. Great weekend weather brought out many participants with 9 youths in the bench show and 21 youths coon hunting. The 12 junior hunters (age 21 and under) and 9 senior hunters (age 13 - 17) go into the woods in groups, or "casts" and their coon hounds are judged when they "stike" the trail of a coon and when they "tree" a coon. Some say the call of the coon hounds when they strike and tree a racoon is the sweetest sound they ever heard! Hunt sponsors included Dog Days Supply, Millingport Hunting Supply, Bright Eyes Lights and Lowcountry marine. Photos are courtesy of Ed Kimmons and depict Sr. Division Sportsman award winner Matt Elkins with his father Brian, and Jr. Division Bench Show winner Katelyn Toto with her father and her dog, Busta.

2009 SEWE - Pearlstine / Budweiser Gun Raffle

Pearlstine Distributers supports the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition with its gun raffles each year. Pearlstine Distributers president Larry Lipov heads up the raffle, and sell 125 tickets at $100 each - with the winner taking home a fine gun. The money raffle raises goes to SEWE in order to help bring wildlife programming, conservation exhibits and great artists to Charleston each year. Whether you like to hunt or not, purchasing a ticket is a great way to demonstrate that you are an avid outdoor enthusiast.

This Limited Edition Browning Citori Over/Under shotgun comes in different gauges, and the conservationist who takes home a gun will also be able to select their desired shotgun gauge: 12-gauge, 20-guage, 28-gauge or .410-gauge. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Expo at www.sewe.com. Tickets will also be for sale when the guns are on display at the February 12, 2009 SEWE Gala at Charleston Place, and February 13 and 14 at the Budweiser Laser Shot Exhibit in Marion Square. The Laser Shot shooting game is great fun for kids, and Budweiser will award daily prizes for those participating in the marksmanship competition. Pearlstine Distributers has been a proud sponsor of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition since its inception in 1983.

To view a past blog entry from 2009 SEWE click
here.

To view past blog entries from SEWE Sunday click 2017- 2016- 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

To view past blog entries from the SEWE Gala click on 2017 - 2016 - 2015- 2014 - 2013,  2012, 2011, 2010, or 2009.

February Oyster Roast

Perhaps there is no better outdoor Lowcountry tradition in February, our coldest month, than the gathering of friends and family for an oyster roast. With a backdrop of the Stono River, and under a full moon, a crowd traveled to "Uncle" Troy's annual gathering. After a very cold week, with one morning's low temperature registering 19 degrees, milder weather felt good to those who were ready to eat chili and shuck oysters. John LaRoche handles the menu and the oysters he brought this year came from Texas, and he bragged about how clean they were. After ten minutes in the steam of the gas cooker, large baskets of oysters are dumped onto tables for everyone to enjoy. Shoulder to shoulder, all manner of Lowcountry citizens join in the fellowship that comes with eating oysters. Whether you prefer a saltine cracker and some cocktail sauce with your oyster, or if you simply like them plain on the end of your oyster knife, everyone can satisfy their hunger for the tasty mollusks. Thanks go to Troy Herndon, John Aker and Kevin Sevier (pronounced Severe) for hosting the oyster roast, and for providing the cold beer. The photos depict a dock on the Stono River at sunset under a full moon, Henry DeVaga and John Laroche taking the oysters off the cooker, and Dean Herndon and company scarfing up the hot oysters.

Two SCDNR meetings in Lowcountry

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Waterfowl Advisory Committee will meet February 10 at Nemours Plantation in Beaufort County starting at 10 a.m. The meeting is open to the public, and chairman of the Committee Sam Hiott welcomes your input. These meetings can be quite informative for the interested waterfowler because harvest results from Wildlife Management Area's will be reviewed, and the mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey will be discussed. The Aquatic Plant Management Council will give a report and future waterfowl bag limits will be proposed. If I know the welcome that Nemours Plantation likes to display, then there's always a chance that migratory waterfowl will attend this meeting, in the impoundment right outside the Eugene duPont III Classroom. The photo features Spencer Clark with his yellow Lab Jen after a successful hunt at Dungannon WMA - depicting why duck hunting access to WMA's is vital for youth involvement in the heritage that is waterfowling.

The SC Natural Resources Board, the policy making body of the SCDNR, will meet on Friday February 13 at the Fort Johnson facility beginning at 10 a.m. Board meetings are open to the public and Chairman Mike McShane welcomes those who want to raise awareness about our natural resources. The Saltwater Recreational Fisheries committee will offer a report to the board, along with the Governor's Cup Billfishing Series Committee. Their will be an update on the S.C. drought, and the impact of the economic cutbacks at the Waddell Mariculture Center. The board will take action on a proposed easement at Waccamaw Heritage Preserve in Horry County, followed by a legislative report now that the General Assembly is back in Columbia.

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition 2009 Update

Only one week until the 2009 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition and the anticipation is building. SEWE brings the world of sporting art (and more) to Charleston for a long Valentine's weekend for the twenty-seventh consecutive year. Featured artist Thomas Brooks grew up in central Florida and will share his paintings and experiences. Painter, carvers, sculpters and photographers will gather in downtown Charleston locations such as Charleston Place and The Mills House plus outdoor areas like Marion Square Park. The city will be alive with those that respect and love the outdoors, sharing in the camaraderie of SEWE. From the Black Tie Gala and the VIP packages and parties, patrons are tempted to go wild at SEWE. New to 2009 SEWE is the King Street Stroll on Friday February 13th from 6 to 8 p.m. where retail stores and restaurants will host artists and welcome visitors inside to enjoy more wildlife art. Dock Dogs makes a splashy return to SEWE in 2009, but there has been a last minute schedule change so please reference www.sewe.com for the up to date dog jump info and all the other breaking news. Lectures this year include Mr. Gilbert Johnston's "Passion for Nature: The Development of the Scientific Art of Natural History" at 11 a.m. on 2/14 and all lectures are free to the public. Children's activities, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary Animal Shows, book signings and so much more await the SEWE patron. Tickets run $20 a day both Friday and Saturday, while Sunday's ticket is only $10. Come join the wildlife celebration!

Last Weekend of Duck Season report

Duck season had been slow in the Santee area for most of the season, but the snow storms that hit D.C. and the East Coast in the middle of January really seemed to drive some ducks down into Georgetown County. This Lowcountry duck migration was great timing for those who were locked and loaded for the finale of waterfowl season. Howard Hughes, Terry Moore and son Austin were in the right place at the right time when they hunted together during the final weekend of the season. Friday morning they held a coveted draw hunt invitation at Cedar Island WMA and made the most of it by limiting out on teal, following the caretaker's advice to shoot the green-winged teal when given the chance because the big ducks were only on nearby plantations. Saturday morning saw the crew in the North Santee River patrolling in their john boat for a likely position outside of Ted Turner's Kinloch Plantation. A strong Northeast wind had the ocean whipped up so the ducks did not have the luxury of rafting up, out of harm's way. The hunters knew that high tide at 7:45 a.m. would benefit river hunters and they had Moore's trusty black lab Jake along to make retrieves - and ends up he had his work cut out for him. These veteran duck hunters put out what they felt was the right decoy spread for that day: 9 ringnecks, 15 widgeon, 23 teal and a mojo duck painted to resemble a pintail. When daybreak lit up the Santee Basin the guns opened up at Annandale, Rochelle and Kinloch plantations and large numbers of ducks left their smartweed and spikeweed and flew to the river hunters. The cold weather, and the added wind enabled the hunters to take a pintail drake each, and round out their bag with a shoveler drake, a pair of gadwalls and several green-winged teal. Thanks to Howard Hughes for the photo that depicts Terry and Austin with Jake and the ducks.

Inaugural CCA SC State Convention report

The Inaugural CCA state convention wrapped up Saturday night inside the Mount Pleasant Shriner's banquet facility. A cocktail hour was followed by a steak dinner compliments of Charleston Bay Gourmet catering. The inaugural convention is intended to be a celebration of the past year's accomplishments, and some meaningful awards were presented to chapters and volunteers. Coastal Conservation Association national President David Cummins was in attendance to extend support to the South Carolina chapter, one of the very best in every statistical category. (Plus, we got all 'dem redfish 'round yeh).

Fundraising did occur during a live auction that included some "super" packages like fishing in Key West or at South Padre Island. Two chapters donated "sportsman" packages that included a freshwater fishing trip, a saltwater fishing trip, a deer hunt and a duck hunt - that's four items on one auction item! A week's vacation at Fripp Island with an offshore trip went to one lucky CCA bidder, and another offshore fisherman bought a homewaters polo shirt on auction and they threw in an offshore trip on the Pertrel! The March issue of South Carolina Sportsman magazine will carry my full round-up on the CCA convention. The pictures depict Allen Bell, John Barham and Dr. Malcolm Rhodes talking about quail season, The ACE Basin Chapter receives their award for CCA Committee of the Year, A Pathfinder flats boats was RAFFLED off, Members of the Aiken chapter dine well one night after winning the Team cooking competition, and Captain Mike Able (who received the CCA Lifetime Achievement Award) stands with Scott Whitaker (SC Exec. Dir.), Lisa and Jay Sims.

To view my blog entry from the Inaugural CCA State Cook-Off click here.