Keep South Carolina Wild

Category: Hunting

Hunting The Magic Month: Strategies for the Rut, Post-Rut, and Second Rut by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting.

November is seen as the best time of year to be in the deer woods, and for good reason. Absolutely anything can happen. A big-bodied 10-point that you’ve never seen before could leave his home range three miles away and stroll by your stand at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. This is the allure of hunting the rut. There’s more opportunity for daytime action as bucks cruise at all hours of the day searching for does ready to breed (estrous). Though the rut holds the biggest opportunities for success, there’s still a fair bit of knowledge required to hunt it effectively.

The Rut

The rut is brought on by photoperiod, which is the amount of daylight in a 24-hour period. Because of this, the rut occurs on roughly the same day each year, give or take a day or two. Cooler weather and/or higher pressure can cause the bulk of daytime rutting activity to kick off a little earlier or later. In SC, peak rut occurs right around November 1st. Bucks, fueled by a surge in testosterone, become less cautious as they seek out does in estrus. This is when aggressive tactics can pay off. Utilizing calls and rattling antlers mimicking buck fights can draw out dominant bucks. Positioning stands near doe bedding areas or along travel corridors where bucks are likely to search for hot does increases your odds of an encounter. Setting up on a funnel or pinch point that deer typically need to travel through as they cruise from one doe bedding area to another is the best tactic for tagging a buck during the rut. These locations are perfect for all-day sits. Bucks typically chase does early morning, then bed down for a while before resuming their cruising behavior around 10:00AM. If you find a good pinch or funnel between doe bedding areas that is tucked back in the cover, you’ve found a great spot for an all-day rut hunt.

The Post-Rut

As the frenzy of the rut fades, typically by mid- to late-November, bucks begin cruising less and revert back to their territorial behavior, which includes opening back up previously hot scrapes that were left unchecked during peak rut. They’ll also begin focusing back on food sources, as bucks can lose up to 20% of their body weight during the rut. Because of this, focusing on areas with abundant food sources, like agricultural fields or oak stands with leftover acorns is a good idea. I also like to focus on scrapes that I’ve seen to be opened back up. Calling should be more subdued during this period if used at all. The post-rut can be challenging, as bucks are wary and recuperating from all the fighting and lack of calories brought on by the rut.

The Second Rut

Image Credit: In the Zone by Lyric Little John.

The second rut, occurring about 28 days after the peak of the first, is often overlooked but holds nearly as much potential as the first rut. Our second peak rut in SC occurs around November 29th, so November 26th-December 7th is a great window to try and tag another buck. This phase kicks in when does that were not bred during the first rut go into a second cycle, while some doe fawns come into estrous for the first time. Tactics during the second rut involve targeting similar areas as the first rut, while also adding in late-season food sources or isolated pockets that experienced less hunting pressure. Calling should be softer, mimicking young bucks or doe bleats. The second rut is less intense, but bucks are still motivated, providing us with a second chance at success. Around late October, you’ll often see younger bucks chasing around does long before they’re ready for breeding. Because of this, I believe younger bucks bow out of the race earlier than older, mature bucks. So, though the second rut may not be quite as hot as the first, your odds of catching a mature cruising buck seem to be higher. So, if you’ve still got a tag, don’t sit out the second rut.

It’s Not a Sprint

Though the first week of November may be the most intense part of the rut, heavy rutting behavior itself really occurs for around 4-6 weeks starting with the last week of October into the first week or two of December. It just takes a little knowledge and persistence to hunt effectively in each stage. You don’t hunt the first week of November the same as the 3rd week when things have died down tremendously; or the second week of November the same as the first week of December. Recognizing the stage you’re in based on deer behavior is crucial to filling a tag in the month of November. But remember that no matter the date, it’s the Magic Month, so anything can happen at any time.

Trulli
Image Credit: “Deer taking a plunge” by Charles Rucinski.

Dove Hunt with Academics Afield Students

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Thank YOU to the South Carolina Wildlife Partnership (SCWP) for facilitating last weekend’s dove hunt with our Academics Afield students from Clemson University. We truly appreciate SCWP working with the landowner who allowed these students to participate in a dove shoot on their property. This group is made up of student “guides” and student “participants” learning to hunt. It was especially nice for those participants who harvested their first dove.




Don’t Buy into The October Lull by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting.

There are few misconceptions more common in the world of deer hunting than the October Lull. Ask 10 field-edge-hunting, rifle-toting deer hunters about hunting in early- to-mid-October, and you’ll likely hear from several of them to stay home. But within the mobile hunting community, October is seen as one of the absolute best times to tag a buck, or any deer for that matter. But why do so many people feel that there is a lull in deer movement in the month of October? It’s because much of the conventional deer hunting wisdom has been passed down through the generations by rifle hunters overlooking feeders or food plots. And from that perspective, they are right. There is an extremely noticeable lull in activity within open areas. But back in the timber, things really start heating up in October.

Why There Is a Lull in Fields, Food Plots, and Feeders

The lull in activity seen in fields, food plots, and around feeders boils down to one word – acorns. Acorns begin falling around mid-September and extend into October as well. Acorns, particularly white oak acorns, are one of the whitetail’s most preferred foods. It doesn’t matter how green and palatable a food plot is. When acorns start falling, sightings in that plot are going to drastically reduce.

Why Deer Prefer Acorns

It’s easy to see why deer who only have natural browse to munch on would want to switch it up when acorns fall, but why would deer leave easy-to-access corn or planted brassicas? It’s because of the nutrient makeup of acorns. Acorns are extremely nutrient-dense, being full of protein, carbs, fats, and minerals. These nutrients are vital for deer as they begin preparing for breeding and winter.

Science Busted the Myth

One could possibly argue that just because deer are feeding on acorns, it doesn’t mean it makes for good hunting. And that’s true, but there’s also something else at play. Daytime deer movement, as well as the hormonal changes that bring on the breeding season, is controlled primarily by photoperiod. Photoperiod is the amount of daylight present in a 24-hour period. As the breeding season approaches, there is more daylight with each day that passes, and studies have proven that daylight buck movement increases throughout the month of October, hitting its peak during the Rut in November. So, there’s no denying that there is more daylight buck movement in October, and their movement revolves around acorns for the first half of the month.

Not All Acorns Are Created Equal

White oak acorns are by far the most desirable to deer. The reason is in their low level of tannins. Tannins are responsible for the bitter taste in acorns. But different species of oaks have different levels of tannins. As you move from white oaks to red oaks, the tannin levels increase drastically. For that reason, red oak acorns are some of the least desirable to whitetails. So, if you’re planning on hunting an oak flat, make sure it’s not full of red oaks or pin oaks, which are in the red oak family, or you might not get the show you’re looking for. It’s important to study oak tree bark and leaves to be able to determine which varieties you find while afield.

Pre-Rut in October

As said before, October is leading up to the November Rut, but it doesn’t just all of a sudden kick off from 0 to 100. Things begin really ramping up during the last 10 days of October. Bucks begin thinking less about food and more about does, chasing them later and later into the mornings. Some of the best hunting takes place the last 10 days in October when bucks move more in daylight looking for does, but are still traveling within their home range before the Rut has them wandering like nomads.

How To Be Successful in October


o, we’ve covered the fact that October provides some of the best hunting of the year, but what’s the best plan for a successful October? Don’t plan on hunting the same ol’ field edges. Prepare to drop back in the timber, hunting over white oaks near thicker cover. Both does and bucks will be primarily feeding on acorns the first half of October, and as the Pre-Rut comes around, the bucks will be traveling more during daylight hours, smelling does and having little sparring sessions with each other. Locating white oaks on the sides of ridges where deer can easily escape to cover is a great strategy. Just make sure of one thing – those trees are holding acorns. Not all trees produce every year and not every year produces a good crop. But if you can find a tree that holds a lot of acorns, using binoculars to verify, you may just be in the money. You just need to plan a good entry and exit route that will allow you to come and go without bumping deer.

And as the Pre-Rut kicks off and you start to see bucks getting more interested in does, it’s time to sit those funnels and pinch points where you know deer have to travel through to get to their favorite feeding spots or doe bedding areas. October is also the best time to start hunting mornings, as daylight buck movement tends to be a little higher in the mornings with the Rut looming and temps typically being lower.

Don’t Stay Home

I hope I’ve illustrated the importance of getting mobile in October and finding those hidden white oaks that the deer in your area won’t be able to stay away from. My first bow buck came on a brisk October 8th morning. It wasn’t over a feeder or food plot. It came underneath oaks as that buck fed back toward a bedding area. It was an eye-opening experience and one that I’ve heard of many times from other hunters. So, don’t stay home in October. Find the acorns and hunt them smart.

Tips For Keeping Kids Afield Longer by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting. 

Even for adults, hunting can be kind of boring at times. In the age we live in, you’d be hard-pressed to find a hunter, even a diehard, who doesn’t pull their phone out within the first couple hours of a hunt. Western hunters are probably a little different because they do a lot more stalking than us southeastern hunters, but I’m sure there’s a lot of Instagramming that goes on during those long glassing sessions as they wait for mule deer to appear in the distance. There’s so much peace and beauty to be found in the silence and stillness of the woods, away from all the technology and noise, but we’ve become so connected to it all that it’s hard to step away from it for even just a few hours.

Kids Have Boundless Energy

If it’s that hard for an adult to sit in the stillness of the woods, can you imagine what a 10-year-old is going through when they get dragged away from their fast-paced cartoons and video games into an adventure that doesn’t feel like much of an adventure to them? I can still remember the times as a kid when I’d follow my dad back to a deer stand. We’d sit for hours just waiting. I could literally feel the energy running through my arms and legs, needing to be let out by some form of movement. It was as if I was trying to crawl out of my own skin. It was tough. Eventually, all the seriousness of an adult hunt caused me to not want to be a part of it for a while. The seed was planted, and I eventually came back to it around the age of 20, but there were many teenage years spent in the suburbs away from the woods.

Make The Hunt About Them

Image Credit: Early Teachings by Donna Brookshire.

When I started taking my son on hunts with me when he was 4 years old, I was very conscious of the fact that if I caused him to dread the idea of going to the woods, it would feel more like a chore that he’d learn to hate than a fun experience he’d look forward to. So, I did what any reasonable, 21st-century millennial parent would do. I brought an iPad and loads of snacks. For a parent who genuinely cares about their kids connecting with nature, it can feel very counter-productive to bring a screen into the woods. That fact is not lost on me. I care about and monitor the amount of screentime my kids get, but I also know that a bored kid in a deer stand is a kid who is going to constantly complain, constantly make noise, and inadvertently cause you to see zero animals. That last part is probably the most damaging. Though most of hunting is going home without meat for the table, seeing animals on a hunt – the fruit of so much labor – can be one of the most exciting parts of the experience that shows the reason we do what we do. It shows that hard work pays off. It shows what real patience can bring. And it shows your kids what makes you feel alive. So, giving them the ability to sit quietly in a deer stand or turkey blind long enough to see a doe appear can make the whole thing worth it. When the animals appear, the screen can go away and the binoculars can come out.

In general, I don’t like giving my kids a lot of candy, but I’ve found that one of the best ways to create a lasting, positive association with going out in nature is by making their absolute favorite snacks a part of the experience. You’re not just going to the woods. You’re taking their favorite parts of life and joining them together with the great outdoors.


Prep Locations Just for Them

Again, remember that when you’re taking your kids to the woods, you’re not doing it to tag a trophy. You’re doing it to give your kids a passion for the outdoors. That’s the prime objective. So, save your best spots and the intense hunts for yourself. Reserve a couple spots just for taking your kids a few times throughout the season. If you’ve got private land in SC, setting out a feeder with corn can give your kid a lot of great action that will leave a lasting impression, even if you only plan on observing. If you only prep spots for you and don’t take your kids there until you’ve had a chance to hunt them, you’ll likely end up seeing nothing when you finally get around to taking your son or daughter.

Don’t Plan on Staying Long

One of the quickest ways to make your kids hate hunting is by keeping them in a stand or blind for hours on end, hoping to tag something at last light. If your kids are very young (4-7 years old), a hunt may only last around 2 hours. That’s a long time for a young kid who isn’t used to it. Don’t know how long to stay? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. If your kid is asking when you’ll be done about every 10 minutes, it’s time to smile and say, “If you’re ready, I’m ready, buddy.” Making them stick it out more than their age or maturity level can handle is a sure-fire way to make them dread the idea of going back. The older they get, the more you can push their time limits.

Decrease Screen Time as They Age

If you’re like me and you opt to let your kids take a screen in the woods, remember, you don’t want that to be a lifetime habit. It’s a means to an end. So, as they age, it’s a good idea to decrease the amount of time they’re on screens while on stand. When my son was first starting out, I’d let him watch a movie the whole time we were there. But as he got older, I’d start having him wait for a little while before getting on. Then, when deer or turkeys would appear, I’d have him put it away for a bit to observe. He’s 8 years old now, and during this past turkey season, he had his first screen-free hunt. Still had a ton of snacks, though. Hunting just wouldn’t be hunting without snacks.

Never Let Them See Your Frustration

It can be extremely easy to become frustrated when your kids make noise, move, or cause you to miss an opportunity. But we have to remember that they’re still learning. They’re brand new to it. They’re not perfect. Our outward frustration with them making a mistake can cause them to feel that we’re disappointed with them and that they’re not good enough to be there. Some kids will shut down and just decide that they don’t want to go back if they can’t live up to their parents’ high standards. So, learning to whisper, “It’s ok, buddy. You’re doing great!” when they drop something in the stand will go a long way with their self-esteem. On the other hand, having them associate a trip to the woods with disappointment from dad will always cast a shadow over the whole thing.

Hunting Isn’t the Most Important Thing

It’s crazy to think about, but hunting might not always be around. If we don’t pass it down to them, they certainly won’t pass it down to their children. So, we have to keep that in mind when we’re planning our trips to the woods with them. While our kids are young, even in their pre-teen and young teenage years, we only need to accomplish two things: get them outdoors and make it fun for them. That’s it. If we accomplish those two things, we’ve done our job. Every kid isn’t going to grow up to be a hunter. That’s just the reality. But hunting isn’t the most important thing either. Making great memories with our kids is. Doing it outdoors is just a bonus.

Summer Scouting Pays Dividends by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting. 

Busy. That’s the word that describes most Americans living in 2023, especially when you throw a family in the mix. Get up, get the kids fed and ready for school, head off to work minutes later, get home in time for dinner, put the kids to bed, watch a little Netflix, then rinse and repeat the next day. The exhaustion that comes from all that we do on a weekly basis can make it extremely difficult to find the time or energy to head off to the woods looking for deer on the weekends. But I’m here to tell you that summer scouting is one of the single most effective ways to have success in the fall. Without it, putting venison on the table is a roll of the dice for most folks. Unless you’re managing a property with preset stand locations, food plots, and limited hunting pressure, past intel may not help you fill a tag this year.

Why Summer Scouting?

Not everyone scouts post-season. Not everyone shed hunts during the spring. That’s ok. A solid foundation for a successful season can still be laid through summer scouting. The information you gather with boots on the ground is going to help you make informed decisions when determining when and where to set up, which will inevitably increase your odds of success. By observing warm-weather patterns, identifying food sources, and understanding how deer use the terrain you’ll be hunting, your confidence can be high with each sit because it will be based on evidence versus high hopes of tagging a nice buck. But you have to know what to look for.

Food, Water, Security, and Does

In a nutshell, scouting basically boils down to locating the things that influence deer movement. Food, water, security, and does – that’s basically it. All year round, food is king for both does and bucks except during the rut when bucks are more focused on chasing and breeding does than a full belly, which makes does another major influencer. And just like us, deer require hydration, so water is key. But perhaps the greatest influencer in deer behavior is security. Their need to stay hidden from predators is top priority for all deer, especially older age class bucks. That’s why hunting pressure negatively affects deer movement more than anything else.

White-tail deer by Lindsay Pettinicchi.

Locate Food

Food is a critical component of a deer’s daily routine and knowing where to find it can greatly improve your hunting success. Scout for preferred food sources such as agricultural fields, mast-producing trees – white oaks, particularly – and natural browse. Natural browse includes vegetation, such as greenbrier, honeysuckle, and ragweed. Pay attention to the abundance and quality of food as well, as it can influence deer movement and the size of their home range. Keep in mind that food sources may change throughout the summer as crops ripen and vegetation develops.

Where Are the Does?

Doe by Tina Schnell.

To increase your chances of encountering bucks during the rut, it’s crucial to locate doe groups during the summer. Does serve as magnets for bucks during the breeding season, so look for areas where does and fawns congregate, such as bedding areas and transition zones between feeding and bedding areas. Observing doe behavior and movement can provide valuable insight into potential buck activity during the pre-rut, rut, and possible second rut.

Thinking Through Tree Selection

Selecting the right tree for your stand is critical. Look for trees that provide adequate cover and concealment while offering a clear shooting lane to where you expect to have encounters. Consider the prevailing wind direction, and position your stand accordingly, to minimize your chances of being downwind of the dominant trails. Thermals should also play a large part in tree selection. If you’re not familiar with the term, just know that in the mornings as temps rise, the air rises with it. The process reverses in the evenings as temps cool. So, even if the forecast says that the wind should be blowing uphill from a creek bottom, during the evening, the air will actually be pulled down to the bottom as temps fall.

Entry and Exit

Planning your entry and exit routes carefully is essential to avoid bumping deer heading in and out of your hunting spots. Bumping deer while entering or exiting is one of the best ways to ruin a stand for the entire season. Learn to use topographical maps and aerial imagery to e-scout for potential routes that minimize your pressure and the scent trails that we all inevitably leave behind. The Spartan Forge app is a great tool for e-scouting.

Put The Pieces Together

Rack in the Grass by Bailey Slice.

My favorite locations to hunt are the ones that bring food, water, security, and does together all in one place. Swamps, marshes, and creek or river bottoms often check all the boxes. They provide deer with the browse they need to feed all day without having to leave the security of a location bordered by water with high vegetation that conceals them when bedded. They obviously have all the water they need as well, and with ample bedding opportunities among thick vegetation, you’ll often find lots of does, and during the rut, bucks as well. Of course, these are also great locations for bucks to use year-round. Summer is the ideal time to gather crucial information and lay the groundwork for a successful fall. Record everything you find when scouting in some type of journal. The paid version of the Spartan Forge app includes a journaling feature, but any type of journal will work. Just make sure to write it all down so you can build a strategy around your season that takes everything you find into account. And if possible, use cellular trail cameras. They’re an invaluable tool that helps you pattern movement without having to routinely go in, leaving your scent all over the woods you’re hoping to hunt. Investing time in the woods now will give you the necessary intel to tag one in every stage of the season. So, don’t wait and enjoy the time afield.

Tactics for Tagging Toms by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of
connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for
conservation – all through hunting. 

Tom Turkey by Teresa Kopec.

With the weather warming up, and pollen covering absolutely every single thing not contained within a sterile bubble, there’s only one thing going through the minds of every South Carolina turkey hunter – Spring gobbles. There’s nothing like looking out across a foggy field edge on a crisp morning as gobbles begin to ring out in the distance, signifying the start of the best seven weeks of the year. Ah yes, the season is upon us. At the time of this writing, we’re just a few weeks from the opener, so finalizing our opening day game plan is becoming more and more crucial as the days pass. The worst thing we could do is walk into the woods without a good plan. So, we’re going to look at a few tried-and-true tactics that can get you within 50 yards of one of America’s most beloved game birds.

Before we get into the details, however, it needs to be said that each and every one of the tactics below, with the possible exception of run ‘n gun hunting, should be used only after properly scouting the locations you’re hunting. Using any of the following tactics in a location where you haven’t scouted and found ample turkey sign (i.e. gobbling, scratching, scat, feathers, observed turkeys, strutting marks, etc.) is usually a waste of time. If you have no idea where turkeys are or how they use a given property, your time is better spent scouting than blindly setting up and hoping for the best. With that being said, let’s dive in with tactic number one.

Tactic 1: The Field Edge

Turkeys love open areas. They especially love agricultural fields. They can get out in the open where they can see for hundreds of yards, scratch around, and feed for hours. Come springtime, gobblers will get out in fields and strut for the ladies. This can happen at any point in the day and can go on for hours at a time. Though turkeys love to roost over water, they’ll often roost over a field edge, and fly right back down in the morning, giving you the opportunity to be set up and ready. For field edges, I like to have a jake decoy, a laydown hen decoy, and a feeder hen decoy about 20 yards in front of me for a shotgun, and 12-15 yards for a bow. That way, if the field is relatively large, that gives them a target to shoot for after flying down. They like to flock up, and with a jake decoy in the field, it gives gobblers a turkey to size up and get aggressive with. Longbeards will often put on quite the show, beating up on a jake decoy, giving you the opportunity you need to make the harvest.

Tactic 2: Right Off the Roost

Knowing where a turkey or flock is roosting is oftentimes the best-case scenario in turkey hunting. It gives you the option to set up before daylight within 50-100 yards of them, catching them right off the roost. This tactic takes a lot of stealth, and knowledge of where the birds are actually roosting. You can gain this knowledge one of two ways. You can either witness them flying up visually or audibly, meaning you were close enough to see them with your eyes or hear their wings flapping as they ascended just before dark, or you can “roost” them with a locator call just before sundown. A locator call, such as an owl hoot, can oftentimes cause a turkey to “shock gobble,” giving you their location without them being the wiser. If you use a turkey call to locate them, you can alter their behavior right then, or even the next morning. If they’re near their roost tree, or already in it, and you yelp with a turkey call, they may gobble, but they’ll stay put. But they’ll remember where you called from and may fly down and head in that direction the next morning. So, if you’ve set up under them, you may miss an opportunity based on your decision to roost him with a turkey call, instead of an owl hoot. Once you’ve located their roosting area, you’ll want to get in and completely set up an hour before the sun even thinks about coming up. Turkeys live in nature, so they’re used to hearing animals, such as deer and raccoons, walk beneath their trees in the dark. Because of this, you’re afforded a small amount of noise for sneaking in close. However, you don’t want to have them on edge close to flydown, so you want to be sitting still and quiet for the last hour before sunup. I like using decoys in this scenario as well because it gives them a location to feed to after flying down. It’s best not to use a blind in this scenario and opt for sitting against a tree wider than your shoulders. Setting up a blind around a roost would likely be too noisy, and the sight of it could cause them to fly down in the opposite direction. Staying concealed close to the roost and not calling to them in the tree is critical to success.

Tactic 3: The Ridge

When fields or open areas aren’t close by, another great setup location is a well-worn ridgetop. Ridges offer turkeys a desirable high point where their gobbles can ring out across the landscape. They’re also great for flying off in a hurry when danger appears. They’ll often fly down in the mornings, find their favorite ridgetop, and stay there gobbling, strutting, and feeding for hours. Ridges with a lot of turkey sign – noticeable scratching in the leaves, scat, etc. – are great locations to set up an ambush. For midday hunts where you’re setting up to call a turkey to a ridgetop, it’s helpful to set up 30-50 yards from where the ridge begins to drop off. By the time a gobbler tops the ridge, he’s in your sights before he has the time to realize there’s no hen. Proper scouting to determine well-used ridges, either for roosting or feeding, is a must for having success in hill country.

Tactic 4: Run N’ Gun

For those that just love the chase, or don’t have ample time to scout and locate birds, have the option of run ‘n gun hunting. This is my least favorite because so much of it is completely up to chance. Will there be turkeys nearby? Where will they be roosting? What’s their normal travel route? Where do they prefer to feed? Turkeys aren’t always very vocal, especially when the weather isn’t great. If you don’t know how turkeys use a given property, or even if the property holds turkeys, and they aren’t gobbling, you’re usually in for a long and frustrating day. However, when you show up and they’re gobbling their heads off, it can be some of the most exciting hunting you’ll ever be a part of. Because of the amount of walking necessary, decoys should usually be left in the truck. Locator calls are great for not tipping your hand, but if you’re not getting responses, yelping and cutting is great for striking up a distant gobble. When running and gunning, if you get a gobbler to respond, it’s best to try and cut the distance, then patiently listen. If they gobble again and they’ve gotten closer, it’s time to find a spot where you’re concealed to just sit and wait. Scratching in the leaves is a great way to keep from overcalling, while maintaining their lock on your position. They’ll often keep gobbling and coming to the sound, believing it to be the hen that they heard yelping. If you get a turkey to gobble and he doesn’t want to come any closer, he could be with a hen already. You may have to sneak to within 100-150 yards of him if you can do so without being seen. Then, some light purring and clucking, mixed with scratching in the leaves, could cause him to break your way. Run ‘n gun hunting is definitely less likely to end in success than a planned ambush built around scouting, but it can work, and makes for some of the best hunting stories when done successfully.

Build Your Plan

Whichever tactics you choose to use this season, go ahead and begin building your plan now. Walking into the woods with confidence and a good game plan is the first step in the process of bringing home a bird. Good luck and happy hunting.

Banner Image Credit: Turkeys by Tiffany Sellers.

Hunting For More Than Meat by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting. 

A Different Perspective

There are some things in this life that just can’t be understood without experiencing them firsthand. Being married, having a child, witnessing the Northern Lights – all things that hold so much weight that they often change one’s view of the world indefinitely. On the surface, hunting doesn’t seem to be on such a level. Those outside the hunting community often see the harvesting of an animal as nothing more than the pull of a trigger, high fives, and a rack on the wall. And to be honest, you can’t really blame them. After all, the hunting industry doesn’t market towards non-hunters. It markets toward those who are most apt to make a purchase. And those individuals love to see highlights of a hunt, followed by pictures of a proud hunter holding up a big rack. For non-hunters, this can be off-putting. But for hunters, the joy we feel stems from the full picture of our own similar experiences.

The Effects of Nature

White-tailed deer by Lindsay Pettinicchi

For most hunters, the harvest is just a small part of the hunting experience. Though it truly is the end goal, the reward of hunting is in the pursuit itself. If hunting was boiled down to the simple act of walking to a stand with the certainty of seeing an animal, followed by a trip to the processor, hunting would have died off not long after the Agricultural Revolution took root. It’s not the act of harvesting an animal that’s so alluring. And it’s not always just about the meat, either. Although there are many hunters who feed themselves and their families on wild game all year long, it’s the entire experience that draws us in. It’s being immersed in nature. It’s being at the mercy of something bigger than ourselves – a feeling akin to a spiritual experience. For many, it’s the only time when all our cares seem to pause, even if just for a few hours. It’s a time when our God-given senses take over. When we’re completely focused on every sound for hundreds of yards – the squirrels jumping from acorn to acorn, the wind whipping over the wings of a hawk, the distant gobble of a turkey. There’s a peace that seems to only be available in a natural environment. Because our short lives can feel so long, and modern life is all we’ve ever known, we often forget that concrete and sheetrock are new. When we take a big-picture view of our world, 99% of human history has seen us living in nature, not a county over from it. Because of this, there’s something that comes alive in us when we step back into the wild places we were designed for. It’s something that can be almost impossible to put words to, but it’s what drives so much emotion when someone sees an image of a majestic animal in front of a breathtaking natural backdrop. I believe there’s some switch inside us all that we’ve flipped off through the constant removal of nature from our lives, and hunting has been found by many to be the method for flipping it back on.

To Feel Human

For most people, it can be easy to understand the merits of spending time in nature, but there’s another piece of the hunting experience that can be hard to understand, and even harder to explain – the act of harvesting an animal. To some, it seems completely unnecessary to take an animal’s life when we can simply purchase our meat from the grocery store. But what that notion neglects, is the fact that a life was already taken to make that grocery store meat available. Hunters are simply choosing to be a willing participant in the process. There’s an overwhelming sense of realism that hunters enjoy when we confront the reality of where our food comes from. When we harvest an animal, we remove the farm and the butcher from the equation and add a little piece of realism back into our lives. And when we sit down at the table with the fruits of our labor in front of us, we feel something more real than this virtual, computer-driven world can offer. We feel human. To a hunter like myself, hunting isn’t just a way of life. It is life. It’s the full embodiment of what it means to be alive on this planet.

White-tailed deer by Janie Sigmon.

Now, I feel that I should wrap this up by saying I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with not hunting. I also don’t believe there’s anything wrong with not eating meat. We all have our convictions, and everyone’s convictions should be respected. For the non-hunters, I hope I gave you a better understanding of why we as hunters do what we do. If you find yourself having questions, or feeling the pull to learn more, the hunting community is here to help. There are countless online resources available, and I consistently post articles at https://southeasternbowhunting.com/. I’m always available to chat, and can be reached via Instagram or Facebook @southeasternbowhunting.

Reconnecting Clemson Students to Outdoor Traditions

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By Emery Tumbleston, Spring 2022 Academics Afield Intern

Growing up in an outdoor household on a farm in Ravenel, SC, I made my playground the venturous Lowcountry marshes and maritime forests. I thought that going out to explore the woods, shoot bottles with a BB gun, and hunt and fish was what every early 2000’s kid did, or at least had the opportunity to do. It wasn’t until I got older, that while I had the time of my life learning about the outdoors, little did I know that I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t grow up concealed from nature by concrete walls and urban sprawl.

My time at Clemson has also showed me just how much of a disconnect has arisen between young people and the natural world. I am a Wildlife and Fisheries Biology major in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, within the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences… but that doesn’t mean all these students enjoy the outdoors on a regular basis or grew up in an outdoor-centered household like I did. When the SCWF wanted to implement a peer-led hunting program for Clemson students, I leapt at the opportunity to become the Clemson University intern for Academics Afield.

While I worked with students, most of whom had never even held a firearm or been hunting before, I saw a change in the eyes of many of the participants. Fear and uncertainty transformed into eagerness and confidence over the course of two semesters. The look of accomplishment swelled over many students’ faces when they broke a clay for the first time at the shotgun range or harvested their first animal on a WMA. I felt those same feelings many years ago, but seeing them manifest in those students took me back to the simple, wonderful time when I was feeling those senses of confidence and accomplishment for the first time.


Conservation may be a subject which is starving for advocacy of young people today. This is the fault of none other than the disconnect from the outdoors that kids have been experiencing for decades now. Although I say this, I am confident that programs like Academics Afield will help build bridges over the disconnect from wildlife and the outdoors that our society experiences. One may still express degrees of skepticism on the efficacy of programs like Academics Afield, but I can personally attest that the changes I saw in the eyes of students that participated in this program gives me hope that a little more advocacy for conservation will live on in the hearts of the inaugural class of Clemson Academics Afield students. I am thankful that I was blessed with the opportunity to work as the Clemson Academics Afield intern with SCWF and I am excited to see what the future has in store for this amazing program across our great state.

Academics Afield Fall 2021

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Our first group of Academics Afield students from Clemson University participated in a hunt at the Jocassee Gorges property, hosted by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) this week. This group consisted of students not only participating in the program, but students also serving as hunting mentors.

After completing the hunter safety class with SCDNR Officer Ray Lewis, a hands-on class to shoot rifles and shotguns with Clemson’s Rick Willey, and learning about how conservation and hunting are deeply connected with SCDNR’s Kenny Forrester and SC Wildlife Federation’s BeBe Dalton Harrison, participants set out in the woods.

After returning, they were able to enjoy tasting wild game including squirrel, snow goose, and venison donated and prepared by Morgan Harrell and SCWF staff. A special thank you to our Clemson intern, Abby Dwelle, for her hard work recruiting and organizing this fall.

This program began with the Georgia Wildlife Federation in 2019 and we were awarded a grant to expand it to South Carolina this year. Look for more opportunities to see this crew and a few new faces join in the Academics Afield program this spring.














Celebrating conservation, wildlife management in SC through outdoor sports

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By Angela Viney

Published by Spartanburg Herald-Journal, September 21, 2021

Over 100 years ago, hunters and anglers were the earliest and most vocal supporters of conservation and scientific wildlife management. They were the first to recognize that rapid development and unregulated uses of wildlife were threatening the future of many species.

Led by fellow sportsman President Theodore Roosevelt, these early conservationists called for the first laws restricting the commercial slaughter of wildlife, urged sustainable use of fish and game, created hunting and fishing licenses, and lobbied for taxes on sporting equipment to provide funds for state conservation agencies. Populations of white-tailed deer, elk, antelope, wild turkey, wood ducks and other species began to recover from decades of unregulated exploitation.

In South Carolina, the Game and Fish Association organized in 1931, the forerunner of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation that is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The concern at that time was that fish and game violations were threatening the bounty of South Carolina’s woods and waters.

The State’s Harry Hampton wrote in his columns urging sportsmen in the state to organize to press for amended laws. Harry spoke to the Sumter Rotary Club in June 1931 and the members endorsed the idea of sportsmen’s clubs in every county. The Sumter chapter of The SC Game and Fish Association was born that day.

The SC Game and Fish Association met formally in Columbia to organize in October, 1931, with 150 sportsmen attending from 25 counties. In 1946, the SC Fish and Game Association reorganized as the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Eighth Annual Convention, SC Game & Fish Association, Sept. 15, 1938

By the following year, the Federation focused its efforts on creating a South Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for the purpose of establishing and enforcing game laws in the state. The Federation’s battle was hard-fought, and the Commission was finally created in 1952 which evolved into the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) in 1994.

The excise taxes on sporting equipment that the early conservationists called for was made possible by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act in 1937, commonly called the “Pittman-Robertson Act” after its Congressional sponsors. It provides federal aid to states for the management and restoration of wildlife, and its funding comes from an 11 percent excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition.

The disbursement of these funds, generated through excise taxes on hunting, shooting and fishing equipment and boat fuel to all 50 states and U.S. territories, is distributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2020, South Carolina received sportfish and wildlife restoration grants totaling $12,675,815.

To date, the Service has distributed more than $22.9 billion in apportionments for state conservation and recreation projects.

In an effort to honor hunters and anglers and their contributions to conservation, on May 2, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the first proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day to be celebrated on the fourth Saturday of September. By late summer, all 50 governors and more than 600 mayors had joined in by proclaiming state and local versions of National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF). The response was dramatic.

Upstate South Carolina is hosting a NHF Day celebration at Oconee County’s South Cove Park near Seneca. This free, fun, family adventure is open to the public and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The 13th Upstate celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day will include activities such as archery, air rifles, camouflage games, fly tying and casting, kayaking, fishing on Lake Keowee and much more. All activities are free, and all gear is provided.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is made possible by partnerships with the SCDNR, Oconee County Parks and Recreation, Trout Unlimited, Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, South Carolina 4-H Shooting Sports and Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is the most effective grassroots effort ever undertaken to promote outdoor sports and conservation. We look forward to this event every year. It is a great opportunity for the community to enjoy the great outdoors in a safe, educational environment with family and friends.

For directions and information, call South Cove County Park at 864-882-5250 or visit its Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/southcovecountypark

Angela Viney is the Chair of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Published by Spartanburg Herald-Journal, September 21, 2021