Keep South Carolina Wild

Tag: Jay Keck

Palmetto Pro Birders: Huntington Beach State Park

This class is full! Please add yourself to the waiting list here.

Join us for a day of birding at Huntington Beach State Park, rated as the top eBird  hotspot in South Carolina. We will sample the many habitats of the park, including salt marsh, tidal creeks and flats, maritime woods, brackish ponds, and the beach. If tides and conditions permit, we will hike to the jetty (a three-mile round trip). Over the years, a significant number of rarities have been reported at the jetty, including common eider, long-tailed duck, purple sandpiper, black guillemot and others. Our focus will be on wintering birds and we hope to see waterfowl, including scoters, rails, piping plover and other shorebirds, gulls, terns, horned grebe, common loon, red-throated loon, northern gannet and others. We will also seek the park’s many songbirds, placing a special focus on wintering sparrows. In addition, we will discuss the various conservation measures the park has taken and how they impact these coastal birds.

This module will require a significant amount of walking and participants should bring water and a packed lunch. Snack food is available in the park store. A park entrance fee is required.

Where: Huntington Beach State Park. Meet in the state park office parking lot.

Who: This training is open to the public. No prior knowledge is required. Minimum age is 16.  This training will count for one day toward Palmetto Pro Birder certification (8 days needed total). For SC Master Naturalists, this event can count as Advanced Training and towards your statewide certification. If you are not a Pro Birder or Master Naturalist, just come have fun with us.

This class will be led by Irvin Pitts, SCWF Outdoor Academy Instructor, and Jay Keck, SCWF Industry Habitat Manager.

Irvin Pitts

Irvin retired from a career with the South Carolina State Park Service where he served as Parks Biologist and Chief of Resource Management. Prior to that, he worked at Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks as park naturalist. Irvin retired from a career with the South Carolina State Park Service where he served as Parks Biologist and Chief of Resource Management. Prior to that, he worked at Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks as park naturalist.

Jay Keck

Jay has been a passionate nature and bird lover since his early teens. He lives in Chapin, SC with his wife and two boys, and has identified 95 bird species in his yard in three years, as well as 160 species in Lexington county since moving back in September of 2013. He has viewed birds in Spain, Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica, as well as many areas in SC from the mountains to the coast. Being inspired by SCWF’s mission, he earned his Palmetto Pro Birder certification, and has led bird walks for SCWF as well as Saluda Shoals park, Columbia Audubon, and private organizations. Even when he is golfing, hunting, or fishing, he is secretly birding. At SCWF, Jay coordinates the Wildlife And Industry Together (WAIT) program as well as leading birding classes for the Palmetto Pro Birder & Midlands Master Naturalist programs.

Other Important Notes:

  • If available, please bring binoculars & your favorite field guide to Eastern birds.

  • Restrooms are available, and pink and blue bushes are along the trail…

  • The rain date for this event is Friday, December 5th.

  • After registering, you will receive important correspondence via email. If you change your email between now and then, make sure to notify us.

 

Cost: The cost is $100.00 per person and limited to the first 15 people that register.

IMPORTANT: Participants should be in good physical shape. Birding involves a lot of standing, and we may cover some distance in our field work.

PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU CAN HANDLE THESE CONDITIONS.

SCWF reserves the right to cancel any event, due to unforeseen circumstances, extreme weather, low registration, or guidance from local/state officials. Any cancellation by SCWF will result in a full refund for all registrants.

Give It A Shot – SCWF Squirrel Hunting Fundraiser

 

Registration deadline is Monday, February 17th, 2025.

 

What: A 4-person team squirrel hunting event held annually to raise money for youth and adults interested in learning how to hunt South Carolina’s small and large game species. Awards will be presented to the winning team.

When: Saturday, February 22, 2025. Hunt begins at legal shooting time, which is customarily 30 minutes before sunrise. Lunch, team tally deadline, and award presentation begins at 12pm in Chapin.

Where: Hunt locations: Any legal hunting property in South Carolina that will allow you to arrive at the lunch venue in Chapin by the team tally deadline at noon. Teams are responsible for securing their own properties to hunt. SCWF staff member Jay Keck can offer suggestions on public land.

How: Stalk, sit, or dogs, shotgun or rifle, is at the discretion of each team and team member. Team members can hunt together, in groups of two, or individually. Just hunt, have fun, and bring back some squirrels. Only one gun per team member: four guns max per team. Please note that “extra buddies” cannot bring guns, hunt, and give you their squirrels.

Cost: Registration is $200 per team. Non-hunting assistants (dog handler, photographer, etc.) may accompany the team and attend the social/lunch for $25 per person.

Other things you need to know about this hunt:

  • Where you hunt is your business and responsibility.
  • Proper utilization of the squirrels you harvest is your responsibility (Jay will take any that you don’t want to utilize yourself).
  • If you’re looking for a strict, highly managed, professionally-run squirrel hunt with a bunch of rules and procedures (other than state or federal laws), this is not the one for you.
  • If you’re looking to spend a great day outdoors with friends or family and raise money to support the next generation of hunters, this event is for you!
  • Team scores will be tallied based on the following criteria:
    • 1 point for each squirrel harvested by a team member
    • 1 additional point for each clean head shot
    • Tie-breaker – TBD and announced at lunch if necessary
    • Legal bag limits of 10 per day per person apply
  • What do you get out of this for $200 a team? Food, fellowship, possibly an award – but most of all you get to join a lot of folks who love the outdoors and love hunting, while supporting our mission to spread this love to others around our beautiful state.
  • $500 sponsorships are encouraged from individuals and companies interested in helping us expand our hunting education presence in SC. The sponsorship will include your 4-person hunting team, lunch, and recognition at the event and events webpage.

 

Thank you to McGuinn Homes and to National Land Realty/ Jim Taylor for sponsoring this event!

 

 

Questions – Contact Jay Keck at (803) 256-0670; mail@scwf.org

Hunting is a sport enjoyed by millions of people – men, women, and children – throughout the world. It is a way to connect to nature and the great outdoors. Hunting allows people to be in the woods and observe wildlife in its natural habitat. It can be a time of peaceful reflection and a time to “disconnect” from our busy world. Squirrel hunting is one of the least expensive ways to hunt – all you need is camouflage clothing, a single-shot rifle, shotgun, or air rifle, and a small-game resident license to legally harvest squirrels. It is a fun activity to spend time with your family and friends!

Hunting is an effective wildlife conservation tool and is ethical when done responsibly and sustainably. Hunting aids in population control by removing excess animals and keeping them in balance with the habitat. When wildlife populations exceed the land’s carrying capacity, starvation and disease impacts the animals.  Hunting maintains the balance of the ecosystem by managing predator and prey populations as well as helping with disease management. Growing populations of predators like coyotes are maintained through hunting.

Hunters provide valuable information to state and federal agencies so appropriate seasons and bag limits can be determined. Hunters follow state and federal laws to ensure they are not harming nature but helping it. Hunters contribute a significant amount of revenue to states, generating billions of dollars annually through hunting licenses, taxes on firearms and ammunition. These funds support wildlife conservation efforts and state wildlife agency personnel. The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies estimates that 60% of funding for these agencies come from hunters.

SCWF reserves the right to cancel any event, due to unforeseen circumstances, extreme weather, low registration, or guidance from local/state officials. Any cancellation by SCWF will result in a full refund for all registrants.