Outdoors in the Lowcountry during the holidays and beyond
- cdavis884
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
By Ford Walpole
Though the holiday season is a busy time for social activities, most people get a break from work or school to spend time with family and friends, and those natives who make their lives elsewhere return home to their roots and identity. During this time, we take a breath from the hectic pace of our obligatory routines to remember what makes life important.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, this time of year offers a vast array of opportunities in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Holiday parties present the ideal table to enhance with serendipitous wild-game preparations. It is not lost on the outdoors enthusiasts that this time of year, we celebrate a child born in an agricultural setting and who lived a great deal of his life outdoors and on the water, whether preaching to crowds under the sun or spending an extended sojourn in the wilderness.
The Lowcountry’s lengthy deer season finally concludes on New Year’s Day, with a youth day the following Saturday. Many deer hunters have transitioned to still-hunting. On a number of still-hunting lands, as a way to manage doe populations, dog drives or man drives for deer are still held the day after Christmas or on New Year’s Day. For those who still pursue deer with the help of hounds, late-season drives are a great way to spread holiday cheer and fill the freezers at the last minute.
While the solitary act of still-hunting inspires tranquility and invites reflection without an all-day commitment, the stander on a dog drive shares in a similar experience, with the opportunity for a welcome interruption from the exuberant baying of the hounds. The adrenaline rush produced by this wonderful sound and the opportunity to take big game on the move with a shotgun is exhilarating. For the unskilled and unlucky, the sense of community among those who hunt with dogs ensures that all will share in the bounty of the harvest.
The third and final dove season comes in a few days before Christmas and runs through January. Although many hunters note that late-season migratory doves are not as plentiful as they once were, a number of wingshooters nonetheless achieve success during this time. Some suggest that January dove hunts can see improvement during a time when birds are no longer dispersed and enticed by deer corn, which proves to be a distraction during the entirety of the first two dove seasons. Bagging doves in the winter is even less predictable than September hunting and often requires more effort and scouting for food sources.
Don’t forget about inshore fall fishing, which remains strong, especially during milder weather. Trout are still plentiful in the creeks, and the spottails are schooled up and easier to spot when they are in shallow water, which is clearer this time of year. A winter boat ride can be cold, so anglers need to be sure to wear proper attire.
Of course, this is oyster season, and oyster roasts are a staple of holiday gatherings. Washing and cooking oysters requires effort, even when you buy them by the bushel. And, somehow, local clusters of oysters taste even better when you have harvested them yourself. Perhaps it is a sense of pride, or it might be the appetite you worked up in collecting them from their appropriate beds.
Our state’s second duck season runs through January. Increasingly well-managed plantations attract ducks, and these efforts also benefit nearby public river hunters. Those with access to flooded timber have a chance for wood ducks, or summer ducks, since many of them are resident birds. For those not fortunate enough to be members of private clubs, duck hunting public lands requires planning, scouting, effort and dedication. Devoted hunters often arrive at the landing the night before to secure the ideal hunting spot. Spending the night in a brackish creek on the floor of a johnboat is a tough way to camp, but a harvest of ducks is the enticing reward for the serious waterfowler. Saltwater duck hunting is yet another more spacious method, but additional steps, such as soaking birds in salt water before cooking, are required for sea ducks, which rely heavily on a diet of fish.
Upland bird hunting is another great winter sport. The American woodcock presents a challenge for those sportsmen with good dogs. Quail season runs through the spring, and a number of the state’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) permit quail hunting for wild birds. A decade ago, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) began the South Carolina Bobwhite Initiative, which has contributed to a steady improvement in wild quail populations throughout the state. For those who wish to hunt released quail on a private preserve, many commercial operations allow hunters to pay by the hunt — without being required to join a private club.
Finally, besides pursuing fish and game, this is a great time of year just to get outside with your new Christmas gifts. As most people age, their Christmas presents no longer evoke the excitement of the toys they received as children, but the outdoorsman is somewhat immune to this sad reality. It is still just as fun to shoot new ammo and guns or to cast new rods, and we still enjoy breaking in that new fishing shirt or hunting jacket in its proper element.
In many ways, hunting and fishing are analogous to life. Choosing to engage in outdoor activities is evidence of trying, and this reality suggests infinite hope. The sporting enthusiast is constantly reminded to adapt to circumstances and to have the proper perspective. We often realize the reward in the adventure itself, not necessarily through the catch or the kill, which is merely the supposed success. We are reminded that while preparation is key, an overreliance on our own plans may lead to disappointment from a focus on the wrong aspects of an event, or indeed, of life itself.
Some folks avoid New Year’s resolutions because of the unwelcome guilt that accompanies failing to adhere to lofty goals. Perhaps the goals themselves are the problem. Losing weight, exercising and completing tedious house projects are certainly fine endeavors, but perhaps the focus should be shifted to outdoors-specific resolutions. Purchasing a new boat or additional gear, scheduling trips for hunting and fishing, spending more time afield and on the water, scouting earlier and using more personal time-off for outdoor pursuits seem much more reasonable, attainable and ultimately noble resolutions.
Ford Walpole lives and writes on John’s Island and is the author of many articles on the outdoors. He teaches English at James Island Charter High School and the College of Charleston and may be reached at fordwalpole@gmail.com.
