Deep South Dispatch: Southeastern Wildlife Expo

Every February around Valentine's Day Charleston hosts the Southeastern Wildlife Expo. I attended once back in my college days but, thanks to a timely invitation from the College of Charleston Library, got to attend this year.

Nothing against gator, but it's not "Charleston's excellent cuisine"

I enjoyed a day of beautiful weather, Charleston's excellent cuisine, and many worthwhile conversations. All the time I spent it with my college roommate, who, as life often has it, I don't get to see enough.

The Expo has quite a few venues scattered around the city. My former roommate, The Captain, and I took in the largest ones. At Brittlebank Park we saw custom paddleboat built for fishing. We fantasized about buying land for outdoor recreation when we spoke with several reps in that line. For example, the truly well-heeled sportsman can buy in to Bray's Island which is offers all sorts of hunting, fishing, and riding opportunities. we all dream, but I wonder if it was giving to me, whether I would really fit in and feel comfortable on a place like Brays Island. I know the land having driven through it many times and I could be in love with that acreage. I am not sure about the people.

A particularly fun moment came as we passed a booth were the occupants sold duck calls. One of the women commented that someone on the other side of the large tent we were in had let loose and should be answered. Her booth-mate was up to the challenge and a duck call brawl seemed to be breaking out.

A wetter and friendlier competition involved dogs leaping into pools to demonstrate their retrieving and long-jumping skills.

This Dock Dog walks on water.

 In the afternoon the Captain and I chatted with artists, magazine publishers, and people involved in all sorts of conservation efforts in the area around Marion Square. The Wildlife Expo (SEWE) uses this centrally located park downtown too. My favorite group - a new one to me - was the Orianne Society who's purpose is to save the indigo snake in the wiregrass of Georgia and Florida. I hope they are successful beyond their dreams.

A Eurasian eagle at SEWE

 The most dramatic aspect of SEWE had to be the birds of prey demonstration on Marion Square. They used a number of native species and some they had attained through trade including the two pictured here.












We had a great spot right at the fence where a lot of the action took place.

 

A Eurasian owl during the Birds of Prey Demo

In the end I really enjoy the mix of people at SEWE. On the one hand you have the best financed sort of hunters and fishers, self-taught artist, government servants, and a wide range of conservationists all mixing it up with honest country craftsmen like the fellow I met who hand crafts boat paddles with cedar trim. They are beautiful. So beautiful it made me wish I could buy a boat so I would justify one of this paddles.

Deep South Dispatch #6: Most Influential South Carolinians

My students and I have had a joke in which I bring up a historic person and ask if they know where the person was born and they guess South Carolina. I bring this up to illustrate my personal obsession which might be diagnosed as South Carolina exceptionalism.

I can't help it, I take note of people who are from South Carolina like Joe Frazier, Lauren Hutton or Kevin Garnett. Recently I have been mulling a top ten list in this vein: who are the most influential living people from the Palmetto State?


It will sound too pretentious to say I had a methodology for this. It is more of a parlor game, but I did come up with a few ground rules.

• The person must be living and either born or raised in South Carolina.
• The breadth and depth of the individual's influence is of paramount importance. Mere fame for a long time isn't enough. Demonstrated influence counts. Sorry Chubby Checker, but don't stop twisting.
• The person's influence must be felt beyond the borders of the Palmetto State. Sorry Mayor Riley.
• A candidate for the top ten needs to have been around long enough to prove she or he has lasting influence: sorry Aziz Asari but keep going!

The Short List

Ben Bernanke
Charles Bolden
Stephen Colbert
Pat Conroy
Jim DeMint
Marian Wright Edelman
John Edwards
Leeza Gibbons
William Gibson
Joseph L. Goldstein
Lindsey Graham
Fritz Hollings
Jesse Jackson
Young Jeezy
Jasper Johns
Sallie Krawchek
Andie McDowell
Kary Mullis
Chris Rock
Darius Rucker
Armstrong Williams

If you have an opinion on who should make the top ten let me know.

Deep South Dispatch # 5: Get These #%#^#! Snakes Out of My Tree Stand

It seems unfair that snakes can climb. Is it not enough that they slither quickly and swim like water serpents?

This past weekend the Old Flesh and Blood and several of his hunting club members had a workday on the plantation. This time of the year that means a circuit of the existing tree stands to check for needed repairs or maintenance.

The OFB, despite a spot of arthritis and near septuagenarian status, climbed one of the stands to its platform some sixteen feet off of the ground. To his surprise, but not delight, he was met there by a coiled and alert eastern diamondback rattlesnake sitting in the back corner. He hollered down to the hunters on the ground and they tossed a handgun up to him. BANG. He got the ### snake off his ## # treestand.

The pistol turned out to be a .410 (a bore size and not a gauge as you may know and may care). In other words, this handgun uses shotgun shells -- a fact not anticipated by our shooter in this case who was quite focused on the snake. It short, the pistol kicked like a mule and caused an injury to his trigger finger. After a search they found part of the snake (tail with rattles) nearly fifty feet away. High brass shells at near point-blank range will do that to a snake up in the air, won't it?!