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: Armadillo Hating Dog

On a recent raccoon hunting trip, the Old Flesh and Blood had a new experience. Those are rarer these days after more than fifty years of hunting in the same locale. He was trying out a new dog, but the rascal wanted to chase after armadillos.

 

 Pesticus Ironcladicus

Now thirty years ago there were no armadillos in the Lowcountry of South Carolina  so as long as your coon hound didn't run rabbits or deer you were in pretty good shape. The Old Flesh and Blood tried to discourage the armadillo chaser after the first hunt. They turned the brace of hounds loose a second time and once again this one dog took-off after an armored possum. They could hear him barking into a hole from the trucks and they slogged into the woods to retrieve the misguided canine.

The armadillo hole was set in the slope of an old drag-line ditch used to drain the low land for pines. When the hunters arrived and surveyed the scene they wanted to take the dog back to the truck, but emboldened by the arrival of the hunters the dog started digging into the hole himself. By the time the hunters could cross the ditch the dog had enlarged the opening and gone into the burrow.
They called after him. On he dug!
They tried to reach in and pull him out.  On he dug!
They put their ears to ground to measure his progress (for he kept barking the whole time).  On he dug!

The dog couldn't turn around in that narrow tunnel of course. After walking off twelve feet from the burrow entrance to the sound of the barks and realizing that only a backhoe could dig that far and deep through the roots and stumps, they gave the armadillo-hatin' dog up for dead.

"I hated to leave him, but there was nothing to do," said the Old Flesh and Blood.

A week later the dirty and decidedly skinnier dog came trotting up to the tractor diver cutting firelines on the plantation.  How did he get out?
"I guess he dug," said the Old Flesh and Blood.

Embarrassed about your lack of expertise on coon hunting? Try this for a quick education.

Deep South Dispatch: Hog Heaven Barbecue in the News

One of my favorite Deep South Barbecue joints gets some love along and along in the news. This time its the New York Times recognizing the place. Located on US 17 just south of the town of Pawley's Island give Hog Heaven great visibility.

If memory serves this place began as a very modest establishment in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The creator was an African American chef who's name escapes me. He did strictly take-out back than. He retired and sold it. The new owners added on the building to create a sit-down space. Then they added on an al fresco oyster bar in the back. Then they enclosed that space and added a new tiki oyster bar to the back.

Hog Heaven facade

I know it's the twenty-first century and I know I am old school, but its hard to accept that a barbecue place has its own website. I will overcome this and eat there again soon tho'.

The bottom line on Hog Heaven is that they have a good chopped pork, fine ribs, and they serve hash with rice which sets them apart as real lowcountry barbecue in my book.

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?!