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elcome back DUDES! First of all, let me say how humbled I am with all the unbelievable positive comments from you DUDES out there about our idea and first issue. Now more than ever, we think we are filling a void out there in publicationland.

A special thanks to our advertisers, contributing writers and the fine graphics and printing efforts of Kim Bowen and The Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette. Also thanks to all of you DUDES out their that LIKE our Facebook page (search DUDE and join the family). Also thanks to you DUDES who have made hits on our website www.dudesc. com. Thank you to my good friend, Sarah Ham for helping with those two social networking phenomenons. We are now posting a do not miss DUDE EVENT about every week on Facebook and for those who are having a hard time finding a printed copy, we can always be found at www.dudesc.com from your favorite electronic device.

As far as a printed copy, know you can always find one at one of the fine advertisers establishments and if for some reason that doesn’t work for you DUDE, then just call us or email us and we’ll send you a PDF of the latest issue. So long the days of the paid subscription. From us at DUDE to you, FREE! I think we are going to dedicate each issue to one of our favorite DUDES and THE DUKE, John Wayne aka Rooster Cogburn was the first to be inducted to our DUDE HALL OF FAME, mainly cause he’s a bad ass DUDE. Thinking along those lines of THE DUKE and DUDE RANCHES, this issue we salute, James Arnez aka MATT DILLON. Matt kept Dodge City in line with the fine help of Festus Haggins. Oh to be back in those days and bust through the swinging doors of the Long Branch Saloon and order up a couple beers with Doc, Sam and Miss Kitty. You screw with Matt, you lose.

Even the Widowmaker couldn’t take him down!

Now off to the land of DUDE so we can learn and laugh. Though we had many DUDES come up and say, I can’t believe this is your FIRST ISSUE, I actually think this one is even better. We’ve purged a few things and added a few things that I think you DUDES will like. Come on and join me, LET’S GO DUDES! Our friendship with the good folks at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is growing by leaps and bounds. They loved our first issue and we got thanked in the best way possible, as they invited DUDE to join them for two great days this fall. First, we were invited by Dr. Al Segars to join Bill Roumillat and his fine crew on a population sampling up in the Ace Basin. Next we were invited by Al Stokes and David Harter to join one of the school groups on their education vessel “The Discovery”, followed by a Waddell Mariculture Center tour. Enjoy the articles DUDES and realize how valuable the SCDNR is to our Estuary Coastal county. We also have some great info from SCDNR on dove and deer hunting in our area. Be safe out there DUDES and be a good STEWARD of our GOD BLESSED COUNTY. Fall means good fishing in the Lowcountry DUDES and we got you covered this issue. Captain Jason and Captain Trent are all about REDFISH this fall and winter. It doesn’t get much more exciting catching a redfish, so enjoy their wisdom and great photos this issue. We would like to welcome, fellow Auburn WAR EAGLE, Wade Bales to our DUDE FISHING STAFF. Wade brought it to our attention that we did not have any fishing info on fresh water fishing and he was right. Well, Wade will be our fresh water fishing DUDE/Biologist to share his knowledge of things we need to know about catching those great large mouth bass, crappies, catfish and blue gills.

This is the season to hunt DUDES. Our deer hunting DUDE, David Hahn checks in this issue with a great article about Grunting for Bucks. Some great tips for sure. As we mentioned we have some great SCDNR hunting info to share with you this issue. We’ve added a new hunting DUDE to our staff and his name is Chuck Mikals. Chuck hunts big game and his photos and stories will not disappoint you. If you want to step up to the plate and GO BIG, then Chuck’s the man to steer you in the right direction, whether it be Safari Hunting in Africa or chasing monster deer and elk in Canada. Be safe out there DUDES and follow all safety, rules and regulations to insure your maximum satisfaction in your hunt.

Can’t hunt without guns DUDE and we’ve added our new GUN DUDE, James Grant to the DUDE STAFF to keep you tuned in to all the cool things out there with the latest in guns and ammo. James is quite the professional gunsmith and after reading his article, you’ll know he knows what he’s talking about. His first article is about how the AR-15

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military assault rifle is finding its way in to the hands of deer hunters.

Now that it’s not 110 heat index outside, Boating is a great way to spend a day in the Lowcountry. Captain Megan takes us on a cruise up Skull Creek on the backside of Hilton Head Island. Truly a beautiful place to cruise the Intra-Coastal waterway of Beaufort County. Per usual, we will always keep our Marina guide in each issue for your convenience, as to were you can stop and get what you need as far as fuel, supplies and dockage. On the waterways of Beaufort county, you’ll eventually be heading south some time and if you take it to the southern edge of Beaufort county, there you’ll find Daufuskie Island and one of our new DUDE STAFFERS, Lowcountry Joe Yocius. Joe is our DAUFUSKIE DUDE and he will share his informative and intriguing stories from Daufuskie Island. The light house over there has giant bats in it, YIKES! When we think of outdoors and nature, our good friend, Marvin Bouknight immediately comes to mind, as he’s a treasure trove of information when it comes to wildlife and we’re not talking about bar hopping. It seems our NATURE DUDE, Marvin has published a book about the wildlife of the lowcountry and now each issue, we will feature an excerpt from his book for all to enjoy his tales and wisdom. Congrats Marvin! You’ll find info at the end of his article about where to obtain you’re very own copy and if you tell him Harold from DUDE sent you, he might even sign it for you.

Outdoors this time of year is truly spectacular with the lower humidities. Our good friends at Coastal Discovery Museum have many great programs for you and your family to participate in, whether it be viewing wildlife or even learning how to cook Gullah style.

Thanks to our DUDETTE, Robin Swift for keeping us up to date on what great fun they have in store for DUDES and DUDETTES alike this fall and winter. As always, we would like to remind you to be good stewards of our valuable waterways and contact our friends at RIVER SMART and FRIENDS OF THE RIVER to see what you can do to help us with the growing problem of overdevelopment storm run off in our pristine estuaries.

Golfing, Tennis and Staying Fit are a lot easier to do now that the fall temps have rolled in and as usual, our DUDES, golf with Rick Barry, tennis with Eric Wammock and fitness Mona Ward all have some great tips for you to learn and follow for a more enjoyable time being active. It’s good for the mind, body and soul so get with it DUDES and get out and have some fun. Speaking of fun and golf, our DUDE ROADTRIP this fall was a golf outing to beautiful Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island. All golfing DUDES need to go there for a fantastic golf outing done with nothing but class.

The holidays are upon us and one thing DUDES like to do this time of year is COOK. Well, we have you covered this issue with Chef Gary Williams walking you through the ever popular, this time of season dish, Frogmore Stew and a little bit of history as well.

Chef Steve Boney takes us to the land of the local oyster roast and how best to do it. Our local oysters rule, so do yourself a favor and down several dozen this fall and winter, as not only are they delicious, you’ll end up making your favorite lady very happy DUDE, if you know what I mean. It is true what they say about oysters DUDE! We had many favorable comments about the Cigar Tips from Cigartainer, Joe Sweigart, so we finally got to meet him and his lovely wife, Elaine and Joe will now take us in to the land of cigars like no other DUDE can. Joe knows cigars and he has created us some of our very own DUDE CIGARS. Sign up as an advertiser and you too can get a handful of hand rolled DUDE CIGARS. A truly great smooth smoke! This issue, Joe tells us all about the mythical Cuban cigars that no one is suppose to have legally in this country but most DUDES have a few stashed some where. Great article for those true aficionados. Long Ashes DUDES! GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS! We love our Marines here in Beaufort county and the hot topic continues to be the F-35B Lightning II JSF from Lockheed Martin and how it is about to influence our county in the best way possible....JOBS! Decision day is December 3rd and then, we’ll know exactly where the MCAS Beaufort fits in to the puzzle of handling the 13 squadrons headed to the east coast. See our article for some of the alternatives that are being considered.

We finish up this issue with our good friend, HAROLD THE LARGEMOUTH BASS. He has become very popular over the past 3 months and he’s done a great job in performing his tasks as EDITOR OF DUDE. A largemouth bass is editor of DUDE, huh, what? Enjoy some of the letters he’s gotten recently and enjoy some of the photos you DUDES out there have sent him. We selected some really good ones for you to enjoy.

Harold also managed to catch some DUDES IN FOCUS from; The Beaufort Shrimp Festival, Kiwanis Chili Cook Off at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island, Rosie O’Grady’s Maranatha Farms Oyster Roast, Beer & Brats Festival in Bluffton, Art Exhibition at Katie O’Donald’s to benefit Susan G. Komen breast cancer and we even have some photos of the new Floors To Go showroom just opened on Mathews Drive on Hilton Head Island.

Thanks again to everyone who is helping and enjoying our efforts on creating a publication that is not boring and actually makes you laugh while learning. Your smiles, laughter and favorables comments will keep us going DUDES! See you in the Spring of 2011!

BRAD MCDONALD PUBLISHER DUDE www.dudesc.com

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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SPENDS THE DAY WITH SCDNR

By Brad McDonald

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UDE was fortunate enough this past October to be invited by our friend Dr. Al Segars, SCDNR Veterinarian/Ace Basin, to join, SCDNR’s Bill Roumillat and his fine crew; Erin Levesque, John Archambault, Robin Freeman, Johnathan Tucker and graduate student, Jen Hein on a population study up in the Ace Basin waterways. If you’ve never been to this area, do yourself a favor and hang a right off of Hwy 17, on the way to Charleston and drive down to Bennett’s Point. At the end of the road you will find SCDNR Estuarine Field Department and our friends, Billie & Richard Baldwin’s, B & B Seafood Market. Definitely one of the greatest places in the Lowcountry to get fresh shrimp and oysters.

We met Bill Roumillat at the landing at Bennett’s Point early one Fall morning this past October. As you can see by the photos, his crews are well equipped with two unique style boats with the motor in the front part of the boat. Bill and crew were given their randomly selected monthly sample spots and off we went. There’s about 30 or so areas they sample from regularly, doing roughly 6 spots each boat, for a total of twelve for the day.

The speed in which they put out the trammel nets kind of surprised us. They are pretty wide open as the 500’ net pours out of the back of the boat. Bill does it with such precision, you can tell this ain’t his first rodeo doing this DUDE. After the net is set, we worked our way inside the area between the net and the bank, banging on the side of the boat and slapping long red oak sticks in the water to scare the marine life towards the net, so as SCDNR can get a good sample of what is in that area at the particular time. After a couple pass throughs, they break out their gear to document their sampling. Water temperature, time of day, tide, oxygen and salinity levels are all logged in. Then the fun part begins.

Two people pull the net in at the same time, one taking the top and one taking the bottom. The trammel net does a great job not injuring the marine wildlife that is in the net. It was simply amazing to see what comes up in that net from spot to spot. We pulled in large and small spot tail bass/red drum, speckled sea trout, whiting, spots, flounder, sting rays, menhaden, big shrimp, terrapins and even pretty good size bonnet-head sharks, who are feeding on the blue crabs according to Bill, who is an absolute wealth of knowledge. As the catch is carefully untangled, they are placed in a holding tank to wait for documentation, except the crabs and terrapins for obvious reasons.

Each individual specimen is measured and documented in their log book. Some specimens, like a couple of the big red drum we caught had actually been caught before, as they had SCDNR tags. The information they can get from a tagged fish is simply amazing. How old it is, where and when it was released, feeding and breeding patterns and wide variety of other scientific/biological findings. Bill showed us his concern about parasites that are showing up in many species’ gills. We actually saw a parasite that was in the process of eating a menhaden gills completely out. Pretty

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brutal way to go DUDE! A few trout and flounder were selected for biopsies. They take a very small part of the fish’s flesh, scales and fin and carefully place it in a chilled cooler for further research when they get back to the lab. I found it most interesting that they can read the fish’s DNA and it tells them anything that an “old school tag” can tell them and more, as most released fish now are all DNA mapped and documented. The fact that they can read the isotopes in the flesh and tell what the fish has been eating is truly amazing DUDE. Please if you catch a tagged fish, carefully write down the info on tag and document time, day and place where the fish was caught and call our friends at SCDNR. The information you give them well certainly help them in assessing the patterns of the certain species of fish.

Our biggest pull of the day was right off an oyster bed as we caught and documented roughly 50 speckled sea trout of every size. It was hard for this DUDE to not think about a fish fry! It took almost an hour to clear the net of that particular pull. Another trammel net pull later that day, netted nothing but blue crabs and terrapins.

The work our SCDNR does to document and protect our vital estuaries is priceless in our opinion. They know what’s happening and not happening, which gives them a leg up on heading off any thing that might negatively be impacting our precious resources, whether it be parasites or the evil storm run off from over development.

So the next time you’re out on the water and enjoying a great day of bird or dolphin watching, fishing or just enjoying that natural beauty that we are so lucky to be blessed with in the Lowountry of South Carolina, give a big salute and tip of the hat to our friends and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, as they are doing all they can to keep things the way Mother Nature wants them to be.

Please do your part and be a good steward of our waterways, follow all the SCDNR rules and regulations, as they are there for a reason. If you see or know someone that works for SCDNR, pat them on the back and thank them for what they do for our natural resources. PLEASE don’t turn a blind eye, report any one that is taking advantage of limits and regulations, as they are no friend of Mother Nature. Don’t fool with her DUDE, she always wins! You can also do your part to help SCDNR by buying hunting and fishing licenses even if you don’t hunt and fish.

That money goes directly to the great cause of helping them, help us and our marine friends. Don’t forget you can also get a variety of SCDNR tags for your car or truck and that money helps them as well.

Special thanks to SCDNR’s, Dr. Al Segars for setting DUDE up with another great SCDNR asset, Bill Roumillat. The day was a great one and we learned a lot about what you guys are doing to protect one of our most precious assets, THE ESTUARIES OF THE LOWCOUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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By Brad McDonald

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e were fortunate enough to be invited by SCDNR to join one of their student educational programs recently held at the Waddell Mariculture Center in Bluffton. The first part of the day, we jumped on board SCDNR’s “DISCOVERY”, Educational Vessel at the H. E. Trask Sr. Boat Landing at the end of Road 744/Sawmill Creek road. We were greeted by SCDNR’s Captain Tom Salisbury and his mate, Kattie McMillan, Public Information Specialist. The Discovery is set up perfectly to have a few dozen students on board for a very informative “hands on” educational program on the water.

Once we had a boat full of inquisitive young middle school students we begin our cruise up the Colleton River towards Oldfield. Kattie interacted with the students by picking their brains and asking them questions about the valuable estuaries that surround us here in beautiful Beaufort county. DUDE we learned many things we did not know and we’d like to share some of it with you.

The spartina grass that you see growing in the marsh areas is very important in regards to erosion from spring tides and storm run off mainly because of its extensive root system. For every inch of spartina grass there is a foot of roots below buried in the pluff mud.

At low tide you will see many exposed oyster beds here in the Lowcountry. We actually have 70% of the original amount of oysters in our area today, unlike many over harvested areas in the United States and abroad. Each little oyster you see actually filters an amazing 50 gallons of water per day, doing its part in keeping our waterways healthy.

Loggerhead sea turtles love to call Beaufort County home. A record number of 236 nests were documented this year on Hilton Head Island, all the way from South Beach to around the corner at Port Royal. Did you know that the Loggerhead is our South Carolina state reptile? We also learned that the actual sand temperature of the turtle nests determines whether the turtles are male or female. How do you know what temperatures make a particular gender???? COOL DUDES & HOT CHICKS! The boat went crazy as a pod of bottle-nose dolphins swam by and blew their air holes. When you see a pod of bottle-nose dolphin they are all females, as the males tend to be rogues and more individuals. Bottle-nose dolphin strand feed exclusively in our area. It is a learned behavior taught by the mother. Pushing small fish onshore and then beaching themselves as they snatch them up. SCDNR can identify many dolphin which are the strand feeders, as they have one side of them roughed up as well as one side of their teeth ground down.

We were fortunate enough to see a Bald Eagle fly over and Kattie informed us that a Bald Eagle could actually read a copy of DUDE from a mile off! Talking about Eagle Eyes DUDE! The Atlantic Tern is the champion bird when it comes to migration. They fly an amazing 22,000 miles from the north pole to the south

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pole. Our ubiquitous Brown Pelican wasn’t alway so ubiquitous, as it was on the endangered species list a few decades ago. The DDT from mosquito spraying was affecting them tremendously. The DDT was causing their egg shells to not be thick enough for the babies to survive. Once again our SCDNR to the rescue and now you can see them flying up and down the beaches of Hilton Head Island on a daily basis hunting fish.

Our waterways are teaming with Blue Crabs and the majority of our crabs are actually shipped to ......? Maryland. Seems Maryland has over harvested their crabs and their populations are down tremendously, so they have to get them from some where else where they are more plentiful. So the next time you hear someone rave about the Maryland Crab Cakes, just take pride in the fact that most likely they are made with South Carolina Blue Crabs.

Kattie and her helper Amber Kuehn put out a trawling net and brought in some specimens for the children to enjoy viewing and asking questions. It was actually cool to see a squid shoot its ink off in the tank. Look downs, spots, shrimp, coral and a variety of others specimens were caught, shown, talked about and released. A great hands on educational experience.

After we docked the Discovery, we walked the nature trail up to the Mariculture Center where our good friend, Al Stokes took the students on a tour of the Mariculture facilities. Al told us about the importance of the future of farm raised seafood as demand is about to over take supply and it is projected that by the year 2030, 75% of all the seafood we consume will be farm raised. The holding tanks were full of some big bull redfish and Al informed us of the importance of this fish to our area. SCDNR estimates that just Red-fishing alone accounts for about $160 million dollars worth of commerce to our state a year, so its well being and healthy population are vital to our area. Fishing is close to a $1 billion dollar a year business in our state.

Al and the Waddell Mariculture Center have done a lot to preserve the valuable Cobia in our area through monitoring, tracking and restocking. 85% of all the Cobia in South Carolina can be found in or just outside of Port Royal Sound and it is the largest Cobia breeding grounds on the East Coast. Patterns are changing with this much sought after, over harvested fish and SCDNR will have us some interesting information at the beginning of next year to document some of these changes. We would not be surprised if new limits are put on this fish in the future.

We would like to thank our friends at SCDNR, Al Stokes, Tom Salisbury, Kattie McMillan and their fine helpers Amber Kuehn and Dave Harter for showing us such a great day and helping us learn more about this great place we like to call home, THE LOWCOUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. Feel free to contact Al Stokes at the Mariculture Center if your group would like to come out a see what good work these guys and gals are up to. Who knows you might be like us and learn something new DUDE!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

FLOORS TO GO RELOCATES TO NEW LARGER SHOWROOM Recently our long time good friends, Bonnie and Steve Fisher opened their new FLOORS TO GO showroom on Hilton Head Island, located on Mathews Drive. They would like to invite you to stop by and see their fantastic selection of floor coverings and accessories.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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THE LOWCOUNTRY’S

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BY CAPT. JASON DuBOSE

Ken Kroupa Jr. with a bull red caught while fishing with Capt. Jason DuBose

8 enough to live in southern climates hile fishermen not fortunate

are already thinking about putting their boats away for the winter, here in the Lowcountry we are full swing into some of the best fishing of the year!

Although it’s true that we have great year round fishing opportunities in the Hilton Head area, ask any local angler their opinion about the best season to wet a line and the vast majority will answer “fall!” without even having to think about it.

“What makes fall fishing so great?” you ask. The short answer is beautiful weather, an abundance of bait, a tremendous diversity of fishing options, and red hot action born of the instinctual need for gamefish to feed heavily in anticipation of the approaching winter. When you put these factors together the result is world class saltwater fishing that will blow the mind of even the most seasoned and well traveled angler.

With the action raging from tailing redfish on the flats to sailfish balling bait in the Gulf Stream one of the most difficult tasks involved in fishing this time of year is deciding what species to target. I truly enjoy every type of fall fishing imaginable, but if forced to choose my favorites I’d have to say bull redfishing and offshore bottom fishing.

Bull or stag redfish are the adult segment of our local redfish population and have much different behavioral patterns than the juvenile redfish found year round in our inshore waters.

Bull redfish are typically well over 30 inches in length and weigh any where from 15 to over 50 lbs. They spend the majority of the year living around

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shoals, live bottom areas and artificial reefs in our offshore waters. During mid to late summer the bull red’s spawning migration brings them to the waters just off our beaches.

Post spawn, a large percentage of the population moves into Port Royal Sound and the surrounding inshore waters to take advantage of the large influx of bait that early fall brings to the area.

Targeting and catching bull redfish

in inshore waters with consistency is something that is unique to this time of year.

Success targeting these bruisers is dependent on many factors and varies from day to day; however, racking up double digit catch numbers during the months of September, October, and November is not uncommon.

While bulls are far over the upper end of the legal slot size for redfish (15 to

DUDE PROFILE: Capt. Jason DuBose, Head River Pro at Oldfield Club, runs inshore, nearshore, and offshore fishing charters. Aside from his duties as a charter fishing captain, Jason conducts a number of monthly educational seminars at Oldfield Club covering topics ranging from fishing techniques to local navigation and boat handling skills. Capt. Jason has worked as a professional sportfishing captain, mate and angler for the better part of the last ten years and has fished extensively throughout the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and North and South Carolina.

To contact Capt. Jason with questions and charter request please email him at: jdubose@hamptongolfclubs.com or call him at 843-304-4834.

23 inches) and must be released, they provide great sport and a lot of action for those wanting to catch big fish in inshore waters.

If you’re not only looking for action but also some fillets for the grill or frying pan, fall offshore bottom fishing can not be beat. During the fall months live bottom areas located 30 to 50 miles offshore teem with life.

Live bottom areas are characterized by rocky or hard bottom outcrops on the otherwise barren sand of the ocean floor. The hard surface provided by the rocky bottom allows for the growth of soft corals, sponges, sea fans etc., essentially creating an underwater oasis.

Gamefish such as grouper, snapper, black sea bass, trigger fish, porgies, cobia, amberjack, and king mackerel are attracted to these areas due to the tremendous amount of bait fish that inhabit them and the structure the hard bottom ledges provide. While you can vary your fishing techniques and baits to specifically target certain species you really never know what you might hook into next.. When you send a bait down on a live bottom area it’s not a question of whether you’re going to get a bite, but rather what’s it going to be and how big!

Bottom line. if you’re not getting out on the water this time of year you are missing out on some of the best fishing of the year. If you’ve got a boat get out there and give it a try. If not give me a call and I’ll be happy to introduce you to our great fall fishery or hook you up with a guide specializing in the type of fishing you want to do!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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Chasing

5BJM

By Captain Trent Malphrus

Charter Customer, Frank Brown with A Lowcountry Red

Bryan Sewell of Native Son Guide Services with Monster Bull Red

are finger mullet on the same flat you’re fishing. Finger mullet in early fall make it much easier ‘cause they don’t have there minds on one thing to eat. Pretty much anything that moves is food. If there was one thing to know about tailing reds it is that on the incoming tide the fish will feed very hard but once the tide turns, you will see a lot of fish traveling rather than feeding. These fish are hard to catch. Some times the only thing on his mind is getting out of there while he can. The same goes with you when the tide changes. It’s time to start working your way out before you get stuck because that could be a very long wait. I hope this little bit of information can get you started to a life of chasing tail.

Captain Trent Malphrus Palmetto Lagoon Charters, Inc. 843.301.4634

DUDE PROFILE: Captain Trent Malphrus is one

so much spartina grass surrounding the islands of the low country its seems 8 ithimpossible that you could ever find a red fish tailing in such a vast area of

grasses. Finding these special spots take time on the water and time on the web.

Google earth is the greatest thing in the world to have on your phone. Being able to study the grass with a birds eye view changes everything. Back when I was younger, it was all about time on the water. A lot of that time was not catching fish but looking for them and the habitat that they love. Having access to the web and Google earth saves you time on the water looking for those special places. When using Google earth to scan your area, what you’re looking for is sand in the middle of the spartina grass associated with a hammock. These areas have hard bottoms not like the mud that spartina grass grows in. A hammock is a small tree island with open salt marsh surrounding it. Most of these hammocks are very small not even an acre in diameter. These places are only accessible by boat when there are extreme tides from a full or new moon. Once you find a couple of places to scout, then the work begins, trying to find out how much water it takes to flood your flat. Now you have found it, this is where time on the water comes in one more time. Some flats take a 7 foot tide, others take a 9 foot tide, it’s up to you to find out what it takes.

Once you learn how much water it takes to flood your tailing spot, you then figure out how the fish move in to feed for that short period of time. These sandy areas hold a lot of fiddler crabs and that’s what the reds are ultimately looking for to feed on. Most of the time when you see a red fish tailing his nose is down in the sand trying to suck a fiddler out of his hole. This is when he has one thing on his mind and that is eating. Traveling fish that are swimming are harder to catch unless there

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of the rare natives of Hilton Head Island. This has been his only home for almost forty years. Trent was born into a family that has thrived on the Low Country’s rivers and estuaries for hundreds of years. They fished, picked oysters, crabbed, shrimped and frolicked in anything that has to do with Mother Ocean and still do to this day. Trent’s dad was the most hard-core fisherman he has ever known.

Trent got the fishing fever at a very young age as he followed in his father’s footsteps. All of the fishing knowledge he has attained originate in his father’s teachings. Trent now works to perfect his skills and achieve a greater level of understanding of fish and the intricacies of fishing. Trent’s father has passed on, but would surely be proud of his son and his love of fishing.

Trent was introduced to the Palmetto Dunes lagoon system when he was about eleven years old. His father would bring him to work and drop him off to fish all day in the brackish lagoons. These lagoons are abounding with wildlife like red-tail hawks, ospreys, otters, kingfishers and an occasional alligator.

Trent now lives and works in Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island. It is here, amid this familiar saltwater kingdom, that he is now raising his own sons.

Every morning when he wakes up to this great big world, Trent’s son runs to the back door. Staring out at the dock he asks his mother, “has daddy already gone to work?” Occasionally, he rises early enough to find the skiff still moored at the dock and asks if Trent has caught any fish yet. It seems another Malphrus has started down the road toward a life-long love of fishing.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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The Fall Bite

F

Ben Hutto with Big Mama Bass

all is here and DUDE it’s time to fish! No, not in the big pond we all enjoy this time of year chasing trout and redfish, but the pond behind your house, in your community, at the farm, hunting club, wherever freshwater is backed up with largemouth bass, bream, or crappies. The cool part about freshwater is it doesn’t take much. Only an acre or so is necessary to have some fun.

There’s nothing better than getting together with your DUDES for some pond fishing in the fall. Once the water temperature drops below 85 degrees, bass go into major grocery-grabbin mode. They’ve dealt with 90+ degree water for 3-4 months and lets face it DUDES, when it’s that hot even we don’t feel like eating much.

But during that hot period the table is being set for a major fall buffet typically consisting of 2-4 bluegill spawns that produce prey that ranges from 1-4 inches in length. And if your pond or lake contains shad, there’s 1-3 spawns of shad in the same size range. Spring is right around the corner, so mama bass is bulking up for the spawn and daddy bass is bulking up for mama bass.

One of my fellow DUDES will usually call me in the fall and say ‘Hey, come help me catch some of those trash fish.’ Don’t you hate it when you get a call like that? It’s an inside joke, as he is a die-hard crappie and bluegill DUDE and bass are a nuisance to him, though he’s caught more big bass than anyone I know. Usually he’s behind on his bass harvest for the year, so we try to hit his lake a few times to bring home some “trash fish” for the skillet. Wait a minute, you said bring some home? Aren’t you s’posed to keep all the bream and release all the bass?

Here’s a tip: Use the fall bite to keep your fish populations in balance. Catch and release is great for tv and in many public lakes a viable management tool. But it ain’t 1965. Few of us count on our pond to produce meals for the next week.

Year in and year out, 99% of the lakes we survey have too many bass. DUDE if you want to catch healthy, fat bass and more bream, you gotta fire up the fish cooker.

I love fishing topwater and plastic worms. Give me a gold jointed Rapala or Rage shad and a bag of june bug Zooms and I’m good to go. But if you’re catching mostly 8-14” bass, just about any lure will do. You need to harvest 2035 lbs of these squealers per acre annually, depending on your lake’s fertility and management plan, to keep your bass fat and your bream growing in numbers that make it fun to drown crickets with the kids. That’s a bunch of bass. And fall is the best time to get that bass harvest done before they eat all the bream your big mamas produced this summer.

Charles Wade Bales with Dinner Don’t worry about keeping too many bass. Just keep records of what you pull out. If fellow DUDES are fishing the same lake, make sure they help with the record keeping. Make it a standing rule. Release the big girls, keep the ones under 15 inches. This is also a perfect time to get kids into the sport of fishing. Since the fish are biting, they can learn how to fish a variety of lures. Studies have shown that successful recruitment of kids to our sport requires Dad to get them on some good fish action and allow them to keep what they catch. Keep it light and fun and match their attention spans with the trip. DUDES we owe it to our kids to pass it on and we live in the greatest location available on earth to do just that!

So take some time this fall to explore a pond or lake (ask permission first!).

Don’t forget the big bluegills or if you have crappie.....man the bite can be awesome. Coupled with some bass fillets and hushpuppies, it doesn’t get much better. Try this- take your fillets, cover them in your favorite Pace or similar picante sauce, wrap them in non-stick aluminum foil, and toss them on a hot grill for 15-20 minutes. Good eats DUDE and you’re helping your lake in the process.

DUDE PROFILE: Wade Bales grew up

fishing and hunting in the Lowcountry. Prior to moving back to Bluffton in 2007, Wade worked 15 years with the SCDNR Freshwater Fisheries Section. Wade holds a B.S. and M.S. in Fisheries Management from Auburn University and is President of Quality Lakes Inc., a full-service lake management company. Their services include aquatic weed control, electrofishing and fisheries management, fish stocking, complete lake management and maintenance programs, bathymetric lake mapping, lake sedimentation assessments, and lake design just to name a few. He can be reached by email at wadeb@ qualitylakes.com or by calling 866.444.5128.

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Fall/Winter 2010-2011

KEEP SMILING DUDE!

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SUCCESS OF

ELIZABETH W. GALLOWAY DDS GENERAL DENTISTRY

(834) 341-3900 Located Just Off Palmetto Bay Road 3 Palmetto Business Park Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

13

Fun Times on Island Time by byCaptain CaptainMegan Megan

Holmes family, Sara, Donna, and Ron enjoying the day!

Aboard Once Again to Island Time Charters! I am Captain Megan, your W elcome Charter Captain, as we travel around beautiful Hilton Head Island aboard Island

the famous Hot Chocolate Lava Cake; you will have to let me know what you think because it sounds amazing!

Now let’s jump in the boat and take a short cruise about 20 feet next door to The Time Charters to take in breathtaking views and new experiences, as well as making Skull Creek Boat House. If you are looking for a place that truly some stops along the way to enjoy all there is that makes our Island has it all, this is the stop for you! The Boat House has two so special and why we call it home. I want to also say bars, great outdoor seating, plenty of boat parking and “thanks” to everyone who contacted me about my last a menu with so many pages I lost count, as you can article. I am glad you enjoyed it and my suggestions tell this is one of my favorites! The inside “Dive for having fun on HHI. Bar” offers fresh oysters, sushi, and much more.

For this issue, let’s set off from Broad The outside “Buoy Bar” serves delectable Creek and cruise the Intracoastal Waterway cocktails for any palate. You should have (ICW) to Skull Creek taking us to the North the bartender, Dave Rice, serve you up my End of our beautiful Hilton Head Island. But favorite frozen concoction, The Pinckney first, I would like to share a little background Painkiller. The Boathouse caters to everyone’s information on the ICW and its origin. As boating needs by serving their drinks to go by Captain of Island Time Charters, I have been the half gallon, a must for a long hot day on the fortunate enough to cruise the ICW many times water with friends. and I want to share with you just how great this We just have one more stop on our trip as we continue experience can be. The ICW is a toll-free waterway that on the ICW toward the Port –Royal Sound and the Atlantic stretches approximately 3,000 miles along the Eastern Seaboard Ocean.

Welcome to the Skull Creek Marina (843-681-8436), one of and consists of natural salt-water bays, rivers, inlets, sounds and artificial Photo by John Brackett the nicest marinas on the Island located at Mile Marker 555. There are canals. This boater’s paradise was created in 1919 by the United States lots of great amenities at this marina along with a beautiful view of the Pinckney Congress and is currently maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Island National Wildlife Refuge. I will also have to tell you that I have had one of There are federal laws in place requiring the waterway to maintain a minimum depth my favorite boating memories at HHI right here on this corner. A pod of over 100 of 12 feet but unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, there are currently some areas dolphins heading toward Port Royal Sound decided to allow me to float right in the of shallow water and shoaling so you must be aware and watch the depth finder. middle of them and it was incredible! This is an amazing spot for dolphin watching However, there are numerous inlets along the ICW that connect to the Atlantic because you will almost always find a few curious local dolphins waiting to see you.

Ocean, allowing boaters to go around these shallow areas. Be sure to check your This is a full service marina that offers haul-out and travel-lift crane services as well. marine report and local knowledge before taking off on your next cruise in the ICW. Now as I leave you to enjoy yet another beautiful Hilton Head Island sunset in It will be well worth it!

Skull Creek on the ICW, one thing is for certain. However you choose to take in Now, let’s embark on this issue’s adventure tour! As we exit Broad Creek, we the Low Country, we have only just begun exploring the opportunities this boating will take-in the beautiful homes of Spanish Wells Plantation, pass the entrance to the paradise has to offer. I guarantee that once you have seen The Island from the water, May River (which we will definitely be back to visit in another issue) and will slow it will forever change your perspective of the beautiful Low Country. Let me, Captain down so we all can drool over the magnificent (and very expensive) waterfront homes Megan and Island Time Charters, entertain your senses and take you on the adventure in Windmill Harbor, a boat owner’s paradise. As we approach the bridges to the of your choice. We specialize in customized experiences, perfect for friends, families, mainland, we have arrived at Skull Creek! Here, if you are looking for fun waterfront couples, and celebrations and provide the only Charter “Red Carpet Treatment” on restaurants with lots of character and a beautiful place to watch a sunset, you have The Island. Thus, the only thing you will have to worry about is how much fun you come to the right place because my charter clients love this area for its sunsets on the are going to have. What are you waiting for, boating paradise is calling, and I look water. forward to having you aboard!

So let me describe some of the highlights of this great area! The first area of (Be sure to pick up the next issue of DUDE where Captain Megan will take you attraction we come to is Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina (843-681-3256) on board to travel to another one of her favorite parts of Hilton Head Island and share located at Mile Marker 557 on the ICW. In fact, there is a great restaurant here called some of her favorite spots with you.) the Sunset Grill. This restaurant has a beautiful view of the sunset, (nice choice for a restaurant name, right) and also known to many locals as the hidden gem. They will DUDE PROFILE: Captain Megan (a/k/a serve you the best Bloody Mary you have ever had and also have one of my favorite Megan McLaughlin) is a United States Coast brunches on the Island, you have to try it! This is a full-service marina, which offers Guard Licensed 100 Gross Ton Master Capgas and many other amenities for your boating needs as well. tain. She is the owner and Captain of Island The next place we come to as we cruise along the ICW is Hudson’s on the Docks Time Charters and definitely loves the outdoor (843-681-2772), a local favorite for many years. This is one of the last remaining lifestyle! Captain Megan started Island Time restaurants to employ their own fishing fleet bringing the seafood straight from the Charters because she knows firsthand just ocean, dock, to your table. If you are lucky enough to be there as the boats return how very valuable your time with family and friends can be. With the area having so much with their catch, it is quite an impressive sight, with literally thousands of shrimp, to offer, especially from the water, she will be oysters, and even soft shell crabs collected in their nets and ready to be enjoyed. They sharing with you many of the Low Country often offer live entertainment on the dock and it is another great place to see the pleasures that can only be experienced on the water and with the intimacy of a private sunset and enjoy the freshest seafood you can get your hands on, unless you catch it charter.

Captain Megan and Island Time Charters is available daily and offers a variety of onyourself. the-water experiences designed to satisfy everyone’s personal desires. Her motto is “Your Cruising a bit further north along the ICW, we encounter Skull Creek and a great Day, Your Way!” It is more than just a slogan—your complete enjoyment and safety are her place called the Chart House (843-342-9066). This casual, yet elegant restaurant number one priorities, and she continues to be ranked #1 on the Island for personal service boasts succulent steaks, a daily selection of fresh fish, Low Country Cuisine and even in the Charter boat business. live entertainment on Wednesday evenings. I have been told that you can’t miss

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Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

15

COME SAIL AWAY BOATING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY

M

any DUDES would argue that we have some of the most pristine coastal/marsh areas any where in the world. DUDES love the water and that means BOATIN. We are going to take a trip through Beaufort County via the intracoastal waterways.

Starting from the North-Northeast and working our way from Beaufort to Hilton Head Island, South-Southwest.

DUDES will want to refer to CHART # s 11519 & 11516 for more details and specifics related to markers and depths. Please remember that tides are pretty extreme throughout our area. Local knowledge and caution are strongly advised.

WINDMILL HARBOR • 843-681-9235 As you cruise underneath the Hilton Head Island bridge, immediately on your port is this beautiful harbor/marina. One of the very few working lock systems in SC, this tide free harbor is plush. Home of the South Carolina Yacht Club, gas and diesel are available as well as some marine supplies, ice and snacks. Laundry, Showers, Pool and Pumping all available with 110 and 220 V. The SC Yacht Club also hosts some of the areas best in SAILING CLASSES and LESSONS for people of all ages.

DATAW ISLAND MARINA • 843-838-8410 Accessed through the St. Helena Sound at the Morgan River. On your starboard side you’ll find Morgan Island and then Coosaw Island. On your port is this neat little stop, Dataw Island, a full blown residential community with club and golf. Floating docks, gas and diesel with 110 V & 220V available. Nearby restaurant available for food and drinks. Laundry and Showers also available, as well as pumping services.

PALMETTO BAY MARINA • 843-785-3910 This beautiful spot has a couple DUDE 5 STAR STOPS; The Black Marlin/Hurricane Bar and Captain Woody’s. Many locals find this a great watering hole. See Captain Megan’s Island Tour’s article for more information. Gas, Diesel, Laundry and Showers are all available with floating docks. Please observe the Broad Creek’s NO WAKE ZONES. All kinds of groceries, supplies, ice and snacks are available with 110 and 220V access.

LADY’S ISLAND MARINA • 843-522-0430 Accessed via the Coosaw River, heading south is the beautiful Beaufort River. On your port side you’ll find this fun little stop. There you’ll find Grouper’s for some seafood and suds. Marine supplies, ice and snacks available, however no fuel is available. Laundry, Showers and Pumping all available.

WEXFORD PLANTATION YACHT HARBOR • 843-686-8813 As you head down Broad Creek, on your starboard side is this ultra-private facility that houses yet another tide free harbor with fully functioning lock system. If you are fortunate enough to have a house and yacht in Wexford, then you already know what this awesome place has to offer.

DOWNTOWN MARINA BEAUFORT • 843-524-4422 ICW Marker #239. Arguably the nicest of the previously mentioned. As you sail underneath the Lady’s Island swing bridge you’ll find on your starboard side this very popular marina located in the heart of downtown Beaufort. Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, home of many festivals, including the Beaufort Water Festival in July. Floating docks with gas and diesel available. Access to all kinds of supplies, shops and restaurants, as well as walking distant to many bed and breakfast spots. Laundry, Showers, Pumping with both 110 and 220 V available. DUDE 5 STAR STOP!

BROAD CREEK MARINA • 843-681-6325 Located on your port side as you pass by Wexford Plantation/starboard, is this quaint little stop that offers quite a bit. Gas, Diesel, Laundry, Showers, Pumping with 110 and 220V, as well as wet slips and dry storage. A great spot to stop in and get refreshed before heading back out on the water is the Up The Creek Pub & Grill.

PORT ROYAL LANDING MARINA • 843-525-6664/800-326-7678 Heading south down the Beaufort River, right as you approach the New Lady’s Island Bridge on your starboard side you’ll find this convenient stop. Floating docks with gas and diesel. Groceries, Marine Supplies and Snacks available with Laundry, Shower and Pumping. 110 and 220V availability.

As you sail south out of the Beaufort River, you’ll cross the entrance to Port Royal Sound and the Broad River. On your starboard you will see the entrance to the Chessessee River, which turns into the Colleton River and then Okatie Creek.

Along this scenic waterway you will find private community accesses of Spring Island, Callawassie Island, Colleton River Plantation, Belfair, Oldfield and Berkeley Hall. Definitely worth the trip, however be extremely cautious around low tides and understand that there is no public marinas or services up this entire river.

SKULL CREEK MARINA • 843-681-8436 Straight across the Broad RIver you will see Hilton Head Island to your port side.

This very functional marina is the first stop coming through Skull Creek. Floating docks, gas and diesel are available. Laundry, Showers, Pumping and limited supplies, including ice are available. 110 and 220V available. Tell Captain Tom Petersen we said, DUH HUH! HILTON HEAD BOATHOUSE • 843-681-2628 Next up on your port side is this great stop. Be careful as you access, it is very shallow at low tide, going in and coming out. Floating docks with gas only. No electrical, no laundry but showers are available. Then why is this place a DUDE 5 STAR STOP? It’s the home of SKULLCREEK BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT. Outdoor cocktails and dining available with some awesome sunsets. Recently taken over by our friends at the SERG group who have stepped this place up and notch. Go see for yourself by sea or land! Marker 13.

HILTON HEAD HARBOUR • 843-681-3256 Just up the intracoastal waterway on your port side is a very convenient stop, especially for gas or diesel. Easy in and out access. This place also seconds as an RV resort so it has Laundry, Showers and Pool available. A pretty fair selection of supplies and sundries also available. Also the home of our friends Linda and Hugh’s Sunset Grill. Another great place you can dine via the water.

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SHELTER COVE HARBOR & MARINA • 843-842-7001 Located at the end of Broad Creek is one of Hilton Head Island’s true jewels and home of many DUDE 5 STAR STOPS. Gas, Diesel, Laundry, Showers and Pumping all available. Ice, Marine Supplies and Snacks are always available at the Ship’s Store. Dave Harris and Tommy Perkins are at the helm to see that your every need is taken care of dockside including many types of fishing charters and sight seeing tours. Our very own Captain Trent Malphrus charters from here. San Miguel’s, Parrot Cove and The Kingfisher are all great dining spots where you can always find friendly faces, great food and live entertainment. Floating docks with 110 and 220V are available for docking. See Captain Megan’s article for more information on this great place located in the heart of Hilton Head Island.

HARBOUR TOWN YACHT BASIN • 843-671-2704 As you sail out of Broad Creek and head south, you will soon be captivated by the sight of the famed candy stripped lighthouse. This is without question a DUDE 5 STAR STOP. Gas and Diesel are available at the floating dock as well as Ice, Marine Supplies and Snacks. Laundry, Showers and Pumping are available as well. 110 and 220V access as is many great shops and restaurants. The Quarterdeck and Crazy Crab are the “do not miss‘’ spots while you visit this signature spot on the south end of Hilton Head Island.

SOUTH BEACH MARINA • 843-671-6699 At the end of Hilton Head Island lies this tucked away New England style marina on your port side. This closet marina to the ocean offers private and transient dockage. Home of the Salty Dog Cafe and The Wreck, boaters can enjoy marina side dining and cocktails as well as some live entertainment. Boat rentals, water sports, dolphin watch kayak tours are all available as well as fishing charters.

MELROSE LANDING at DAUFUSKIE ISLAND • 843-341-9340 Heading toward Savannah across Calibogue Sound and down the Cooper River is this final stop in Beaufort County. Gas, Diesel, Marine Supplies, Groceries, Ice, Snacks all available with 110 and 220V. MARSHSIDE MAMA’S • 843-785-4755 Not a marina, just a great little hangout just down the river towards Savannah.

Located portside at the county dock is a floating dock you can tie up to and go get you some of their awesome Daufuskie Crab Cakes & other fresh local seafood specialties. You will feel like you’re down in de Carribean mon! IRIE!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Don’t Neglect Your Tires and Brakes

by

by Robert Robert Logan Logan hen it comes to safety for your vehicle, you’ve got the manufacturer preaching DUDE PROFILE: Robert Logan is originally all of their safety features, being airbags, side airbags, seat belts, the crunch zones from Adel, Georgia and now currently around the driver. Those features are great but something that is just as important as all resides in Beaufort, S.C. Rob is 35 years of those technological advances is something that is in your direct control for your own old and is married to wife Keri, with an safety and that is your brakes and your tires.

11 year old daughter and a newborn Your tires and brakes are the two most important safety items on your vehicle and can son. Rob has been employed with Butler easily be checked by the owner of the vehicle without the help of a mechanic. However, as Chrysler/Dodge in Beaufort, SC for the a mechanic, I will give you a few helpful hints. past 10 years. Prior to that, his employer First, I would recommend checking your tire pressures at least once a month. Now was the United States Marine Corp. He that fall and winter are upon us and the outside temperatures are dropping, so does your enjoys hunting, fishing, playing softball tire pressure. For example, if the outside temperature in the afternoon is 80 degrees and spending time with family and friends. and your tire pressures are at 35 psi, then the outside temperature drops to 50 degrees overnight, the next morning the pressures in the tires will have decreased by 5-8 pounds. see the brake pad thickness through the inside of the rim. Brake pads need to be replaced This decrease in tire pressure is now a safety issue. when they reach 20% of the brake pad life. Waiting too long to replace your pads can You should always check your tire pressure when the tires are cold (not been driven). result in damage to your rotors, which may require that you replace them. Keep in mind Tire pressures increase after the vehicle has been driven, as air expands when it is hot, so that rotors wear too and it is recommended that they be replaced at least every other let the car sit for a few hours before you check the tires. time that the brake pads are replaced. Please don’t wait until you hear a grinding noise The recommended tire pressures are printed on the driver’s door placard on the inside when you apply your brakes to have your brakes checked. When brakes grind, it is usually of the driver’s side door frame or on the inside of the driver’s side front door. You can buy a because they are metal to metal. Not only is this a safety issue because you can lose your tire pressure gauge at any auto parts store and should be a glove box essential. It is crucial ability to stop your vehicle, you are likely to damage your brake calipers. The calipers are that you check the tire pressures prior to adjusting them. It is just as much of a safety issue the components that squeeze the brake pads on the rotors when you’re braking. Allowing to run on overinflated tires, as it is to run on underinflated tires. the brake pads to wear too thin can over extend the calipers and they can stick and seize You should inspect the tire wear at every oil change. It is important that the tire wear up. is uniform across the entire tire. I don’t know how many times I have seen a tire that had In addition to checking the brake pads, the brake fluid should also be checked and good tread on the outside of the tires and is bald on the inside. If a tire is not wearing replaced according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This is important, especially in evenly, it can be a sign that the tires have been under or over inflated, that the vehicle is our hot, humid climate. When condensation accumulates in the brake fluid, it causes the out of alignment or worse, there are worn or unsafe suspension components. One of the fluid to break down. This can cause your brake lines to rust and can also cause damage to most common reasons a tire wears unevenly is due to lack of rotation. You should rotate your master cylinder or other brake components. your tires every 6,000 miles or every other oil change. Tires should be rotated from front When brakes need to be replaced, steering is affected. Brake lines, which are exposed to rear or as recommended by the manufacturer. This information can be found in your to the elements, can rust. A broken brake line results in total brake loss. Tires that are owner’s manual. More often than not, the front tires will wear faster than the rear tires, unbalanced or bald pose major safety risks. Tires low on thread may cause loss of handling so rotating them often will ensure that you won’t have to buy tires prematurely. The trick in slick conditions. Underinflated tires can cause steering problems and a blow out. to checking your tire tread depth is to use a penny. Place the penny with Lincoln’s head Even if you’re the best driver in the world, you wouldn’t be safe if you’re driving a down in the tread. If you can see the top on Lincoln’s head then the tire is ready to be vehicle that isn’t properly maintained. If a critical moment should arise while driving, replaced. you’ll need your vehicle to react quickly and properly to avoid a serious crash. You can Just like tires, your brakes should be checked at every oil change. The brake pad avoid common safety issues by properly maintaining your vehicle and performing periodic thickness should be checked on both the front and rear brakes. A lot of times you can checks for these common vehicle components that are often overlooked.

W

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

17

WHO’S THE PIMP RUNNING MY DOES?

By David Hahn

H

ow many times have you had the opportunity to watch a buck chase a doe for over an hour while sitting in a climber? Well, it happened to me about ten years ago while hunting in a clear cut, and it’s changed the way I have grunted for bucks since that day. If you’ve seen an event like this before, then you’ll understand what I’m talking about. The directions on the back of a grunt call package are useless after you witness an episode like that. I can promise you these tricks work to lure in bucks, but you need to understand and learn the areas you are hunting too! If an area is overpopulated with deer in general then it makes it ten times harder to grunt one up, and these tricks can ruin your hunt.

I grew up hunting on clubs that were dog hunted on weekends and then still hunted during the week.

In these clubs the deer population seemed to be more balanced due to the amount of deer harvested and were easier to call deer while still hunting.

We’ve all heard the slogan, “if it’s brown it’s down”, now I say, “ you have to let them go to let them grow!” Let’s be honest, how many people brag about killing a four point? If they are, they need to learn how to hunt..... I also grew up hunting “Hamilton Ridge” which is now a WMA and in my mind one of the premiere hunting destinations in our area!

Palmetto Bluff is another great example of the work Jay Walea has done to make it a top destination. I asked him this past year while I had the opportunity to hunt what his buck to doe population was, and he replied,. “about one to one”. He dropped me off at a stand and 2 hours later I had an 8 point down on the ground who was coming in to my grunting. It was a prime example of heard management.

One of the first things I had a hard time with was putting up all the” hunter gimicks”. Just because you purchase Tinks 69 or C-Mere Deer doesn’t mean you’re going to see a descent buck, save your money. I actually believe all these so called scent attractants lessen your chance of killing a mature whitetail. You have to ask yourself. For how many years have hunters been using tinks 69? Do you think it’s possible that another hunter on your club put the stuff out and then blew an opportunity at harvesting a buck and spooked him? Do you think a mature buck will be stupid enough to come back to that same smell next year or week? The only scent you need to worry about covering up is your own! My best success has been at nose bleed heights in climbing stands or in ground blinds that have been zipped tight only allowing enough room for the gun barrel to be slid out. I believe it draws the bucks in closer after they can’t see or smell you. The old saying, “curiosity killed the

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cat”, should be followed.

When I hunt and I know the rut is going off, I’ll be the first one in a tree acting like I’m calling in a flock of geese. I’ll typically blow in the grunt call from 30 - 80 times before I put the grunt tube down watching the whole time for any movement.

I typically do quick short breaths a few seconds apart trying to simulate chasing a hot doe. After that grunt session put the call down and wait 10 - 20 minutes - or even an hour before grunting again, but I always grunt more frequently when the sun has set, and that’s typically my killing time. If I know I’m in an area where big bucks are I’ll, throw in a few longer grunts, too.

Having two different grunt calls during this time helps simulate what is about to be a fight between two different bucks. I also always leave my grunt calls set to a “young buck” setting. The point is to get attention, and a young buck in a mature bucks area will do that! It’ll actually piss him off. I’ve seen bucks come into my grunts with the hair standing up on their backs ready to fight.

When you have that grunt tube in your mouth make sure you’re ready to go with the rifle, too. Keep the safety on naturally, but have it up on the rest and ready in the direction you think he’s going to be coming from, and always make sure of the target before pulling the trigger. Your typical club or box blinds will not work either. Way to much pressure on these types of stands! You need to actually get off the road and hunt....... Big mistake a lot of hunters make.

If you follow these basic steps, I can promise you’ll be successful.

DUDE PROFILE: David Hahn, Growing up in the

Lowcountry, I have always had a passion for the lifestyle it provides. My love for the woods, water and competitive tournament fishing have always been a passion of mine. After winning the 2006 FLW Series GA / FL Division, I realized that if you work hard enough at something and do the work, as Tred Barta says, anyone can make it happen. After graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with a double major, I decided to go after another winning choice which was working as a service tech with local heating and air conditioning companies. After working as a service tech for years, I decided to open my own business in 2009 named “Air Specialists”. I’ve taken the same approach to the business as I have with my hobbies, which is, Don’t do anything half ass, if you want to be successful!!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

BIG GAME HUNTING with Chuck Mikals

DUDE PROFILE: Chuck Mikals Married to Donna for 47 years Two Children and 4 Grandchildren All boys Home Town: Chicago Illinois.

4 years in the U.S. Air Force.

Worked in the Plywood Veneer business was transferred to Toronto Canada in 1978.

Started our own plywood business in 1985.

Expanded from Canada to the U.S. and opened a Plywood Warehouse in Florida in 1998 and eventually outgrew this and decided to actually manufacture in the U.S. The Beaufort area was recommend through a friend who lived in Oldfield in Okatie. We immediately liked the area and established a manufacturing facility in Beaufort in 2005 and moved to Oldield where we are very happy.

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have always been an avid outdoorsman with an emphasis on hunting. Have hunted all over the U.S. and Canada and have hunted in Africa for the past seven years..... African Countries hunted are S. Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

My DUDE featured hunt: Southern Eland (Tragelaphus Oryx) in S. Africa. The Eland is the areas largest Antelope weighing 2000 lbs. or more. Eland usually form small herds of 8 to 12 animals. Eland are nervous animals taking flight at the slightest sign of danger and they can run for miles non stop. They are surprisingly good jumpers being able to clear a 6 foot fence from a standstill.

Remember they weigh 2000 lbs.

Any one interested in hunting Africa can give me a call and I will be most happy to share information such as general pricing. travel information and outfitter contacts with them. Please contact Chuck Mikals at Home 843-645-2222 or Cell: 843-540-0607.

by James Grant

The Armalite rifle model 15, more commonly known as the AR-15, is a weapon hated by some and loved by many. It has, in one form or another, served soldier and criminal alike for more than 60 years. Cursed in Vietnam, praised in Desert Storm; it has become the most prolific auto-loading rifle in America today.

But its uses need not be restricted to law-enforcement and military enthusiasts, in fact, many white tail hunters are coming around to the “plastic little rifle.” With companies like Armalite and DPMS offering AR pattern rifles in .308win, boasting heavy free-floated target barrels and accuracy comparable to a high-end browning or remington bolt guns, it’s no wonder the rifle’s populary as a hunting arm has been sky-rocketing. In fact, this year, Remington released their own version of the AR-15 rifle, complete with target barel and mossy oak camoflauge!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Now I know I’m going to catch endless flak and hate-mail for this, but the .223 remington cartridge with the proper load is a totally appropriate round for low country whitetail. With mild winters, the bucks just don’t bulk up the way they do in Maine or Vermont. The vast majority of the .223’s nay-sayers, contend that it isn’t enough bullet for long range shots. While this may be true, most tree hunters don’t take shots past 200 yards.

The key to using the .223 as a viable deer-dropper is making sure you have the proper barrel length (20 inches or greater) and the proper load (62 grain soft point or greater) otherwise the the .223 round can be an unethical choice. Several ammunition manufacturers offer appropriate loadings; such as Hornady’s V-max 65gr loading or Winchester’s 64gr Power Point round.

While it may be legal to hunt with the .223 round in South Carolina, check with your local DNR office to make sure that it is legal in whatever state you happen to be hunting in. This is also true with magazine capacity, some states restrict capacity to 5 rounds. Thankfully Bushmaster offers both 5 and 2 round magazines that are interchangable with all AR-15 pattern rifles.

Most importantly of all, be safe, be deliberate, and have fun.

DUDE PROFILE: James Grant, Age: 26 Personal Interests: Competitive Rifle/Carbine/Handgun shooting, varmint hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, wood-working and gunsmithing.

I have participated in competitive shooting since 2005 and have placed in the top 3 at several carbine side matches. I enjoy collecting antique military arms and teaching new shooters about the sport. In my spare time, I hunt white tail and coyotes, with the majority of my experience being in the latter.

19

AH YES! LIFE IS GOOD IN THE LOWCOUNTRY DUDE!

CAN’T HAVE NO SKRIMPS WITHOUT COLLARDS, THIS IS THE SOUTH DUDE!

LT. DAN BAND ROCKS A JAM PACKED WATERFRONT PARK

ISLAND PACKET IN THE HOUSE.

MORE TREES! NOT A BAD VIEW DUDE! GOTTA LOVE BEAUFORT!

SOUTHERN GRACES WINS THE DUD Potato wrapped,crabmeat stuf

WAR EAGLE DUDE!

RED DIS SKIRT, YA SEE HOW IT DONE BOY! YA GULLAH KNOW.

BUBBA WADE? DUDE, I THOUGHT IT WAS BUBBA GUMP!

I LOVE BEAUFORT COUNT

HE DUDE AWARD FOR BEST SHRIMP! eat stuffed, fried shrimp! DUDE!

OUNTY’S LIVE OAK TREES!

LOOKING GOOD DUDES! IS THAT LONG DRIVE CHAMPION, BENNEY BESSINGER?

THIS WOULD MAKE A KILLER JIGSAW PUZZLE DUDE!

Darlene & Sarah, DUDETTES LIKE SHRIMP TOO!

GO DAWGS! CAN’T BEAT LOCAL SHRIMP DUDES!

CAROLINA BEACH MUSIC!

WOW, SOUTHERN GRACES ROCKS DUDE!

WE LOVE OUR MARINES! GOD BLESS THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES! OOORAH INDEED! SALUTE!

GET DOWN GARY!

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By Marvin Bouknight

I

have been a professional naturalist for over 20 years and have been interested and excited about wildlife my entire life. My work has taken me to some beautiful places and I’ve been fortunate to have seen some amazing things while meandering through marshes, stomping through swamps, and paddling down rivers and creeks. It has always been a desire of mine to share these experiences with others, and throughout my career, I have provided programs, seminars, interpretive and outdoor educational and recreational programs, and field trips to many places. The goal of these programs is get people outside, take opportunities for teachable moments in the field, and have fun doing it. Hopefully, people walk away with a little education, enjoyed themselves, and start to build an appreciation for just how special and important our natural resources are.

This passion and enthusiasm for the special places, wildlife, and all of our natural resources has led me to pursue a dream of mine to develop a book about the amazing natural resources of the Lowcountry. By writing a book, I can interpret the diversity of the local habitats, flora, and fauna of the Lowcountry, both literally and photographically and I can show others what I see and what they may see in this ecologically rich environment.

“South Carolina’s Lowcountry…Naturally” is a 144-page, hard-back book that features habitat descriptions and nature photography through the eyes of a native South Carolina naturalist. It describes some of the unique and accessible habitats found in the Lowcountry, as well as providing photographs of not just what I see, but also what you may see, if you take a little time, have a little patience, and keep your eyes open! Here’s an excerpt from the book:

“As the freshwater rivers of South Carolina make their way to the ocean, the land flattens out and the rivers begin to slow down and meander. In these areas, the tide controls the pace and waters flow back and forth. This is where the brackish and salt marshes flourish and turn the coast into a blanket of green in the summer and gold in the winter.

South Carolina is fortunate to have over 300,000 acres of brackish and salt marshes, resulting in a rich ecosystem and an astonishing diversity of wildlife throughout the year. In these areas, Spartina cynosuroides, Spartina patens, and Juncus roemerianus are the dominant marsh grasses in and on the edges of the brackish marsh. Closer to the ocean, the salt concentration becomes higher and brackish marsh gives way to salt marsh, which is dominated by Spartina alterniflora.

All of the grasses in these habitats are vital to the ecosystem, providing much needed absorption and filtration of excess water, sediments, pollutants, and other debris, returning nutrients to the sea.”

-Author, Marvin Bouknight, South Carolina’s Lowcountry…Naturallly If you are a resident or visitor to the Lowcountry, “South Carolina’s Lowcountry… Naturally” will hopefully peak an interest, spark a memory, or kindle a desire to get outside and see one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse regions of the country. Hopefully, you will develop an appreciation for this wonderful area and encourage others to get out there and enjoy “South Carolina’s Lowcountry…

Naturally”!

The book is currently available at local bookstores in Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head. For ordering information, please visit Marvin’s website at www.naturenookllc.com.

DUDE PROFILE: Marvin Bouknight is a South Carolina native and has lived in the Lowcountry for over 15 years. A Clemson University graduate with a degree in wildlife and fisheries management, Marvin has been a professional naturalist for over 20 years and is currently the staff naturalist at Oldfield Club. Through his company, The Nature Nook, LLC, Marvin offers a variety of programs, seminars, and workshops on topics such as the local flora and fauna, attracting wildlife to your backyard, and wildlife photography. He also provides services such as interpretive center design, displays and features, interpretive program development including curriculum-based and guided lesson plan development, trail design and development, wildlife surveys and documentation, nature-based consultation, etc.

He can be reached by calling (843)441-0961 or by e-mail at mbnaturenook@yahoo.com

22

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Rosie O’Grady’s Oyster Roast to Benefit Maranatha Farms Animal Rescue

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

23

Happenings at

Coastal Discovery Museum Celebrates It’s 25th year!

The Coastal Discovery Museum celebrated their 25th year this past October with an event that allowed families to visit the Museum at no charge and to participate in many of their programs.

WEEKLY PROGRAMS DAILY - “Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art” & Karen Wertheimer Butterfly Enclosure Tours TUESDAYS-THURSDAYS - Kayaking 10AM MONDAYS - Honey Horn History Walks 2PM, Lowcountry Critters 3PM TUESDAYS - Beach Discovery 2PM WEDNESDAYS - Forts of Port Royal 10AM THURSDAYS - Civil War Era 3PM FRIDAYS - Salt Marsh Discovery 10AM, Beach Discovery 2PM

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The Museum was founded in 1985 by Helen Cork and moved to the Honey The Coastal Discovery Museum has announced a bird watching programs at Horn property in 2007. The Museum is located at 70 Honey Horn Drive. For further Pinckney Island led by experienced bird watch Diane Rand. On December 2, the information, please contact Robin Swift at 843-689-3033 ext 224. walk led by Rand include the combination of habitats at Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge. These varying areas allow participants to see many different species of birds.

Several species of shore birds can usually be seen in the mud flats in the salt marsh, while many species of wading birds could potentially be seen around the marsh and fresh water lagoons.

Hilton Head Island, SC - The Coastal Discovery Museum is hosting its annual The outing is from 7:30-9:30 am and space is limited to 15 (ages 12 and older).

Docent and Volunteer Training in January and February, 2011. New volunteers are Participants are asked to bring their own binoculars and the program will be canceled encouraged to attend all six sessions of the training to learn about Lowcountry’s in case of rain. The program is $12.00 per person and reservations are required by natural history and cultural heritage. The Coastal Discovery Museum has an active calling 843-689-6767 ext 223. corps of around 140 volunteers who assist the Museum in a variety of capacities.

Chances are, if you’ve visited the Museum, participated in a guided tour, or attended a special event at Honey Horn, you’ve met one of our volunteers!

The Museum is seeking new volunteers to: lead history walks/talks, lead natural The Coastal Discovery Museum has two history walks and talks that will allow history walks/talks, assist with school field trip experiences, work at the gift store/ you to learn more about the Civil War history here on Hilton Head Island. front desk, care for the Heritage and Butterfly Gardens and more.

The “Forts of Port Royal” is offered every Wednesday at 10 am. The tour visits To sign up to join these training sessions, please contact the Museum at the site of Fort Walker, and the Steam Cannon, as you learn the importance of the 843-689-6767. island during the Civil War. “Civil War Era” is offered every Thursday at 3 pm. and Training session will be held on six consecutive weeks – from 2-3:30 p.m. on as you view historic maps, photographs and artifacts, you will learn how Hilton Head Tuesdays: January 18 and 25 and February 1, 8, 15, and 22. Most training sessions was home to thousands of Union soldiers during the Civil War. will be held at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.

For further information or to make a reservation, please contact the Museum at You can find out more about the Coastal Discovery Museum’s programs and offerings 843-689-6767 ext 223. by visiting our website at www.coastaldiscovery.org.

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Friends of the Rivers, Box 143, 20 Towne Drive, Bluffton, SC 29910, 843 227-0004/816-1616 nancy@friendsoftherivers.com, www.friendsoftherivers.com. www.riversmart.com

24

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Bloodypoint Lighthouse Giant Bats

By Lowcountry Joe

T

he constant whirring sound of the “in window” air conditioner has been hushed, as welcomed fall breezes from the North cool the Carolina Lowcountry. Lying there in the upstairs bedroom of the old Bloody Point Lighthouse, the unaccustomed silence seems eerie and even the small sounds of old timbers adjusting to the lower humidity, sound creepy and threatening. Not to worry, however, as I snuggle close to my Bride and with a reassured sense of security, I begin my voyage into La-La land. I am just about to enter the province of La, when I am brought back by what seems to sound like the flapping of wings. A bunch of small screechy sounds follow along with a “flurry of flapping” .... more flapping.... a bit more screeching and then back to silence. My first thought was to break out the trusty flashlight along with the twelve gauge shotgun and go out to investigate.

After a quick reality check, however, I realize that what is “out there” cannot come “in here” so why in Heaven go “out there”. ....Smart thinking right....you bet and as I instinctively pull an extra cover over my head for added security and once again I am in La. Awakened by the local mockingbird doing his imitation of a Carolina chickadee, I make a bee line downstairs, trudge outside into the relative security of daylight and check out what last night’s fuss was all about. At first, all seems normal, but then I notice a lone pear under my prize tree. As I look higher , it is clearly evident that whatever had visited in the darkness of night had a fondness for fruit, not a pear was in sight and my long awaited pear jam would have to wait till next year.

At this point, please allow me to regress just a bit so I can thicken this “pear plot”. When I first arrived on Daufuskie Island, my old friend Larry at Freeport Marina did his best to scare the bajeebees out of me by relaying all sorts of spooky “happenings” at Bloody Point. They ranged from headless Indians riding rampant over the golf course to visions of the Lighthouse’s former owner, Keeper Papy Burn, walking each night towards the Silver Dew Winery. But I really was intrigued by one story about, now deceased, Walter Cronkite, the famous orator and commentator that frequently visited the Island. As the story goes, he, along with a prominent Local had visited the Bloody Point Lighthouse one dark Fall evening and got chased out by GIANT BATS. Okay....fast forward to a bit....I’m on the ferry relaying the story to a fellow passenger when Chuck, our capable mate interjects....“those bats are huge as hell

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

aren’t they”. “What did you say Chuck?” I hastily and quizzically ask. “Those bats are huge”. “What bats, Chuck?”, I blurt out. “It’s those huge fruit bats at Elba Island just a short distance as the cow flies from your house.” He continues, “When I worked on the harbor boats we use to shoot potato guns at them so we could see them fly.... hundreds of them....giant old bats....massive black wings....must have stowed away on one of the South American freighters....Wouldn’t doubt if they were still there”.

Once again I have turned the air conditioner off ....once again there is an eerie quiet in my bedroom at Bloody Point Light and once again my pear tree is loaded with pears....and once again I will cover my head if I hear a flurry of flapping and screech sounds. It’s not just because I am a scaredey cat....It’s because of what commentator Paul Harvey called “the Rest of The Story”. You see, the home of the Old World Fruit Bat just happens to be the same home of the South American Vampire Bat. ...and they are known to fly together. These guys are equipped with razor sharp incisor teeth and each vampire bat requires two tablespoons of blood each day to survive. Maybe, just maybe, a few decided to hitch a ride with the fruit bats....and when I think about it, if I were a Vampire Bat, I couldn’t think of a better place to have a late night snack than a place called Bloody Point.

So the moral of the story is, if there is a moral, if you are planning on visiting Daufuskie Island’s Bloody Point this Fall you might want to look to the sky and cover your neck.

DUDE PROFILE: Lowcountry Joe Once characterized by Tiger Woods former coach Hank Haney as a “local legend”, Joe Yocius, aka LowCountry Joe, seems to always fit the bill. Truely one of the Lowcountry’s “unique” people, it’s hard to find a dull moment with this guy around. Whether it be “sitting in” at a Hilton Head juke joint blowin’ the blues on his harmonica, offering “tastes” at the historic Silver Dew Winery, or relating personal ghost experiences on his Bloody Point Ghost Tours, LCJoe is the epitomy of a “Daufuskie DUDE”. Joe and his lovely Bride, Mary, of thirty seven (37) years are Owner/Keepers of the CIRCA 1883 Bloody Point Lighthouse.

25

E

very year I get up with my old high school buddies and we go to Myrtle Beach and play golf and act like we’re 17 again. It’s more painful every year, however we decided that after 13 years we’d change it up a bit and that’s when I decided to contact our good friends at Greenwood Communities & Resort/Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort.

Well, Hilton Head Island has Myrtle Beach beat in about every category except traffic and miniature golf. The golf courses in Beaufort County are as good a collection as there is in the entire world. DUDE, just think of the awesome courses in our great coastal county. The three gems in Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort are great examples of what I’m talking about and that’s why we DUDES decided to give this place a try.

I contacted Suzanne Vogt with Greenwood Communities & Resort/Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort to see what kind of package she could put together for us. WOW, did she step up for us DUDES. Our accommodations could not have been any nicer. A beautiful mansion on Mooring Bouy, complete with private pool, multiple kitchens, plush master bedrooms, and a view of the golf course that was magnificent. To say we graduated from the bourgeoisie of Myrtle Beach is an understatement. And being able to walk to the gorgeous sea oat, dune lined beach was pretty nice as well.

But our DUDE road trip is all about golf and what a line up they have at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Arthur Hills courses all were in fantastic shape. This is a trifecta that all DUDES should put on their BUCKET LISTS. The great and convenient thing about staying in Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is that all the courses are just a hop, skip and a jump from where we were staying. A 5 minute drive to each course, sure beat some of the journeys we had to go on up in Myrtle Beach.

We got to see our good friend and head Palmetto Dunes golf instructor, Doug Weaver in action. Doug was getting a nice group of folks swinging smooth, low and slow. He is a great asset that you should take advantage of when playing golf in Palmetto Dunes. Doug is an excellent teacher of the game. Check out his FREE CLINICS at the Jones course every Monday afternoon around 4pm.

The beauty of Hilton Head Island can really be enjoyed by playing these three magnificent golf courses. Flowing canals, wildlife everywhere and I’m not talking about us golfers. Spectacular views of stunning mansions abound almost at every

turn. Even if you’re playing bad, you’ll enjoy being on these great golfing links.

Many of you who have played golf in Palmetto Dunes know exactly what I’m talking about. MUY PRIMO DUDES! Another great thing about Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is that there are great restaurants right there within a mile or so from where we were staying. We contacted our good friend, Jimmy Ligget at Parrot Cove and he did a fantastic job talking care of 12 gregarious DUDES. The food was spectacular, the service was exceptional and the ambience of sitting outside dining in Shelter Cover Harbor is simply hard to beat. We managed to invade our good friends over at San Miguel’s for a few night caps and that was an equally wonderful place to chill and have a beverage with your buddies outdoors harbor side. When we realized that we were just too happy to drive, we called the FREE DUNES BUGGY and they got us back to our mansion safe and sound.

It would be hard to talk about a DUDE road trip to Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort without mentioning our good friend and master Captain, Trent Malphrus. Several of us DUDES decided to hook up with Trent after golf and he took us on some great fishing expeditions right there in the Palmetto Dunes lagoon system. Do yourself a favor and call Trent and let him take you out to Chase Some Tail. See his article this issue. It truly is a great fishing experience and being right there in the canals, it’s not long before you are actually fishing, not heading out trying to catch bait for an hour of so. Trent will also take you polling for Reds out of Shelter Cove. Equally a great experience but certainly for the more avid experienced fisherman.

I got rave reviews from all my high school buddies about what a great place Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is and how much they enjoyed the entire weekend aka DUDE road trip. Trust me, these DUDES are hard to please and I know I had done them right by directing us to this beautiful place when they all said, “LET’S COME BACK HERE NEXT YEAR!” DUDE, I think we have made our last trip to Myrtle Beach! Thanks again to all our friends at Greenwood Development/Palmetto Dunes Resort for making our trip one that be remember for the rest of our lives.

FORE...more information on booking your own DUDE ROAD TRIP TO BEAUTIFUL PALMETTO DUNES OCEANFRONT RESORT, contact their amazing website; www.palmettodunes.com or call our Suzanne Vogt at 843-686-9630.

DUDE ROAD TRIP TO PALMETTO DUNES OCEANFRONT RESORT

GOLF TIPS

BY RICK BARRY

when you play golf, there are some things D UDE, you should think about and some thing that make no sense at all. Let me explain, Bobby Jones said, “If I have a lot of things to think about with my swing, I will play badly and if I only have ONE thought, I might end up having a good round.”

So, if you are at a loss for things to think about, I have comprised a good basic list for you to go through in your head. You can try this tried and true list of past things my students have tried and don’t be afraid to throw in a few of your own; • KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN (millions of books written about this DUDE) • TAKE IT BACK, SLOW AND LOW • PAUSE AT THE TOP OF THE SWING • COCK YOUR WRIST • TURN YOUR SHOULDERS • TURN YOUR HIPS • LEFT ARM STRAIGHT • (ADD YOUR OWN HERE)

26

Now that is just the back swing. One thing I have noticed, golfers think more about the back swing than just about hitting the ball and following through. So, if you must think about something when you hit, actually limit your thoughts to none or only one and make that thought on the follow through.

They asked Yogi Berra what he thinks about when he bats and he said, “I can’t think and hit at the same time!” This should be true in your comfort zone golf swing.

There is a great song out now, “I can’t climb poles and dig deep holes, but I am good at drinking beer!”

How about we add a verse to that, “Cock your wrist till your thumbs are in your ear, play fast, so we can get to drinking more beer!”

Swing easy and enjoy this great time of year to be golfing in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

DUDE PROFILE: Rick Barry Head Instructor for The Sea Pines Resort On Hilton Head Island for 20 years. PGA Member for over 30 years and a life member of the PGA. Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher 5 years in a row. Top 10 instructor for Golf Digest for the Section for 1O years.

Has appeared on the Golf Channel for several shows. This year The “Turn”. All About Golf. Tips from the Pros. Conway Golf Info commercial.

Written articles in the Golf Magazine January and May of 2008.

My teaching brings me in contact with golfers of all skill levels and backgrounds. To grow the game my goal is to get people playing and having fun with the game. The learning can be hard for some and with an easy to do and even more fun doing, program, you can have a game for a life time.

I give over 24 hundred lessons a year and see 17 thousand swings on film, so you can say I have seen it all. If your Kevin Costner in Tin Cup or a brand new golfer, DUDE, I can help you. Contact me, Rick Barry: golfhhi@aol.com Sea Pines Resort/Golf (843) 842-8484

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

1st row left to right: Peggy Hopkins, BJ Garrett (the dog), Chris Garrett, Pat Grant, Josh Landers, 2nd Row Joe Matheny, Fran Binette, Rick Grant Jr., 3rd Row Carolyn Robinson, Denise Middleton, Dave Becker, Wayne Wicker, Last Row: Tom Miller

Stunning Back to Back Par 3’s

A DUDE BIRDIE HUNTING ON CAT ISLAND!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

27

DUDESFocus W

By Mona Ward

e’ve officially entered into that time on the calendar when the Man Cave is really a man cave! What I mean is there are a lot of dudes filling up the old bread basket and getting ready for a long winters nap. The air has turned cool, the TV is a cornucopia of sports programming and the price of beer has gone down. There are stacks of money saving pizza coupons and the year end sale for Barcaloungers is on the rise. I can hear a collective AHHHHH from you guys.

Snap out of it! This is the perfect time to get ready for spring.

We all have the best intentions of making the commitment to lose those ten pounds (after football season that is) and we shout out loud and clear that this spring we will work out at least three days a week, walk with the wife, play catch with the kids…

Stop! Don’t make those promises. When you set a huge goal and announce dates of completion you are only setting yourself up for possible failure. We know what we want and how to do it yet we procrastinate or self-sabotage. It’s called Cognitive Dissonance.

We become so disgruntled or dissatisfied with ourselves for not accomplishing our goal that we get stuck in the action of no action at all. We also put so much pressure on the outcome (and it may be too far fetched to begin with) that we have no choice but to fail.

Let’s get realistic about this game plan. Remember that the first step is the hardest.

Change is always tough and scary. Start with baby steps. Okay so come spring you want to walk 2 miles a night, well how about once around the block after dinner three days this week? Or try to get in a game of basketball with the guys, skip the pitchers of beer afterwards and head home on the bike.

There is NO Perfect Time. Fear of failure has us putting off our intentions, “there is always tomorrow.” Well yes, but instead of waiting, add tomorrow to the mix, “today I’ll jump rope for two minutes and tomorrow I’ll jump for three.”

Stay excited. The first couple of days of a new routine are pretty exhilarating when you get going. Don’t let the newness wear off. Re-wrap your excitement. Remember that you have put a few miles on those sneakers or that getting up for an 8 am Saturday Boot Camp has been pretty fantastic. Sure you’d rather be back in bed all snuggly warm but you’re down 3 lbs. And you feel better then you did last week. Keep up the good work.

Stay motivated with some new sneakers or a few new tunes on your iPod. Keep ahead of failure. Don’t write down a long list of to-do’s. Have you ever had a hugely busy day and knowing so, sat down to write out the list of things you needed to do?

Only by the time you finished writing the list, you had no time to start the doing list. If the list is too long it becomes overwhelming, scary even. “I can never do all this so what’s the point?” becomes a solid statement. Instead create a DAY list that you can check off comfortably as you go along.

Do the most dreaded task first. By doing the worst thing first, you get to check it off your list and get rid of the anxiety and stress that often builds with the most avoided activity on your list.

And we’re walking... Do you have a lot of phone calls to make? Need to check in with the relatives back home? Plug in your blue tooth and hit the pavement. Get your endorphins pumping as you get in a brisk walk.

You Can’t? When you tell yourself you “can’t” have … you set yourself up for a binge.

The frustration over not being able to have that bowl of ice cream may send you into a total tail spin. Instead promise yourself a small bowl as a reward for walking a three times this week. Also remind yourself how hard you had to work to burn off 300 calories. That ice cream won’t look some yummy after all.

Schedule yourself as an “appointment”. We schedule doctors appointments, put concerts, Festivals and events on our daytimers, but we don’t schedule ourselves in to the calendar. How is it that we became less important then the Wing festival. Sure it is a great time with lots of tasty wings, but are we less important then an appendage from a very small bird? What does that make us? A step up from a tadpole? Come on, we are more important then wings, beer, wrestling, football, festivals shall.....I go on. Those are THINGS DUDE! If you aren’t fit and healthy, what’s the point.

And I’ll close (the coffin door) here.We are a nation of Super-sizers. We order a big meal, then “Biggie up”. Keep going and you’ll have to have a super-sized coffin. Burial plots DUDE PROFILE: Ramona Ward are increasing from the standard three feet Married 23 years to Freddie Ward to four feet. Supersized caskets will have you Living in the low-country for 30 years, Bluffton resident 12 years, 3 dogs (all buying two plots instead of one since plots adopted and overly adored) are are planned out and sold for maximum occupancy. Double the money and more then Sports Club Director, Oldfield Club the standard $2,500.00 insurances companies Personal Trainer and Fitness instructor through AFPA pay out.

I want to end life kicking and screaming, Enjoys skiing, wakeboarding, cooking, (eating, Duh!) hopping on the big bike going a million miles an hour, screaching around the corner and slamming head first into and getting out of town. All forms of crazy activities. the rail screaming all the while!

“DUDE what a ride”. Want to join me? Personal motto- It’s more fun to color outside the lines!!!

28

D

udes are known for competing - it’s in our blood. Studies have shown that from the onset, young boys will naturally turn most mundane events into a competition without any outside influence. Some opine, that this goes back to the days when we could only eat what we killed and games or competitions would keep us sharp in times of need. Regardless, to this day (as with most DUDES) nothing has changed.

Our tennis games are no different. We step on to the court and immediately look to compete, sometimes (as mentioned in my first article) we start competing in the warm up! Too many times however, we compete regularly and wonder why we are not getting any better. One can improve to a limited degree by competing often, but if you really want to improve, you need a fairly equal mix of technical work, drilling and playing.

First things first. Your level is determined by the tools you own. In other words, if your strokes are technically limited, so too will be your level as a player. The best way to learn new skills or correct bad habits is by taking instructions from a USPTA or PTR certified tennis professional. The USPTA and PTR both have websites that can direct you to a certified teaching professional in your area.

Next, find a practice partner. This is quite different than your playing partner.

Spend some time with your partner practicing your stroke production or your placement skills. These are two different skills and should not be combined in the same practice. Of course, you will need to help your partner practice what he needs to work on as well (most DUDES forget that their practice partner doesn’t solely exist for our improvement!)

Last, play your practice matches. This is the time to focus on strategy and tactics and forget about “how” you are supposed to hit the ball. The “when and where” you hit the ball are of primary concern here.

If you parcel out your tennis experience into these three parts in fairly equal measures, you will be surprised at your improvement over a bit of time. It is important to note that you won’t likely get better immediately. There is always inherent risk that you will get a little worse BEFORE you improve, as the changes aren’t an automatic part of your game at first....this is also why we DUDES are inclined to bag the instruction and just play. Think of it as an investment - you’ve got to put something in to get much more out. See you on the courts! Contact Eric Wammock, Director Hilton Head Island Tennis: Eric@HiltonHeadIslandTennis.net or (843) 301-2113.

DUDE PROFILE: Eric Wammock, USPTA and

founder of Hilton Head Island Tennis and Director of Tennis at the Hilton Head Island Beach and Tennis Resort, has more than 25 years experience in the tennis industry. He was most recently the Head Tennis Professional and Club Manager at the top ranked Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, where he worked for nearly 17 years. Eric has worked extensively with all age levels and abilities during his professional career, from giving countless people their very first tennis lesson to coaching nationally ranked players. In addition to being the USPTA South Carolina Pro of the Year, Eric has served on the USPTA’s National Education Committee and has a specialist degree in Facility Management, having helped develop the program’s curriculum. As a player, Eric was a college all-American and ITF Satellite Tour player. Eric has played exhibitions with Stan Smith, Tom Gullikson, Brian Gottfried, Johann Kriek, Mikael Pernfors and many more. Eric’s wife, Sheri, of nearly 20 years is the mother of their 3 beautiful daughters, Samantha, Alex and Erica.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

FROM THE BAIT

To The Plate BY

BY Chef Chef Gary Gary Williams Williams

D

UDES enjoyed our first issue. I was just wondering how many of you DUDES & DUDETTES took advantage of the great summer fishing tips, trips to the Mariculture Center, wine and cigar tips and great eating with the recipes we provided. If there was something you really liked or would like to see in the future, just drop old Harold a line in his mailbag.

For now, we’re going to switch gears to a favorite time of year and some of the great things that come with it. Let’s start with an old, well used, outdoor festive meal known by all the native old timers of Beaufort as Frogmore Stew. What is it?

Where did it start and what’s happened to it’s true recipe over the years? Frogmore Stew is a down home stick to your ribs feast enjoyed by family and friends. Frogmore Stew originated from a very small unincorporated farming and fishing community on the outskirts of Beaufort, right after your travel through Lady’s Island on Hwy 21 and before you get to Hunting Island State Park. Legend has it that it was created by a local shrimper who was running low on food and starting throwing things in to a boiling pot and finished it off by throwing in some fresh shrimp off the boat. I think a version of it has to be traced back to the Gullah culture. Call it what you will; Seafood Stew, Beaufort Stew, Beaufort Boil, Lowcountry Boil...it will always be FROGMORE STEW to me.

As a young boy growing up, I used to love traveling through the small little town of Frogmore heading out to Hunting Island Beach. My father would always stop at the old tomato packing plant where we could see how tomatoes (the ripest you’ve ever seen with a sweetness that’s unforgettable) were grown right there in Frogmore. They were then and still are now, packed and distributed throughout the East coast. After learning about and visiting the plant, we would pull over to the side of the road and pick the sweetest yellows plums growing along the roadside.

What a great start of a day heading out with the family for a day on the beach and on the way back, there were, always roadside stands selling farm grown fruits and vegetables and kettle cooked Frogmore Stew. Oh and boiled peanuts too! We would sit outside on the picnic tables eating off of paper plates till we couldn’t eat any more. We always finished it off with ice cold watermelon as we headed our way back home. All the way home, all I could think about was the sweetness of the large local shrimp, corn on the cob, kielbasa sausage, red skin potatoes all cooked in boiling water with seafood seasonings like Old Bay. How it happened, I don’t know, I guess some call it progress of the times but Frogmore one day took down their sign and the community/town was no longer known to the new generation. For those local folks who still pass through it today, it will always be known to us as Frogmore and home to the Gullah culture.

Now there are different names and ingredients that have been added to the original Frogmore Stew. One of the most popular names is Lowcountry Boil. The main ingredients didn’t change, but now some chefs have added, blue crabs, snow crablegs, mussels, oysters and clams. Some old school chefs may be caught actually putting a few beers in there as well.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Does it taste good with beer? Why sure it does DUDES! The community of Frogmore can always be proud that it was their creation that actually put this great recipe on the map. So to finish my blast from the past memories, the Frogmore Stew recipe is the greatest during the fall months with the cooler weather and the smell of burning leaves and pine straw from the neighbor’s yard. Friends and family will gather around the back yard fire celebrating the cool changes of the season. The shrimp are larger in the creeks and there are still great ingredients to gather for your own version of the Lowcountry’s historical dish.

So I’ll leave you with the recipe I grew up with and serve at the Sea Shanty, when we have it for a special. Don’t forget to answer our trivia question after the recipe and email it back to Harold’s Mailbag. Who knows, you too could win lunch or dinner for two at The Sea Shanty this Fall. See you next year DUDES!

GARY WILLIAM’S FROGMORE STEW (Serves at least 6)

Ingredients: 3 1/2 pounds of fresh wild large lowcountry shrimp 1 dozen (1/2 ears of frozen corn on the cob) 3 pounds of Kielbasa Sausage 4 to 5 pounds of red skin, new potatoes Old Bay Seasoning to taste Beer optional Preparation: In a medium to large size cooking pot, complete with draining basket inside, fill it about 1/2 full with water and bring to a boil with Old Bay seasoning. Put in potatoes first and cook them separately until about 3/4 quarters done, then throw in your cobbettes and sausage. When your water comes to a boil again, turn it off and leave for 5 minutes, then throw in your peel on shrimp for 2 or 3 minutes or until they are pink. Serve immediately. If you cook your shrimp for over 5 minutes, you’ve ruined the recipe. Pour out on a table covered with DUDE newspapers, after you’ve read it of course, and dive in. Fun, family and friends eating for sure DUDES. Cheers and Happy Holidays Y’all!

DUDE TRIVIA QUESTION

(send your answers to Harold’s Mailbag at harold@dudesc.com) When was the town sign of Frogmore removed? Must be the year and if you know the correct month, we may use that as a tie breaker.

We will randomly pick from the correct answers and contact you via email for your FREE LUNCH or DINNER FOR 2 at THE SEA SHANTY.

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T

his is my favorite time of year at THE BONEYARD! The chill in the air marries the aroma of the fire crackling in the fire pit, creating an atmosphere of “It’s time to cook!”

Neighbors and friends mystically know this phenomenon. They start showing up and calling THE BONEYARD with wild abandon. What we gonna cook DUDE? After lengthy discussions that sometimes can last as long as 30 seconds, a consensus is reached. ROASTED OYSTERS! At THE BONEYARD, we don’t steam oysters in a pot equipped with a basket and lid (although this is a great way to achieve similar results). We roast them. I have a piece of steel elevated off the ground approximately two feet. Concrete blocks on two sides. Under this is built a very hot fire. My BONEYARD GRILL, sous chef Matt Miller, acquires old wood pallets that we cut up with a chain saw.

This works great to produce the temperature needed to roast oysters. We know still steel is hot enough, when it is sprayed with water and produces more steam than a----------------.

While the fire is gettin’ hot, a couple of unlucky DUDES are assigned to wash the oysters. Very seldom does anyone volunteer for this job. I like them to be very clean. I found an old bathtub liner and drilled a wad of one inch holes in the bottom for water drainage. The oyster washing DUDES dump a bushel of May River’s finest in the tub and with a flat shovel and a water hose the oysters get washed. A piece of plywood laid on the ground and tilted at one end also works.

Burlap sacks are soaked in a bucket of water. A couple of shovel full of oysters

are placed on the steel. Then a wet burlap sack is placed over them. We give this a little shot of water from the hose. At or about five minutes later, PURE HEAVEN! The cooking time varies. I like for the oysters to be mixed in their degree of doneness. Some completely popped open and some not. This satisfies everyone.

Oysters cooked this way retain that wonderful undiluted salty nectar. Combine that with the sweet succulent oyster and you have just experienced what we rave about in Bluffton, SC. For the non-purist oyster eaters, we prepare cocktail sauce made with ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, worcestershire and hot sauce. Exact quantities are to your taste. Surf the web for a recipe if you’d like. I’m not sharing mine!

Some folks like melted butter to dip the oyster in. My neighbor, and a cool DUDE, Bill Sease, adds a few drops of rice vinegar to hot melted butter. I’ll have to admit, its good stuff.

Did I mention oysters on a saltine cracker? I guess I should.

THE BONEYARD’S oyster table has a hole in the middle, like most folk’s.

Trash can below. Shucked oyster shells are recyclable and can be taken to the Bluffton Oyster Company during business hours and they will use them to replenish the oyster beds.

We have plenty of oyster knives and hand towels on hand to make consumption easier. Please note that around THE BONEYARD consumption is usually of the liquid variety. A few cold ones do pair well with the fair of the day.

When friends gather for food, beverage and fun in an outdoor setting like THE BONEYARD, it truly is a special time. If you get an invite to an event like ours, don’t miss it.

DUDE PROFILE: Steve Boney is from Blythewood S.C. where he was born and reared. Steve is a well known long time local and lives in Bluffton, SC with his family; wife Ginger and children, Charlotte and Charner. He is a senior judge with the South Carolina Barbecue Association and can be found judging many of our local cooking festivals, such as the recent popular Rib Burn Off at Honey Horn Plantation. Steve is a proud sales representative (30 + years ) for those hard to beat PELLA WINDOWS & DOORS here in Beaufort County. He works along side another DUDE known to many as Catfish Bill Ludwig.

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Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT & DUDE WATERING HOLE GUIDE

UDES love LIVE ENTERTAINMENT and here you’ll find it every issue. First up, we’ll look at regional venues and let you know where and when the big names are jammin LIVE. Next, we will have an up to date comprehensive entertainment directory of where you can find it LIVE in Beaufort County. We will break it down for you by geographic areas; Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort. If you see something or someplace we’ve left out, please send us an email or give us a call and we’ll get it in the next issue.

Located no more than a couple hours up the road is the NORTH CHARLESTON COLISEUM & THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. They have a pretty kick butt schedule this Fall. Sunday, November 14th @7pm THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (PAC).

Might have to make that one DUDES. We’re talking about China Grove. Wednesday, November 17th @ THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND. Thursday, November 18th One of our favorite DUDES, ALAN JACKSON. Don’t rock the juke box! Yee Haw! Located a few hours down the road is JACKSONVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL ARENA. Thursday, December 9th, THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Wednesday, January 26, a good chance for DUDES to get out of the dog house, BARRY MANILOW LIVE! and Tuesday, February 22nd, the complete opposite end of the spectrum; OZZY OSBORNE rocks the house down!

The COLONIAL LIFE ARENA on the campus of the University of South Carolina has some fun events this fall/winter; Friday, December THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 14th & 15th, it’s THE MONSTER JAM with big trucks running over every damn thing imaginable. Lot’s of Redneck fun there DUDES! Oh and don’t forget the children in your life DUDES; February 3rd - 6th, 2011, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, THE RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS!

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SEA PINES RESORT THE QUARTERDECK(843) 671-2224 Located under the candy stripped lighthouse in Harbor Town Yacht B asin. Live entertainment around one of the best sunsets on the island.

HARBOURSIDE CAFE (843) 842-1444 Located just outside the Crazy Crab, this cool little outdoor spot is a great place to chill and enjoy some live local entertainers.

THE SALTY DOG CAFE (843) 671-2233 Located in South Beach Marina. Great for outdoor evening cocktails and local live guitarists, Dave Kemmerly and Bruce Crichton playing most nights.

COLIGNY BEACH AREA POOL BAR JIM’S (843) 842-3932 www.poolbarjims.com Located oceanside at The Marriot’s Grand Ocean Resort. Long time local and friend Jim Lisenby makes simply the best fresh fruit frozen drinks in Beaufort County.

THE TIKI HUT (843) 785-5126 Located at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront, South Forest Beach Drive. Beachside cold beverages, cool live local tunes, beach volleyball and plenty of hot bikini babes. CLOSES DEC. 5 FOR THE WINTER

POPE AVENUE REMY’S BAR & GRILL (843) 842-3800 Heritage Plaza. Long time friend and islander, Roy Prescott is the man. Your favorite football headquarters & monthly Oyster Roasts. Daily drink specials & live entertainment.

MURPHY’S IRSIH PUB (843) 8423448 Serving from 2pm...Brilliant!

THE GRUMPY GROUPER GRILLE (843) 842-2455 Ask our friend, Mark to saddle you up with a cold one and a basket full of grouper fingers.

AUNT CHILADA’S EASY STREET CAFE (843) 785-7700 Long time friend and islander, David Reilley has a great restaurant bar that has a most EARL WILLIAMS comfortable feel to it. A great local watering hole.

THE WILD WING CAFE (843) 785-9464 Located in the Bi-Lo Center. Diane and Cecil Crowley started this great regional chain hangout right here on the island. Their promotions say it all, Cold Beer, Hot Wings and Good Times. Great Live entertainment spot.

REILLEY’S PLAZA, aka “THE BARMUDA TRIANGLE” JUMP AND PHIL’S BAR & GRILL (843) 785-9070 Long time friends and islanders, Jumpy and Phil have one of the great local islander watering holes. Green Bay Packers headquarters DUDES! REILLEY’S (843) 842-4414 One of the island’s original bars. Reilley’s is the epitome of the Irish Pub. THE LODGE BEER & GROWLER BAR (843) 842-8966 Your premier BEER BAR with 36 rotating craft taps (available to go) and more than 100 bottled beers. Pool Tables & Darts! Burgers, dogs and fries available.

ONE HOT MAMA’S AMERICAN GRILL (843) 682-6262 BBQ at its finest. DJ rocks MAMA’S every Friday and Saturday nights.

CORKS WINE CO. (843) 815-5168 Publix Center next to Staples. Neighborhood Wine Bar. Monday-Saturday Open at 4pm. Occasional LIVE MUSIC on the weekends. Good eats, Great wine!

(LOCATED BEHIND CVS @ POPE AVE) THE DRYDOCK (843) 842-9775 (LOCATED BEHIND CVS @ POPE AVE) long time friends Rob & Rich have great, stop in any time for a cold one place. Live Entertainment most weekends, so check with them to see who’s jammin the deck at the dock. Sundays BBQ & Band starts around 3 pm. See ad this issue.

THE BEACH MARKET HINCHEY’S CHICAGO BAR & GRILL (843) 686-5959 North Forest Beach beside the Holiday Inn is a great place with live tunes from locals such as; Mike Kavanaugh, Sidework, Reid Richmond. They also have a kick ass Juke Box. DANIEL’S (843) 341-9379 Great new upscale feel with a great wine bar, outdoor seatings with some cool eurotech tunes.

ANGLER’S GRILL (843) 785-3474 A great DUDE place, run by our friends, Barbara and Joel Beaudry. Great place for DUDES to hang out, catch the game on one of their flat screens.

PARK PLAZA KANALEY’S PUB (843) 683-0194 Just before the entrance to Sea Pines Resort with a great Irish flare & great music, big band Saturdays and karaoke. Football menu and Sunday Breakfast Buffet.

THE MELLOW MUSHROOM (843) 686-2474 Great bar, great fresh pizza and usually some cool tunes playing.

THE ELECTRIC PIANO (843) 785-KEYS Late evening, piano bar with great drinks and great pianists playing requests, like Sterlin & Shuvette, Bruce Cricton & Scott Skunk Morlock.

COLIGNY PLAZA BY THE SEA THE BIG BAMBOO CAFE (843) 686-3443 Our friend, Tristan usually has a pretty good line up of live tunes; Live Reggae by Patwa, The Beagles (Beatles tribute band) and locals Jack Jones and Angie Aparo jammin in to the wee hours.

STEAMERS SEAFOOD COMPANY (843) 785-2070 They usually have someone playing guitar on the outdoor patio most evenings in the summer.

SKILLETS CAFE (843) 785-3131 Our long time friend, Amie has local talent such as David Wingo & Tim Malchak playing on weekends and a great Sunday Brunch.

THE FROSTY FROG (843) 686-FROG A GREAT daiquiri bar DUDES. They always have cool tunes playing.

NEW ORLEANS ROAD BISTRO MEZZALUNA (843) 842-5011 Located in Fountain Center behind McDonald’s.

They are hosting some great Live Dance music from local bands such as TARGET. Tapas & Wine Bar. Now open on Sundays CALLAHAN’S SPORTS BAR & DELUXE GRILL (843) 686-POOL CASEY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL (843) 785-2255 F O O T B A L L-Shall I say more!

HINOKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR (843) 785-9800 CHARLIE’S L’ETOILE VERTE (843) 785-9277 DUDES, you can not miss these two of the island’s best restaurants. Tell, Suzuki and Charlie that Harold sent you.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND NORTH-END CHEAP SEATS TAVERN (843) 689-2202 New spot on Mathews Drive. Rob and Brian Hummel’s brain child run by Jake Veldran and Pat Delello. 10 flat screens and drink specials. Where good friends meet and meet new good friends!

STREET MEET TAVERN (843) 842-2570 Located in Port Royal Plaza beside Reilley’s North. This is Cleveland Brownie and OSU Buckeye headquarters. Best Hot Dog Award and a Fish Fry every Friday night.

BILL LUEBKE OF THE GROOVETONES, ROCKS TAMMY’S TOYS FOR TOTS @ DRYDOCK

THE VILLAGE AT WEXFORD THE JAZZ CORNER (843) 842-8620 Live Jazz is hard to beat and they serve it up 7 days a week. Locals Earl Williams and Lavon Stevens frequent this hot spot with world class jazz artists BRITISH OPEN PUB (843) 686-6736 Long time friend and islander, Damian Hayes has one sweet British Open Golf Pub. A great DUDE watering hole along with wonderful prime rib and lobstahs!

WINE TIMES IV (843) 341-9463 Wine by the taste, 1/2 glass, full glass or bottle. Tapas and more!

SHELTER COVE & PALMETTO DUNES SANTE FE CAFE (843) 785-3838 Fantastic southwestern style cantina. Located upstairs is one of the coolest outdoor bars on the island. Great wine selection. They usually have a live guitar playing on the deck.

XO LOUNGE (843) 341-8080 Located in Palmetto Dunes inside the Hilton Oceanfront Resort, a new upper scale lounge with live entertainment most evenings.

SHELTER COVE HARBOUR SAN MIGUEL’S (843) 842-4555 Mexican On The Marina. Fabulous outdoor harbor side bar with live entertainment most evenings. Our long time friends, Maryann and Scott do a great job! The Islands BEST MARGARITAS! PARROT COVE GRILL & BAR (843) 341-3500 Located in Harbourside II. If you’re a Parrothead, never fear, Jimmy always has Jimmy Buffet playing, suck down some cold brews and see how many pounds of crab legs you can eat. The covered outdoor seating is most enjoyable in the fall and winter months and Jimmy has it LIVE, 7 nights a week. See ad this issue.

THE KINGFISHER SEAFOOD & STEAKHOUSE (843) 785-4442 The island’s freshest seafood with a great marsh and harbor view all capped off with Live Entertainment nightly. Great entertainers such as Earl Williams and David Wingo are among those you’ll find bringing it to you live. www.kingfisherseafood.com.

PALMETTO BAY ROAD LT. DAN BAND ROCKS THE DIAMOND CLUB (843) 842-2999 Located DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT! on Dunnagans Alley behind Island Tire is Beaufort County’s only T-bar. DUDES there is no substitute for skin and poles!

BEACH BREAK GRILL (843) 785-2466. This cool little spot is run by long time local, Stefan. The quaint atmosphere is great at this little untamed seafood. They serve up live music most evenings on the weekends.

SMOKEHOUSE (843) 842-4227 Award winning smoked BBQ and they have a nice stage set up in the bar for live music Thursday-Saturday starting at 9:30pm. 15 TV’s.

PALMETTO BAY MARINA BLACK MARLIN HURRICANE BAR (843) 785-4950 is a waterside bar that has very comfortable outdoor seating with fantastic cuisine in a Key West type atmosphere.

Weekend Brunch.

CAPTAIN WOODY’S BAR & GRILL(843) 785-2400 Many locals find this place for Happy Hour. Russell & Shannon Wright have great outdoor seating mingled in with the Hurricane Bar.

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MAIN STREET FRANKIE BONES RESTAURANT & LOUNGE (843) 682-4455 Tiki Drink Menu.

DUDES, 3 words...THE VOLCANO BOWL. Order one and then call a cab. Great martinis as well.

WISEGUYS (843) 842-8866 “Nice upscale restaurant and bar with fabulous appetizers, martinis and atmosphere. Our friend Nan LOVES this place!”

MAINSTREET CAFE & PUB (843) 689-3999 One of our favorite DUDES on the island, the infamous “ BIG MURPH” runs the bar and not only will you find a great dining menu, you’ll find some great live entertainment most weekends. Tell John and Bill we said hello!

DOWN SQUIRE POPE ROAD SKULL CREEK BOATHOUSE (843) 681-3663 One of HHI’s true gems for DUDES to dine inside or outside and enjoy their spectacular sunset views. They occasionally have live entertainment on the outdoor deck. If it’s fresh seafood and sunset you crave, DUDE this is the place!

BLUFFTON KATIE O’DONALD’S (843) 815-5555 Bluffton does have a great Irish Pub and this is it DUDES. Our long time friend “Big Don” runs the show and many locals find it as a great watering hole. Fantastic place for lunch and dinner in Kitties Crossing.......one word DUDES....GUINNESS! See ad this issue.

WILD WING CAFE (843) 837-9453 Located beside Golden Corral. Pretty much the same deal as the HHI wing, just a bit newer. Good variety of live entertainment most weekends.

PEPPER’S PORCH (843) 757-2295 Located on May River Road, Dining indoors with a great outdoor party spot complete with an outdoor bar. Voted 2009 Best Top Ten Beer Gardens.

POUR RICHARD’S (843) 757-1999 Buckwalter Parkway. Our long time friend, Richard has finally opened his own place. Tuesday -Sunday Opens at 3pm.

MONTANA’S RESTAURANT & GRIZZLY BAR (843)-815-BEAR Great beautiful bar with multiple TV’s. Great steaks, ribs and a killer Sunday Brunch.

CAPTAIN WOODY’S (843) 757-6222 Located in the promenade, Russell & Shannon Wright’s second Capt. Woody’s. Great bar inside and an upstairs with an outdoor deck.

Live entertainment upstairs on the deck. Tim Malchak and our homie, Jim Davidson.

OLD TOWN DISPENSARY (843) 837-1893 Cool new spot at 15 Captain’s Cove.

Monday-Saturday Open at noon. DUDE, this fall...Fire pits and fish fries! Tapas at 5pm.

9 PROMENADE (843) Bluffton’s Hottest Martini Lounge & Bar. Tuesday-Saturday.

Opens at 4pm. Tell Freddie we said hello!

CORKS WINE CO. (843) 815-5168 Located in the Promenade. Monday-Saturday Open at 4pm. Good food, Great wine!

JOCK’S SPORTS BAR & GRILLE (843) 815-7474 Located on Baylor Dr. in the Publix center behind the Island Packet, where DUDE is proudly printed by the way.

OKATIE

BRITISH OPEN PUB II (843) 705-4005 Our long time friend, Damian Hayes’ second BOP. Located inside the gates of Sun City. A great DUDE watering hole along with wonderful prime rib and lobstahs! Sun City DUDES can go there in their golf carts. Live Entertainment on weekends.

OKATIE ALE HOUSE (843) 706-2537 Located outside the back gate to Sun City. Nice indoor and outdoor bars. Live entertainment on weekends on the back deck.

MICKEY’S (843) 645-2400 located in Riverwalk Business Park. A great DUDE watering hole run by our friend Mickey. Dart boards and pool tables. Mickey’s has some of the best pizza in Beaufort County.

FULL MOON SALOON/SUNSET PIZZERIA (843) 987-1600 Located on Hwy 170.

Great bar with great fresh made pies! Been know to have Karaoke on occasion.

DIANE’S PUB and GRILL (843) 645-BEER Located at the end of Argent Road behind Wal-Mart. A place where everyone knows your name. Great food and Friday Karaoke that is a HOOT! THE SEA SHANTY (843) 645-0918 Located next to the Shell station across from Oldfield. It’s simple, local friend Chef Gary Williams cranks out the best fresh seafood you ever ate on any plate. Tell Chef Chris, Kelly, Katlynn, Chelsea and owner Haley that Harold sent you. COLD BEER is available DUDES. See ad, page 3, this issue!

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

Fridays & Saturdays, if there is not a live band playing most Saturdays. Check in with them as they have special outdoor oyster roasts in the fall and winter. See ad this issue. Rosie O’Grady’s has a surprise announcement coming this spring 2011 RIBAUT ROAD TO PORT ROYAL AMF RIBAUT LANES (843) 524-3111 1140 Ribaut Road The DUDE has got to drink beer and bowl.

Not sure if they have white russians or not DUDE. KEITH’S PLACE (843) 521-9345 1340 Ribaut Road, Port Royal COLD BEER & POOL DUDES! COWBOYS & INDIANS (843) 322-9957 1351 B Ribaut Road, Port Royal Country Music and Pool.

THE BACK PORCH GRILL (843) 525-9824 Landing Drive, Port Royal Marina.

Great Marina watering hole.

PETER FRAMPTION COMES ALIVE AT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN CHARLESTON DUDE, DID YOU FEEL LIKE WE DID, DUDE?

BEAUFORT Across the Broad River is HISTORIC BEAUFORT and here’s where we turn things over to The Boogieman aka, John JP McGowan. Well folks, The BoogieMan is back!

Many of you remember me from the old JP Boogies dance bar. Speaking of JP Boogies, see ad this issue as we are having and locals/old schoolers JP BOOGIES REUNION, the day after Thanksgiving over on Lady’s Island. A lot of the entertainment on our side comes in the form of festivals, concert series, etc. A schedule compliments the great www.beaufortchamber.org is where you can see the local calendar of events. OK, but from our local places to go out and sing, dance, karaoke, listen to the new Bands etc., here goes DUDES……

THE BOOGIEMAN LOVES DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT, so we’ll start there.

LUTHER’S RARE & WELL DONE (843) 521-1888 Michael Stavac/Proprietor 910 Bay Street Overlooking Waterfront Park LIVE MUSIC Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

NIPPY’S (843) 379-8555 310 West Street, LIVE MUSIC every Thursday and Friday night 6-8:30 pm PLUMS (843) 525-1946 904 Bay Street Overlooking Waterfront Park Tuesday - Open Mic w/ Eric Daubert.

Wii Wednesday w/ Candace & LIVE Acoustic Sets LIVE MUSIC some Thursdays, but every Friday and Saturday. Performers such as; Majory Lee, Treys Allen Heywire, Sofa Kings, Shak Nasti, Groovetones, Shark Rodeo, Innver Visions Raggae and The Broke Locals.

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

SALTUS (843) 379-3474 802 Bay Street Overlooking Waterfront Park Friday Night LIVE – LIVE MUSIC beginning at 8:30pm.

Performers such as; Jude Michaels, Eckstine & The Accomplices and Vic Vamer & Friends PANINI’S (843) 379-0300 926 Bay Street LIVE MUSIC Saturdays.

WRENS (843) 524-9463 210 Carteret Street Occasional entertainment.

BREAKWATER RESTAURANT & BAR (843) 379-0052 203 Carteret Street HEMINGWAY’S (843) 521-4480 920 Bay Street Just simply one of the coolest DUDE watering holes around. DUDE, finding it is half the fun!

EMILY’S TAPAS BAR (843) 522-1866 906 Port Republic St. K-MART PLAZA (Boundary Street) THE OFFICE SPORTS BAR & GRILL (843) 524-GAME(4263)/officesportsbarandgrille.com 2121 Boundary St Ste 100 Long time DUDE friend, Jim Lafferiere/Proprietor has it going on. Great nightly dinner specials. TV’s galore + 100” HDTV. Thursdays Karaoke with Steve. Live bands most Friday and Saturdays. Clemson Alumni headquarters! See ad this issue.

ROSIE O’GRADY’S (843) 379-7676 2127 Boundary Street/Beaufort Town Center DUDE friends, Michael & Leslie Pressley have one of the coolest watering holes. KARAOKE Wednesdays,

LADY’S & ST. HELENA ISLANDS THE FILLIN STATION (843) 522-0230 Sea Island Parkway It is what it is, a DUDE watering hole.

SANCTUARY GOLF CLUB, CAT ISLAND GRILL & PUB 843-524-4653 See longtime friend Chef Tom for fantastic burgers, sandwiches and your favorite DUDE cocktails after golf or tennis, as you overlook the 18th hole!

Sunday Brunch is a MUST! See ad this issue.

STEAMER OYSTER & STEAKHOUSE (843) 522-0210 Sea Island Parkway just through the first light on Lady’s Island. The name says it all.

WEEZIE’S CRAB SHACK (843) 838-2197 1634 Sea Island Parkway, St.Helena Island Open Mic on Wednesday and LIVE ON FRIDAYS. FOOLISH FROG (843) 838-9300 846 Sea Island Parkway, St Helena Island Entertainment/Jam sessions on Tuesdays.

BOONDOCKS (843) 838-0821 Sea Island Parkway, St. Helena Island Occasional LIVE MUSIC on Fridays and Saturdays.

Joshua Foxx has been spotted jamming there.

JOHNSON CREEK TAVERN (843) 838-4166 Sea Island Parkway..way out towards Fripp Island.

COOL sea island watering hole.

ROCK ON BEAUFORT COUNTY! If we’ve left some place out or have some wrong information please contact BRAD at brad@dudesc.com for Hilton Head Island and Bluffton and contact THE BOOGIEMAN for Beaufort at realestate1john@aol.com 33

ARE CUBAN CIGARS

Really The Best?

I

by Joe Sweigart

’m asked about Cuban cigars everywhere I go. And I go a lot of places.

My book, Long Ashes, Baby describes my experience in the luxury tobacco industry since 1993.

If you add up the number of people that I’ve personally given cigars to on behalf of my clients in the book, it comes to 46,600. That number does not fully count all the smaller events we’ve done.

During the past two and a half years since the book was published, I’ve given out another 20,000 cigars. I encounter and engage more cigar smokers than anyone in the country – bar none. I go to events for a living.

My job as a Cigartainer is to do just that – engage people when they come to our Cigartainment® station. I make sure people get the best private label premium cigars available made by the best authentic cigar rollers possible. And I help them have fun with the cigars as we discuss the art of rolling and their previous cigar experiences.

This past year, I became a Certified Tobacconist from Tobacconist University, which has become the official education arm of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR). I am also an Ambassador for Cigar Rights of America.

I’ve studied premium tobacco from the ground up and know a lot about it.

I know the most about it first hand because I’ve been to the Dominican Republic three times visiting several cigar factories including General Cigar, Davidoff, LaAurora as well as some very small factories. Further, my partner, Jorge, was born and raised in Havana, Cuba where he learned the art of rolling.

To answer the question, you have to understand that tobaccos from different countries taste different. Hell, even tobaccos in the same country can taste different. You also have to know about the construction of a cigar.

For the purpose of this article, I’m going to concentrate on the construction because most people, even astute aficionados, really don’t know how a cigar is made. Although I will mention a few things about tobacco leaves to give the proper perspective.

Cigar Leaves Tobacco refers to Nicotiana tabacum, one of over sixty species in the botanical genus Nicotiana. There are light tobaccos and dark with the dark usually used in cigars. Two of the most famous dark varietal families are Corojo and Criollo. Evidence shows that Mayans were growing tobacco since 100 A. D. Christopher Columbus found tobacco in Cuba in 1492. The Spanish quickly took a liking to the taste of the plant and it became a lucrative business. Until 1817, the Cuban tobacco was sent to Spain for manufacturing. I actually was at the very first cigar factory in Seville, Spain.

By royal decree, King Ferdinand VII legalized the production and sale of tobacco in Cuba after their own version of the Boston Tea Party. Angry Cubans threw bales of tobacco from the ships before a valuable shipment was to set sail from Havana harbor. Teachers were sent from Spain to Cuba to teach them how to roll and they’ve been doing it ever since. So when it comes to experience, the Cubans have been rolling longer than anyone else in the Western hemisphere.

How They Are Bunched – Production Style Cigars are made-up of several filler leaves wrapped by a binder leaf and finally wrapped with an outside wrapper leaf. The process of combining the binder with fillers is called bunching. There have been several techniques developed over the years to speed-up the process. Cuban master cigar rollers use none of the ‘new’ techniques.

The new techniques are widely used in the factories in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica and others. The most popular

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employs a rolling device called a Lieberman. The ‘buncher’ lays down the binder leaf and then the filler leaves on top. They then roll the bunch in the Lieberman before placing it in a mold for final shaping. Of course, this increases the speed of production.

The next most widely used method of bunching is called the ‘book’ method.

The ‘buncher’ lays the filler leaves flatly on top of one another and then folds them up like a book. The binder leaf is applied to complete the bunch before it is placed in the mold.

How They Are Bunched By More Accomplished Rollers A more advanced technique is the ‘accordion’ bunching method. The ‘buncher’ folds the outer leaves inward one at a time. The bunched leaves are then placed on top of each other until the bunch is complete and wrapped with the binder before being placed in the mold.

‘Accordion’ bunching is more advanced than the ‘book’ or ‘Lieberman’ methods because it allows for more air passage and provides a better draw, which is so important for a pleasurable smoking experience. But it’s not the best.

How They Are Bunched By The Best In The World The true Cuban maestros (like my partner, Jorge) use the ‘entubado’ technique.

They roll each filler leaf into a tube before wrapping them with the binder leaf. This is definitely the most complex method.

It’s the most difficult and time-consuming method as well. This is the reason the Cuban cigars draw so easily. Each individual tube has the proper airflow and all the tubes together are tested to also provide the most balanced airflow.

The main reason so many thousand people have told me that our cigars are the best they’ve ever smoked is because of the draw. But there are other reasons, too. We go back to the tobacco.

Jorge personally selects and blends our tobacco from the best available from the warehouses in Miami.

Cuban tobacco is illegal in the USA because of the embargo since 1962. That’s not so much a loss as you may think. Communism ruins everything: the people, their culture, the infrastructure, the land, everything. It creates a system relying on the black market for all goods including tobacco. Think about it. A Cuban worker now earns about $14.00 per month. You read that correctly, $168.00 per year.

How do they survive, you ask. Well there is subsidized housing, food, medical care (nowhere near the level Michael Moore describes), etc. Most Cubans sustain themselves with the help of relatives in the USA who send them needed supplies and the black market, which exists in all industries.

Without going into too much detail, what that means is that everything is cut. With tobacco, it is weighed at every stop along the way from the farm to the factory. Each worker steals a small share to sell to the black market. They must replace the stolen tobacco with what? Dirt, sawdust, anything to replace the weight including wetting it down.

At the factory, the workers steal a portion. Even the supervisors are involved because they, too have to sustain themselves. Every now and then, the army cracks down and the black market activity slows down until the ‘heat’ is off.

Cuban Tobacco = Bad Consistency The obvious result is the consistency of the Cuban tobacco is – well, not consistent. You never know what you are going to get. Sometimes, such as in the case of the newer brands, the consistency is good. But with the majority of brands, you pay your money and you takes your chances.

(CON’T PAGE 38)

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

WE LOVE OUR MARINES HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY! HAPPY 235TH BIRTHDAY USMC!

by Brad McDonald

W

ell DUDES, since we last checked in, a lot has happened in regards to the MCAS Beaufort getting some new squadrons of Lockheed Martin’s new F-35B Lighting II JSF’s. Our government has ordered up 13 squadrons of these amazing stealth vertical take off jets to be deployed to the east coast. It would appear that the big winners of these $90 million a piece jets are MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina and our very own MCAS Beaufort.

The Department of the Navy has prepared an environmental impact statement to assess the impact of this “next generation” aircraft to our area, as well as Cherry Point. The F-35B’s will replace the F/A 18 Hornet and AV-88 Harriers, which are both pretty loud jets. The Lightning II’s are a bit louder than the Hornets, therefore some people are concerned about the increase in noise levels. Current MCAS Beaufort airfield operations are authorized for 62,001 all aircraft operations, the majority of which are by the F/A 18 Hornets. The new proposed annual airfield operations will jump dramatically to 106,030 operations, which the majority will be F-35B pattern work. Looks like things will get a little sporty around the skies of Beaufort county. Most DUDES will think this is cool as they’ll be buzzing the skies on a pretty regular basis.

There are 4 alternatives before the Department of the Navy on how these 13 squadrons are to be divided up between Beaufort and Cherry Point. Alternative 1; 3 Operational Squadrons & 2 PTC Training Squadrons to Beaufort and 8 Operational Squadrons to Cherry Point. FYI, this is the preferred choice by the local Operation F-35 B Beaufort group. Alternative 2; 2 PTC Training Squadrons in Beaufort and 11 Operational Squadrons in Cherry Point. Alternative 3; 8 Operational Squadrons to Beaufort and 3 Operational Squadron & 2 PTC Training Squadrons to Cherry Point, and finally, Alternative 4; 11 Operational Squadrons to Beaufort and 2 PTC Training Squadrons to Cherry Point. Needless to say, if

either Alternative 3 or 4 come to fruition, there will be a lot of F-35 B’s buzzing the skies of Beaufort. Either way, Beaufort will get a big shot in the arm from the introduction of these state of the art aircraft.

The economic impact is going to be huge and a very positive thing for the future of Beaufort County. With each squadron comes pilots and many support personnel to keep these peacekeepers flying safely and effectively.

The construction alone on MCAS Beaufort will provide approximately 4,400 jobs that will last up to 5 years. Many of the jobs will involve the demolition of old outdated hangars and the construction of new hangar modules as they are called.

A pretty massive amount of construction will take place on such things as; Ground support equipment maintenance and storage areas, aviation armament and engine shops, a MAG Headquarters, Training/Instruction/Simulation facility, Amphibious Assault Ship Training Facility, vertical landing (VL) pads, modifications to current airfield pavement, a Cryogenics Facility and of course numerous Security Upgrades.

It seems the word is out about these fantastic aircraft, as orders from our Allies are already being placed. Israel has ordered up 20, Canada 65 and Saudi Arabia will likely get a few squadrons. Total air domination is what this aircraft brings to the table. DUDE, I wouldn’t want to be on the strike side of one of these squadrons in attack formation, that’s for sure.

Stay tuned to local media, like our friends at the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette as December 3rd is the day the decision gets made about which Alternative the Department of the Navy has chosen. Once that takes place, we’ll have a better idea of the true impact the incoming squadrons of F-35 B Lightning II JSF’s. Either way, Beaufort wins and once again you’ll need to remind yourself that the noise you hear from the new F-35B’s is truly THE SOUND OF FREEDOM!

www.beaufortairshow.com

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

35

Dear Harold, You are some handsome specimen! I’m interested in getting to know you better. What is your sign? Where do you live?

What’s your favorite food? Please tell me what I want to know. Is it possible that we could ever hook up?

Signed, Lady Fish In Heat Dear LFIH, Thank ya darlin! I’m Pieces, go figure! I live in a 150 gallon aquarium in Brad’s kitchen. It’s nice, I have the whole place to myself, though I was perfectly OK until said PUBLISHER DUDE caught me about 2 years ago and threw me in this damn 5 gallon bucket and rushed me to my new home.

It’s all cool, I get to watch him cook and we watch football together. My favorite food is a fresh green tree frog. DUDE they are delicious, especially the legs. Of course I’ll settle for an Anloe lizard or some fresh shrimp. Next time my master is out of town, stop by, jump in the aquarium with me and we’ll go skinny dipping.

Harold Dear Harold, You have to be a football fan. What is your favorite and least favorite NFL teams?

Signed, Phil McCracken Dear PM, Love watching football with my master in his MAN CAVE. My favorite team for obvious reasons is the DOLPHINS and my least favorite, well that would be the SEAHAWKS, for obvious reasons.

Harold Dear Harold, If you’re reading THE BLOTTER and you know someone in it, YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK! Signed Buster Muffins Dear BM, RIGHT! but, If you’re reading THE BLOTTER and YOU ARE IN IT, then YOU REALLY ARE A REDNECK! Harold Dear Harold, I keep seeing this ad on TV for Cialas that says if I have an erection that lasts for over 4 hours to call a doctor. I’m not sure I want to take something if I’m going to possibly end up having to call a doctor. A older fella needs some help now and then but my goodness what would you possibly do with it for the other 3 hours and 55 minutes?

I think I’ll call my physician, Dr. Bigger Johnson and see what he has to say before I try Cilas.

Signed, Woody Cox

Dear WC, Just make sure you are healthy enough to actually have sex first! Nothing would be worse than dying in the act. Although on second thought, that might not be so bad.

A good friend of mine that passed away a few years ago, Art Rooney once told me that if that happened to him, he wouldn’t call a doctor, he’d call everyone he knew! HA! Harold Dear Harold, My wife, to put it mildly has a large set of breasts. All DUDES I know love a nice set, however we’ve talked about it and they really are troubling her. She complains they get in the way and she often complains of back pains. We are seriously considering having her get a breast reduction, so she can be more comfortable. Do you think this is a safe thing to do?

Signed Emerson Biggins Dear EB, How big is too big? I mean why waste a good thing DUDE. Don’t think of the negative things that come with having too big of breasts, think of the positive things about them.

If you keep her near by, you’ll always have an extra pillow or two and if you happen to be a little man in the boat overboard, you’ll always have some great life saving floatation devices. They are a requirement for safe boating you know. Good luck with whatever y’all decide.

Harold Dear Harold, I was reading this fishing book by this professional fisherman, Chit Rodreguez and he tells me that when fishing for largemouth bass like you, don’t be afraid to try several different lures. Do you like a particular kind of lure to lure you? Chit says, once you get a bite, then stick with that particular bait for at least 15 minutes before moving on to your next choice. It sure would be helpful if you’d just go ahead and tell us what works best.

It’s a great fishing book, Fishing With Chit. Now that I’ve read it, I too fish like Chit.

Signed, Rusty Hooks Dear RH, I don’t care if you fish like Chit or not. I’ll give you a few of my favorites if you promise to throw my big mama friends back. I don’t care if you keep and fry up some of those little buckwheats, it’s actually healthy for the fish population to eat some of us smaller bass. Top water rapalas are hard for me to resist, especially right before the sun goes down. I also seem to have a problem laying off those Lime Green Chatterbaits.

That vibration drives me wild. My weakness for plastic watermelon culprit worms and bubblegum trick worms should be noted. Of course if you want the guaranteed hit, it’s hard for us bass to pass up live baits, like tree frogs, worms and minnows. Now leave me alone I’ve got some spawning lady fish to get to.

Harold

Send emails and photos to harold@dudesc.com 36

DUDE is a seasonal publication of Mallard Productions covering ALL of Beaufort County; Hilton Head Island, Bluffton & Beaufort.

DUDE exerts every effort to ensure accuracy, however, information and prices may change without notice.

Neither DUDE nor Mallard Prouductions accepts liability for errors or omissions.

The concept, design and contents of DUDE are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any manner without the publisher’s permission. ©2010/2011 DUDE/Mallard Prouductions PUBLISHER DUDE Brad B. McDonald EDITOR Harold, The Largemouth Bass ASSISTANT EDITOR Sarah Ham GRAPHIC DESIGN Kim Bowen SALES DUDES Brad McDonald (843) 298-3827 Benny Bessinger (843) 263-6714 CONTRIBUTING DUDES Al Stokes • Jason Dubose • Trent Malphrus Megan McLaughlin • David Hahn • Marvin Bouknight Robin Swift • Rob Logan • Rick Barry • Eric Wammock Mona Ward • Gary Williams • Steve Boney • Wade Bales Lowcountry Joe Yocius • Joe Sweigart • Chuck Mikals James Grant • Brad McDonald COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

By Laura Manning The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippensis) The genus Crocodilian, family Alligatoridae Friend and Neighbor, Laura took this very cool shot of this gator saying, AHHHH! at the Jacksonville Zoo, when visiting recently with her family. Alligators are ubiquitous in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. It is illegal to harm, harass or feed these reptiles unless during a licensed hunt. They have remained relatively unchanged for over 200 million years. They have 75 teeth and some have lived up to 75 years old. The biggest documented GATOR in the USA was found in Louisana, this monster measured 19.2 feet and weighed approx. 1,500 pounds.

DUDE C/O MALLARD PRODUCTIONS 21 Mallard Street, Hitlon Head Island, S.C. 29928 843-298-3827 www.dudesc.com brad@dudesc.com

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

PHOTOS TO HAROLD (send your high res photos to harold@dudesc.com)

Photography by Wink Gaines

Photography by Wink Gaines

Photography by Wink Gaines

Photography By Cindy Grant

FUNDRAISER OYSTER ROAST FOR REDFISH RESTOCKING AT PALMETTO DUNES OCEANFRONT RESORT OUTFITTERS CENTER. Penny & Capt. Trent with their boys, Gage and Little “T”

Photography By John Brackett • www.brackettphotography.com

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

HUME COLLINS, with a NICE MURRELLS INLET DOORMAT!

Photography By John Brackett

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(CON’T FROM PAGE 34)

Joe Sweigart, Gary Williams of The Sea Shanty, Elaine Sweigart and Brad McDonald, DUDE Publisher

There is one famous case where a large shipment of Cuban cigars arrived in Spain and when the boxes were opened, they found nothing but paper. All the cigars were stolen for black market sales to tourists on the streets of Havana.

The Three-Ring Finish So now you know about how the Cuban maestros do the bunching. They also finish the outside wrapper differently. You may have heard of the three-ring finish.

It has to do with how they apply the panuelo, which is the reinforcement wrap of extra tobacco around the shoulder and neck of the cigar. The production rollers use a technique where they cut the end of the tobacco and wrap it around the neck of the cigar. It’s called the ‘flag,’ which wraps around the neck one time producing a ‘ring’ or edge of tobacco that is visible.

After wrapping the stem of the cigar, the Cuban maestros cut the excess tobacco completely off. Then they make three cuts with their ‘chaveta’ producing a sliver of tobacco, which wraps around the stem two times producing two rings or edges.

In both techniques, they cut a circle of tobacco to cover the head of the cigar producing another ring or edge. Count them. The production rollers produce two rings (flag + end cap) while the Cubans produce three rings.

This means you have a lot more leeway when it comes to opening the cigar to smoke it with the common guillotine cutter because the three-ring finish goes farther down the stem of the cigar, as opposed to the shorter two-ring finish.

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The Bottom Line Cuban construction of cigars is definitely better. They produce an excellent draw and are more forgiving when it comes to cutting the cigars. However, their tobacco is inconsistent.

Dominican tobacco is much more consistent than Cuban tobacco. I can also tell you that most American cigar smokers prefer a milder smoke, which is more indicative of Dominican tobacco than Cuban.

Further, since 1962, Cuba can no longer use the finest outside wrapper leaf in the world – Connecticut shade. Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan, etc. cigar makers can use Connecticut shade to finish their cigars making them some of the finest in the world.

FYI – DUDE Cigars are handcrafted with Dominican fillers & binders and wrapped with Connecticut shade. They are also constructed by one of the best Cuban maestros in the world. So who needs inconsistent Cuban cigars when you can get the finest cigars in the world right here.

Long Ashes, Baby

FIVE TIPS FOR DUDE’S TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT CIGAR THE LOOK. You don’t want to see heavy veins. Light, thinner veins mean a higher- quality cigar.

THE FEEL. Slightly pinch the cigar with the tips of your fingers and your thumb all the way up and down the entire shaft to make sure there are no hard or soft spots. The cigar should be consistent and slightly spongy.

THE DRAW. After you open and begin to light the cigar, it should draw easily.

THE BURN. If you light the foot 100 percent, it should burn evenly throughout the entire smoke.

THE LONG ASH. It should develop a long ash as your smoke progresses.

LONG ASHES BABY! JOE SWEIGART Joe@cigartainment.com 404-441-4438

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

DUDES IN F CUS KATIE O’DONALD’S ART FEST

IN FOCUS 25TH ANNUAL CHILI COOK-OFF

BEER AND BRATS FESTIVAL IN BLUFFTON Photography Julie Markey

Fall/Winter 2010-2011

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