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SOUTH CAROLINA Wildlife

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READY FOR SPRING? TEAM DNR OUTDOOR FUN CHECKLIST Sout h Carolina Hunt ing Licens e Sout h Carolina Fis hing Licens e Sout h Carolina Boat er ’s Re gis t rat ion South Carolina Wildli f e Subs cr ipt ion Visit SCDNR’s new licensing off ice at the State Farmers Market located at 326 Little Brooke Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172 for all your licensing needs. Or visit www.dnr.sc.gov/licensing.htm Call 1-800-678-7227 or visit our website, SCWildlife.com to subscribe to South Carolina Wildlife magazine.

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DIRECTIONS

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ mission is to serve as the principal advocate for and steward of South Carolina’s natural resources.

SCDNR website: www.dnr.sc.gov Henry McMaster, Governor of South Carolina S.C. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD Dr. Mark F. Hartley First Congressional District; Mount Pleasant Michael E. Hutchins, Vice Chairman Second Congressional District; Lexington Jake Rasor Jr. Third Congressional District; Clinton Norman F. Pulliam, Chairman Fourth Congressionval District; Spartanburg James Carlisle Oxner III Fifth Congressional District; Union Duane M. Swygert Sixth Congressional District; Hardeeville Jerry A. Lee Seventh Congressional District; Johnsonville S.C. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Robert H. Boyles Jr., Director Deputy Directors Angie Cassella Administration Division Col. Chisolm Frampton Law Enforcement Division Emily Cope Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division Ken Rentiers Land, Water and Conservation Division Phil Maier Marine Resources Division MAGAZINE STAFF Joey Frazier, Editor Cindy Thompson, Managing Editor Kathryn Badal Diaz, Art Director Phillip Jones, Photographer Emeritus

Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the programs and activities of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is available to all individuals regardless of age, race, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, status as a parent and protected genetic information. Please direct any questions to the SCDNR Office of Human Resources, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, (803) 734-4400, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Diversity and Civil Rights, 1875 Century Boulevard, NE, Atlanta, GA 30345, (404) 679-7080/7148.

South Carolina Wildlife (ISSN 0038-3198) is published bimonthly by the Office of Media and Outreach of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 1000 Assembly Street, Rembert C. Dennis Building, Columbia, SC 29201.

March-April 2021, Vol. 68, No. 2. Copyright © 2021 by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. No part of the contents of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without the consent of South Carolina Wildlife. Manuscripts or photographs may be submitted to The Editor, South Carolina Wildlife, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202-0167, accompanied by self-addressed envelopes and return postage. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Subscription rate is $18 per year; Canada and foreign rate $24. Canceled subscriptions will not be refunded. Preferred periodicals postage paid at Columbia, SC, and additional mailing offices.

Circulation: 1-800-678-7227; Editorial: (803) 734-3967; Website: www.scwildlife.com. POSTMASTER: Send address changes and inquiries to South Carolina Wildlife, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202-0167.

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WELCOME SPRING! As we welcome the lengthening days and warming temperatures here in our fair corner of the world, we anticipate signs of rebirth and renewal. Perhaps more so than in springs past, I eagerly anticipate the arrival of new growth on the trees, warming soils and waterways, and the lusty call of lonely gobblers searching for companionship. As this issue of South Carolina Wildlife goes to press, our state and nation continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, and entreaties to mind social distancing and practice good hand hygiene are way too familiar to all of us after what has been a very trying year. As I ponder the seasonal promises, I borrow from ancient texts of the Old Testament, the book of Hebrews in particular, that spring “is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Given the challenges that we have all faced this past year, I reckon many of us are really looking forward to new and different things.

In an effort to get geared up for the new year. I recently spent some time on public lands in the Midlands to clear my head. While I was able to enjoy some solitude on my ramble, I also encountered several groups of folks who were apparently after the same thing: an opportunity to get outside, enjoy some great scenery and fresh air, and perhaps reconnect with friends, family and the outdoors. As the trail was somewhat busy with adventurers of different shapes, shades and sizes, it occurred to me that all of us shared some things in common: brisk and clear January weather brought us outdoors to seek adventure, refuge, comfort and perspective. I take comfort that so many of us continue to look to the outdoors and the opportunity to connect to our state’s wonderful natural resources, and that this connection helps us all maintain our physical, mental and emotional health.

To celebrate the coming season, this issue of South Carolina Wildlife features a variety of pieces that we hope will inspire you to get outside and enjoy some of our state’s natural bounty. This month we feature a turkey hunting tale as well as a piece on backyard birding — two activities that saw renewed interest among our readers who spent much of the past year on various forms of lockdown.

Additionally, we spotlight work by our freshwater fisheries staff who labor tirelessly to promote access and opportunities for our citizens and visitors to enjoy world-class fishing in our finest waters. So, here’s to a renewed sense of purpose as we welcome spring; know that your SCDNR staff work diligently every day to empower you to live your best life outdoors.

— Robert H. Boyles Jr., Director South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

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FEATURES 4

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Backyard Birding Married nature photographers create a paradise for birds in their backyard, and the result exceeds their expectations.

The Fishing Hole South Carolina’s lakes offer some of the best fishing tournament action in the country thanks to decades of SCDNR fisheries research, habitat management and stocking.

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A Wild Turkey Tale Following in the elusive tracks of a turkey hunting legend, although exhilarating, is no easy endeavor.

Foraging Through the Seasons Nature’s bounty offers a host of flavorful delicacies and pathways to yesteryear.

South Carolina Wildlife magazine is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of our state’s wildlife and natural resources, and to the education of our people to the value of these resources.

Published by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

SCDNRWildlife website: www.dnr.sc.gov 2 South Carolina

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WHAT'S COMING UP IN SCW May - June 2021

DEPARTMENTS 18 30 40 46 56

Field Notes Conservation Notebook Carolina Reflections Backyard Carolina Sketchbook

Coming soon, in the SCW May-June edition, SCDNR botanists and biologists will explain how they are working to promote and protect plants and pollinators to benefit all species — from black bears to quail.

ON THE COVERS

Front and back covers: Eastern wild turkey and white-tailed deer by Nancy Lee SCW digital publications: www.scwildlife.com www.southcarolinawild.org Subscriber services: (800) 678-7227

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Backyard

Birding TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DON AND JOANNE WUORI

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LEFT, CAROLINA WRENS, and tufted titmouse, above.

Nature photographers Don and Joanne Wuori create a paradise for birds in their backyard, and the result exceeds their expectations.

“So …what are we going to do today?”

It’s the question we repeatedly asked one another at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. As a retired couple, we are avid bird and nature photographers who typically spend the spring traveling across the Palmetto State — and beyond — in search of the perfect shot, but suddenly the world was in lockdown. For some reason, it didn’t immediately strike us that we didn’t have to look any further than our own backyard to appreciate and photograph nature.

We had set up our yard years ago to attract

birds and had it certified as a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, which basically meant that we were providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young.

We even put in a very small pond with a waterfall and a bathing area below it, but still managed to photograph in our backyard only intermittently over the years.

We remember some interesting images taken some time ago, seeing and photographing occasional birds, a butterfly moth and various butterflies. And then — surprise — a bullfrog eating a small bird that was in the shallow water at the top of our pond. In previous years we had always looked forward to the arrival of the cedar MARCH / APRIL 2021 5

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waxwings and were lucky enough to photograph these most transient of visitors, who like children on many occasions mostly hung around long enough to enjoy a good meal and depart.

The spring of 2020 was different.

There were no waxwings in the yard, and it was too early for butterflies.

Thankfully, there were lots of other birds.

In fact, we had never appreciated just how many different species of birds come to visit until we began photographing them.

We have always fed our birds yearround with our various feeders, providing seed, suet and mealworms. Of course, the feeders need constant refilling. We have a relatively small backyard and have let it go mostly natural. Over the years, we’ve put in a variety of bushes, especially around the pond. The bushes produce flowers, which attract insects, and where there are insects, you’ll find birds.

In March of 2020, we began upgrading our backyard habitat. We tried to make it even more appealing, both for the birds and for photography. Not wanting to photograph birds on feeders, and with the very small pond with its waterfall and a small bathing area in the background, we set up natural perches for the birds in close proximity to the feeders. Our perches were stumps and large branches gathered primarily from neighborhood backyards. These stumps are supported and held upright in Christmas tree stands. We had purchased many Christmas tree stands in the past — they are very inexpensive the day after Christmas! Some of the perches also had cavities where we could place mealworms or seed.

We had always spent some time in the backyard, so the birds seemed very comfortable being around us with their coming in to perch or hover very nearby (especially when we were filling the feeders). Almost every morning, when Joanne went out to fill the feeders, a beautiful male pine warbler came in and hovered a few feet away from her.

He almost seemed to be greeting her, or perhaps more likely, asking her to hurry up so he could eat.

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MORNING LIGHT IS IDEAL TO PHOTOGRAPH COLORFUL BIRDS. Opposite, a tufted titmouse takes flight and a prairie warbler takes a dip. Above, a warbler and red-bellied woodpecker cross paths.

We developed a routine during the spring of 2020. The light in our backyard started to get good for photography at about 8:30 a.m. and by 11 a.m. or so it was much too harsh — or as we photographers might say, it was too “contrasty.” At first, we started off photographing from the open windows of our small glassed-in porch, but soon realized that we could photograph from the concrete slab right outside our garage door or even through an open kitchen window. Being rather serious photographers, we have access to long

telephoto lenses which allow us to photograph from quite a distance. It was fun to see and photograph the birds perching near the feeders, and at times we were lucky enough to capture them taking off from a perch flying toward the feeder to eat.

All of us are characterized by our behaviors, many of which become routine. Birds are no different. We observed many birds perching or even flying in, and then we began to notice all kinds of other behaviors. We noticed that our backyard birds had a pecking order,

with the tiny brown-headed nuthatches very near the top. They are really tough and feisty, and managed to scare others, including larger birds, away from their desired perches with ease. At the very top of the pecking order, however, was a red-bellied woodpecker, that ruled over even the occasional blue jay that came into our yard.

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NEARBY PERCHES OFFER PRIME PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES. (Top, left to right) A Carolina wren and brown-headed nuthatch settle a dispute. A fledgling house finch stretches its wings. (Bottom, left to right) Adult and young red-bellied woodpeckers and Eastern bluebirds chat at mealtime.

nuthatches, chipping sparrows, red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, Eastern towhees, Carolina chickadees, great crested flycatchers, mourning doves, a hermit thrush and American robins. We’ve also seen some more unusual birds as well, including a juvenile male summer tanager who dropped by briefly on two consecutive days.

We were surprised and thrilled when the Eastern bluebirds began visiting the yard with regularity. Bluebirds typically prefer

wide-open spaces, which does not at all describe our backyard. We had only seen a few bluebirds in our yard over the years, but last year we had two adult pairs coming in to eat, drink and bathe. They seemed to fly a relatively long distance from adjoining yards, and we were absolutely thrilled to see them — especially when they started to bring in their kids.

It was interesting to see how the adult bluebirds coaxed their chicks to the feeder.

It started with the adults taking food to the

babies high up in the trees, but gradually the babies came closer and closer to our pond and the feeders. Eventually, they got to the stage where they would come and sit on a perch next to a feeder and beg for food by opening their mouths and flapping their wings. At first, their parents would feed them on the perch, but soon the parents would not feed them any longer. The babies quickly learned to go to the mealworm or the seed feeder and begin fending for themselves.

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SUMMER TANAGER MARCH / APRIL 2021 9

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FOOD, WATER AND COVER ATTRACT WILDLIFE SUCH AS a red-shouldered hawk (opposite), blue jays (above) and other species.

There were so many activities and behaviors to photograph, including mating, perching, feeding, bathing, drying off, preening and even fighting. There were times when we saw the birds feeding on native insects like moths, but this was more difficult to photograph as those pictures were not always clearly visible from where we sat.

We tried to remain alert to see and photograph all the different activities going on, and it was not always birds.

There was one time that a large snake went slithering across the rocks of our pond. We hoped that it would not find any of the birds in the backyard that were nesting, but who knows. We never saw that snake again. Then there were the squirrels, always trying to get food from our squirrelproof feeders. They never quit trying, and at times provided comedic entertainment with their antics.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all occurred early one morning when we went downstairs and glanced out of our kitchen window. As we looked out, a very large bird flew by quickly at eye level. There sat a beautiful red-shouldered hawk on one of the larger perches.

We grabbed our nearby cameras and slowly and quietly made our way to our garage door. We barely opened it, not being sure what we would see, and there was the hawk still perching. We were able to get a dozen or so shots before this majestic bird took off.

Now, we must admit that we were very ambivalent about the hawk’s presence in our songbird habitat, but that’s nature. Red-shouldered hawks

are known to prey on songbirds. There were other occasions when we heard the hawks calling high in our pine trees.

The songbirds seemed to know when the hawks were around, as they would suddenly become very quiet or disappear and hide.

In short, we had a great spring last year with a reignited interest in our own backyard and all that it had to offer. We think, too, that nature and its photography can be found in so many places such as city and state parks.

And what of spring 2021? We think it’s safe to say that we will again be photographing in our backyard. We are hoping that we will have our “regulars” back, along with the opportunity to hopefully welcome migrating summer tanagers, indigo buntings or even a painted bunting. It would be nice to see some blue jays, too, and that would appear to be more likely. One very promising and recent discovery is a woodpecker hole in a large dead pine tree. So, who knows, maybe we can photograph woodpeckers from a significant distance going in and out of their nest hole, maybe even with chicks visible from our backyard. Only time will tell.

Don and Joanne Wuori have traveled around the United States and beyond capturing wildlife, its behavior and bird in particular through their photography.

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The Fishing Hole TEXT BY JOEY FRAZIER

PHOTOS BY ROBERT CLARK

South Carolina’s lakes offer some of the best fishing tournament action in the country thanks to decades of SCDNR fisheries research, habitat management and stocking.

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Back in the mid-1960s, my grandparents had a few acres with a small farm pond in what was then rural Lexington County. My brother and I spent lots of time with Papa Gunter at the pond as young boys. We swam in one end and fished in the other. My grandmother, we called her Mammaw, did most of the fishing back then. It was her favorite fishing hole on summer weekends. After fishing and swimming, we would gather on the bank to devour sliced watermelons or home-churned ice cream and maybe even hot dogs. I thought it was paradise.

I remember, late one autumn, Papa drained the pond. Some men came with long nets; they waded through the water to corral an assortment of bream, catfish and bass — enough for a big fish fry with friends and extended family. Then there was a mud hole in front of the little weekend cabin.

To my young eyes, paradise truly was lost, but spring brought new hope. I went with Papa to buy fingerling fish to restock the pond. It was exciting to watch the barrels of water and little fish go into the water, and even more fun to go back with him on some evenings to throw fish food out around the point where Mammaw most liked to fish. Of course, it was a while before she was back on her fishing stool.

I didn’t know it then, but it was a good lesson in fisheries management. All the fun a farm pond brings, such as catching fish, came with great responsibility.

Today, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Freshwater Fisheries section bears a large portion of that responsibility for the citizens of the Palmetto State — and Ross Self, the department’s chief of fisheries, leads the charge.

“Our staff monitors and manages fish populations through a variety of methods, including sampling populations and even interviewing anglers,” said Self as he explained how his team is using this information to make recommendations to the SCDNR’s hatchery programs.

Success stories for the state freshwater fisheries programs are too numerous to list, but results of those successes are apparent by the recent regional and national attention coming to South Carolina from the Bassmaster organization.

According to a recent press release from the SCDNR, during the past year, 2020, Bassmaster named four South Carolina lakes as some of the

nation’s Best Bass Lakes of the Decade based on tournament catch records and information on how agencies like the SCDNR manage major reservoirs in their states for both bass and other popular species. Santee Cooper placed in the Top Twenty-five in the national designation, while lakes Thurmond, Murray and Hartwell all scored spots in the southeastern regional lineup.

“It is great for the staff of the

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South Carolina State Fishing Lakes

PHILLIP JONES

Dargan’s Pond – Darlington County Draper WMA State Lakes – York County Jonesville Reservoir – Union County Lake Ashwood – Lee County Lake Cherokee – Cherokee County Lake Edgar Brown – Barnwell County Lake Edwin Johnson – Spartanburg County Lake George Warren – Hampton County Lake John D. Long – Union County

Lake Oliphant – Chester County Lake Paul Wallace – Marlboro County Lake Thicketty – Cherokee County Lancaster Reservoir – Lancaster County Mountain Lake 1 & 2 – Chester County Star Fort Pond – Greenwood County Sunrise Lake – Lancaster County *Webb Center Lakes – Hampton County *Bonneau Ferry WMA Lake – Berkeley County

*Webb Center and Bonneau lakes are closed for fishing on scheduled hunt days.

Besides these State Fishing Lakes, there are many public access points for bank or pier fishing around the state.

Go to www.dnr.sc.gov and click on the “Fishing” tab to find more information.

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Freshwater Fisheries section to see their investment of time and energy in managing the fishery be recognized by a national organization and have such a positive light shown on the results of their efforts,” said Self.

Since 2012, Bassmaster magazine has published a list ranking the top one hundred bass-fishing lakes in the nation based on data compiled from weigh-ins during the spring tournament-fishing season. During the 2020 season, no data was available due to the COVID-19 pandemic; so, the magazine’s editors gathered all the data at their disposal, such as catch records and fisheries management. Inclusion on the list is a nod to the planning, hard work and cooperative effort among the SCDNR, state lawmakers, local governments, tourism-promotion organizations and other stakeholders that goes into managing South Carolina’s major lakes and reservoirs.

Professional bass anglers on the Bassmaster trail, like Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, whole-heartedly agree with the Palmetto State’s recent honors.

“South Carolina’s fisheries are awesome bodies of water because of the diversity,” Cobb said. “Traveling around the country, many lakes can be difficult to fish during certain times of the year. Our lakes vary in greatness of fishing, but there is always a way to have a successful day on the water in South Carolina.”

Success can be measured in many ways. The value of the work done by the SCDNR’s fisheries staff is reflected in the tremendous economic impact this resource offers our state, according to Self, who estimates that impact at more than a billion dollars.

Cobb grew up fishing South Carolina waters and went on to fish with Clemson University’s bass fishing team during his college years. Today he travels around the country competing and making a living with a rod and reel.

“I guess I’m biased because I grew up in South Carolina, but I believe most pros love fishing in our state,” Cobb said.

“We may not be known for giant bass,

but the quality of our fisheries is well known among my peers.”

Both Self and Cobb credit the SCDNR’s field staff who do the hands-on work to build and maintain excellent recreational fisheries.

“Our staff are spending more time and effort working on habitat enhancement in the state’s aging

reservoirs” said Self. “Over the years, much of the structure that was in these reservoirs, flooded trees and stumps, have broken down and no longer provide the fish habitat they once did.

We are starting projects in some areas to attempt to replace some of this habitat.

This work will continue on and expand to additional areas as funding and

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resources become available.”

After joining the Bassmaster tour, Cobb won his first professional tournament on Lake Hartwell in the South Carolina’s scenic Upstate.

“My win on Lake Hartwell will always be my most memorable victory,” Cobb said. “Not only was it my first pro level win, but it was on my home lake.”

Although more than five decades have rolled by, Papa Gunter’s little pond still provides enjoyment for new generations and new families. And, during that time, fisheries management has advanced and expanded around the entire state of South Carolina. I believe that both Ross Self and Brandon Cobb will agree that whether you fish

for fun or fish for a living, the best part of the experience will always be the memories, and thanks to the SCDNR, there’s lots of good water in the Palmetto State where families can wet a hook.

Joey Frazier is editor of South Carolina Wildlife magazine.

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FIELD NOTES

P OL L I NATOR S OF SOUTH CAROLINA

T E X T B Y C I N DY T H O M P S O N

P H OT O G R A P H Y B Y L E W I S R O G E R S

GREAT GOLDEN DIGGER WASP

Strolling past a field of wildflowers, or in your own backyard, there is a subtle sound that perhaps goes unnoticed.

Close your eyes and listen closely. Now do you hear it? A hum, a buzz or maybe a swish? Persistently hopping from one flower to the next, the world’s pollinators — birds, bats, bees, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, hornets, beetles and many others — are hard at work, maintaining healthy ecosystems for all living species. Yes, even that snack in your backpack is made possible by a pocket-size pollinator.

It is a profound and unavoidable truth that all living things depend on nature’s bounty. But did you know nature’s bounty depends on pollinators?

It's true. Without the assistance of pollinators, most flowering plants cannot produce fruits and seeds. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), more than 75 percent of all flowering plants are pollinated by this industrious group of wild creatures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators to reproduce. And, as evidenced in every issue of South Carolina Wildlife magazine, pollinators are generating food sources to sustain bear, deer, quail, turkeys, waterfowl and all other wildlife populations across our great state.

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W H AT I S P O L L I N AT I O N ?

Pollination takes place when pollen is transported from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the flower (pistil), resulting in the production of fruits and seeds. Some flowers are able to pollinate on their own, however many plants rely on wind, water or pollinators to move pollen.

BUT TERFLIES

(BRUSH-FOOTED) ZEBRA HELICONIAN

(BRUSH-FOOTED) COMMON BUCKEYE

(GOSSAMER-WINGED) GREAT PURPLE HAIRSTREAK

(BRUSH-FOOTED) AMERICAN LADY (GOSSAMER-WINGED) AZURE

(BRUSH-FOOTED) COMMON WOOD-NYMPH

(SKIPPER) SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER

(SWALLOWTAIL) EASTERN TIGER

(SULPHUR) CLOUDLESS SULPHUR

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P O L L I N AT O R S

include birds, bats, butterflies, moths, bees, hornets, wasps and beetles.

SOLDIER BEETLE

FLOWER FLY OR "NEWS BEE"

BAT

HUMMINGBIRD

HONEY BEE

BUMBLE BEE OR CARPENTER BEE

BEE FLY

HONEY BEE

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EUROPEAN HORNET

THREAD-WAISTED WASP

FOUR-TOOTHED MASON WASP

HUMMINGBIRD MOTH

SQUASH VINE BORER MOTH

MARCH FLIES OR "LOVE BUGS"

P O L L I N AT O R B E H AV I O R

Though small in stature, pollinators move quickly and in large numbers. Their insatiable appetite for nectar or pollen keeps them hopping, dashing and darting from plant to plant. This flower-hopping behavior enables plants to reproduce and multiply across the landscape. The USFWS explains that animals may also visit flowers to find mates, shelter and gather materials for nests. Some animals, such as many bees, are in search of pollen, while others, such as many butterflies and birds, move pollen incidentally because the pollen sticks on their body while they are collecting nectar from the flowers.

The first known pollinating insects date back to around 100 million years ago, not long after flowering plants evolved. In recent decades, the balance of nature has been impacted by urban expansion. Pollinator populations are rapidly decreasing due to loss of habitat, pesticides and disease. The USFWS, USDA, state agencies and nonprofit organizations are uniting to educate and explore new ways to return thanks to the bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, birds and other pollinators of the world. Learn more by visiting www.nrcs.usda.gov, www.fws.gov or www.dnr.sc.gov.

Stay tuned! The May-June 2021 edition of South Carolina Wildlife will feature more on native plants and pollinators.

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A WILD

TURKEY

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TALE Following in the elusive tracks of a turkey hunting legend, although exhilarating, is no easy endeavor.

TEXT BY TOM POLAND

PHOTOS BY NANCY LEE

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D

eep in Saluda County one afternoon, driving through a shadowy oak allé, I drove up on a spectacle. A parade of bronze feathers, rafters of wild turkeys, stopped me in my tracks.

Stopped me cold. Some thirty turkeys ran, strutted and flew from woods into a pasture to my right. Moments after the birds cleared, I eased out the clutch only to brake again. Another rafter of forty or so birds crossed over. The beautiful way light lit up this bronzefeathered migration mesmerized me.

When the last turkey passed, I drove on, calling up a boyhood memory when I hunted wild turkeys and a story that reveals we pay a price when we destroy wildlife habitat.

When I was old enough to work weekends and handle a shotgun, I earned a handful of dollars working for a country store grocer, Mr. Clifford M. Goolsby. How that man loved to hunt wild turkeys, and he met with great success. Each spring the small town weekly, The Lincoln Journal, ran

a photo of Mr. Clifford posing with the wild turkey he shot. Dressed in hunting garb, Mr. Clifford would pose on one knee with his shotgun and bearded bird, and be quoted thusly. “I shot it down yonder somewhere.”

Now “yonder” is a fine, Southern word that means “at some distance,” and I like it. “Yonder,” in Mr. Clifford’s case, meant, “I ain’t telling you where my turkey heaven is.” Well, I had a notion where it was. A verdant tract lay off White Rock Road where I bumped

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into sage, old hunters with names like Tom Beck, Mr. Johnny and Curry. It was Mr. Clifford, however, who always made the Journal’s front page. Mr. Clifford, you see, set the gold standard for hunting wild turkeys in his day.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police always got their man, and Mr. Clifford always got his bird.

A young man in love with the outdoors, I hoped to follow in his footsteps, follow literally, but so far my turkey ventures had garnered nil. “Got

to be in the wrong place,” I thought.

I got permission to hunt a low-lying tract where Dad often saw turkeys in a hollow. That’s “holler” in the Southern vernacular, and I had a hunch that holler lay next to Mr. Clifford’s turkey heaven.

After scouting it several times, I found a promising spot in pines near open land rife with wild onions. It felt right, the kind of place Mr. Clifford would choose. I set up a blind of hog wire thickly festooned with pine branches at the edge of pinewoods. Inside the blind I

slipped into Uncle Joe’s olive goose down sleeping bag where, screened by pine branches, I vanished. Good luck seeing me.

Now this was no ordinary sleeping bag. It was U.S. Air Force 1940 issue and Uncle Joe had tested it through and through in the Aleutian Islands in sight of glacial Russia. “It was so cold in the Aleutians,” Uncle Joe told me, “that I could toss a glass of water into the air and lumps of ice would fall to the ground.”

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that sleeping bag. And let me tell you, being in it was like stretching out in an electric blanket by a red-hot potbelly stove.

With that bag under my arm, I stole away to the holler one March morning in pre-dawn darkness. Now January and February can prove brutal, but Old Man Winter saves his best for last. A March morning gives you one last frozen jolt. My last morning afield I walked to my pine-bough blind beneath a sky salted with a million stars. I shook from the cold.

Frost set my teeth to chattering.

Inside the blind? No problem. I crawled into that sleeping blanket and promptly fell asleep.

I slept a good while until a strange squeaking broke my sleep. Peeping through pine needles I saw golden shafts of daylight striking frost, which glinted like amber glass and just ten yards away a gobbler twisted its red and blue head as it pulled up wild onions. Each leaf of green squeaked as the gobbler hauled on it.

What luck. I hadn’t even had to use my box call. Like a slow-motion scene in an old Western, I scarcely moved as I aimed through my blind. I clicked the safety off Dad’s 12-gauge Winchester 1911. A cold CLINK sent that wary gobbler a-flapping.

It must have flown off down yonder somewhere, ’cause soon I heard a blast.

You guessed it. Mr. Clifford’s photo made the Journal the next week.

My turkey hunting days were done.

Cold mornings and failure took the wind out of my sails. Thus did I miss my only chance at bagging a gobbler, but maybe, just maybe, it saved my life. Many years after Dad died, I took that shotgun to a gunsmith who upbraided me, “Do yourself a favor. Don’t ever load this gun again.” Turns out the Winchester 1911, nicknamed the Widow Maker, ranks as one of the more dangerous guns ever made, and it was the first 26 South Carolina Wildlife

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Old Tom Is a Curious Bird When you think about the Eastern wild turkey, what image comes to mind? For turkey hunters, that would likely be a picture-perfect bird puffed up and strutting along a field edge — a majestic sight for sure.

However, if you study the species closely, you may take note of other behaviors wild turkeys exhibit, such as preening, dusting or even more aggressive behavior among male siblings.

Wildlife photographer Nancy Lee maintains that her most vivid memories of this game bird don’t always including strutting. Lee spends as much time in a turkey

blind as any hunter. She documents their behavior in hundreds, maybe thousands, of frames every year.

“I really feel as if I get to know them,” Lee said. “ They are indeed very curious birds.”

Lee agrees that a strutting bird puts on a quite the show, but her interest is piqued by the expressions she observes — wild turkeys dust bathing and preening to clean their oily feathers, or stretching their wings to align cleaned feathers. During the 2020 spring season, Lee captured quite a few images of birds that appeared to be fighting.

Charles Ruth, SCDNR wildlife biologist and big game project leader, said this kind of aggressive behavior is often exhibited by male siblings from the same brood posturing to establish a pecking order.

“It can get pretty intense,” Ruth said, “especially if you have two dominant birds that are not familiar with each other.”

Whether it's fighting or preening, dusting or strutting, wild turkeys have a range of curious behaviors that interest both biologists, hunters, photographers and even casual observers. – Joey Frazier

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firearm Winchester Repeating Arms Company lost money on. A pump shotgun hard to action, it would sometimes go off as a victim leaned over it to pump it against the ground. It’s a wall hanger today.

Once there was a time called Teenville, when I wanted so much to bag a wild turkey. I read all I could about wild turkeys, and I even bought a cedar box scraper from a talented fellow who made a crossbow from a buggy spring and piano wire. Albert’s cedar box scraper worked beautifully. He taught me how to use it, and with practice I got

my rhythm right. Sounded just like a turkey yelping, but no luck.

We retired, the call and me. No Tom turkey, no bearded trophy.

Mr. Clifford, though, never had any problems. Each spring the Journal ran his photo with a bronze gobbler he shot “somewhere down yonder.”

Seeing him in the Journal with his bird became a spring ritual as year after year a wild gobbler fell to that country grocer. When Mr. Clifford departed this world September 15, 2003, turkeys around his parts breathed a sigh of relief.

If there’s such a thing as hunting for heavenly turkeys, then that’s what Mr. Clifford’s doing, and if Heaven has a newspaper, and why shouldn’t it, then he’s on the front-page each spring. By now you know what the caption will say. “I shot it down yonder.”

Tom Poland is the author of fourteen books and more than 2,000 magazine features and columns that depict the life of a Georgia-Lina native and showcase the natural history of the region. To follow Tom, visit tompoland.net.

Nancy Lee is a freelance nature photographer and regular contributor.

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CONSERVATION NOTEBOOK

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS: YOUR OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCALLY LED CONSERVATION

by Brooke Myres, Conservation Districts Program Development Manager with SCDNR

T

here are forty-six Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) across the state of South Carolina, all conforming to county boundaries. Conservation districts are a governmental subdivision of the state charged with promoting the wise use of soil and water within their district. A board of five Soil and Water Conservation Commissioners leads each district, and most have at least

one employee who helps manage the conservation district. Each Soil and Water Conservation District is unique, but overall, SWCDs provide customer service to local landowners, offer conservation education and serve as conservation advocates.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SWCDs offer assistance to landowners in many ways.

• SWCDs offer a generous network of conservation contacts throughout the state. They often direct landowners to reputable local resources such as foresters, land managers, wildlife management consultants, conservation-related government resources or technical assistance providers.

• SWCDs have agreements with United States Department of

THIS 165-ACRE EASEMENT, held by the Oconee Soil and Water Conservation District near Walhalla and the Sumter National Forest, includes both pasture and pine stands that provide a corridor for wildlife.

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A NO-TILL DRILL, recently acquired by the Oconee Soil and Water Conservation District, is available to landowners for rent. A second drill was needed because the rental program of their first drill is in such high demand.

No-till drills are conservation-friendly pieces of machinery that limit soil disturbance and erosion.

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THIS SOIL HEALTH WORKSHOP FOR FARMERS AND HOME GARDENERS was held by the Richland SWCD in partnership with City Roots (urban farm), Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Clemson Sustainable Agriculture program.

The workshop covered the basics of soil health, including SC Soils 101, soil sampling techniques, interpreting soil test results and using cover crops to improve soil health in both home gardens and commercial vegetable operations.

Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDANRCS), through which they provide administrative assistance to their local NRCS office, assisting with various steps of Farm Bill cost share programs. These programs provide cost share opportunities to local landowners to implement conservation-related practices on their land.

• Easement programs are offered to residents by some SWCDs to help protect land for generations to come.

• Some SWCDs offer rental of conservation-friendly land machinery, including no-till drills, prescribed fire equipment and roller crimpers.

EDUCATION Conservation programs and initiatives for all ages abound through SWCDs. Outreach efforts are tailored to fit local interests and needs.

SWCD educational opportunities for adults include: • Hands-on workshops that cover conservation issues like rainwater management or nuisance species control. SWCDs often partner with other local professionals to bring together the best experts and resources available in their area.

• A network of local connections to experts who deal with all facets of land management.

• Public monthly board meetings

where plans are made for upcoming SWCD endeavors and discussions are had regarding local conservation concerns. This is a great opportunity to promote and engage in local conservation efforts or suggest needed conservation education resources or campaigns.

SWCD educational opportunities for youth include: • Conservation poster, photo and essay contests.

• Mini grants for teachers or classrooms to pursue conservation related projects.

• Scholarship opportunities.

• Annual summer conservation camps.

• Lesson plans for teachers to utilize in the classroom or opportunities

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CONSERVATION ADVOCATES In addition to directly assisting local constituents, SWCDs serve as conservation advocates through various platforms. SCWD staff and representatives:

DURING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENT FOR environmental educators, Richland SWCD provided teachers training and tools to incorporate hands-on, nature-based education in lessons. This workshop was offered through Richland SWCD in partnership with SC Project Learning Tree and SC Project WET (Water Education for Teachers).

THIS CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN, initiated by the Greenville SWCD, encourages dog-walkers to clean up waste from their pets to limit water contamination due to run-off of pet waste from lawns into local waterways.

for SWCD personnel to visit the classroom to offer a lesson on a conservation topic.

• Sponsorship of various youth events throughout the state, such as the annual South Carolina

Envirothon Competition, Commissioners School for Agriculture, South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s Camp Wildwood and other conservation-based youth events.

• Promote watershed conservation through local Watershed Districts, hosting EPA Nonpoint Source Pollution grants, watershed education programs and holding easements that protect watersheds.

• Attend local events as vendors or hosting campaigns to educate public on local conservation resource concerns. Booths often include hands-on activities for youth and adults that demonstrate various conservation topics.

• Stay abreast of local, state and federal legislative topics that may affect local conservation and stay in contact with local representatives to be sure local conservation concerns are voiced.

Often host yearly legislative events to update their legislative delegations.

• Manage the annual USDA-NRCS local working group meetings that gather stakeholder input for use in determining priorities for USDANRCS funding at a local level.

SWCDs assist local conservation efforts in countless ways. If there is a topic you are interested in that is not covered here, your local SWCD representatives are available to locate the resources you need.

There are also many leadership and volunteer opportunities that you can take advantage of to give back to your community, help the environment and benefit future generations.

Reach out to your local Soil and Water Conservation District to start up a conversation about locally led conservation. Visit www.dnr.sc.gov/ conservation to learn more.

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Text by Jim Casada

Foraging through the Seasons Nature’s bounty offers a host of flavorful delicacies and pathways to yesteryear.

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POKEBERRIES, ABOVE, BY MIKE CREEL. POKEWEED, LEFT, BY MICHAEL FOSTER

Growing up in a family of modest circumstances, I had ample exposure to phrases linked to self-sufficiency such as “make do with what you’ve got,” “waste not, want not,” and “God helps those who help themselves.” One particular area of focus for those common aphorisms involved taking advantage of the abundant, wonderfully varied menu available from nature’s rich larder.

Enjoying it required little more than basic knowledge of available edibles, a goodly dose of gumption and modest culinary skills. As an added bonus, not only was the food free for anyone who reveled in the outdoor experience, there was a considerable measure of pleasure to be derived from simply being

outdoors. Add to such considerations the undeniable satisfaction provided by “putting food on the table,” savoring scrumptious tastes never found on grocery store shelves, and abundant health benefits — the end result is a compelling argument for taking to the fields and woods to feast on wild foods.

Although nature takes a well-earned rest in winter, during the other three seasons of the year (and South Carolina is blessed by having four distinct seasons) there is an abundance of food laid upon the good earth’s table. Here’s a sampling of the many taste-tempting options available, but keep in mind that “sampling” is the operative word. There’s far more than the foodstuffs mentioned here, and one of

foraging’s enduring delights is the neverending opportunity for discoveries and experimentation with new recipes.

SPRING

Both domestic and wild vegetables come in many forms spread across many months, but none are more welcome than the wild greens of early spring.

The list of edible offerings from early spring is a long one, and in yesteryear folks living close to the land knew them with an intimacy born of necessity and practicality. Among the favorite wild vegetables were dandelions, lamb’s quarter, young ferns, stinging nettles, saw briar tips, speckled dock, creasy greens (also known as cress though not to be MARCH / APRIL 2021 35

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confused with water cress, which many, including some noted writers, have done), crow’s foot, and of course the incomparable poke. These offerings, and many others, are found in portions or all of South Carolina. Perhaps the most widespread, and certainly a scrumptious harbinger of spring, was pokeweed.

Usually known in cooked form as “poke sallet,” the plant’s tender shoots are jam-packed with vitamins and also provide what old-timers called a “pick me up” or “spring tonic.”

A bit of explanation is probably needed at this point. In traditional Southern vernacular, especially in rural areas, sallet and salad are two distinctly different edibles. A sallet consists of some type of greens, wild or tame, cooked in water, usually with a piece of streaked meat being added to the pot. Salad, on the other hand, refers to uncooked vegetables such as might engender a comment of this nature: “We caught a mess of trout and that evening enjoyed a fine bait of them with a kilt salad of branch lettuce and ramps.” A mess probably needs a bit of clarification as well. Quantifying a mess is somewhat amorphous, but if asked for a definition, “precious plenty” comes immediately to mind. In other words, a mess is an ample amount of some edible.

Poke sprouts emerge early in the greeningup season, and thanks to dried stalks from the previous year, finding where it grows is a cinch.

Among the likely sites are road banks, field edges, recently abandoned agricultural fields or pastures, logging yards where harvested timber was gathered for loading, and indeed most anywhere without significant overstory. Birds, foxes and other critters that eat the plant’s purple berries in fall guarantee this widespread plant gets seeded in abundant fashion. In fact, foxes enjoy the berries, which are poisonous for humans, so much that their appearance after consuming them engendered a delightfully descriptive if crude simile I often heard as a boy: “Red as a fox’s fanny in pokeberry time.”

In addition to being free for the gathering, poke is healthy, delicious, and just enough of a purgative to give one’s body what my Grandma Minnie called “a good spring cleaning.” Grandpa Joe had a more graphic way of describing the side effects of “a good bait of poke sallet.” He would talk about how it had always been a welcome addition to diet at winter’s end and how much he enjoyed eating it. However, he’d finish with a bit of a cautionary note: “It’s sure mighty fine, but a mess of it will set you free.”

Poke grew abundantly around my boyhood home, and the first money I ever earned came from a #8 paper poke crammed with poke. (If that seems confusing to some, I’ve just learned something about

BLACKBERRIES, ABOVE, BY MICHAEL FOSTER.

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you — paper bags may not be called pokes over much of the country, but I’ll guarantee that the word is a part of the vocabulary of anyone over fifty years of age who grew up in the rural South). My second grade school teacher absolutely loved poke sallet, and when I presented her with a good mess, she rewarded me with a quarter. That was big money for a small boy in 1950. For a few weeks it was a “cut and come again” vegetable, and I knew the location of every poke plant within a mile.

Other spring foods drew less attention then, but with the passing of time they’ve become important and sometimes pure culinary treasures. In addition to the wild greens already noted, one of the season’s great delicacies comes in the form of morel mushrooms.

Years ago and strictly by accident, while out turkey hunting I discovered that in portions of the Upstate morels thrive. Finding them is difficult, partly because they have specific habitat preferences, are only available for a couple of weeks, and blend into the forest understory like a tomato hornworm matches the plant it is munching. Once you develop the knack of locating morels though, you have a key to the gate to the backside of gustatory heaven.

Late spring continues the moveable feast as wild berries enter the picture. Beginning with wild strawberries and continuing through an unfolding progression of ripening delicacies — including black and red raspberries, dewberries, serviceberries, elderberries (elderflowers are also scrumptious), the unchallenged king of the berry clan, blackberries, and huckleberries — the avid picker literally has months of opportunity. For my taste it’s difficult to beat wild strawberries if you can find them, and Izaak Walton sure knew whereof he wrote when he said of these red jewels: “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” They are small, fragile, demanding to pick and worth every ounce of effort. When it comes to comparing wild strawberries with their much larger domestic cousins, even a Texan would be forced to acknowledge that here’s a situation where bigger definitely is not better.

Remarkably versatile, berries can be enjoyed raw; baked in pies, cobblers and muffins; as jams or jellies perfectly suited to giving a hot, buttered cathead biscuit a doctoral degree in deliciousness; in salads; dehydrated for use as snacks; or made into delicate wines.

SUMMER SCUPPERNONGS, TOP, BY PHILLIP JONES. MUSCADINES, BOTTOM,

BY MICHAEL FOSTER

Berries form the forager’s link between spring and summer, with blackberries, the best-known of all, ripening on the cusp between the seasons.

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When old Will Shakespeare, who seemed to know something about everything, wished that “reasons were as plentiful as blackberries,” he left no doubt of knowledge of this wonderful and wonderfully abundant berry. Among the most popular of all foods from the wild, blackberries require stained and scratched hands, sweaty brows, intimate acquaintance with those devil’s disciples known as chiggers and possibly an unwelcome encounter with wasps or yellow jackets.

But oh, what rewards! A properly made cobbler defies description but pleases the finickiest palate, a blackberry stack cake is pure bliss, and blackberry wine sheer nectar.

Then there are the lesser berries of summer, in terms of abundance and familiarity, though not necessarily taste, as the march of the seasons continues its eternal rhythm. Elderberries find their place among foraging cognoscenti, and as huckleberries in the Upstate region begin to ripen, awareness dawns that another chapter in the forager’s book of bounty is about to unfurl with approaching autumn.

a host of others — among them deer, wild hogs, foxes, coyotes and raccoons.

Even fish get in on the deal — I’ve caught catfish literally stuffed to the gills from consuming grapes dropping from vines overhanging a river or pond.

Along with muscadines, there are other wild grapes worthy of note —among them fox grapes (almost always found growing alongside waterways and fairly abundant in South Carolina’s upper piedmont and mountain regions), possum grapes and frost grapes.

The nomenclature of wild grapes can be quite confusing because so many terms are used interchangeably. All belong to the vitis genus and all are edible, although sugar content varies a great deal. A dead-ripe muscadine or fox grape straight from the vine is a sweet-sour delight, but possum grapes and others are at their best when used to make jelly (all wild grapes have ample pectin, which makes jelly “set” well) or homemade wine. Then there’s the wonder of a properly made hull pie, something so toothsome it can only be

fully appreciated in person as opposed to attempting to describe it in print. Suffice it to say that no five-star restaurant, no fancy establishment famed for haut cuisine, can match a hull pie fresh from the oven with juice bubbling through openings in its latticework crust and a heavenly aroma filling the air.

Two other prime opportunities to enjoy autumn’s soft fruits come in the form of persimmons and pawpaws. Both are plentiful, and persimmons bear fruit after only a few years (they are among the relatively few types of trees which come in male and female forms, and if a tree has no fruit year after year it is almost certainly male). Sometimes called “nature’s candy,” fully ripe persimmons are exceptionally sweet and lend themselves to scrumptious puddings, fruit leather or baked bars where they combine with flour, nuts and spices to produce a rich treat.

Pawpaws are more plentiful than is generally recognized, but for some reason few folks seem aware of them.

They grow in a variety of locations but seem to have a particular preference for

FALL

In much the same fashion that the welcome arrival of gradually dropping temperatures and the disappearance of dog days’ heat and humidity have coincided with approaching harvest time for generations of those who work the land, fall brings a different and delightful focus for those who dine at nature’s table. Nuts probably form the season’s most familiar gift from nature’s larder, but before looking to the delights of nut gathering it is well to remember what is sometimes described as soft mast.

Woodlands, creek and river banks, field edges, fence rows, rural roadsides and other spots offer soft mast in multiple forms. Wild muscadines are probably the best known, and as laden vines begin dropping their ripe, fragrant offerings during September, human harvesters have to compete with 38 South Carolina Wildlife

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WALNUT TREE (LEFT) AND BLACK WALNUTS (TOP) BY TED BORG

damp areas along branches or spring seeps. Somewhat reminiscent of a small banana in shape, they ripen in early fall and, like persimmons and grapes, draw considerable attention from woodland critters. Perhaps as fine a testament to pawpaws as any is noting that George Washington’s favorite dessert was pawpaw custard.

Generations ago, one part of nature’s bounty, wild nuts, formed a particularly important part of the process of eking out a livelihood. Native Americans relied heavily on nuts, and early settlers learned from their utilization of chestnuts, walnuts, hickory nuts, wild pecans, hazelnuts and others. Sadly, that grand monarch of Eastern forest, the American chestnut, has now been gone for almost a century, but other nuts remain and merit serious foraging attention.

For those who lived in close harmony with the land, fall was incredibly busy.

It was harvest time, with corn to be put in cribs and fodder in shocks, pumpkins gathered, apples and pears picked and prepared or stored, molasses made,

hogs butchered, vegetables placed in root cellars, the last green beans dried for “leather britches,” grains such as buckwheat and rye cut and winnowed, and field legumes such as October beans stored. On top of all this crammed rush of harvest time, October’s hunter’s moon beckoned with irresistible allure.

Cresting the eastern horizon as light gave way to night, it shone so brightly trees cast shadows and its burnished gold seemed close enough to touch. At this season no man worth his sporting salt could avoid the temptation of an outing to put squirrel and gravy, or maybe a venison roast cooked to a perfect turn, on the table. Yet there was always time for what most simply knew as “nutting.”

An exercise combining genuine pleasure with full utilization of nature’s bounty, family expeditions to gather nuts formed a grand example of the important art of “making do.” While the necessity that once underlay outings to gather nuts belongs to a vanished world, as does a primary focal point of such outings, the lordly American chestnut, nutting

nonetheless offers opportunities for family togetherness and simple outdoor fun. The ultimate rewards in forms such as nut bars, a black walnut cake, or cookies laced with meats from nuts you have gathered and cracked, are a rare and rewarding treat.

WINTER

With the arrival of cold weather the forager’s seasons pretty much end.

The one notable exception involves shelling and separating nut meats. A few relaxing hours spent working on walnuts or making some special recipe from the fruits of your labors, bring warm reflection and the comfort of knowing renewal of the entire process begins anew with spring’s arrival. Such is the rhythm of the forager’s life — one of enduring joy as predictable and pleasant as the cycle of the seasons.

Jim Casada recounts classic sporting tales and offers outdoor tips in many of his books, including Tales of Whitetails and Wingshooting Ways. Visit www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com to learn more about his literary works.

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CAROLINA REFLECTIONS

KEITH COFFER ENJOYS USING FIELD GUIDES to idenitfy mushrooms he spots on his hikes. He photographed and identified the flower-shaped mushroom to be Fragile dapperling (Leucocoprinus fragilissimus) and he was delighted to spot Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus).

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A WA L K I N T H E

PA R K

Congaree National Park harbors all sorts of flora and fauna, but visitors may overlook the bounty of wild mushrooms nestled among fallen logs or growing overhead.

by Keith Coffer

There is something mystical about an early morning walk through the old growth forest of the Congaree National Park after a late spring rain. On one such morning walk, I noticed the early morning sun filtering through the mists giving the forest a cathedral-like aura. I like to carry my camera along, as I walk slowly and as silently as possible, in case I spot a white-tailed deer, a great blue heron or even a barred owl, sitting on a limb searching for prey. I look forward, up and down and even side-to-side in search of a shot.

On this morning, I happened to bend down, probably to re-tie an onerous boot lace, and my eye immediately caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a beautiful, but delicate wildflower, one that I have never seen before, although I have traveled this path many times. Could it have been last evenings rain that caused it to emerge? When I got home, I searched through wildflower guides to try to identify this flower, but I did not find it. After staring at the photo for some time the thought came to me that it may not be a flower after all.

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CAROLINA REFLECTIONS

ON THE TRAIL, Coffer took this photo of a pink mushroom that he identified as Lilac bonnet (Mycena pura). Phillip Jones captured the prolific False turkey tail (Stereum ostrea).

Could it be a mushroom or some other fungus?

I went to my mushroom references and found a similar photo of this delicate specimen. This discovery opened up a new perspective as I search the forest floor for things to photograph.

Make no mistake about it, I am not an expert on mushrooms and other fungi, but I love to walk in the forest to discover and document the wonders I find. As for mushrooms and fungi, I love their colors and textures.

So, let’s go on a virtual walk through the old growth forest at Congaree National Park and see what we can find.

Some mushrooms are very ostentatious and can catch the eye in and instant.

This is true of the brilliant orange “Chicken of The Woods.” I often find this colorful mushroom on rotting oak

trees or other hardwoods, which are common in the old growth forest.

It is always a good idea to watch your step and look closely while walking, as some mushrooms are easily hidden among the forest debris.

This Lilac bonnet, it looks sort of like a bonnet (see above), reminds me of one you might find in a children’s fairytale book. The lavender color appears somewhat out of place in a dark, swampy wetland. This one appears to be just emerging from the forest floor.

The evening rain has brought another colorful surprise.

A little further down the path an old rotting log, which probably has been laying there for several years, is recycling its nutrients back to nature.

At first glance I see row after row of a fan-shaped fungus growing profusely.

However, a close look reveals a prolific “turkey tail” pattern. It is not as mundane as it first appears. The many concentric rings fan out with varying colors of tan and brown, rimmed with a delicate white. A nice find for sure.

Looking down at the forest floor is one good way to find mushrooms and fungi, but sometimes you might also want to look up. Some mushrooms grow higher up on trees. Voivariella grows out of wounds inflicted on a seemingly healthy tree by wildlife, insects or other natural causes.

Sometimes, members of the mushroom and fungi kingdom will take many different shapes. Along the meandering path through this forest, I spot something that really looks out of place. It looks like something one would expect to see on a Caribbean reef. It is

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(TOP) COFFER PHOTOGRAPHED a specimen that may be Voivariella, growing on an oak about fifteen feet high.

Photos at bottom, by Phillip Jones, were identified by Coffer as a type of coral fungus (left) and ringless honey mushrooms (right).

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CAROLINA REFLECTIONS

COFFER SAID HE BELIEVES THE FANNED MUSHROOMS ABOVE ARE in the Bracket fungus family (Polyporaceae), and the mushrooms below are Deer mushroom (Pluteus cervinus). Photos by Keith Coffer.

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MANY STORYBOOKS DEPICT TOADSTOOL MUSHROOMS, as captured above

by Phillip Jones. Keith Coffer photographed the species below and identified it as Brittlegill (Russula).

sometimes called pink coral fungus.

Well, it is time to take a short break, have a seat on an old log and absorb the sounds of the forest.

Not far away there is the rapping sound of a pileated woodpecker hammering away on a dead tree looking for grubs and other insects.

Not to be outdone, a barred owl answers with his familiar “Who Cooks for You, Who Cooks for You All” call. As I listen, I notice that just off the path there is another bright white growth on a rotting log. Its vibrant white, delicate texture reminds me of a snowflake.

As the forest shadows begin to lengthen, it is time to move on, but not before spying a large mushroom just down the path. It is standing by itself, as if claiming its territory. When I was growing up, children called this a toadstool. It is easy to imagine a toad sitting on top of it waiting for insect to pass by for an easy meal.

Quickly moving along as dusk is approaching, I stop for a quick look at deer mushrooms that are just off the path, growing on an old log. This specimen is prevalent here yearround, and it is not very picky about what kind of wood it grows on.

It is time to move on, so back to the path to resume my search. The forest shadows are really starting to lengthen, and I need to move on to the trail head, but first I stop to take a look at a bright red mushroom, peeking out of some grass, just off the path.

Just before sunset, I stop for a quick look at three mushrooms just off the path growing on an old log.

A nice find to end a long day of mushroom exploration.

This is South Carolina Wildlife magazine’s second hike with the Congaree National Park Volunteer Keith Coffer. For more information on the park visit www.nps.gov/cong/ index.htm.

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BACKYARD

The Weight of a Dive Text by Kaley Lawrimore Nevin

“Get your stuff on and get in the water.” These words are engraved on the pin worn by members of SCDNR AIR Dive Team. The acronym of the motto is positioned above the initials of the late Staff Sergeant Rhett Bickley, a monumental leader on the dive team before his untimely passing on July 25, 2018.

When this interview took place in March 2020, his death marked the last time the dive team came together for what they call a “debriefing.” They went around the room and spoke to the kind of man Rhett was and the legacy he left with their tightknit family.

“The good thing about our dive team

Photos by Taylor Main

is that everything is ‘We.’ There is no ‘I’ on this team,” said Team Leader Lance Corporal Kendall Lownsbury. “We’re like a family.”

Debriefings are typically reserved for traumatic incidents, such as deadly boating and hunting incidents, officerinvolved shooting and certain dives.

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They’re meant to help prevent officers from suffering the long-term impacts of significant critical incidents.

Jeffrey Mitchell, Ph.D., creator of the debriefing process, says, the debriefing “is designed to mitigate acute symptoms, assess the need for follow-up, and if possible, provide a sense of post-crisis

psychological closure.”

Post-traumatic stress disorder can affect anyone, and it develops after a person experiences or sees a traumatic event.

Studies have shown law enforcement officers suffer symptoms indicative of PTSD at a similar rate as military veterans, between 7 and 19 percent, compared to 3.5

percent of the general public.

Individuals who are exposed to potentially traumatic events as part of their jobs might believe that they have immunity to symptoms when, instead, they might have a high threshold for developing symptoms. This means even first responders who have experienced numerous potentially traumatic events without experiencing symptoms are still susceptible to developing PTSD symptoms at some point, according to Allison Farrell, MPH, and Chris Wells, M.Ed, of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.

Chaplain Eric Skidmore has worked with SCDNR since 1997, and this work has taken place through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (SCLEAP). Over the years Skidmore and his team have developed a variety of methods for responding to the stress experienced by officers, including one-on-one peer support, defusings, debriefings, post-critical incident seminars, chaplaincy support, addiction resources, referral resources, and more.

“Police Administrators all across the country know that their personnel are their most precious assets. SCDNR is no different,” said Chaplain Skidmore.

“SCDNR divers are exposed to tremendous stress from the time the call for assistance goes out until they return to their residence. Those who love them feel the stress as well. SCLEAP has worked with SCDNR for more than twenty years offering sworn and nonsworn personnel specialized resources designed to help employees and their families navigate the impact of a career protecting the natural resources and serving the citizens of South Carolina.”

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BACKYARD

could cause divers to experience post trauma reactions, SCDNR Peer Team Members and Chaplains will join the divers as they go around the room to hash out the event and anything that’s left with them from it.

“The one big thing is to talk about it,” said Lownsbury. “But it’s better to do it in a group because I may not say something, but another diver says something that resonates with me, and it’s almost like I got it out, too. We don’t like to do them, but we understand the benefit of doing them.”

In addition to the debriefings, some divers have created techniques to protect themselves from the mental heaviness of certain dives.

These types of dives outweigh the physical heaviness of the air tanks, the regulators, the wet suit and the rest of the uniform.

“What I’ve done over the years is I have a sense to flip it on or off like a switch,” said Dive Team Supervisor Dwayne Rogers. “I’ve seen a lot — I’ve been in the Marine Corps; I’ve been in war type situations. I’ve seen a lot and done a lot, so I’ve developed the ability to disassociate myself with the victim.”

But for others, they like to know who they’re diving for.

“I like to know where they came from, I like to know who their family is, what their name was, if they had children,” said Lownsbury. “I think it helps me more knowing those things because I just want to help that family even more. So, every diver is a little bit different in that regard.”

Lownsbury is one of two females on the dive team and a mother of two young boys, ages eight and four. While the team tries to prevent divers with children of similar ages and genders from responding to those dives involving children, Lownsbury says it’s her motherly instinct.

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“Lownsbury said. “I have small children, and I think as a mom, I feel the need to go. I’m not going to save them, but I need to get these children.”

Each dive holds something different for the team. This can range from strong currents to considerable depths, and who or what they’re diving for.

This makes each dive risky in its own way.

“In 365 days, one active member on this dive team will be in more life-or-death, extremely scary and stressful situations, than any other ten field officers put together,” Lance Corporal Jason Davis said. “We are not invincible. Just because we’re going down there to get someone, or something, doesn’t mean that there isn’t any danger.”

Davis joined the dive team in 2018 after joining SCDNR as a game

warden in 2013. Since then, he says being on the dive team has made him a better game warden due to the nature of the dives and the amount of stress a diver endures.

Another challenge the team faces with every dive is the visibility, and there is always a guarantee to have low to zero visibility due to South Carolina’s murky waters. When feeling their way around the sandy bottom of the Lynches River in Florence County or through the rushing current of the Black River in Georgetown County, divers don’t know what they’re underwater with until they’re on top of it.

Many divers keep their eyes closed during the dive to avoid coming faceto-face with the person they’re diving for. Others handle the darkness in a completely different way.

“I don’t know about these guys, but I have all kinds of conversations underwater,” said Lance Corporal Mike Norris. “Some dives I talk to God a lot because I just want to make sure I come back up alive.”

Through all the risks though, both mentally and physically, all SCDNR divers said being able to bring closure to a family is the most important part of their job.

“You got to think about it like this,” said LCpl. Davis. “What you’re doing is a good thing, it’s very hard to do, and sometimes it’s a nasty and dirty job, but you are doing a good thing. Because of you, that mama has her kid, or that husband has his wife. That makes this worth it.”

Kayley Nevin is an SCDNR social media manager.

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VIRGINIA HAWKINS FALLS IN JOCASSEE GORGES 50 South Carolina Wildlife

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of the Blue Ridge Let’s hike the seventy-seven-mile Foothills Trail to decipher one billion years of clues scarred into the rocky cliffs of the Appalachian Mountains.

by Tanner Arrington, Robby Morrow and Bill Ranson

T

he Foothills Trail connects Table Rock and Oconee state parks, traversing seventy-seven miles along the Blue Ridge escarpment. The trail crosses ridge tops with expansive views, including Sassafras Mountain (the highest point in South Carolina at 3,554 ft.), and winds through mountain stream and river valleys with views of breathtaking waterfalls, and hugs the shores of Lake Jocassee and the Chattooga River. The dramatic landscape experienced along the trail is a result of the region’s geology.

The SCNDR Geological Survey partnered with Furman University professor Bill Ranson to write a geology guidebook for the Foothills Trail from start to finish. Geologic maps for the entire trail show you the rock types you are hiking over, and where you can see interesting rock outcrops that help geologists understand the geologic history of the region. The introduction provides a brief geologic history of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and descriptions of rocks and minerals found along the trail. A glossary toward the end of the book provides definitions of several geology terms

used in the guide.

Building on decades of mapping and research by geologists from the SCDNR Geological Survey and across the region, the guidebook has been written such that it can be enjoyed by both professional geologists, amateur rock-hounds and curious hikers, alike.

The team of geologists who wrote the Geology Guide to the Foothills Trail selected some of their favorite sections of the trail (guidebook excerpts) to share with South Carolina Wildlife magazine readers.

GUI DEBOOK

TABLE ROCK STATE PARK TO SASSAFRAS MOUNTAIN The Table Rock to Sassafras Mountain section has the most diverse exposures of rocks on the entire Foothills Trail. The trail begins in the easily recognizable Table Rock gneiss — a highly weather-resistant, granitic gneiss. The Table Rock gneiss was originally a large body of granite magma that intruded into a group of overlying rocks called the Poor Mountain Formation.

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A

C

on the ancient Iapetus seafloor that existed nearly 500 million-years-ago. Across the southern and western flanks of Pinnacle Mountain, hikers will encounter rocks of the Poor Mountain formation — that are entirely different in composition and character from the prominent gneisses of Table Rock. The Poor Mountain rocks consist of blocks of dark gray to black (locally weathered to ochre red) amphibolite, a silver-gray quartz-mica schist, and a black and white pin-striped gneiss containing quartz, feldspar, biotite and garnet. A series of folds across the west flank of Pinnacle Mountain expose mica schists of the Chauga River formation and Table Rock gneiss. The Chauga River schist is easily recognizable because it forms

B

small, rounded, button-shaped cobbles and gravels along the trail. Once the trail rounds Hickorynut Mountain, it crosses a major fault, called the Eastatoe thrust. The Eastatoe thrust places older Chauga River and Table Rock gneiss on top of younger Henderson gneiss. While they tend to look very similar, the Henderson gneiss can be distinguished from the Table Rock gneiss by its darker color, and its tendency to weather more easily, producing friable, saprolite outcrops and soils that have a “sugary” appearance.

TABLE ROCK GNEISS AT CARRICK CREEK - A

At the very beginning of the trail, you can see folded layers of biotite

gneiss beneath the waterfall near the Carrick Creek Interpretive Center. View direction is to the north.

DRAWBAR CLIFFS - B

Author Dr. Bill Ranson (see above) walks among rockfall deposits beneath Drawbar Cliffs. The block of Table Rock gneiss that Bill is passing by contains folded layers of light-colored quartz and feldspar and darker layers of biotite. Rockfalls are a type of landslide feature that occur by a combination of physical and chemical weathering mechanisms, including ground and surface water infiltration, freeze-thaw, tree roots growing into fractures, or wind abrasion. These and other factors take advantage of weaknesses in the rock to

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D

E destabilize it until the boulders fall from the cliffs. Here, the arrangement of rockfall boulders forms a cozy campsite along the Foothills Trail.

SASSAFRAS MOUNTAIN TO CHIMNEYTOP GAP - C The approximately 450-million-year-old Henderson gneiss is the only rock type along this stretch of trail. After taking in the views from the Sassafras Mountain lookout, this trail section provides good outcrops showing a variety of structures, textures, and crosscutting relationships in the rocks.

Just beyond the lookout is an outcrop of Henderson gneiss. The Henderson gneiss, like its cousin the Table Rock gneiss, was originally a large body of granite that

intruded overlying rocks. These rocks were later metamorphosed and deformed under high temperatures and pressures to become the gneiss — a metamorphic rock consisting of alternating layers of lightand dark-colored minerals. This outcrop of Henderson gneiss contains beautiful pinkish white crystals of potassium feldspar (K-feldspar) that have a characteristic “eye” shape. Geologists call these eyeshaped crystals “augen- structures”, or just “augen”, which is the German word for eyes. The K-feldspar augen are produced by ductile (plastic) flow of the rocks deep in Earth’s crust during the tectonic process of mountain building. As the rocks are being pushed around, mica and quartz, two other minerals found in the gneiss, flow around

the K-feldspar crystal forming the augen structure. The shape of the eye indicates the direction the rocks were flowing, particularly if the shape is not symmetric. In this image above, the rocks are flowing from right to left, or from east to west. The inset is an illustration depicting how the feldspar augen are used to determine flow direction of the rocks.

HENDERSON GNEISS AT BALANCING ROCK - D

Large boulders of Henderson gneiss produce balancing rock, a scenic point of interest on this section of the Foothills Trail. In the wintertime, Balancing Rock affords views of Chimneytop Mountain to the southwest and Horse Mountain to the south.

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BACKYARD

BURRELL’S FORD RD TO CHEOHEE RD This section of trail follows the Chattooga River and is by far one of the most geologically rich parts of the Foothills Trail network. The Chattooga River gorge is home to spectacular exposures of rock, whitewater rapids, and waterfalls. The rocks exposed are mica schist and gneiss (tfs), and fine-crystalline, gray mica gneiss (tfg) of the Tallulah Falls formation.

Like the Poor Mountain formation, the Tallulah Falls formation was originally deposited as layers of sand, silt and clay on the Iapetus seafloor, that has been deformed by tectonic processes during the building of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The contact or boundary between the two rock units is parallel to the river and is inclined to the southeast. Once the trail departs from the Chattooga River, it crosses a series of folds in the rocks that expose the Tallulah Falls gneiss in their core.

KING CREEK FALLS - E

A half-mile spur trail near the start of this section leads to King Creek Falls, a seventyfoot waterfall cascading over an outcrop of Tallulah Falls biotite gneiss. The erosional effect of the water constantly chipping away at the underlying rock produces a series of stair-step-like ledges that are controlled by the layering in the rocks.

TALLULAH FALLS GNEISS - F

This outcrop provides one of the more stunning views along this section of trail.

Here, the Chattooga River cuts down through the Tallulah Falls Formation. The gneiss and schist tend to weather and erode at different rates, creating a series of waterfalls and rapids. Looking more closely at the rocks, one can see a variety of structures, including small-scale faults, west-verging folds, and NE-SW verging folds. These structures are a testament to the rocks’ long-lived tectonic history.

Visit Foothills Trail Conservancy at foothillstrail.org to get your copy of the guidebook or obtain trail maps.

The guidebook was produced with support from the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund.

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BACKYARD

B O O K

R E V I E W S

by SCW Editor Joey Frazier

Hunting with Beanpole

A Smoky Mountain Boyhood

Jim Mize

Jim Casada

Outdoor humorist Jim Mize recently published his third book Hunting with Beanpole is a collection of misadventures afield with his buddy, Beanpole. The book is Mize’s third and it does not disappoint. There are chuckles and belly laughs a plenty. Of Beanpole, Mize tells readers he is “the sort who manages to find the cloud in every silver lining.”

Mize has won more than seventy Excellence in Craft award, including two for his previous books, The Winter of Our Discount Tent and A Creek Trickles Through It. His stories often appear in South Carolina Wildlife as well as Gray’s Sporting Journal, Field & Stream, American Angler and many more.

You can order Hunting with Beanpole or any of his other books at: www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.

Beloved outdoor writer Jim Casada has finally penned his long awaited memoir. A Smoky Mountain Boyhood is published by the University of Tennessee Press, the book is a collection of Casada’s recollections from his time growing up in the mountains of North Carolina. There was a time when tradition meant everything, and it just so happens that time was when Casada was growing up. He covers family traditions, but also local lore specific to the Smokies or just of a particular time in the history of the region. It is a warm story told in a heartfelt fashion.

Don’t miss it.

Until his retirement in 1996, Jim Casada was a professor of history at Winthrop University. He has authored seventeen books and edited many others.

You can order his books from www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.

In Memory of Marion Burnside Chairman emeritus of the SCDNR Board of Directors

Current and former officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) express sorrow at the passing of Board Chairman Emeritus Marion Burnside, along with gratitude for his long-standing commitment to natural resources conservation and stewardship in South Carolina.

Burnside, chairman emeritus of the SCDNR board, a retired Columbia businessman, sportsman and conservationist, passed away Sunday, January 10.

“Marion Burnside was a true giant in the conservation of our state’s natural resources,” said Mike Campbell, former vice-chairman of the SCDNR Board.

“No one in recent history has had a greater impact on the preservation of our natural resources, and that impact will be felt for generations to come. He was my friend and mentor and will be greatly missed.”

“Marion Burnside devoted his life to conservation,” said current SCDNR Board Chairman Norman

Pulliam. “He advocated for sound use and management of the state’s valuable natural resources and was a long-time supporter of the Department of Natural Resources. His conservation accomplishments were many, yet he was a humble and unassuming man.”

Burnside served on SCDNR advisory committees for more than fifteen years, including two four-year terms on the SCDNR Board, serving as chairman for seven of those years. In 2018, Burnside received the Quality Deer Management Association’s (QDMA) Ambassador award for his years of dedication to the group and its mission. In 1994 Burnside was awarded The Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor given to an individual for public service by the Governor of South Carolina.

Also in 1994, Burnside received the South Carolina Environmental Awareness award, an annual award that acknowledges outstanding contributions made toward the protection, conservation and improvement of South Carolina’s natural resources.

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CAROLINA SKETCHBOOK

Carolina Jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is one of the most eye-catching vines in the Southeast, and it is the state flower of South Carolina!

This plant flourishes on fences and trees in open woodlands, roadsides and field edges. Its slender vines, with bright yellow flowers, can grow as a vine or ground cover.

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ORIGINAL ART BY ELLEN FISHBURNE

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T H E

L O N G

J O U R N E Y

H O M E

by SCW Managing Editor, Cindy Thompson The staff of South Carolina Wildlife (SCW) would like to extend our greatest appreciation to you, our magazine subscribers, for supporting the SCDNR’s flagship publication through the years. Since the first issue of SCW in 1954, editors and staff have strived to remain consistent in our mission to protect natural resources through engaging stories, inspiring nature photography and brilliant art. Over the course of its sixty-eight years in print, SCW magazine has gained a faithful following and has been honored with numerous awards. The tradition continues! The national Association of Conservation Information (ACI) awarded SCW “Overall Best Magazine” for 2018 and 2019!

With the start of a new year, our staff has new announcements and even more to celebrate! After years of planning and building, all of SCW magazine operations have finally returned home to the Palmetto State.

This endeavor involved moving every element of magazine printing and subscription services from business entities in other states to South Carolina. Our iconic SCW magazine is now completely run, from top to bottom, within the Palmetto State!

SCW staff are working in coordination with The Sourcing Group (TSG) in Columbia to provide and strengthen subscriber services. In addition, South Carolina Wildlife magazine is now printed and assembled on “home soil,” at East Coast Web Printers in West Columbia. We are very proud to have been a part of this multi-faceted transition, to “bring home” and safeguard our state’s beloved magazine for generations to come.

Our staff is working to enhance South Carolina Wildlife subscription services.

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As part of this outreach, your SCW subscription expiration date and ten-digit account number are printed on the back cover of your magazine, in the mailing address block, so that you can keep track of your subscription.

We want to make sure you do not miss an issue. To subscribe: Please call our toll free number 1-800-678-7227 Or visit our website www.scwildlife.com/subscribe Do you prefer to mail a check?

All subscribers should now be receiving colorful, new SCW invoices and reminders, with return envelopes included. (left) Subscription payment ($18 for one year or $30 for two years) should be mailed to: South Carolina Wildlife magazine PO Box 1928 Fort Mill, SC 29716.

Please feel free to email me at thompsonc@dnr. sc.gov if you have questions or suggestions.

There are many more stories yet to be told through the pages of South Carolina Wildlife magazine. Together, we’ll continue on our journey to protect natural resources for future generations and find new pathways to explore in the great outdoors.

2/5/2021 10:50:33 AM

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

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