Lakeside September October

LAKESIDE L I F E F R O M W AT E R E E T O S A N T E E

'OLD GAL'

Nearly 300-year-old tree stands tall again

G N I T N U H R E E D S N O I T A L U G E R ou y s e g n a h Major c out b a w o n k need to

WILD GAME

A natural, healthier cooking alternative

PVC PIPE ARTWORK

Retiree brings birds to life

SEPTEMBER — OCTOBER 2017

about us EDITOR Rick Carpenter rick@theitem.com COPY EDITORS Jessica Stephens jessica@theitem.com Melanie Smith melanie@theitem.com Ivy Moore ivy@theitem.com Rhonda Barrick rhonda@theitem.com COLUMNISTS Dan Geddings CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adrienne Sarvis adrienne@theitem.com Jim Hilley jim@theitem.com Bruce Mills bruce@theitem.com

Leigh Mitchell leigh@theitem.com Rosie Peavy rosie@theitem.com Jessica Stephens jessica@theitem.com Melanie Smith melanie@theitem.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com Paige Macloskie paige@theitem.com Karen Cave karen@theitem.com

In this edition of Lakeside, you'll find that a major set of changes to the state's deer hunting regulations that goes into effect at the beginning of this season will affect many of South Carolina's hunters. One of the most important changes: Hunters will need to have tags for each buck they kill in addition to those already required for antlerless deer.

On a lighter side, we think you should get to know Sheldon Etheridge, who retired to Lake Marion and spends his free time making birds out of PVC pipes. You heard right. PVC pipes. Don't believe us? Check out his beautiful artwork on page 14.

We also pay tribute to key staff member Gail Mathis, who died July 2. Gail was instrumental in launching Lakeside with former managing editor Chip Chase and was well known in Clarendon County.

If you're interested in things such as Revolutionary War rifles, woolly mammoth elephant teeth and tomahawks, be sure to check out our story on master collector Dougie

Patterson. The 74-year-old found his first arrowhead when he was 14 and has been on the hunt for new discoveries ever since.

In March, the History Channel's popular antique reality show "American Pickers" focused on Sumter's Rob Dinkins, owner and caretaker of thousands of antique items housed at the former Sumter Ice and Fuel Co. building on Commerce Street. Here, we will show you just a few of the many items he has.

In this issue, we also meet up with Viola Crutchley, a former truck driver who found soap making as a new career after a wreck that left her with permanent damage to her arms and neck.

As always, if you have interesting story ideas, shoot us an email at pressrelease@theitem.com.

LAKESIDE TEAM

LAKESIDE LIFE OUTD OORS FROM W AT E R E E T O SANTEE

on the cover A prothonotary warbler is seen at Lake Marion recently.

Photo courtesy Robert M. Robertson

'OLD GAL'

Nearly 30 0tree stands year -old tall again

DEER HUNTING REGULATIONS

WILD GA

ME A natural, he cooking alt althier ernative PVC PIPE ARTWORK

Major changes you need to know about

Retiree br ings birds to life

SEPTEMBE

R — OCTO BER

also 32 inside 46 2 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE

8 Attention deer hunters

PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Cary Howard cary@theitem.com

New laws will affect deer hunters this season

New regulations you need to know about

Ivy Moore ivy@theitem.com

from the lake

2017

On 'American Pickers'

Sumter collection featured on show

Wild game cookin'

A natural, healthier alternative

Old Gal stands tall again Couple tries to save centuries-old tree

Sumter native's finds are from land, water

Birds may fly south for the winter

Soap made by hand at Santee shop

Please don't eat the soap

34

Man creates birds in spare time

Turning PVC pipes into works of art

We pay tribute to Gail Mathis

Tribute

Master collector

Ospreys on the lake

28

42 20 18 14

what’s inside

FEATURE STORIES

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Sumter County

Make plans to attend the Sumter County Fair, which will be held from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1.

Sumter County Library’s Forrest Ray 5K will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.

Sumter Green presents The Fall Feast on Thursday, Sept. 21, at USC Sumter – Nettles Building, 200 Miller Road. From 6 to 9 p.m., you will have the opportunity to enjoy famous recipes from local cooks, restaurants and businesses. Visit www.sumtergreen. org or Facebook.com/sumtergreen.

The Sumter County Fair will be held Tuesday-Sunday, Sept. 26-Oct. 1, at the Sumter County Fairgrounds.

Visit www.sumterfair.com for details.

The USC Sumter Have Heart Charity Golf Tournament, benefiting the USC Sumter Athletics Department and the American Heart Association, will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, at Beech Creek Golf Course, 1800 Sam Gillespie Blvd. There will be an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.

Registration fee is $75 per player ($300 per team), and fee includes 18 holes of golf, cart (two per foursome), lunch, beverages and the chance to win cash prizes. Team format will be Four-Person Captain's Choice. Contact Christie Stutz at (803) 938-3892 or cstutz@uscsumter.edu.

Sumter’s annual Oktoberfest will be held from 5 to 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, on Main Street.

Sumter County Museum’s Carolina Backcountry Harvest Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St. Travel back in time to the year 1800, when you will see blacksmithing, spinning and weaving, cooking over an open fire and more. Call (803) 775-0908.

Porches of Sumter, a great event with food, music and fun in the heart of Sumter, will be held 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5. Sample food from local restaurants as you stroll

from porch to porch of participating homes in the Memorial Park area. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the door. Register at www. sumterchamber.com, or visit Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, 32 E. Calhoun St. Take the whole family and enjoy live music, farm-fresh concessions and good old farm fun at the Fall Family Farm Day at Old McCaskill’s Farm from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. Visit www. oldmccaskillfarm.com.

The Sixth-Annual GEICO Caffeine & Gasoline Car Show will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Cut Rate Soda Fountain, 32 S. Main St. Visit www.facebook. com/events/245898549111490/.

A Zombie Fest will be held from 5 to 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. For details, call (803) 775-1231 or email ypsumter@gmail.com.

Kershaw County The 2017 Dancing With the Stars, a benefit for the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Wood Auditorium. Cost is $40. Visit www. fineartscenter.org.

The 21st Annual Carolina Downhome Blues Festival will be held Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 5-7, and will take place in downtown Camden at various venues. The Carolina Downhome Blues Festival is known for its variety of blues styles from all over the world. Scheduled to appear at this year’s festival: John Primer & the Real Deal Blues Band; Vanessa Collier; Geoff Achison & the Soul Diggers; Paul DesLauriers Band; Drink Small; JW Gilmore & the Blues Authority; and so many more. For information, call (803) 425-7676 or visit www.fineartscenter.org.

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Community Calendar The Camden Community Concert Band will kick off its 2017-18 season with its annual fall concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22, at Rectory Square, 310 Rectory Square, Camden.

Dress up and come on down to the Fall Jam & Costume Contest on the Town Green from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27. Bring the kids to this free outdoor musical treat, where local bands and solo artists put their talents together for a fall music jam on the Town Green. Call (803) 4257676 or visit www.fineartscenter.org.

Orangeburg County The Bowman Harvest Festival will be held Friday-Sunday, Sept. 8-10, on Main Street in Bowman. This annual event features a beauty pageant, parade, vendors, rides, dancing, gospel singing and more. Call Melvin Felder at (803) 829-2666.

Visit historic downtown Cleveland Street in Elloree for Trash to Treasure beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9. Special sales, street vendors, food and more. There will be yard sales throughout the town during this event as well.

Visit www.elloreesc.com or call (803) 897-2821.

The 49th-annual Raylrode Daze, a three-day festival to commemorate Branchville’s railroad heritage, will be held Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24.

Branchville will celebrate the history of being the oldest railroad junction in the world with a parade, live music, a street dance, arts and crafts, a carnival and more. Call Tom Jennings at (803) 274-8831.

The Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Foundation will hold its 13th-annual Evening of Fine Wines and Foods from 7 to 10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25, in the Patrick Student Services Building on the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College campus, 3250 St. Matthew Road, Orangeburg. Tickets are $75 per person, and money raised will support student scholarships, faculty and staff professional development and projects

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The Orangeburg County Fair will be held Monday-Sunday, Oct. 2-8, at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds. Call (803) 534-0358 or visit www.orangeburgcountyfair.org.

The Town of Elloree’s annual Trunk or Treat will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Joe Miller Park. Visit www.elloreesc.com or call (803) 897-2821.

The Town of Bowman will hold its Trunk or Treat beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Town Hall. Call (803) 829-2666.

Clarendon County The 11th-Annual Charity Golf Classic, held as a fundraiser for A Second Chance Animal Shelter, will be held on Oct. 14. Call (803) 473-7075 for details.

The 15th Francis Marion/Swamp Fox Symposium will be held Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28, at the FE DuBose Campus, Central Carolina Technical College, 3351 Sumter Highway, Manning. Explore the Revolutionary War Southern Campaign with Francis Marion. Register early.

Visit www.francismarionsymposium.com.

BERKELEY COUNTY Are you interested in art? If so, you’ll want to visit the 25th-Annual Juried Art Show being held through Sept. 10 at Old Santee Canal Park, Moncks Corner. Call Mary Bell at (843) 8995200.

Join thousands of South Carolinians as they clear the beaches, rivers, lakes, marshes and swamps of aquatic debris in the annual Swamp Sweep being held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16. The group will work out of canoes in Biggin Creek and the old canal and will clean along the banks of other areas. Be sure to bring a water bottle, dip net, gloves and a picnic

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lunch to enjoy in the park after the sweep. Call Mary Bell at (843) 899-5200.

Take the family out for a movie under the stars from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Goose Creek Municipal Center. Free admission and parking. Food vendors will be on site. Call (843) 569-4242.

The Scrumptious Summerville Gala, presented by Dorchester Children’s Center supported by Children In Crisis Inc., will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, at Summerville Country Club, 400 Country Club Blvd., Summerville. Held to kick off the Scrumptious Summerville Kitchen Tour weekend, this event will offer a night of dancing, food, drinks, live music and a silent auction. Visit www.scrumptioussummerville.com.

The Dorchester Children’s Center will host the 15th-Annual Scrumptious Summerville Kitchen Tour from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1. Homes and yards will be open for touring with a chef/ restaurant in each kitchen and most yards. Homes will be decorated by local florists, and music will be provided throughout the event by local musicians.

Visit www.scrumptioussummerville.com.

October Fest in St. Stephens will be held Oct. 13-14 at Highway 52 and 45. Free to the public, the event will feature a fireman’s competition, live entertainment, vendors and rides. Call (843) 567-3597.

The Bonneau Peanut Festival will be held Friday-Saturday, Oct. 13-14, featuring live music, entertainment, a parade, rides and more. The festival will be held at the Bonneau Town Park on Highway 52. Visit the event’s Facebook page for details.

Sample authentic Italian food as well as a wide variety of imported and local Italian wines in the heart of downtown Summerville’s Hutchinson Square from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, at the 5th Annual Summerville Italian Feast.

Visit www.summervilleitalianfeast.com.

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White-tailed deer Photos courtesy of SCDNR

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DEER HUNTING REGULATIONS CHANGE Hunters will need tags for every buck killed

by ANDY WILSON Special to Lakeside

A

major set of changes to South Carolina deer hunting regulations goes into effect at the beginning of deer season this year. South Carolina’s 121st Legislative Session passed the law, and then-Gov. Nikki Haley signed it on June 8, 2016.

The most important change the law introduces is a requirement for hunters to have tags for each buck they kill in addition to those already required for antlerless deer.

According to the text of the new law, a resident who purchases or holds a license or big-game permit receives three buck tags and eight antlerless deer tags without additional fees. Each antlerless tag is designated for a specific doe day.

Residents can purchase two additional DUKES buck tags for $5 apiece, with the added restriction that deer taken with these tags must have a minimum inside spread of 12 inches or at least four points on one side.

Tags will no longer be available over the counter at stores but only at South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offices and by phone request, (866) 714-3611, or online, http://dnr.sc.gov/purchase.html.

Thomas Dukes, a farmer who hunts deer on his 1,100 acres in Orangeburg County, isn’t thrilled about some elements of the new law.

“As a landowner, I’m not in favor of having to pay for any tags because I’m paying a lot otherwise,” he said.

But the idea for the rule change originally came from hunters, who wanted to see enforceable buck limits,

according to Jay Cantrell, South Carolina DNR wildlife biologist and assistant Big Game Program coordinator.

He said that the process had been in discussion for about a dozen years and had gone through numerous public meetings before it finally made it to the General Assembly.

In South Carolina, most changes to hunting regulations have to come through the Legislature, though DNR has some authority to fine tune the application of specific laws and make rules at a detailed level.

Cantrell observed that because it had to go through the state House of Representatives, the bill took a number of years and ended up somewhat more complicated than DNR would have liked.

“It was a major accomplishment and a major change to get from an unenforceable limit or no limit,” Cantrell said.

He said the tagging system introduced by the new law is a common method of deer management in the Southeast.

Before the new law, there was no legal limit on bucks in game zones 3 and 4, South Carolina’s largest game zones, so DNR officials previously had no grounds to curb overharvesting there. And without a tagging or reporting system in place, the five-buck limits in game zones 1 and 2 were practically unenforceable anyway, Cantrell said.

The problem the law addresses is a small number of hunters killing a disproportionate number of bucks.

Cantrell estimated 7 percent of hunters have been taking more than 30 percent of bucks harvested in the state each year.

The new law will provide officials with a tool to crack down on these unsustainable hunting practices and ensure a more equal allocation of resources.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 9

Sample of a 2017 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources restricted antlered deer tag “severe or persistent damage occurs.”

Charles Ruth, the Big Game Program Dukes said some farmers are shooting coordinator for DNR, told The Aiken Standard last July that South Carolina’s deer indiscriminately and often leaving their bodies to rot. deer population had declined by 30 “That’s taking out a lot of good deer percent from its peak in the 1990s.

Dukes, the Orangeburg County during the summertime before the hunter, has witnessed firsthand the summer starts,” he said.

He was also adamant about the decline of South Carolina’s deer negative effect coyotes have on the deer population. He lets friends hunt on his land and says altogether they would population.

“We need a bounty on coyotes,” Dukes kill about 12 each year. That number said. “Coyotes are the problem.” dropped to six in the 2015 season and The data shows a more nuanced only one last year. reality. A recent three-year DNR study He said he thinks two major drivers of the decline not addressed by the new law assessing the impact of coyotes on fawn mortality found that coyotes are the overuse of depredation permits are responsible for 80 percent of fawn to protect crops from deer and coyotes killing deer fawns. mortality, but trapping or killing coyotes was costly and resulted in only modest According to the National Wildlife improvements in fawn survival. The Control Training Program website, study recommended improved deer farmers can apply to DNR for the as a more effective solution. permits kill deer out of season if 4:37 PM management LSJuly17-to 020-0720.qxp_Layout 1 7/21/17 Page 1

Still, Dukes is glad something is being done about hunters who kill more deer than necessary.

“There are people who just see how many deer they can kill,” he said.

Cantrell said the new law will help change hunter behavior, but he expects strong enforcement will be necessary to bring into line the portion of hunters who don’t comply.

He said he hopes the law will cause the average age of bucks that hunters shoot in South Carolina to rise. To determine the effect of the law, DNR is starting a program to work with deer processors throughout the state to gather data on the topic from deer jawbones, sex, weight and antler characteristics.

Cantrell is optimistic the age of harvested bucks will go up but projected it will take a few years to gauge the impact.

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SCDNR deer tagging Q&A South Carolina Department of Natural Resources compiled the following questions and answers regarding the 2017 deer tag changes.

I am a resident hunter.

How will I get my tags?

If you are a resident of S.C. and you purchase a Hunting License and Big Game Permit or if you have an active Hunting License and Big Game Permit that will be valid when deer season begins, you will automatically receive a base set of deer tags at no cost prior to deer season or seven to 10 days after you purchase the Hunting License and Big Game Permit if deer season has already started. That base set of tags includes: three unrestricted antlered buck tags and eight date-specific antlerless deer tags. Each antlerless tag is only valid on one specific day and cannot be used on any other day (similar to past “doe days”).

I have a Lifetime License.

Will I automatically get a set of deer tags?

No. Lifetime Licensees will

have to request their base set of free tags annually.

Tags may be requested after July 1 by phone at 1-866-7143611 or online at: http://dnr. sc.gov/purchase.html. Tags will not be mailed until early August.

Tags will also be available over the counter after Aug. 1 at DNR offices in Charleston, Clemson, Columbia (downtown and Farmers Market), Florence and York.

The reason you have to request the tags is it would be wasteful to send all Lifetime License holders a set of tags because many of them are not deer hunters.

There are more than 200,000 of these license holders, and it costs about $1 to issue a set of tags. (Note: Lifetime License holders who now live out of state should contact DNR directly at (803) 734-3833 to request their base set of tags).

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I have a Senior License (or Gratis License or Disability License). Will I automatically get a set of deer tags?

No. Senior, Gratis and Disability License holders will have to request their base set of free tags annually. Tags may be requested after July 1 by phone at (866) 714-3611 or online at http://dnr. sc.gov/purchase.html.

Tags will not be mailed until early August. Tags will also be available over the counter after Aug. 1 at DNR offices in Charleston, Clemson, Columbia (downtown and Farmers Market), Florence and York.

The reason you have to request the tags is it would be wasteful to send all of these license holders a set of tags because many of them are not deer hunters. There are more than 200,000 of these license holders, and it costs about $1 to issue a set of tags.

Are youth hunters required to have tags?

Yes. Youth hunters, regardless of age, will have to have deer tags to legally hunt. Youth can receive a free base set of tags by request. If you are an adult requesting tags for a youth, make sure you have the youth’s contact information, date of birth and Social Security Number. The youth will be given a customer ID for future use.

Tags may be requested after July 1 by phone at (866) 714-3611 or online at: http://dnr. sc.gov/purchase.html. Tags will not be mailed until early August. Tags will also be available over the counter after Aug. 1 at DNR offices in Charleston, Clemson, Columbia (downtown and Farmers Market), Florence and York.

Are non-resident youth required to have tags?

Yes. Non-resident youth will receive a base set of tags for free by request just like resident youth. They may also purchase one antler

restriction buck tag ($50) and up to four individual antlerless tags ($10 each).

What is included in the base set of tags?

That base set of tags includes: three unrestricted antlered buck tags and eight date-specific antlerless deer tags. Each antlerless tag is only valid on one specific day and cannot be used on any other day (similar to past “doe days”).

Can I buy my tags at Walmart?

No. Deer tags will not be available over the counter at point-of-sale vendors (Walmart, Cabelas, Dick’s Sporting Goods, local hunting stores or hardware stores, etc.). They will be available over the counter after Aug. 1 at DNR offices in Charleston, Clemson, Columbia (downtown and Farmers Market), Florence and York. Tags may be requested after July 1 by phone at (866) 714-3611 or online at: http://dnr.sc.gov/purchase.html.

I live in South Carolina.

How many optional tags can I buy?

Residents including youth hunters and Lifetime/Senior/Disability license holders may purchase two additional antler restriction buck tags for $5 each. The restriction is the buck must have four points on one antler or a minimum 12-inch inside spread. You may also purchase up to four individual antlerless tags for $5 each just like in the past. Tags are valid on any day beginning Sept. 15 in Game Zones 2, 3 and 4 and Oct. 1 in Game Zone 1 until the end of the deer hunting season.

I’m a non-resident hunter. Do I get the free tags, and how many tags can I buy?

Non-resident adults receive no free tags with the purchase of their Hunting License & Big Game Permit and must also purchase

deer tags in order to deer hunt. Non-residents can purchase up to four antlered buck tags (two unrestricted antlered buck tags and two antler restriction buck tags, four points on one antler or a minimum 12-inch inside spread).

The cost is: $50 for first antlered buck tag, $20 for each additional ($110 for all four).

After the purchase of an unrestricted buck tag, there is no particular order in which the buck tags must be purchased or used. You may also purchase up to four individual antlerless tags as in the past. Tags are valid on any day beginning Sept. 15. Cost for non-resident antlerless tags is now $10 each.

What is considered an antlerless deer?

Isn’t that just a doe?

Not necessarily. In S.C., there are some bucks that are legally considered antlerless deer. An antlerless deer is defined as a deer with no antlers or a deer with less than 2 inches of visible antler above the hairline and would be tagged with an antlerless deer tag (this includes does, button bucks and small spike antlered males with antlers of less than 2 inches). A deer with two or more inches of antler is considered an antlered deer and would be tagged with an antlered deer tag (buck tag).

How will tags work with dog drives?

Whoever kills the deer should tag it with his or her personal tag or, if the property is in the quota program, one of the tags issued to the property should be used to tag the deer. This is no different than it has always been.

We split up the meat at our hunt club after the dog drive. What do we do about the tag?

A deer only has to be tagged from the point

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of kill until it is processed and cut up. That means once you start cutting it into quarters or parts or boning it out and it’s no longer a whole carcass or skinned carcass, the tagging requirement goes away. At that point, it is meat and no longer a deer carcass and does not need a tag.

I process my own deer at home.

When can I remove a tag?

A deer only has to be tagged from the point of kill until it is processed and cut up.

That means that it needs to be tagged in the field where you harvest it and remain tagged during transport and if it is being hung whole in a cooler (hide on or skinned and gutted).

Once you start cutting it into quarters or parts or boning it out and it’s no longer a whole carcass or skinned carcass, the tagging requirement goes away. At that point, it is meat and no longer a deer carcass and does not need a tag.

I take my deer to a processor but, to save money, I skin and gut it myself and take it to the processor in a cooler already quartered or boned out. Does it need to be tagged?

A deer only has to be tagged from the point of kill until it is processed and cut up. That means that it needs to be tagged in the field where you harvest it and remain tagged during transport and if it is being hung whole in a cooler (hide on or skinned and gutted). Once you start cutting it into quarters or parts or boning it out and it’s no longer a whole skinned carcass, the tagging requirement goes away.

At that point, it is meat and no longer a deer carcass and does not need a tag. However, if you are transporting those parts to a processor, it would probably be a good idea, even

though it’s not required, to have the tag(s) with the meat. It will make the processor feel better and may save you some time and questions if you encounter a law enforcement officer along the way.

take untagged deer because taking possession of an illegal deer is a violation. Those who choose not to tag their deer are at risk of being caught from the time they move the deer from the location of harvest until they get it home and processed. That risk is significant with a fine that can reach $1,080. Someone who chooses to take that risk is surely not going to stop at a check station.

Do I have to buy all of my tags at the same time?

No. You can buy tags at different times during the season. You can buy them one at a time if you wish. The system will keep track of what you have already purchased and which privileges you still have remaining to purchase.

I hunt on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA land). How does this affect me?

All deer must be tagged, including deer taken on WMAs. The statewide WMA bag limit for all seasons and methods combined is five deer (only two of those five can be antlered or buck deer). This is the same statewide WMA limit that has been in place for several years. If you are hunting on a WMA lottery hunt, SCDNR staff will provide tags for harvested deer. Otherwise, you have to utilize your personal deer tags when hunting WMA land.

How will this be enforced if deer don’t have to be taken to check stations?

Check stations are not a primary enforcement tool. They are simply a way to collect information regarding how many deer are harvested, where they are harvested and some basic biological data. The primary enforcement tool under the new system is the requirement to tag all deer. If someone chooses to take the risk of not tagging a deer, he or she is in jeopardy of being seen by a DNR officer, another law enforcement agency or being reported by another hunter. Also, deer processors will not

I’m a bow hunter and, in the past, have been able to take antlerless deer any day without tagging during archery and primitive weapons seasons. What about now?

All harvested deer must be tagged regardless of the weapon. However, there was an effort made as part of the new tagging approach to afford archers opportunities similar to the past. Starting Sept. 15, during any archery-only or primitive-weapons season in Game Zones 1 and 2, or on any WMA statewide during an archery-only or primitive weapons-only season, you can take an antlerless deer on any day as long as it is tagged. You can accomplish this two ways.

The free date-specific antlerless tags that residents receive are dual-purpose tags and have a section that you will fill out if used for archery during those seasons. You can use any of these date-specific tags that come with your Big Game Permit with the understanding that you would have to properly validate the tag for this special "archery" use, and it would no longer be available for use on the actual day it was intended to be used.

Or you could use one of the optional individual antlerless tags that most buy. Either way or any combination of ways will work as long as all deer are tagged.

— Courtesy SCDNR

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 13

TRANSFORMING PVC PIPE TO VISIONS OF BIRDS story and photos by CAITLAN WALZER Special to Lakeside

F

inding a hobby after retirement is something many individuals struggle with. But Sheldon Etheridge, 71, said his retirement from 40 years with the Berkeley County school district gave him the chance to pack up and move to Lake Marion for endless water fun.

While working for the school district, Etheridge would spend his spare time building houses, and once he moved to the lake, he knew his extra time would be dedicated to doing something a little less strenuous but just as venturesome.

Etheridge discovered that his favorite leisure as a retired man is to spend time in his “man cave” creating pieces of artwork out of PVC pipe.

“It all started when I walked into a gift shop at the Chesapeake Bridge many years ago, and I saw beautiful birds

Sheldon Etheridge's favorite leisure activity as a retired man is to spend time in his “man cave” creating pieces of artwork out of PVC pipe. made from PVC pipe,” Etheridge said. “I took a picture and thought, ‘I could do that,’ and so the new challenge began, and I’ve been making them ever since.”

For about six years, Etheridge has

dedicated his time and efforts to making birds out of PVC pipe. He said that to make the birds, it usually takes him a full day or two, depending on the size and number of birds he is making.

Etheridge said he likes to make several kinds of birds ranging from ducks and hummingbirds to his favorite, a shore bird.

To make the birds come to life, Etheridge uses the Fibonacci series, a mathematic sequence used to make things visually appealing to the eye.

The first step in the process, Etheridge said, is to start by sketching the ideas on paper. From the drawing board, he takes his designs and then draws them onto a long piece of freezer paper.

He then traces the pattern onto a transparent stencil sheet that he cuts into the shape of the drawing.

He then places the newly cut stencil sheet onto the PVC pipe, tapes it down and cuts the PVC pipe using a saber saw.

Once the pipe is cut, Etheridge applies

For about six years, Etheridge has dedicated his time and efforts to making birds out of PVC pipe.

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a heat gun to bend the PVC pipe into the shape of the bird.

After bending the pipe and creating the bird he envisioned, Etheridge puts the final touches on his masterpiece and paints the bird using several different color patterns.

Whether it be blues and yellows, oranges and pinks or even Clemson and Carolina colors.

“When you live in a state with such rivalry,” Etheridge said, “it’s fun to paint the birds with Clemson and Carolina colors, too.”

Etheridge said his wife is very supportive of his work, and she loves to help him come up with new ideas and birds to create.

“My wife has her honey-do list and finds pictures on the internet and asks me to make them,” Etheridge said.

He said that when making a new bird for the first time, he scraps the first bird and has to try several times before getting a bird like he envisioned. The reason, Etheridge said, is because making the birds takes practice.

“Even though I’ve been making them for so long, I wouldn’t say that I’ve mastered the art,” Etheridge said.

However, he said with practice, he gets better each time and finds new ways to work with them.

“I really like to make the birds with props to sit on coffee tables, ones that go in the yard, ones that will sway in the wind and even incorporate them and make bird feeders,” Etheridge said.

While he doesn’t usually sell his work, Etheridge explained that he does like to donate the PVC birds to charities or benefits. For more information on the PVC birds and how to purchase them, call Etheridge at (843) 779-9280.

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The first step in the process, Etheridge said, is to start by sketching the ideas on paper.

3478 Alex Harvin Hwy. Manning, SC 803-249-1077 www.raystractors.com SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 17

Lakeside loses key staff member

by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

O

steen Publishing Co. lost a longtime advertising representative, Gail Mathis, who died in her sleep on July 2.

Mathis was instrumental in launching Lakeside magazine when she and former managing editor Chip Chase took the idea to editor and publisher Jack Osteen in 2006.

She also served as the advertising manager for The Sumter Item and The Clarendon Sun in Clarendon County and was very active in community events.

“The Sumter Item family was devastated to learn of the passing of Gail Mathis,” Osteen said. “Gail was the finest Clarendon County ambassador this company could ever have. She is irreplaceable. For more than 30 years, she worked as hard as anyone I know.”

Chase, who now serves as director of public relations for FTC, said anyone who was around Gail for any period of time realized she loved three things: her family, Clarendon and The Sumter Item.

“Jimmy (Gail’s husband) told me she

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was his rock, and I would venture to say that she was the rock of their whole family,” Chase said. “She worked just as hard at being a wife and mother to (their sons) Jamie and Chris and their wives and kids.

“For The Item, she took so much pride in being recognized as its representative in the community, and you could just tell she loved her hometown and the people who make it special. She was just a joy to be around."

Similar comments came in from advertisers with whom she had a working relationship.

Sharron Haley, who managed Weldon Auditorium in Manning, said Gail was a true friend who listened and never judged.

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did agree to respect each other’s opinion,” Haley said. “We challenged each other, and because of her and our steadfast friendship, I’m a better person today.”

Lucy Comstock, owner of Manning Feed Mill, summarized what many people expressed.

“Gail was a lovely lady and will truly be missed,” she said.

We trust you will help us continue to move forward with Gail Mathis’ dream for this publication.

Chase said the vision for the magazine articles ranged “from wildlife to business, rock fish to rock collecting, from where to go gator hunting to where to go to purchase a home.”

Please help us continue Gail’s legacy. If you have ideas for unique stories, send an email to pressrelease@theitem.com.

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Master collector

Sumter native’s finds are from land, water

H Dougie Patterson is quite possibly the biggest active collector of fossils and artifacts in Sumter County.

story and photos by BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com

e’s a collector of all things — from antique spinning wheels, Revolutionary War rifles and cannonballs to artifacts such as arrowheads, tomahawks and fossilized teeth. His collection of megalodon shark teeth, woolly mammoth elephant teeth, ancient horse teeth and alligator and other animals’ teeth is too many to count.

He’s Dougie Patterson, and he’s quite possibly the biggest active collector of fossils and

artifacts in Sumter County.

The 74-year-old Patterson got his start 60 years ago in the mid-1950s when he was 14 with his first arrowhead find in Bennettsville, near the Pee Dee River.

He said in the 1960s, he was “lucky” in his arrowhead discoveries with the construction of Interstate 95 and its associated exit ramps built through Sumter and Clarendon counties.

Patterson said that dig process unearthed hundreds of thousands of arrowheads

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His 25-year career with Sumter Fire Department allowed him to extend his discoveries from land to water. He conducted rescue dives with the department and was able to hold onto his gear and equipment after he retired.

He still dives today and said his fossilized teeth finds (as deep as 60 feet) are from the Cooper River in the Lowcountry.

His research shows the megalodon shark teeth he has found are from millions of years ago when the entire region and coastal counties up to Columbia were underwater. Some of the shark teeth in his collection measure up to 6 inches long.

Studies suggest this giant shark reached a length of 60 feet, Patterson said. He said the shark’s mouth was up to 9 feet wide from corner to corner.

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Clarendon County Museum in Manning, Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner and Strong Arms Gun Shop on Broad Street Extension in Sumter. He keeps his most valuable display items at these locations. He had a display at Sumter County Museum as well.

He has spoken through the years to various groups on his finds, including Sumter County Genealogical Society, various nursing homes and the local public schools.

As any good collector should, Patterson estimates he has about 1,000 research reference books in his Sumter home (also known as “The Man Cave”) to study up on his collectibles. Most of those books were purchased “pre-Google” and before the internet.

“I have read them 10 times each,” Patterson said on his reference books.

Today he uses a laptop and the web to conduct other research.

A lover of all animals, back in the early 2000s, he said he had at his home 52 cats, 26 dogs and a 10-foot alligator in the pond in his backyard. Today, he just has nine dogs.

Patterson said his most valuable find was a Clovis Point arrowhead that was at least 10,000 years old. He sold it last year.

He said people have been most interested through the years with his elephant teeth finds from the Cooper River. He estimates those are about 10,000 years old. Also from his dives, he

has an English onion rum bottle that he thinks dates back to 1650. He also has South Carolina alcohol dispensary bottles dated as far back as 1890 and the days of Prohibition.

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Photo by: Konstantin Vengerowsky, The Sumter Item

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Abund

may fly

story by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com photos courtesy of ROBERT M. ROBERTSON 28 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE

dant ospreys

y south for winter

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 29

Osprey in flight on Lake Marion

O

spreys, sometimes called fish hawks or fish eagles, are aquatic birds that can be found all over the world.

According to researchers at Avian Conservation Center in Charleston, the name osprey could come from two sources: the Medieval Latin word avis prede, meaning "bird of prey," or the Latin word ossifragus, meaning "bone breaker.”

Some ospreys are classified as "long-distance migrants," spending summers in North America and winters in South America, according to ACC. Researchers said one osprey was tracked on a 13-day journey from Martha's Vineyard to French Guiana, a 2,700-mile trip.

Amy Tegeler, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources bird conservation coordinator, said ospreys

usually return to the state in the early spring to form pair bonds before breeding.

She said the birds usually lay about three eggs each mating season. And while ospreys are protective of their nests, they sometimes roost in the same areas, Tegeler said.

Researchers at ACC said ospreys are “asynchronous hatchers," meaning that the first egg will hatch about five days before the last egg, so the oldest chick

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is typically larger and can dominate in times of food scarcity.

According to ACC, most ospreys fledge, or learn to fly, between 44 and 59 days old and are independent soon thereafter. They are full grown at that point but do not reach maturity to mate until 2 to 5 years old.

Most ospreys only live a few years, while the oldest osprey on record lived for more than 25 years in the wild, said researchers at ACC. Living near or on the water, ospreys' diet consists of fish, and the birds even have barbed pads on their feet that allow them to better grip their catches.

Avian Conservation Center also houses the Avian Medical Clinic, which rehabilitates injured birds.

As can be expected, ospreys are often victims of entanglement from debris left in marine habitats, said Kara Bale, administrative and marketing communications manager for ACC. Items such as discarded fishing line can be especially dangerous as it can easily get wrapped around the talons of a bird, making it impossible for them to hunt, she said.

“When you are on or around the water, please be proactive, and pick up garbage whenever you see it,” Bale said.

She urges fishermen especially to not cut fishing lines on the water because every piece of marine debris is a potential hazard for

Amy Tegeler, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources bird conservation coordinator, said ospreys usually return to the state in the early spring to form pair bonds before breeding.

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Traveling the Old River Road story by DAN GEDDINGS Outdoor Columnist

D

ust caked their noses and coated the uniforms of the soldiers as they marched in the blistering hot sun of the Old South. Rains turned the gentle creeks into raging torrents, and the red clay mud caused men and horses to slip and slide in the wagon ruts. It was the main road up from Nelson’s Ferry on the Santee to the South Carolina Backcountry and the only major inland city – Camden.

It was the River Road. Miles and miles of white sandy stretches of wagon road, through the flatwoods of virgin longleaf pine forest.

Tributaries that crossed the road to the Santee became known by common names - such as Jack’s Creek,

River Road Richardson’s Branch and Halfway Swamp. There were panthers, bears and wolves in the woods.

Big plantations were established along the road, such as the Richardsons’ Big Home Plantation, Millford and Melrose.

Gen. Francis Marion and

Together We Can Make Fall Fabulous

his militia raced up and down the road hotly pursued by the British Col. Banastre Tarleton. Gen. Thomas Sumter and Gen. Nathaniel Green used the River Road, as did British Gen. Charles Cornwallis and their respective armies. Those men trod in the dirt that is mostly still there today.

Later, the armies of the Civil War used the River Road.

Those soldiers marched, fought, sat in the shade by the roadside and dreamed of home. The Old River Road is certainly steeped in history.

It’s no longer bordered by virgin forest but remains mostly rural and undeveloped.

Today, large sections of the road are paved over. In Clarendon County, the longest stretch runs from Belser Road near Summerton to Rimini. This section is paved but is closed to thru traffic

at Hickory Top Landing Road. The bridge at Halfway Swamp was damaged in the October 2015 flood and has not been repaired. There are many private duck hunting impoundments up and down this section of road.

Local traffic can use the road from Hickory Top to Halfway Swamp. Two miles north from Hickory Top Road is Richardson Cemetery.

There are four South Carolina governors buried here. One was the founder of The Citadel. The cadets maintain the grounds of the cemetery to this day.

The South Carolina Waterfowl Association Wildlife Education Center is just .10 of a mile past the graveyard. Camp Woodie and Camp Leopold are on the grounds here. The SCWA has flourished under the vision and leadership of David

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to Millford Plantation. It is Wielicki and his professional staff. a grand private residence, Take the and tours are road back, and available at a detour will certain times. lead to Rimini.

Union Gen. Backtrack Edward Potter to Halfway spared this house Swamp, where from destruction a historical at the end of the marker gives Civil War. the details of a A half mile most unusual down the River encounter that Road past happened here Millford is a between the most unusual Swamp Fox geological and the British formation at during the Fuller’s earth is an Fuller’s Earth Revolutionary Creek. The road absorbent clay mined for War. here has been This Sumter Oil-Dri and cat litter. cut down into the County banks of the land section of the and has exposed River Road is paved and starts the earth beneath.

At first at Pack’s Landing Road in glance, it looks like rock or Rimini. A side trip to Pack’s reveals a large parking lot, shale in the banks, but get out fishing piers and boat ramps. and look closer. It is Fuller’s Upper Lake Marion beckons. earth, an unusually absorbent Back on the River Road, clay. Fuller’s earth is mined for small farms and country Oil-Dri and cat litter. houses line the road. A mile Piney woods border the and a half up from Rimini is sandy road ahead with an the entrance to the Pinewood occasional outparcel for a Site, known to locals as GSX house or small rural church. or Laidlaw. It is a closed Deer tracks mark the sandy hazardous waste landfill, ruts. Tavern Creek crosses the monitored now by the South road headed to the river and Carolina Department of Health the wide flood plain. Five miles and Environmental Control. It from the end of the pavement sits on a bluff just above Lake at Mill Creek, the road finds Marion. pavement again at the entrance A little more than a mile to Poinsett State Park. on up the road is a wide dirt Follow the pavement to the road on the left that leads to right for .40 of a mile, and the Sparkleberry Landing. It is a paved road curves away. The hunting, fishing and boating dirt road straight ahead is the wonderland.

River Road.

This dirt section Just ahead is Manchester crosses the State Forestry State Forest and Fulton’s Headquarters road and the Crossroad. Turn left here to old Wilmington/Manchester stay on the River Road. In a railroad bed. The railroad, mile, the pavement ends, and Mill Creek Park is to the right. built in 1845, was the first The dirt section that goes in Sumter County. It was straight away from the end of abandoned after the Civil War. the pavement is the original Just ahead on the left is the road, largely unchanged since Melrose Plantation Road. colonial times. It looks closed Up ahead is pavement and in and unused, but don’t let Highway 261. Above here, the that stop you – it is the best road is known as the King’s part.

Highway as it rolls through the One mile and two-tenths High Hills of the Santee. down the road is the entrance SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 33

Please don’t eat the soap It smells so good, people think it's edible story and photos by IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

I

t's highly unlikely Viola Crutchley will ever run out of soap. She can make 1,000 bars a day in a variety of scents, all with ingredients that are healthy for the skin. While she sells most of them, Crutchley tries to keep an ample supply for herself and her family.

When she's not at festivals or crafts fairs, the proprietor of The Garden Soapery is busy in her 500-square-foot shop in Santee, making not just her natural soaps, but other products as well. In the two years since she started making soaps, Crutchley's business has expanded, and her products can be found in both of the Carolinas. Often, she's there with them.

Crutchley, a former truck driver,

found soap making as a new career after a wreck that left her with permanent damage to her arms and neck. She has help with the heavy lifting from her partner, Art Pierson, a woodworker who makes "soap decks" — slotted wooden soap holders — and other products, as well as some soap.

And it's soap that Crutchley fell in love with.

"I read books for six months before I started making soap," she said. Cocoa butter is one of her favorite ingredients.

"I love cocoa butter,” she said. “I start with 55 pounds, and every batch of soap I make has 2 pounds of cocoa butter in it. It's good for all skin types."

She also makes some soaps with coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, shea butter, coffee butter, palm oil and several other "skin-loving ingredients."

"I use organic, sustainable materials as much as possible," much of it

locally sourced, such as the goat's milk from a nearby dairy that's in some products.

It takes Crutchley about 90 minutes to 24 hours to make her soap — as many as 21 "loaves" that yield about 1,000 bars.

Then they have to cure before being packaged for sale.

"They're all made by hand," she said.

"There's nothing industrial about it."

She adds the fragrances, colors and designs by hand to her dozens of

When she's not at festivals or crafts fairs, the proprietor of The Garden Soapery is busy in her 500-square-foot shop in Santee, making not just her natural soaps, but other products, as well. In the two years since she started making soaps, Viola Crutchley's business has expanded, and her products can be found in both of the Carolinas.

34 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE

products and notes that every one looks different because of the process.

As for the scents, although Crutchley formulates them herself, and there are dozens, she admits, "I'm not a fragrance person. Art is very involved in what we're doing.

He comes up with different ideas for fragrances. It's his fault we have so many scents."

She laughed. "They smell so good, we have to tell people 'please don't eat the soap.'"

The Garden Soapery offers not just soaps, but also lotions, sugar scrubs, bathtub teas, bath salts, even laundry soap and several other products.

"They're all as natural as we can make them," Crutchley said. "I'm working on a shampoo now."

With a growing list of regular customers — one gave up her body wash for Crutchley's soap — she's taking her products to shows regularly and constantly looking for new ones to go to.

She'll have her Garden Soapery display at Greek Festivals in Columbia and Spartanburg in September, at the Sumter County Fair the last week of September and at the Silver Bells Arts and Crafts Show in Sumter in November.

Permanent S.C. locations include Poinsett State Park near Wedgefield, Palmetto Peddlers on Hoffmeyer Road in Florence, Five Rivers Market on Chestnut Street in Orangeburg and Antiques Etc. on Cleveland Street in Elloree.

"People are constantly asking me, 'Do you have a store?'" Crutchley said.

"We're opening at a new location in June — Meeting and Gervais streets in Columbia."

If you can't see Crutchley at a festival or fair, or one of her permanent locations, you can see her products, find out more about them and place an order at her website, thegardensoapery.com.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 35

on the lake

SUBMITTED BY HEATHER BROCKINGTON

SUBMITTED BY JEFFREY BYER

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Picture yourself in Lakeside?

36 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE

SUBMITTED BY GREGORY KRAFT

SUBMITTED BY JEFFREY BYER

SUBMITTED BY HEATHER BROCKINGTON

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Please submit photos to cary@theitem.com. Deadline for submissions for the next edition is Oct. 12.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 37

‘American Pickers’ feat story by IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

photos by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

W

hen the new season of the History channel's popular antique reality show, "American Pickers," debuted on May 15, stars Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz were shown exploring a huge antique collection in Sumter.

The country's most famous "pickers" visited the former Sumter Ice and Fuel Co. building on Commerce Street and spent several hours with Rob Dinkins, who's the owner and caretaker of thousands of antique items.

Three days after the pickers’ visit, Dinkins led a much shorter tour of the building packed with everything from toys to furniture, memorabilia, advertising and more as he talked about his experience with "American Pickers."

Dinkins said he and his siblings grew up with antiques, as his mother and stepfather, Nancy and T.J. Player, were dealers for many years. He estimates the collection in the SIFCO building to have been accumulated over more than

38 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE

The former Sumter Ice and Fuel Co. building on Commerce Street was showcased on the History channel's popular antique reality show "American Pickers." Rob Dinkins, the owner and caretaker of thousands of antique items, was also featured on the season debut on May 15.

50 years. It’s in huge piles, from oldest to latest, much like an archaeological dig.

Some of it will make baby boomers nostalgic, some is much older, and surprises show up everywhere.

Perhaps for that reason, the “American Pickers” episode was titled "Tunnels and Treasures."

For many years, he said, his parents owned and operated Why Not Antiques at 202 Broad St. in Sumter and set up shop at flea markets and antique shows on the weekends.

Although he holds a

weekly auction, mostly for antique dealers, Dinkins said he has "no desire to keep all this," gesturing to the huge rooms piled high with antiques and collectibles.

"It's been sitting here for eight years."

So he was happy when Wolfe and Fritz, better known as Mike and Frank, decided to come picking.

It all started in October 2016, when Dinkins got an email from "American Pickers" producers.

"They asked me to send pictures," he said, "and then a scout came down to check things out."

They all liked what they saw, so "in December, they came down to film."

Dinkins said Mike and Frank "are just like they are on TV, and the show's real — we negotiated. The deals are all real."

In addition, he said, "They were very fair."

While Mike was interested in toys and advertising signage, including neon signs and clocks, Frank really liked antique display cases, he said.

tures Sumter collection

The way it worked, Dinkins said, was, "Most times, when they wanted something, they made me an offer. I've been around the antique business my whole life, so I know a good piece when I see it. They didn't try to low ball me. If the offer was good, I'd take it.

There was some negotiating, though."

The pickers bought about 30 pieces, Dinkins said, "and they only touched the surface. Boxes were piled about five high."

As for what they found and what they bought, he said, "They asked me to keep it

under wraps until the show aired."

Dinkins looked around the rooms, still full of mixed categories of antiques.

"You've got to really love this," he said. "It doesn't pay the bills.

"You have to be a true antique dealer. You don't have those around here anymore. My mom and T.J. were antique dealers."

Since the American Pickers’ program first aired, Dinkins has been working hard to move his parents’ collection to his own auction barn on U.S. 378 East. Once he realized it would take

more than one auction to sell the collection, he settled on a plan to have four, each on the first Saturday of the month, August through November.

He hopes to sell most, if not all, of the stored items, the full estate.

“When I get this done,” Dinkins said, “I’ll really understand completely how this is. It’s my estate; I know both sides now. It’s kind of bittersweet, but I realize I can’t keep this stuff forever.

“I will keep a few pieces that have personal meaning.”

For full details, visit Rob Dinkins’ website dinkinsauctions.com.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 39

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Local residents buy, reopen

Players Course at Wyboo story by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

L

ess than three years after the owner shuttered the Players Course at Wyboo, a group of local residents have formed a company to buy the golf course and open it by Oct. 1.

Thirty-four families, most of whom live in the Wyboo Plantation development or Manning area, purchased shares of ownership in The Players Course at Wyboo LLC and bought the Ernie Wallace-designed course, according to Jeannie Neal, secretary of the LLC board.

The group finalized the deal in March and has been working to restore the course after more than two years of neglect.

In a statement by Ron Ecker, one of five management team members, he said volunteers have worked to spruce it up by picking up debris, mowing grass on the fairways and roughs, trimming trees, clearing weeds around ponds and renovating the club house.

Ecker said a contractor has stripped and sanded all of the greens and CLARK sprigged the greens, which involved planting stems and roots in spaces that will eventually grow together. The contractor began sprigging on July 10, and the greens are expected to grow for eight weeks before they are completely grown and ready for play, according to Ecker's statement.

At the same time, another contractor

LAKESIDE

is restoring and replacing parts of the irrigation system, which had numerous leaks and breaks.

Once completed, the forward tee boxes will have a course length of 5,000 yards, while the back tees will have 6,969 yards.

The management team has hired Grayson Clark as the course superintendent. He has been a senior assistant superintendent at The Cliffs Club at Mountain Park in Marietta.

The Players Course at Wyboo will waive initiation fees for the first two months and will then begin charging a $1,000 initiation fee. Green fees will range from $20 to $40 with carts depending on seasons.

The Players Course at Wyboo is about 10 miles south of Manning off S.C. 260 South on Players Course Drive.

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‘Old Gal’ stands tall again story by IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com photos courtesy KIM DAULT

K

im Dault believes in love at first sight — and love that lasts, at that.

The object of her affection? A nearly 300-yearold pecan tree in the front yard of the home near Summerton, where she and her husband, Scott, have lived for about 20 years.

Kim said she felt an immediate affinity for the tree.

"I always said we bought the tree, and the house came with it," she said.

"When we went to look at the house for the first time, I got there before Scott and the Realtor. I parked under the tree and immediately felt like I'd come home."

Scott said when he drove up and saw Kim under the tree, he had the same feeling.

Twenty years of shade and lots of pecans only bolstered her connection to the tree, Kim said.

"Once we moved in, I started calling her 'Old Gal,'" she said. "Whenever I'd go outside and walk past her, I'd pat her trunk and talk to her: 'As old as you are, Old Gal, I wonder what you saw happen here.' ...

RIGHT: In March of this year, Old Gal was righted and her roots were placed in their original spot with the help of Robbie Spigner and Lynn Mahoney of Bob’s Body Shop in the wrecker at left and David Harrison pushing the tree up with his front loader.

42 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE

Scott and Kim Dault waited anxiously to see if their efforts to save Old Gal would be successful. Today, the centuries-old pecan tree is bearing leaves, and although many of its limbs had to be cut, it appears to be thriving.

She was part of the family."

As the years went by, neighborhood children would visit to pick up pecans.

Kim said she'd often sit under the tree and would "always say, 'Thanks, old girl, for all the pecans.'"

The tree, so huge visitors often mistook it for an oak, endured storms, floods, winds and hurricanes, even 1989's Hurricane Hugo, with little damage — until Hurricane Matthew struck in early October 2016.

DESTRUCTION and RESURRECTION Inside their house, as Matthew approached, the Daults slept fitfully at first, then not at all as the winds and rain increased. Kim watched through the window, whispering encouragement under her breath.

"Hang in there, girl," she'd say. "You can do it. ... Just hang in there."

The following morning, the storm still raging, Kim and Scott got up to check on the house. The power went out, then the phone. The noise made by Matthew made it difficult to hear each other talk. They walked to a window, looked out and saw that two smaller pecan trees — Kim said she used to refer to them as "Old Gal's children" — had been uprooted.

She ran to another window to check on Old Gal and saw her lying on her

Old Gal lies on her side after Hurricane Matthew uprooted the nearly 300-year-old pecan tree in October 2016. Note the railroad tie, center left, leaning on the roots.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | LAKESIDE 43

side. She screamed, then cried, as Scott held her to comfort her.

"She was part of our family," he told her.

Many days later, when the Daults had a new roof and all the storm debris was gone, the three pecan trees still lay on their sides in the yard. Old Gal's tap root was broken, but all three trees still had roots attached to the ground.

"We talked about them," Kim said. She told Scott, "I don't care if we cut off her limbs and stand her up like a totem pole, I want her back."

They decided to try to save the three trees, which seemed to be stubbornly

clinging to life. Scott came up with a plan and, as Kim said, they found it really does "take a village" for such an ambitious undertaking.

Beginning in November, help arrived, first from neighbors Kendall Cogdill and Josh Jenkinson.

Using heavy equipment, they pruned the trees and pushed the larger limbs aside, Kim said.

"Ben Rogers and his sons Luke and Grayson Matthews drilled 6-foot metal anchors into the ground for the support straps to go around the trees," she said. "Scott and his friend David Harrison dug the holes deeper and

Old Gal, the nearly 300-year-old pecan tree in the yard of Scott and Kim Dault near Summerton, is seen with all her foliage before Hurricane Matthew uprooted it.

The Daults went to extraordinary extremes to try to save Old Gal and two smaller pecan trees in the months following Matthew.

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The large pecan tree is seen lying on its side after Hurricane Matthew downed it in October 2016. wider so the trees would sit safely back in the ground when pulled upright."

Robbie Spigner and Lynn Mahoney of Bob's Body Shop used their wrecker to move the trees' roots back into position, so that, with a push from Harrison's front-end loader and a pull from the wrecker that was more accustomed to moving 18-wheelers, the trees were back in place, albeit not perfectly straight. Each had shifted "just a little," Kim said.

She was at work on the day Old Gal was made to stand upright again.

Tears came again when she got home, she said, but this time they were happy tears because Old Gal was back where she belonged.

That was on March 31, almost seven months since Hurricane Matthew had felled the trees.

"I got out of the car and said, 'She's up, and she's alive!'"

Still there was no guarantee that

the endeavor would ultimately be successful.

Spring came, and the trees seemed to be holding on. Now, Kim said, "They've budded out," and she feels fairly confident they'll live.

She said, "Someone asked Scott why he didn't just take a chain saw to the trees. He told me he'd replied, 'The things you do for the love of a woman ... .' ... I'm pretty sure he meant me. But I have a feeling he meant Old Gal, too."

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Wild game: A natural, healthier alternative story by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

C

ooking wild game may be a seasonal or holiday tradition for some, but the specialty meats are making a daily appearance on other dinner tables.

Wild game has become more popular, said Vince Smith, owner of Custom Taxidermy. Smith has prepared and eaten wild game his entire life.

You won’t believe the flavors you’re missing out on with wild game, he said.

It’s because the animals are eating natural foods and are not being injected with hormones like domesticated animals, he said. That’s why the taste is so different, Smith said.

Smith said wild game and fresh veggies, possibly from a home garden, are a perfect combination for a healthy meal.

The key to cooking wild game is sealing in the moisture, he said.

Wild game has little to no fat, so it’s easy to overcook it, he said. To prevent that from happening, Smith suggests wrapping or stuffing the meats in other ingredients

or marinating the meat.

This is a great way to keep the meat moist and enhance the flavor in every slice, he said.

Marinate the meat in a mix of your favorite ingredients overnight or for at least 3 to 4 hours, he said.

You could also wrap the meat in bacon or some other moist ingredient, which will keep it from drying out, Smith said.

Or you could cut a pocket into the meat and stuff it with vegetables or other meats such as shrimp, he said. Wrapping the meat in foil will also preserve some of the moisture, he said.

Smith said it is best to use a low-heat setting when cooking wild game. A lower temperature will allow the meat to cook more slowly and prevent the meat from getting dry, he said.

Some people think they can cook wild game the same way they cook domesticated meats, and then they wonder why the meat is so dry, he said.

He said a lot of people use a temperature gauge to let them know when the meat is cooked.

Smith said serving wild game and veggies is also a good way to get children

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interested in eating healthily. There are so many ways to cook wild game to get children to like it, he said.

You can make just about any kind of recipe – burgers, sausage, stir-fry, jerky, etc. – with wild game, he said.

Smith said he prepares many common recipes using meat from wild game. Just make sure to cook the meats more slowly because of the low fat content, he said.

It’s also good to get in the habit of cooking healthy meals for yourself, he said.

When making burgers with wild game, such as venison, adding an egg or pieces of raw bacon to the ground meat will help keep the burgers moist when cooking, Smith said. The bacon will also enhance the flavor, he said.

Smith said the old practice of raising wild game has resurfaced because it is a healthier alternative to store-bought meats.

It’s illegal to purchase wild game, so people are raising the animals, he said. If you raise it, you won’t have to hunt, and you’ll have it at all times, he said.

And it’s much better than going to a fast-food restaurant, Smith said.

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