By Capers Tabrizian
As deer season opens on private land this Saturday across South Carolina’s Coastal Plain, one of the state’s longstanding hunting traditions is again drawing attention from hunters and property owners.
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources recently held three public meetings to gather input on hunting deer with dogs, a practice most commonly associated with the state’s Coastal Plain. Meetings were held in Florence and Orangeburg before the final and very well attended meeting Monday in Walterboro, just days before the Aug. 15 opening of deer season.
Hunting deer with dogs has deep roots in the Palmetto State. The practice generally involves hunters releasing trained hounds to pursue deer through wooded areas while other members of the hunting party wait along anticipated routes. For generations, hunting with hounds has remained a social tradition among hunting clubs and families, particularly in rural parts of the Lowcountry.
As development has expanded and large tracts of rural land have been divided among more property owners, however, conflicts have emerged. Some landowners have raised concerns about hunting dogs crossing property boundaries, hunters retrieving dogs from private land and hunting activity occurring near roads and neighboring properties.
The debate does not simply divide hunters and non-hunters. Some of those calling for changes are hunters and rural property owners who say they support deer hunting but want greater control on what occurs on their land. Dog-hunting supporters, meanwhile, argue that the actions of irresponsible individuals should not lead to restrictions on hunters who follow the law and respect neighboring property.
S.C. law already addresses some of these conflicts. State law prohibits a person from hunting from a road, right-of-way, property line or property where that person does not have hunting rights with the aid of a dog that has entered another person’s property without permission. Violations may result in fines, imprisonment and suspension of hunting privileges.
The recent SCDNR meetings do not mean that S.C. has proposed banning deer hunting with dogs. The department said the meetings were organized to hear directly from hunters, landowners and other interested residents about their experiences and possible solutions to conflicts surrounding the practice.
With deer season beginning in the Lowcountry, that debate now moves from public meeting rooms back into the woods. For many South Carolinians, hunting deer with dogs represents a tradition passed down through generations and knowing how to train deer dogs and control them. Dogs do not know what a property line is, so the control of the dogs is essential, as the late Edward F. Lowndes said in many of his talks across the state a few decades ago. For neighboring property owners, the coming season also renews questions about boundaries and private property rights.
How S.C. balances those interests could determine the future of one of the Lowcountry’s oldest hunting traditions, well described by Archibald Rutledge and other writers.
By James DeLo
Barnwell County may be small, but for much of the 20th century it punched well above its weight in South Carolina politics. The county produced the powerful “Barnwell Ring,” led by state Senator Edgar Brown and longtime House Speaker Solomon Blatt, along with Governor Joseph Emile Harley. For decades, the group held enormous influence in the State House and on the direction of South Carolina government.
That history is remembered at the Barnwell County Museum, housed in the handsome 1920s Holman-Fuller House. The home later belonged to C.G. Fuller, a road contractor who made his fortune paving highways and went on to serve as mayor of Barnwell. Fuller and his wife donated the house to the county in 1953 for use as a public library before it eventually became the museum.
Inside are pieces of Barnwell’s long history, including American Indian artifacts, Civil War material, photographs and other reminders of the families and events that significant to the sandlapper museum. The museum, at 9426 Marlboro Ave., is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Comey, an ‘Oxferd man’ or what?
While your Rambler wages a one-man war on the Oxford comma, the frivolous little mark just landed in a batch of declassified government documents. Turns out that after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, the bureau — armed with zero evidence — launched Operation Oxferd Comma to muddy the waters on the president’s loyalty to his own country. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe ran 675 days, employed 19 lawyers and roughly 40 FBI agents, analysts, forensic accountants and support staff, interviewed 500 witnesses, issued 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 warrants and cost taxpayers $32 million. Your Rambler just set the record straight — without the use of a single Oxford comma.
Explaining results of the special election
Meanwhile, Carolinians missed out this time on the total eclipse of the Sun, but some analysts think that the lunar activity earlier this week may have struck at just the time that voters in South Carolina were trying to think of mature and experienced candidates to run for the United States Senate — and got it horribly wrong. Solunar activity created temporary lunatics of voters while making their choices at polling places. Other observers sum up the situation like this: Bubba, you have to give Petigru his due; our voters have demonstrated again that perhaps we are too small to be a republic and far too large to be an insane asylum.
Into the vapor he went
A masked armed robbery suspect was shot and killed during an attempted holdup at a Florence, South Carolina, nicotine vape shop. Obviously, he’d do a lot more than walk a mile for a camel.
What’s in a name?
When state law prevented George Wallace from serving another straight term in office, he ran his wife Lurleen Wallace in his place — and having the same name, she won in a landslide. Will South Carolina act like Alabama on Aug. 25?
Wigged out at the WNBA
The WNBA and their laughable support of men in women’s sports is in the hot seat, as former NBA greats are declaring themselves to be women, and available for the WNBA draft. One of them, Royce White, said: “I sometimes identify as a transgender woman. My wig is in the mail.”
If your spouse is trick shooting: Beware if you don’t behave!
Ana Daza Tavera, 42, and Edwin Cuervo Rangel, 38, a married couple from Waukesha, Wisconsin, were at a circus in Upstate New York performing their crossbow sharpshooting act when she accidentally struck him in the neck with an arrow. Since she was shooting a target arrow and not one of the multi-bladed hunting varieties, he survived; meanwhile, the light bulb he was told to change three weeks ago was unavailable for comment. We were not supposed to do that?
The Summerville Town Council is scheduled to vote Thursday night on an ordinance that would allow people to carry beer or wine while walking through designated areas of the downtown business district. It’s always exciting when the government gives the okay to something everyone’s been doing for decades.
But not that!
Meanwhile, social media is buzzing in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as some are so upset about traffic, urban sprawl and high home prices that they are wishing for a massive hurricane to come and make a correction. Most locals responded with a loud chorus of: “Don’t wish dat. Please.”
By Capers Tabrizian
Visitors may step into an 18th-century kitchen during a Colonial Cooking Class at Historic Camden. The hands-on program explores the ingredients, techniques and cooking methods used during the colonial era, offering participants a closer look at how meals were prepared before modern kitchens and appliances became part of everyday life.
The Colonial Cooking Class will be held Sunday, August 16, at Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, 222 Broad St. in Camden. Advance registration is available through Historic Camden. For more information, click here
By Charles W. Waring III
My vehicle of choice made it a cool trip no matter what the outcome. It was supposed to be a celebration for a sugar deal I was about to close with a chap from New Orleans; I’ll call him Porkie. The year was 1991 and the month was the first part of the sandgrouse season, which was early July and a few days after the big Fourth of July gig at the residence of the United States ambassador to Kenya, the Honorable Smith Hempstone, my pal and mentor.
It was also an ideal time to get out of Nairobi because it was soon to be Saba Saba (Kiswahili for Seven Seven), the anniversary of the July 7 riots the previous year. Talk was that the riots might be worse than the year before, and I would be under embassy orders to stay home, which meant sipping pink gins and watching CNN. I had a better idea. I wanted to test my 1972 Land Rover station wagon and see if it could make it down to Amboseli country in the green hills of Africa near Mount Kilimanjaro.
It took three attempts to find the right station wagon, but I did; more importantly, I had a mechanic named Mamoo Moti who the best in Nairobi, according to Adrian Luckhurst, an old hand at car rally life and everything to do with safaris. If you have an old Land Rover, you better be sure and have a good mechanic. Mamoo had checked out the vehicle and declared it fit for travel. The spare tire had plenty of air and was secured on the roof rack. The extra jerry cans beyond the bonnet were a waste because they leaked, as I had learned on a previous safari. It was a rough ride, but it was high up; it had no AC, but we normally traveled throughout the Highlands where it was cool most of the time. The vents allowed for reasonable breezes at a good speed; dirt roads and city traffic created challenges — think dust and diesel fumes.
Thanks to a Sears catalogue and APO address, I had an inexpensive custom cassette player and speakers that Mamoo installed for me. I could listen to tape three of Sinatra’s Reprise Collection and never get tired of it. It somewhat made me feel like Robert Ruark was riding in the car with me, taking my noggin to travel to places anticipated. By the time of this trip, I had already read all the Ruark smuggled into Kenya, which is another story for another day.
Our professional hunter, Joe Cheffings, was always happy to take me at cost if he had nothing else booked, and that was the deal of a lifetime. Lex Phillips, my old Muthaiga Club tennis partner from Mississippi, introduced me to Joe, and I have him to thank for the many safaris I enjoyed with Joe.
Joe’s team would set up tents, cook for us and wake us with hot tea before the sun rose. It was the traditional way to start your day while on safari. I slept with a loaded 12 bore under the cot, and I was ready to fire it into the air if a rogue creature got too close. Joe had a serious rifle in his tent and was prepared to come if needed. We were ready for an event that never happened.
After a pleasant drive down south and supper, we woke to the big excitement of a clear morning over the mountain. Hoping not to jinx it, I said nothing about the lack of clouds but hoped it would remain as such. We loaded up and followed Joe and his team near the waterhole where the sandgrouse, doves and pigeons would soon visit in large numbers. Sandgrouse fly in a V formation and make an eeeee whine as they zip through the air. The other species in season would come in singles or doubles, but we were really there for the sandgrouse.
Porkie and I shot on one side, and Joe took a spot well beyond us. Two Kenyan guides stayed close and helped us find our birds. With each swing of the shotgun, I saw the mountain, the green hills, acacia trees and plains game galore. The rising big eye lit up Kili and the clouds behaved and did not gather, as they so often do around the mountain. Joe called the hunt before we had our limits of 20 each, and that was fine; we were ready for breakfast in the field. Joe was the PH for the late Marlin Perkins and was a conservationist to the core; he never wanted to pound the waterholes for too long. We knew the deal from long discussions while in cups by the fire the previous night.
We had a full breakfast at a table set so that we could gaze up at the mountain and look at all the hills, game and trees. It was Hemingway country, and I was keenly aware that I had the same view that the great man enjoyed in 1933 with Philip Percival, his PH, and his wife Pauline, known as P.O.M. in the Green Hills of Africa. He would come again to hunt 21 years later with Mary, his fourth wife.
Of all the al fresco meals in my life, this one was likely the finest for the views and the daydreams. It was stunning on every level, and I got there in my classic Land Rover — a vehicle that deserves a golf clap for performance and a stadium roar for old-school looks.
As was often the case in Kenya, the sugar deal went into the growing file marked CORRUPTION; however, I saw a piece of old Africa via my own Land Rover just as other hunters had experienced decades earlier — and Kilimanjaro showed off. The boy was pleased. It was good to be the boy.
As readers may recall, the “Crab Pot” is always what is left over from the Charleston Mercury’s “Pluff Mud Chronicles” column by yours truly and Prioleau Alexander.
By Hudson Zadig
Come to Main Street and celebrate the diverse and colorful culture of Latin America. This event will feature more than ten performances throughout the day, which will represent a different part of Latin culture. More than 20 vendors will be set up on Main Street serving up delicious Latin cuisine and selling high-quality Latin goods.
This festival endeavors to bolster the pride and promote small businesses of the local Latin community. At large, this yearly festival brings together the entire Columbia community, no matter your background.
This event is on August 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Main Street in Columbia. This event is completely free. To see more information, visit
https://www.mainstreetlatinfestivalsc.com/.
By James DeLo
The North Augusta art scene proves itself to be flourishing as The Arts & Heritage Center of is bringing together two regional art groups this month: the Artists Guild of Columbia County and Clay Artists of the Southeast on display through Friday, August 28.
The joint exhibit will showcase various of paintings and pottery by local artists. Accordingly, a free public reception will be held Thursday, August 20, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., giving visitors a chance to meet some of the artists behind the work.
The center is located at 100 Georgia Ave. in North Augusta and is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
By Hudson Zadig
Bring all to Comic Con to see your favorite characters and movies come to life. The Soda City Comic Con is the premier Comic Con in the Midlands, and people come from all over the state to attend. More than 150 artists, vendors and special guests will be featured during this special event.
This event celebrates everything pop culture and will have you astonished by all of the games, tournaments and other fun events that will happen during the Comic Con. There will be numerous special guests that play your favorite characters like Peter Weller who played Robocop, Wilson Bethel in Daredevil, Chris Britton in X-Men and many more. Whether you are a die-hard pop-culture fan or you dabble in movies and TV every once in a while, this event is just for you.
This event is on August 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and August 23 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 1101 Lincoln St. in Columbia. Tickets are $20 per day. To see more information visit https://sodacitycomiccon.com/index.html.
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