Twelve Mile River restoration benefits sportsmen

Kayakers on Twelve Mile River - Photos by L. Ross

The recent removal of the lower dam on the Twelve Mile River is opening up a new stretch of the river that has long been unavailable to recreational kayaking. The second dam is to be removed this summer and a studyhas been approved to research the feasibility of removing the upper dam.

Slumberger Corp. bought the old Sangamo property and is being forced to pay $9 million to dredge PCB's that were released over decades into the river by Sangamo. A portion of the money will be left after the first two dams are removed after dredging and confinement of toxic sediment. The sum may not be enough to remove the upper dam, but Upstate Forever and other interested groups are pushing for removal of the last dam.

This would restore the river to its former free-flowing state and once erosion and stabilization of the banks takes place, it would gradually recover the wild and natural beauty that it once enjoyed.

The Twelve Mile River is a very scenic river and it is wonderful to see it restored to its former glory.

Upstate anglers have 200# plus week-end

Steve Parker (left) and Chris Cade (right) with Saturday and Sunday morning catch (photos provided by Chris Cade)

Steve Parker and Chris Cade had a great weekend of fishing with jugs for catfish at Lake Hartwell. These guys are great sportsmen, hunting with archery equipment for big game, bowfishing and are avid hog hunters.

Cade is a biology teacher at Abbeville High School and is involved in primitive crafts. He maintains a website (www.CadesBowsandBlades.com) where he highlights some of his hand-made knive, bamboo arrows and other crafts.

The large catfish in the Saturday morning photo weighed 45 pounds.

Trophy Turkey taken in upstate

Photo provided by Terry Kingsmore Dennis Groce, Director of Development for the School of Outdoor Sports, is a gracious host and a well-known figure in outdoor sports. On Friday, April 8, he hosted a turkey hunt on his farm near Woodruff, SC. Terry Kingsmore of Fluor was the hunter and Roger Bishop, a district director for NWTF was the caller. Kingsmore and Bishop won the trip, donated by Groce, at the NWTF banquet at the Golden Strip chapter. Kingsmore took his first turkey ever in the early morning and he was a magnificent gobbler. According to Groce, the turkey weighed 20 1/2 pounds, had two beards of 8 1/4 and 11 1/4 inches, and had spurs of 1 1/16" and 1 3/16". He scored the turkey according to NWTF standards at 79, which would place it in the top 5 in the Spartanburg county and possibly as high as number 3. More than likely, this will not be Kingsmore's last turkey hunt!

Prmitive Craft and Survival Skills Instruction

Photos by L. Ross illustrating a few of the topics covered in upcoming training sessions in primitive crafts and survival skills.

Sessions will include primitive camping and "hands-on" instruction in flint knapping, bamboo arrow construction, fire starting with bow drill and flint/steel, making cordage from natural fibers and much more. Learn to identify animal tracks and other signs of their presence.

These sessions offer the opportunity for individuals to learn about nature and how primitive man survived under harsh conditions. A look at how he used natural elements to make tools to shape his environment will be discussed and illustrated.

Modern-day survival tactics will also be discussed: how to dress for the outdoors, what tools are most useful, packing light for backpacking, fire-starting under wet conditions.

Attendees will leave these sessions with a better awareness of nature and how to cope with wilderness situations.

For complete information and dates, check out http://www.lwoodrowross.com/ or call (864) 238-1944 to receive a brochure with complete details.