Schiele Museum Aboriginal Studies Program

Steve Watts, Director of Aboriginal Studies Program at Schiele Museum, Gastonia, NC, is shown in photo on left knapping a projectile point from novaculite. Photo on right is Rocky Culbertson, knapper from Waxhaw, NC, with Watts and a couple of points they had just completed. All photos on page by L. Ross.


Left photo is Watts percussion knapping with an antler billet. Culbertson is in right photo also using antler billet.



Left photo is incomplete projectile point by Culbertson, center photo is completed novaculite point by Watts and the right photo shows Culbertson finishing a Buffalo River Chert point.

Schiele Museum in Gastonia, NC, is a very interesting place. In addition to the other displays and programs, they have a great Aboriginal Studies Program directed by Steve Watts. They have displays of Indian culture with shelter, tools and other artifacts to depict the life that these primitives lived.

Every year, the first weekend in August, they are host to flintknappers from around the southeast and beyond. Anyone interested in flintknapping can come an learn from the masters.

I had an opportunity to observe and pick up some pointers from Watts and Culbertson last Sunday. I missed the Saturday gathering which was much larger. I regret missing James Parker, master flintknapper and bowyer. I have one of Parker's Bamboo Dragon longbows and took a deer with it and a handmade arrow last season. I also have an obsidian dagger that he made with an elk antler handle that is a thing of beauty.

In addition to the knappers, there is usually someone there who is a supplier of rock suitable for knapping. I was able to secure some for some projects and knapped about a half dozen points today from the new chert, novaculite and other stone that I purchased.

If you haven't been to Schiele Museum, it is a great place to learn about the past. Also, mark your calendar for the first weekend of August next year if you are a knapper.

QDMA Foothills Branch Annual REACH Banquet

Photos and article above from South Carolina Sportsman by L. Woodrow Ross


Managing deer herds sometimes means removing does to increase forage for bucks and to keep numbers on your property at acceptable levels.

Quality Deer Management Association is an organization that promotes healthy deer management techniques and disperses knowledge to deer hunters.

Join QDMA Foothills Branch Annual REACH Banquet on August 18 at 6:00 p.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 406 North Academy Street, Greenville, SC for an evening of Bluegrass music by the Drovers, barbecue by Mutt's of Greer, live and silent auctions of hunts, equipments and more.

Tickets at $45 for singles or $65 for couples include appetizers, BBQ buffet and one year's membership to QDMA. Corporate tables are available for $500 and include 10 seats, two memberships, recognition at event and entry into sponsors only raffle.

Tickets are available from any member, Luthi's Sporting Goods, or contact www.foothillsqdma@gmail.com or call John Stillwell at 864-414-1879.

Come and join QDMA for an evening of entertainment and to support a great organization.

We hope you see more than these two images at the bottom of the screen this hunting season.

Eagles in South Carolina and other news

Flint knapping by L. Ross

On July 27, Lynne Fletcher, a legal secretary in Anderson, SC, was boating and happened to have a camera handy. She captured some neat photos of a bald eagle on Lake Hartwell, north of Andersonville Island. She had seen what she thought was an eagle previously, but did not have her camera handy.

Ms. Fletcher said that she has lived near the lake for a number of years and had seen eagles in the past, but not recently.

It is nice to see our national bird on local waters. I shot some photos between Murrell's Inlet and Georgetown this spring. It is always a treat to see these majestic birds.

Thanks to Ms. Fletcher for sharing these photos with us.

Additional outdoor news.

How about our three South Carolina professional bass anglers qualifying for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. Casey Ashley, Davy Hite and Marty Robinson all qualified. Ashley qualified on Elite Series points totals and each of them won an Elite Series Tournament this season as well. Either would have qualified them. Marty Robinson squeaked into the Classic on his points total only by rallying at season's end with some good tournament.

Ashley and Hite also qualified for the $100,000 Evan Williams Bourban All-Star Championship. Twelve professional anglers qualified and fished the first leg of the tournament at Lake Jordan, Alabama. Only eight would make the finals on the Alabama River, and Casey Ashley placed first.

Davy Hite Kevin VanDam and two other anglers were eliminated.

Today was the first day of the sudden death event. Each angler was paired with an angler and will have to win to advance to the next day. This is an exciting format and it will be interesting to see who wins.

Day one results are in and the survivors are Casey Ashley, Edwin Evers, Ott Defoe (Rookie of the Year) and Gerald Swindle.

Ashley defeated Reese by 13 ounces with 7-14 to Reese's 7-1. He will be matched against Edwin Evers on Saturday and the winners will meet on Sunday.

Upcoming events in upstate:

Mountain Bridge Trout Unlimited meeting - August 15 at Mauldin Cultural Center, 101 East Butler Road, Mauldin, SC. Guest speaker - L. Woodrow Ross.

Hunting and Fishing Expo on August 26, 27 and 28 at the Anderson Civic Center, Anderson , SC. Visit Saluda River Archery booth and talk with owner Russell Cooper about opportunities to join a first class archery club. You have an opportunity to shoot competitively or just to shoot in preparation for hunting. L. Woodrow Ross will be in the booth on Saturday with books, instructional booklets on primitive crafts and fly fishing and will have a primitive craft display.

Slightly out of the area, but if you are interested in flint-knapping, the Schiele Museum will have a "knap-in" on August 7 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. This event draws some expert knappers from the southeast an should be lots of fun.

Wrecking Crew waterfowl video

The Wrecking Crew Guide Service in Lancaster is now booking early season hunts for Canada Geese and migratory teal. Summer scouting is underway and the September early season will be here very, very soon. Senior guide Darly Hodge is a member of the Drake Waterfowl Systems Pro Staff, and son Blake Hodge is the expert duck and goose caller. Blake has also shown an affinity for videography and shares this video review of their most recent season afield.

To view my past blog entry about a hunt with the Wrecking Crew clickhere.

PhotoByJeffDennis: Daryl Hodge in the foreground in a coffin blind set up in an ag field

PhotoByChipWolfe: Daryl Hodge, Englis Glover, Blake Hodge and Jeff Dennis after the hunt

Waterfowl Forecast for 2011/12 is Excellent

Andy Stevenson and Son in left photo and Ross on right after a successful hunt

Resting flock, Ross's kayak and mallard drake, unidentified hunter at Skeeter Branch Hunting Preserve near Lavonia, GA.

Photos by L. Ross except one of Andy Stevenson and son provided by him.

The recent report issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is excellent news for waterfowlers. The results of surveys indicate that the population is at 45.6 million, an increase of 35% over the long-term average.

It is hard to imagine waterfowl hunting with the current temperatures in the mid and upper 90's, but it will be here before you know it.

Mallards, blue-winged teal, gadwalls and pintails showed significant increases in numbers. This, couple with the local resident populations of wood ducks and Canada geese bode well for the upcoming season. Of course, local weather conditions can affect hunting success, but the overall outlook is encouraging.

Don't forget your faithful hunting companions that work so hard in retrieving your downed birds. Continue to work and exercise them, but take into consideration the heat and schedule any training sessions in the cooler hours of the day. Dogs are like kids, they have short attention spans. Keep training sessions short. Several short sessions during the week are much better than one long session on weekends. Just as you are quick to reprimand a retriever for bad behavior or performance, be quick to praise him for a job well done. Your praise is the most meaningful thing that you can give a dog.

Now is a good time to take a look at decoys, duck boats and any other gear that might need attention. The last thing you need is to schedule a hunt and find that you have an equipment problem.

Here's hoping for a banner season for all of us dedicated waterfowlers!

Saluda River Archery Club Tournament

Primitive craft display and demonstrations by L. Woodrow Ross

Jeff Stewart, Inman, SC, bowyer prepares to shoot through chronograph to check arrow speed.

PSE archery team (far left is pro staffer Robert Horton, far right on back is regional rep. Tony Valentine and to his immediate right is Saluda River Archery Club owner Russell Cooper)

Photos by: L. Ross

Saturday, June 25, was a fun day for local archers. About one hundred archers gathered at Saluda River Archery Club at 521 McNeely Road, Piedmont, SC 29673 for a great day of competition. There were no losers, as it was a day of fun and camaderie.

Most of the archers shot compound bows, but there was a good representation of traditional bows with most being recurves.

Jeff Stewart of Inman, SC, was there to demonstrate his recurve bows. They reached more than 200 mph through the chronograph, which is pretty fast for a traditional bow. My longbow only clocked 156 mph.

Gene Cunningham and I had a primitive craft display of flint knapping, hand make bows and arrows, natural fiber hand-made cordage, atlatls and darts, and demonstrations of fire starting with bow drill and flint and steel.

Local shooters interested in shooting at Saluda River Archery Club should contact Russell Cooper at (864) 230-8744 for information.

Hagood Mill - Historic Upstate Site

Blacksmith Griz Hockwalt shaping a piece of steel that will be a paring knife.


Local character with 'possum Historic Hagood Mill, water powered grist mill

Ancient Dodge flatbed pick-up

Photos by: L. Ross

Hagood Mill, near Pickens, SC, is an upstate landmark. It has been designated as a historic site and every third Saturday of the month, craftsmen, musicians, vendors and the curious public gather for a day of entertainment and educational exhibits and events.

The agenda is always different. The same exhibitors are not always there, the musicians change and you never know what you will see. The constants are the historic mill structure that grinds corn on the one day of the month. They produce white and yellow grits and corn meal and the demand is always great.

There is a huge rock formation near the creek that courses through the property and I has a large number of indian petroglyphs on it. A building is currently being erected over the stone to protect it for current and future generations. In addition, by enclosing and controlling the lighting, the viewing of the petroglyphs will be improved. Some are cut very shallowly into the rock face and an oblique light will improve visibility.

The blacksmith shop is a new addition, but is set up to represent primitive techniques, just as used in the early days of our state. Griz Hockwalt demostrated metalworking with basic bellows to heat coals, hammer and anvil to produce some excellent tomahawks, knives and other utilitarian and art pieces.

You can often find a flint knapper, bowyer, quilt makers, bluegrass musicians, gospel musicians, various vendors and a gift shop to offer entertainment, products for sale and a day that you will find educational as well.