Having a "primitive" day

It was a great day to be outside. I experimented with a couple of primitive craft ideas that were new to me. The first was a "figure 4" deadfall trap. This took a little time to get set up, but is very simple. There is a variation that uses a cord and trigger mechanism that I will try soon.

The second project was to make a bark basket. As you can see, I peeled the poplar bark and formed it, but will need to finish it after it dries in the sun and stiffens. I will drill holes and lace the edges together and use a split green shoot to reinforce the top.

These items are not required in today's world, but by doing this, we gain a greater appreciation for how our ancestors lived and the challenges they face to sustain life.

Get outdoors and try something new. You will be surprised at the pride you will have in becoming more self-sufficient.

Palmetto Dock Dogs Event

 These neat photos were provided by Erin Owen to illustrate the intense competition of these dogs in an exciting new sport. Dogs of all breeds are invited to join Palmetto Dock Dogs to be able to compete in events such as "Big Air", "Extreme Vertical" and "Speed Retrieve".

Anderson Civic Center will be hosting an event on Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26 that will include Palmetto Dock Dogs. The event is a Premier Outfitters Sportsman's Weekend and will have

Erin Owen is the President of Palmetto Dock Dogs and is excited to help bring this event to Anderson. She said, "It's an awesome sport. My Chesapeake Bay Retriever has been dock diving for three years and we have traveled to several states, and we are excited about being a part of a Premier Outfitters Sportsman's Weekend and bringing the sport to the upstate of South Carolina."

If you have a dog and are interested in joining Palmetto Dock Dogs, visit www.palmettodockdogs.com or email palmettodockdogs@gmail.com.

The Sportsman's Weekend event will feature national and local businesses in the hunting, fishing and outdoor industry. A wide array of state-of-the-art products will be on display and available to attendees. Outdoor personalities will be present and it will be a day of entertainment as well as instructional information about outdoor activities.

A day on Clark's Hill Lake

Chris Cade with bow-fishing rig

It was a cool day last Wednesday, June 6, and Chris Cade and I decided to try our luck with archery and atlatl for carp and gar.

As luck would have it, the fish were shut down due to the cool snap and cloudy conditions. Very few were near the surface.

We only had one opportunity and I missed with the atlatl rig that I have hastily put together and Chris stuck one, but it pulled free.

It was great to be on the lake and we had a good time. We went to his farm and checked food plots, shot his rifle and had a lazy day.

I will definitely try the atlatl again. That would be a great way to take a big fish.

Tight lines to all!

Egrets on lake

L. Ross with atlatl fishing rig

May has been a great month

Not only have I had a great time in God's great outdoors, but have managed to snap a few neat photos such as a water snake basking in the sun, a goose on a nest of eggs, my buddy smoking a stogie and enjoying his kayak while we fished and also catching some shellcrackers, bluegills and bass.

The moon will be in perigree this weekend, meaning that it will be very close to earth in its elliptical orbit. The full moon is Sunday, May 7, and I have been seeing bream on the bed. It should be as good as it gets for bream this weekend.

If you are not a kayak angler, you are missing some great fun. Kayaks allow you to fish spots that you could never reach with a larger boat. We fish a spot that requires a short walk from a secluded road, and no access for large boats. We catch bass, bream and shellcrackers and often are the only people fishing the spot.

In addition to the fishing, the photo opportunities from a kayak are great two, as evidenced by the goose and snake photos above. Animals are less disturbed by humans approaching quietly by kayak than by walking near them. For one thing, you present a much lower profile and are perceived as less of a threat.

Many retailers of kayaks have special days each spring and summer at local lakes where you can try out several models and find one that is perfect for you. Get out there and join the rest of us on the water in kayaks.

Catching Big Catfish

Chris Cade, Steve Parker and unidentified friend with hefty catch of catfish
Photos courtesy of Chris Cade

Chris Cade is an accomplished outdoorsman. He is not only skilled in the ways of hunting with bow and flintlock, but he is well versed in primitive craft skills.

He and friends are also having considerable good luck in catching large catfish this spring. Cade ishown above with a fish approaching 40 pounds and also another large catch of fish with friends at Clarks Hill.

Chris enjoys jugging and trotlines for catfish and soon will be on the water with his bow in pursuit of large carp and gar.

"Landlocked" - Story of the Sriper

This mixture of vintage and modern-day photos shows the excitement that stiper fishing generates. Rich King, in partnership wit Brian Tankersley and Jeff Sumerel of Dark Corner Films, produced a film documenting the building of the Santee-Cooper lakes and the by-product of the striper fishery that was created. It became and industry for the area, generating tourism dollars and is one of the most interesting stories of fishing lore.

The film is called "Landlocked" and was premiered at the Southeast Wildlife Expo. It will be shown at the Upstate History Museum and the TD Center at Greenville in March.

King will also have a booth at the upcoming South Carolina Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic in Columbia at the end of March.

King is offering DVD's of Landlocked for $19.95 and 5% of sales goes to the SCDNR striper program. Contact King at rich@landlockedfilm.com for details.

Great Sportsmen's Banquet

Check out a great sportsmen's banquet at Morningside Baptist Church, 1115 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC 29615, on Friday, February 24. Only $15.00 provides meal and entertainment. Hear Hank Parker, Jr. of Nascar fame and now outdoor TV host and Jimbo Whaley and Greenbrier providing some great bluegrass music.

For more details, call (864) 297-7890 or email sportsmen@morningside.org.