The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-01-13
SHOOTING DEER.
Driven From Cane Brakes by Hun
ters on Horseback and
With Hounds.

When l first hunted two years
ago. in South Carolina, / was utterly
s,;rorised to learn of the many AMI
mails that inhabit the forests OF that
state, writes Frank G. Harris IN the
Raftsman's Journal, and when we
remember that in a little over tWen-
tv-four hours after leaving Clearheld
vou may reach some of the best hunt
ing ground in the country 1t does not
seem strange that persons 60 there
to- hunt, in preference to threshlng
over the mountains of Pennsylvania
that have been so greatly depleted
of their game.
Black bear, deer, wild turkeys,
wild geese, wild hogs, foxes, coons,
ducks, quail, snipe: rice birds and
SQUIRRELS are found in abundance IN
the southern and coast counties OF
South Cal olina. The storms from
the north in the late fall drive thous-
ands of ducks into the swarmps and
marshes and back waters OF Beau-
fort county, where they feed on the
rice fields during the day and take
refuge in the swamps during the
night. The method Of hunting them
is to station the hunters in blinds
and then send boat either up OF
down the back water and chase the
ducks up, and as they fly over the
blinds they are shot on the wing BY
the hunters.
Almost every species of ducks
known to North America may be
found in the waters Of South Car
olina. On the coast, in the salt
water, wild geese may be found. One
who is not an expert wing shot need
not expect to compete SUGGEST. 'y
with such crack shots as James U.
Jackson, Herbert Jackson and others
of our southern friends, and one OF
the best shots in Our camp was WAL
ter Clark, a colored boy, who pushed
our boat and worked around the
camp.
MANY of the best hunting grounds
in South Carolina were once cotton
and rice plantations that for many
wears have been abandoned by their
owners and have grown up in cane
brakes and live oak thickets. We
hunted deer over old cotton planta-
tions that have not been farmed since
before the war, and valuable timber
has grown on these tracts where
once great crops of cotton, rice and
corn were raised.
II the swamp lands of South Car
olina. where the live oak and other
timber are covered with Spanish
moss, it is impossible for the white
people to live during the summer
months on account Of fever, but the
climate of the late fal! and winter IN
these, sections is delightful and many
people of the north spend the winter
months on the coast and in the in
terror hunting and fishing.
The quail, or Bob White, is the
most popular game bird Of the
south. It feeds on the rice fields
and grows very large and fat and
plump, and for that reason is much
sought after. In enumera.ing the
game animals of South Carolina, l
said nothing about the rabbit and
o'possum. These animals are the
game of the colored people very
largely. and furnish them with
large amount OF their amusement.
The forests of Beaufort county and
the coast counties OF South Carolina
are full of deer, and there seems to
be no restrictions as to the methods
of hunting deer and the number tina
NAV be killed. Since there are no
SHOWS in South Carolina, and the
deer are found in the cane breaks
and heavy timber, it is impossible