Murrell's Inlet Duck Hunting

[JABIII]

MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – Leaders in Georgetown County are backing a bill that would designate Murrells Inlet and part of Litchfield as bird sanctuaries, which would end duck hunting in those areas.

Georgetown County Council unanimously passed a resolution that backed the bill by State Senator Ray Cleary earlier this week.

Sen. Cleary said he’s been approached by people who live on the Inlet who say the area’s become too developed to have duck hunting.

“It’s more of a people place than a duck place. If people want to go duck hunting there’s wonderful places around here that has really good hunting, I just don’t think it’s needed in Murrells Inlet anymore,” said John Thomas, the councilman who put forth the resolution.

Some hunters in the area agree, “it can become quite a nuisance having shot-gun pellets rain down on your house, your boat, or even just hearing the shots go off near you while your fishing,” said Ned Campbell, owner of the Murrells Inlet Outpost.

“We get a lot of hunters, deer, hog, duck, turkey, geese. Anything that’s on the menu we get customers for,” said Campbell.

Campbell says he’s an avid hunter himself, but said the development in the area puts people too close to the action.

“Lots of people, water activities, jet skiing, boating; the whole nine happens right here,” said Campbell.

The Department of Natural Resources currently prohibits hunting waterfowl on Murrells Inlet Creek 100 yards from homes.

“As a new father myself, I have twin babies, I don’t want people shooting a shot-gun 100 yards from my house just for safety reasons,” said Campbell.

While he understands the draw, Campbell says there are better places to hunt nearby.

“The Inlets typically a pretty decent to hunt for ducks but the rivers loaded, there’s just so much more water and area to cover,” said Campbell.

“I’ve been duck hunting and bird hunting since I was little and I understand the attraction,” added Thomas.

Thomas said that bird watchers flock to the area and its important to protect natural resources, while still providing places for hunters.

“Again there are many places they can go that aren’t Murrells Inlet and there’s better shooting than they have in Murrells Inlet,” said Thomas.

The bill is currently under consideration by the Fish, Game and Forestry Committee. Local lawmakers want to make sure the committee knows the bill has backing by area residents.

http://wbtw.com/2016/04/29/duck-hunt...of-the-strand/

[Colin4]

Pretty soon this will be the norm

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[SaltMuck]

There's also other places to buy a house...

[SCmudder7071]

He's an avid hunter but considers a shotgun 100yds away a safety concern?

[jay12clay]

Vote em out.

[Rubberhead*]

I'm ticked off that they're trying to blame birders. I've birded Huntington Beach/Murrells Inlet for 30 years and never once had any trouble with duck hunters. I've never heard of any of the birders having trouble with duck hunters. There are a few birders offended by duck hunters but that's nothing new.

The birds are the ones that should be offended and not by hunters but by the folks that took their homes from them. Wilson's plovers are threatened because they've lost most of their breeding habitat to development. Bird Sanctuary my butt. If those SOBs want a bird sanctuary the need to demolish their homes and restore the property back to natural so the Wilson's Plovers and Least Terns can return to their native breeding grounds.

This is a Wilson's Plover taken with the high-rent section of Murrells in the background...

[surfcock]

I understand the concern, but give them an inch and soon there will be little to no public water left.

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[CAMO SNOB]

... If Murrell was here.

[Duck Tape]

I will block it.

[scdiver]

I understand the concern, but give them an inch and soon there will be little to no public water left.

This.

[JABIII]

I will block it.

Good man.

Now, he is going to do his part. The rest of us need to do ours. Just because it is legal does not always mean it is the right thing to do. Pay attention to where your shot will rain down. We all know it is harmless. Your everyday citizen will equate it to a .50 cal bullet whizzing by their ear hole.

[Mars Bluff]

Yankee infiltration.

[Duck Tape]

S 1256 General Bill, By Cleary
A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 50-11-870, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO AREAS THAT ARE
DECLARED TO BE BIRD SANCTUARIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN CREEKS,
TRIBUTARIES, AND MARSHES NEAR MURRELLSNext INLET AND LITCHFIELD INLET ARE DECLARED
TO BE BIRD SANCTUARIES.

04/20/16 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 2)
04/20/16 Senate Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry
(Senate Journal-page 2)


VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/20/2016


S. 1256
A BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 50-11-870, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO AREAS THAT ARE DECLARED TO BE BIRD SANCTUARIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN CREEKS, TRIBUTARIES, AND MARSHES NEAR PreviousMURRELLSNext INLET AND LITCHFIELD INLET ARE DECLARED TO BE BIRD SANCTUARIES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 50-11-870 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 150 of 2012, is further amended to read:

"Section 50-11-870. The following areas are declared to be bird sanctuaries:

(1) Port Royal Plantation on Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County;

(2) Highlands of Otranto Subdivision in Berkeley County;

(3) the Town of Bonneau in Berkeley County;

(4) St. James Estates, Spring Hill, Devonshire, Raintree, and Harbor Lakes Subdivisions in Berkeley County;

(5) The subdivision of Clear View on James Island, Charleston County;

(6) James Island water district in Charleston County;

(7) the subdivision of Lee-Jackson-McCalls Corner on James Island, Charleston County;

(8) St. Phillips Parish, St. Michaels Parish, and North Charleston Public Service District, Charleston County;

(9) Melrose, Longbranch, and Shaftesbury Subdivisions in Charleston County as bounded on the South by Highway 17, on the West by Long Branch Creek, on the North by Magwood property line, and on the East by the property line of Castlewood Subdivision;

(10) Forest Lakes Subdivision located in the City and County of Charleston;

(11) Winnsboro Mills in Fairfield County bounded on the North by the city limits of Winnsboro, on the South by the intersection of Highways 321, 34, and 215, on the West by the by-pass of Highway 321, and on the East by Golf Course Road;

(12) Avondale Forest as recorded at plat book RR page 186, and plat book BBB page 36, in the office of the Registrar of Mesne Conveyances for Greenville County;

(13) Lake Forest and Lake Forest Heights in Greenville County, bounded on the North by Edwards Road, on the East by Shannon Drive, on the South by Old Spartanburg Road, and the West by Highway 291;

(14) Botony Woods, Greenville County;

(15) Heritage Lakes in Greenville County;

(16) the City of Ocean Drive Beach, Horry County;

(17) Windy Hill Beach, Horry County;

(18) Briarcliff Acres in Horry County as bounded on the North by Highway 17, on the East by the Holmes property, on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the West by the Patterson property;

(19) Kirkover Hills near Camden in Kershaw County;

(20) Sunnyhills Subdivision near Camden in Kershaw County;

(21) the area between the Western city limits of Camden and the Seaboard Railroad tracks, Kershaw County;

(22) that area bounded by the Haile Street Extension, U.S. Highway No. 1, and Lake Shore Drive near Camden, Kershaw County;

(23) Saluda Gardens, Saluda Terrace, Westover Acres, and Saluda Hills Subdivisions in Lexington County;

(24) Town of Arcadia Lakes, Richland County;

(25) Community of Belvedere in Richland County;

(26) Deerfield Plantation, Berkeley County;

(27) City of Tega Cay, York County;

(28) the area in York County, embracing the Country Club Estates, the Rock Hill Country Club, the Oakdale School property, a portion of the Drennan property, and being bounded on the North by the Fewell property, on the East by the Fewell and Parrish properties, on the South by the old Mount Holly Road, and on the West and North by State Highway No. 72;

(29) the area in York County consisting of all waters and tributaries impounded by the Lake Wylie Dam located within the boundaries of the State of South Carolina. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, waterfowl may be hunted during any appropriate migratory waterfowl season on all waters of Lake Wylie with the following restrictions: it is unlawful to hunt migratory waterfowl on Lake Wylie within two hundred yards of a dwelling, school or business without written permission of the owner and occupant;

(30) the area known as the community of River Hills Plantation, Inc., in York County;

(31) the Town of Pawleys Island in Georgetown County;

(32) the area in Clarendon County consisting of that portion of Tawcaw Creek, adjacent to Goat Island, lying Southeast of County Road 38, and extending into Lake Marion to the extent of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge boundaries lying East and West of that portion of Lake Marion;

(33) Rolling Green Retirement Community in Greenville County;

(34) the grounds of the Presbyterian Home of South Carolina located on Highway 56 in the Town of Clinton in Laurens County;

(35) Creeks, tributaries, and marshes near PreviousMurrellsNext Inlet and Litchfield Inlet, including Allston Creek, Woodland Creek, and Oaks Creek from the confluence with Allston Creek to the confluence with PreviousMurrellsNext Inlet Main Creek and including PreviousMurrells Inlet Main Creek north to the Horry County line;

(36) Litchfield Inlet, also known as Magnolia Inlet."

[Duck Tape]

That is a whole lot more than Murrells inlet.

[CAMO SNOB]

Hell yeah it is... That's all over the state!

[Coastal Woodie]

Yankee infiltration.

Fact.

[Coastal Woodie]

Sounds like they want to outlaw duck hunting everywhere.

[Arrowman]

Yep...

[Gander]

This is the quote of the year
“It’s more of a people place than a duck place. If people want to go duck hunting there’s wonderful places around here that has really good hunting, I just don’t think it’s needed in Murrells Inlet anymore,” said John Thomas, the councilman who put forth the resolution.

Will someone in the area take him duck hunting? How about opening morning on Santee? They make it seem like a dove shoot. Pellets raining down on houses. Dead ducks landing in their yards. Give me a break.

[wob]

DT is being a little less than clear in his presentation here. His quote in post #13 is mostly how the law exists right now. The amendment to the existing law is just #35 and #36:



(35) Creeks, tributaries, and marshes near Murrells Inlet and Litchfield Inlet, including Allston Creek, Woodland Creek, and Oaks Creek from the confluence with Allston Creek to the confluence with Murrells Inlet Main Creek and including Murrells Inlet Main Creek north to the Horry County line;

(36) Litchfield Inlet, also known as Magnolia Inlet."



Before you sharpen your pitchforks and bring the angry mob down on me, I'm opposed to making the area an additional bird sanctuary, too. The rest of the stuff already exists as a sanctuary (#1 - #34).


edit: For reference, the applicable section is SECTION 50-11-870.

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t50c011.php