2 States, 3 Guns, 4 Species over 5 Days

Rubberhead* · 10-08-2017, 07:51 PM

Wednesday: I slip across the border for the NC October opener mostly because it’s close to my Fort Mill home but this far from the coast and this early in the year, it’s usually just woodducks.

I wasn’t sure which one was the drake so I shot them both and was at work in time for the coffee pot chit-chat. No one at work is a hunter so I keep my morning to myself.

Thursday: ‘Was planning to hunt my second favorite NC spot but had a contractor scheduled to come to the home so I stay home. Invited Little Rubberhead for a weekend rail/deer hunt in the lowcountry but he was scheduled to work.

Friday: 1:30pm – what the heck am I doing at work? I call Dad, "Pack the truck; I’d be in Moncks Corner by 4:30." We leave for Orangeburg County 10 minutes later. The processor is also a taxidermist and knows how to take a good deer photo.

Saturday: Thunderstorms over the coast scare me off of my clapper hunt so I head to my best freshwater sora hole. It’s loaded with sora. I shoot 4 then lose 2 – I’m done. They don’t make a choke open enough for sora hunting.

I half-heartedly sit for an evening deer – nothing moves.

Back home - Dad measures the antlers - gross around 139" but with 15" of deductions - digging in the dirt with left side of his antlers probably cost that buck his chance at immortality.

Sunday: A grim reminder at the landing as the Berkeley county rescue squad is swarming the Cooper River searching for a scuba diver that never surfaced. I can’t imagine the search will end well.

I shoot a couple of moorehens. Yes, they’re legal and the season runs concurrently with the rail season. The toughest part of gallinule hunting is getting them to fly. I stop at two common moorehens then start looking for a purple gallinule. I don’t find one.

**ndbrown213** · 10-08-2017, 07:53 PM

Awesome as usual

**TheVisorGuy** · 10-08-2017, 07:53 PM

Still can't get over that deer. Heck of a week right there

**Sportin' Woodies** · 10-08-2017, 07:54 PM

All I see is that massive deer. Deductions are silly.

**Duck cutter** · 10-08-2017, 07:55 PM

Impressive

**gooseaholic** · 10-08-2017, 08:01 PM

Pretty sweet adventures!

**joshua2** · 10-08-2017, 08:03 PM

Nets are for fishing. That buck is a stud no doubt. Awesome week!

**tjm84** · 10-08-2017, 08:08 PM

Tend not to make blind judgments but from the outside, seems you're living the life... and fine work.

**PharmHunter** · 10-08-2017, 08:11 PM

That's a fine few days

**Elcid_Fowler** · 10-08-2017, 08:12 PM

There is no NC October season...you stop making up lies like that.

**scdiver** · 10-08-2017, 08:23 PM

Excellent! I've been looking for a purple the past few trips half heartedly, but it's on my list.

I can only imagine Sora's are fun!

**santeerangerman** · 10-08-2017, 08:58 PM

Is that a Ithaca SKB by chance?

**jws** · 10-08-2017, 09:12 PM

Living the dream

**BEAR** · 10-08-2017, 09:17 PM

Heckuva good week! Ever since I had my friend George down from the Yukon with his old chocolate lab, Heidi, and you told us where to find Common Moorhens and Sora Rail, I've made it an annual trip to go down and hunt for Common Moorhens and Soras. We only ever got a couple Sora Rail while George was here. That was back in 2011. Haven't seen any since there. Such a beautiful place there. Thanks for sharing your adventures!

**Chap** · 10-08-2017, 09:19 PM

I'm with Sportin', that buck dominates this thread. Congratulations!

**Mergie Master** · 10-08-2017, 09:44 PM

That is strong! Good work.

Rubberhead* · 10-09-2017, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by santeerangerman

Is that a Ithaca SKB by chance?

Browning BSS Sporter in 20 gauge. The most underrated mass produced gun ever made, in my opinion. I tend to shoot it a little high, especially after shooting the Citori, but got it dialed in after a few misses.

Rubberhead* · 10-09-2017, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by BEAR

Heckuva good week! Ever since I had my friend George down from the Yukon with his old chocolate lab, Heidi, and you told us where to find Common Moorhens and Sora Rail, I've made it an annual trip to go down and hunt for Common Moorhens and Soras. We only ever got a couple Sora Rail while George was here. That was back in 2011. Haven't seen any since there. Such a beautiful place there. Thanks for sharing your adventures!

Yep - that was the exact spot I told you guys about. There were two or three on every head of grass. Once the water peaked they got even harder to get into the air. The best way to make the "chicken-beaked" birds fly is to make a lot of noise then get real quiet. I think they think they're being stalked. They'll usually take wing in 10 to 30 seconds, if they're ever going to.