Sunrise on the Santee

[rbblackmon]

I'm new to the forum but have been duck hunting for years. I ran across this book on the internet and decided to buy it. It is a great book and talks about the Santee Swamp when the Santee Cooper Resevoir was wintering over 100,000+ ducks. Great read and was wondering if anybody else has taken a look at it. It is written by J.M. Reynolds.

[Dawhoo]

Yeah it is one of my favorite books. The author of the book talks about hunting on my girlfriend's family land. It is pretty cool reading about the good ole days of duckhunting around the swamp and Santee.

[rbblackmon]

Yeah, towards the end of the book it talks about hunting a little on the lower lake near Black's...which is the place my family used to own. It was nice to read that there was good hunting and that a lot of the hunters were actually considerate.

[rbblackmon]

Hey guys, I just realized that I posted this thread in the wrong forum. Am I able to move it myself or does a moderator have to? I apologize in advance.

[Dawhoo]

the map of the swamp is pretty cool in the cover of the book.

[rbblackmon]

Yeah it is. I would like to just sit down with this guy and listen to him tell stories. My Godfather owns part of a plantation on the Cooper River and he talks about when the duck hunting was real good...it's just a cool thing to sit and listen.

[justpracticin]

He judged the Duck Calling Contest at Black River Marine a few weeks ago. Really nice guy.

[bomo]

I liked the stories in the book but the writing style was mundane and just plain boring. Reynolds could have made his good book into a great book with a little spunk in his writing. I liked Ramblings of A Lowcountry Game Warden much better.

[scswamprat]

He judged the Duck Calling Contest at Black River Marine a few weeks ago. Really nice guy.

yesir....Mr Reynolds is a stand up guy, great to talk hunting with, feller knows some stuff about ducks. I would bet he knows the santee swamp as good as any one person living.

oh yeah, sunrise on the santee is a must. I picked it up one night read through it the next day. Hard to believe sc used to be that full of ducks.

[Big D]

Met Mr. Reynolds a week or so ago at Schofields Hardware. Picked up a signed copy of his book. Looking forward to reading it.

[dukhuntr]

He ussually comes to the Sparkleberry Chapter DU banquets. He is a great guy from the few times I have meet him. At the first banquet I went to I saw him, and had to go tell tim how much I enjoyed that book! I have read it several times, never gets old. I wish I would have been around in those days to have experienced the swamp in its prime!

[Dawhoo]

back in the days of ringknecks and big birds.....

[beanhunter]

yep its a classic for the sc waterfowler. you should also like said before check out ramblings of a low country game warden, its another great book. reading about ducks and adventures of the sort helps me make it in the off season.

[Nab]

Mr. Reynolds will again be over at Black River Marine in Orangeburg
Judging the duck calling contest this Thursday Nov.9.
He is a wonderful man whom I am lucky to call my friend.
He still loves the Santee swamp and we try to take him in at least once or twice a year.
We're planning a good old squirrel hunt this February.
And man can he make a duck call talk.

[JABIII]

Good to see you back Nab! Any thoughts on the impending sale of Santee Cooper (including Sparkleberry Swamp) to an out of state Corporate entity?

[beanhunter]

Hey nab

[Tuffy]

Good to see you back Nab! Any thoughts on the impending sale of Santee Cooper (including Sparkleberry Swamp) to an out of state Corporate entity?

See? We should have picked up on the above 95 zoning and the possibility of adding/swapping areas for Santee NWR and SCDNR before this happened.....Now, we just get whatever comes out the other end and it will surely be looking for ways to develop it all.

[JABIII]

See? Yeah, I see. I have been advocating for those lands to be put into conservation easements for decades, because of just this sort of outcome. Now, here we are. It will be sold at firesale prices. How many kayak in AirBNB units could one fit on Pine Island alone?

[duckshootringer55]

Mr Reynolds is one heck of a shot and a really nice guy too. Been dove hunting with him for years. Even been on a few duck hunts with him. to say he can call good would be an understatement. He's the best I've heard

[Tuffy]

See? Yeah, I see. I have been advocating for those lands to be put into conservation easements for decades, because of just this sort of outcome. Now, here we are. It will be sold at firesale prices. How many kayak in AirBNB units could one fit on Pine Island alone?

It was hard to get anyone to imagine the day ever coming when Santee-Cooper might not be the issue. It didn't take long, did it? It is still possible for DNR to add some area before it happens, though, I think. Similarly, the Refuge could change some of their leases with S-C before it is too late. The new owner would surely love to develop some of that stuff below 95 that doesn't have the waterfowl potential that the Refuge could in other places.