Fishing with Bob

What a deer for 9 year old (or anybody) Drew Hackney.  Drew killed this buck this past weekend on his dad’s(Greg Hackney, BASS superstar) island on the Mississippi.  The 5000 acre island with 8 owners, is managed heavily for deer.  I will be going there again in January to duck hunt on the Miss and will post some pics.  Great job, Drew!!!!!

Fran and I started thinning 85 acres of planted pines this week.  It sure is nice to deal with professionals like Stro and William Morrison of Morrison Forestry, Estill, SC 803-943-6601, our forester and Alvin Dobson of Sandhill Logging and Timber 803-943-6013 our logger.  While Stro has always been our forester, this is the first time we have used Alvin, who presented the top bid.  I can tell you, I’ll make sure he is our logger next time also.  Alvin and his guys have bent over backwards for us and it sure shows in the pine plantations.  They are doing a very uniform cut and scarring no remaing tree.  Even the timber decks  (small, cleared areas  where they grade and load the logs on the trucks) show their expertise.  The limbs and tops are piled with no dirt (something I have never seen) so they can be burned later.

The first picture is a skidder hauling logs to the deck.  In the second picture Curtis Foster (Forester Foster) and I are spraying borax on the fresh cut stumps, per Stro’s advice, to prevent root rot, which would spread to the remaining trees.

If you are looking for some property in South Carolina, I feel now is the time to prepare to pull the trigger.  Whether it is a hunting property or a coastal vacation property, deals are popping up as we speak.  First, have your finances in order.  Being able to offer a “no financing contingencies contract” goes a long way to having your contract accepted by the seller.  Next, identify several properties that “fit your bill”.  Have your realtor do the research on the history of each property and sit down with him and make an offer.  It is amazing the deals available today.

Deal at Edisto:

21 Acres, consisting of open land (garden, dove field), woods (watch deer from your cabin), the 12 foot deep pond (big bass, crappie, bream, and catfish), the house (one bedroom, one bath, fireplace and more), the shop, and shed make this tract ideal for retirement, a getaway, or a hunting camp.  Located about three miles from Blackville, South Carolina on Vernon’s Vintage Road, between Hwy 78 and the Salkehatchie River.
$138,000

http://tv.flyfishingfilmtour.com/video/295/Carolina-Reds

Check out this video on South Carolina Redfishing.  And if you want to do some of the same, give me a call.

This 33 acre square tract, with power, was a pasture that has now has 15 year old , mostly hardwoods (persimmon trees throughout), timber, but could be turned into an awesome dove field with a tractor.  So many deer they are a nuisance to the neighboring farmers.  Several acres of big hardwoods on NW corner (house site). From Swansea, south on Hwy 3, left (east) on Hwy 394, dirt, deeded access road to left leads to property.

$2100 per Acre

With the rut winding down, December 12 is the day to kill a big buck over corn, according to deer processor, Hank Zorn.  And Hank should know, as he’s been keeping records for 12 years.  He does my processing and gets rave reviews from everyone who uses him.  Hank’s phone number is 803-259-1988.

Located in Orangeburg County, SC, this 390 acre tract, is a steal at $1750 per acre.Tract has 3 miles of Edisto River frontage (drive thru property to bluff on river), 50 acres 1996 pines, 18 acres of 1987 pines, hardwood corridors throughout with big trees, hardwood areas not logged, oxbows, creeks, duckpond and food plot sites.  DUCK POND IMPOUNDMENT PLAN, by Robert Folk, in hand. Two 5 acre outparcels do not convey.   Go to www.southcarolinalandonline.com to view aerial.

PS   Aiken County was this years’ top producer of State Record entries with 22. Other top counties included Orangeburg (21), Anderson (13), Pickens (12), and Greenville (11). These results come as no surprise as these counties have historically produced good numbers of record entries. As far as all-time leaders at the county level, Orangeburg County remains at the top with 362 sets of antlers on the list. Rounding out the top five counties Orangeburg is followed by Aiken 300, Fairfield 9 230, Colleton 216, and Anderson with 189 entries

If you are considering buying hunting property, why wouldn’t you look into Barnwell County, South Carolina.  With the longest hunting season in the US, no weapon restrictions, liberal bag limits (none), and a sustaining deer populations with some of the biggest racks harvested in the state, Barnwell bears investigation. Centrally located ( 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours) from four major airports (Charleston, Savannah, Columbia, and Augusta) make Barnwell easy to get to and give your wife a place to shop, dine, and entertain friends, while you and the other husbands hunt.  And with  good hunting land going for as little as $2000 per acre,  your purchase becomes an excellent investment.  I get a lot of pleasure in growing Sawtooth Oaks on my Barnwell property, like the ones in the picture.Give me a call and let me find your dream hunting tract.  Bob

Bob Sanders
Big Fork Farms LLC
Real Estate Sales

FishingWithBob

Edisto Inshore Charters

803-300-2780
803-584-5211
www.fishingwithbob.com
www.southcarolinalandonline.com

Should I ever decide to sell my farm in Barnwell, South Carolina, I feel I would get top dollar, due to the wildlife enhancements implemented by my father and carried on by yours truly.  Now that the rut is winding down, deer hunting interest will wane.  And with this, any interest in tending the deer, and other wildlife, will also wane.  The acorns will carry them for a while, assuming you had a good acorn crop, but Feb until spring and the heat of mid summer are tough times for wildlife.  I’ve planted 9 wildlife plots with a mix of wheat (combine run from a local farmer @ $4/bushel, turnips, and rape ($10 total).  The fields can be burned just before dove seaason for an inexpensive dove field.

What else do I do that would enhance the value of Wayfar Farm?  Shoot the does and only big, mature bucks, keep records, control burn, get all racks scored (as I want any buck I kill to make the South Carolina Record Bucks list), rotational harrowing, planting with sustaining rather than harvesting the animals in mind,  and putting the wildlife up there with economic decisions  are some the ways.

“I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever hope to own.”  Andy Warhol

Bob Sanders
FishingWithBob
Edisto Inshore Charters
Big Fork Farms LLC
Real Estate Sales
803-300-2780
803-584-5211
www.fishingwithbob.com
www.southcarolinalandonline.com