Sunrise on the Santee: A Memoir of Waterfowling in South Carolina

About this book

A duck hunter gets his limit of cherished memories For more than half a century Julius M. Reynolds Jr. has hunted waterfowl and the Santee lakes of South Carolina have been his sporting paradise. Early mornings cold duck blinds and sunrises on the Santee compose some of his most prized memories. Reynolds has lived on both sides of the lakes and has roamed them from the Santee delta to the Pinopolis powerhouse. He has witnessed both the glory days and the decline of duck hunting in South Carolina. With this heartfelt memoir Reynolds recalls his best hunting stories shares his knowledge of waterfowling and chronicles recent dramatic changes in his beloved sport. Describing himself as a Sumter boy who "grew up chasing ducks in Pocotaliago Swamp and from one end of the lake to the other " Reynolds takes readers into the Santees best duck hunting areasfrom Cane Branch Billups Slough and Line Island all located around Jacks Creek to McGirts Lake Otter Flat Risers Old River Pine Island Creek Broadwater Indigo Flat and Fullers Earth Creek Reynoldss favorite hunting spots in the Santee Swamp. He tells stories of memorable trips colorful South Carolina sportsmen favorite dogs boats shotguns and the joy of life in the outdoors. He recalls a time when the Santee National Waterfowl Refuge wintered more than 100 000 ducks and records the heroic efforts of outdoorsmen who saved the Santee Swamp from timbermens sawmills. Reynolds touches on his personal milestonesshooting "a hundred straight" of skeet participating in the national duck calling competition and hunting in a luxury Arkansas blindbut he also looks to the future of waterfowling. Reynolds challenges the next generation of hunters to save our rapidly vanishing wetlands for the health of the environment and in the hope that waterfowl migration might return to the Santee. reviewing a previous edition or volume