Traplines on Cypress Creek

I found out that “cold” is a colloquial term this past weekend.

Connie and I decided to visit my dad in South Carolina before the holiday traffic worsened. We found that’s not very likely – at least the part of traffic worsening.

When we arrived, the temperature was 59 degrees and everyone there was telling us just how “cold” it was. I gently pointed them to the Weather Channel and told them to us that would be downright balmy. Most of them were overjoyed to find that their temps later this week will be in the 70s. I just hope it stays down there.

I thought I’d seen most and heard it all until I read a local report about illegal hunting. It happened in Orangeburg (about 25 miles south of Columbia) when a local sheriff’s deputy on routine patrol came across this guy at 3 a.m.

He was walking down the road with a flashlight taped to the barrel of his shot gun. When confronted, he told the officer that he had a directive from the USDA to shoot beavers. Seeing as how beavers aren’t really that numerous in South Carolina and only their fish and game folks issue permits for indigenous species, the man was asked to produce this “authorization.” He failed that about like he did explaining the flashlight being duct taped to the gun.  Sadly for me, the story ended right there by saying he’d been taken into custody.

I did see quite a few legal hunters here in Delaware on my return trip. As we’re in the midst of doe season, it was relatively easy to spot the orange vests in the barren woods. Connie was a bit quicker in seeing one guy sitting in a stand with no orange, however, and she asked if he was legal.

Just a reminder to that guy and any of you who might think that’s OK — it’s not. You must wear your orange from the time you pick up your gun until you place it back in the case. The price of venison could go up drastically for you if you ignore the laws.