NOVEMBER 2024
NOVEMBER 2024
CarolinaSPORTSMAN.com
SMALL WATER
SMALL WATER
DUCKS
DUCKS
PUBLIC LAND
PUBLIC LAND
WATERFOWLIN’
WATERFOWLIN’
TIME FOR
TIME FOR
THE RUT
THE RUT
BIG
BUCKS
FALLING
NOVEMBER 2024
$3.99
CATCH A
CAT/STRIPER
COMBO
CarolinaSportsman.com
November 2024 | Carolina Sportsman
Volume 31 | Number 11 | November 2024
DEPARTMENTS:
27 NC Hunting Regulations
35 SC Hunting Regulations
80 Sportsman Showcase
76 Hunting/Fishing Scrapbook
82 Astro Tables/Advertiser Index
CONTENTS
CAROLINA SPORTSMAN (USPS #012969) is
mailed at periodicals postage rates and paid
at Boutte, La., and additional mailing of ces.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Carolina
Sportsman, PO Box 1199, Boutte, LA 70039-1199.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of contents is
strictly prohibited without permission of Carolina
Sportsman. EDITORIAL information and guidelines
can be obtained by emailing Brian Cope at brianc@
carolinasportsman.com.
14236 Highway 90
P.O. Box 1199, Boutte, LA 70039-1199
800.538.4355
Volume 31 | No 11
www.CarolinaSPORTSMAN.com
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:
sales@lasmag.com
985.758.7217
PUBLISHER
Lisa Lottinger Cuccia
EDITORIAL & SALES DIRECTOR
Jonathan Menard
EDITOR
Brian Cope, brianc@carolinasportsman.com
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER
Desiree P. Lewis
ART DIRECTOR
Kevin Orgeron
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Alissa Zeringue
SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER
Theresa Peltier
CONTROLLER
Juanita Guidry
ADVERTISING SALES
Bradley Hulin
336-688-0273, bradleyh@carolinasportsman.com
Asa Faulkner, Preston Faulkner, Peter Church,
and Mark Hilzim (National Sales)
Carolina Sportsman is published monthly by
CAROLINA PUBLISHING INC.
FOUNDER
Allen J. Lottinger
FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS
OR SUBSCRIPTION ISSUES,
CALL 1.800.538.4355
Monday thru Thursday, 8 am to 4:30 pm
or email subscriptions@lasmag.com
38
WATEREE’S WILD
FALL FISHING
ON THE COVER:
Chase Wallace killed his
personal best buck this
season in Chesterf eld
County, SC.
FEATURES:
20 DEER SEASON
HUMMING ALONG
Trophy bucks continue to fall to
Carolina hunters
▶By Brian Cope
28 RUT STRATEGIES
Kill your target buck with these rut
hunting tips
▶By Terry Madewell
38 WATEREE’S WILD
FALL FISHING
Catch a striper and catf sh combo at
Lake Wateree
▶By Terry Madewell
58 PUBLIC LAND WATERFOWL
PREVIEW
Check out these public Carolina
waterfowl areas
▶By Mike Marsh
70 DUCKS IN SMALL PLACES
Don’t overlook little bodies of water
when duck hunting
▶By Phillip Gentry
COVER STORY
26 GREENER PASTURES
By Jeff Burleson
34 FULL DRAW By Pete Rogers
44 LUNKER LINES By David Fritts
48 SANTEE STRINGER
By Terry Madewell
52 SOUND & SEA By Chris Burrows
56 COOKING ON THE
WILD SIDE By Capt. Jerry Dilsaver
64 ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN
By Pat Robertson
72 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
By Phillip Gentry
74 SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK
By Brian Cope
6 SEATROUT LEGISLATION
LOOMS
OUTDOOR UPDATE:
46 Lake Michie bassin’
47 Lake Edgar Brown for bass
50 Cats on the Catawba
51 Cool-weather panf sh
54 Cranking up lowcountry redf sh
55 Specks on the coast
FISHING HOTSPOTS:
COLUMNS:
20
DEER SEASON
HUMMING
ALONG
Carolina Sportsman | November 2024
CarolinaSportsman.com
November 2024 | Carolina Sportsman
Experience
More
Together.
• 800 cc displacement • 70 hp at 7500 rpm
• 51 lb-ft peak torque
• 960 lbs dry weight
CFORCE 800 Touring
417 LIZARD CREEK RD • LITTLETON, NC. 27850
252-586-8686
Call/Text
Like us on
WARNING: CFMOTO recreational vehicles are intended for off-road use only and can be hazardous to operate. Read Owner’s Manual and all product labels before operating. Never operate on paved roads. Operators and
passengers must wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Operators must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. Always use seatbelts,
cab netting, and doors (if equipped). Never operate under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Avoid excessive speed and sharp turns, and never engage in stunt driving. Check state and local laws before operating on
trails. Take a safety training course before operating. Contact your CFMOTO dealer for more information, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887, or go to www.atvsafety.org.
Carolina Sportsman| November 2024
he North Carolina Dept. of Environmental Qual-
ity’s Division of Marine Fisheries accepted public
comments on Amendment 1 of the Draft Spot-
ted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan. The Amend-
ment is DMF’s attempt to end overfishing of North
Carolina’s seatrout stock.
DMF’s recommendations include:
• Statewide, January through February harvest clo-
sure of seatrout.
• 14- to 20-inch slot limit, with allowance for one fish
greater than 26 inches.
• 3-fish bag limit.
• Eliminating the for-hire captain and crew allowance.
• Extending the fishery closure through June 30 fol-
lowing a cold stun.
DMF is recom-
mending these
steps because
according to their
2022 Spotted
Seatrout Stock
Assessment, the
stock of seatrout is
not overfished, but
overfishing is occur-
ring. This means
the population
is currently large
enough to sustain
itself, but fishing is
removing fish from
the population at an
unsustainable rate.
Aside from their above recommendations, which are
for the recreational sector, DMF is also advising the fol-
lowing changes for the commercial sector:
• The same statewide harvest closure from January
through February.
• No change to the commercial size limit.
• A statewide October through December extended
weekend commercial harvest closure from 11:59
p.m. Friday to 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
• No change in the quota for the Bogue Banks stop
net fishery, but to formalize management of the
fishery in Amendment 1.
Find out more about the Spotted Seatrout amend-
ment at www.deq.nc.gov/dmf. ■
Bag-A-Buck
Contest
underway
Don’t forget to post photos of your bucks in the
Carolina Sportsman Bag-A-Buck Contest to be
eligible to win monthly prizes and our Grand
Prize from Cherokee Run Hunting Lodge.
To enter or see deer that have been entered,
log onto
www.carolinasportsman.com/bag-a-buck
UPDATE
OUTDOOR
Brian Cope
with
SEATROUT LEGISLATION LOOMS
CHANGES ARE COMING TO NC’S SEATROUT REGULATIONS
Brian Cope of Borden
S.C., is the editor of
Carolina Sportsman
Magazine and
CarolinaSportsman.
com. You can reach
him at brianc@
carolinasportsman.com.
Chris Blackmon and
Jack Huber pose with
their 12-foot, 5-inch
gator from September.
Roy Huber tagged
a big gator, then
immediately
changed gears to
fish in the Santee
Lakes Catfish Club
tournament.
CarolinaSportsman.com
November 2024 |Carolina Sportsman
With a partnership of state, federal and private partners,
the SCDNR acquired more than 10,000 acres in Jasper and
Hampton counties, establishing the Coosawhatchie Heri-
tage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area.
“This is another huge victory for conservation in South
Carolina, and a tribute to the invaluable partnerships that
have helped protect this land for generations to come,” said
SCDNR Director Robert Boyles.
Coosawhatchie HP/WMA is made up of a mixture of pines,
hardwoods, sand ridges, open fields, bottomland hard-
woods and waterfowl impoundments. Approximately 68
priority plant and animal species, including federally at-risk
species such as the gopher tortoise, Eastern diamondback
rattlesnake and Florida pine snake are found on the prop-
erty.
More than 8 miles of frontage along the Coosawhatchie
River and 3 miles along the Tulifinny River, as well as 25
miles of internal creeks and streams are also present on the
property.
Coosawhatchie HP/WMA opened to the public on Sept. 1.
It is closed during scheduled hunts, and hunting and fishing
rules on the property can be seen in the current SCDNR laws
and regulations guide. ■
SC OPENS NEW WMA
orth Carolina’s Mandatory Harvest Reporting for numer-
ous species of fish will impact both recreational and com-
mercial fishermen, and is set to begin on Dec. 1, 2025.
The new NC state law will require recreational anglers to report
the harvest of red drum, flounder, spotted seatrout, striped bass
and weakfish (a/k/a gray trout) to the NC Divison of Marine Fish-
eries. This will apply to anglers fishing in Coastal Fishing Waters,
Joint Fishing Waters and Inland Fishing Waters adjacent to
Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters.
Commercial fishermen engaged in a commercial fishing opera-
tion will also be required to report their harvests to DMF, whether
they sell the catches or not.
This law was set to take place in December of this year, but
DMF decided to put it off for a year in order to develop report-
ing methods that will be user-friendly and robust, and to give
the agency plenty of time to inform the public about the new
requirements.
Mandatory harvest reporting will be enforced by DMF’s Marine
Patrol and NCWRC’s Law Enforcement Division.
Enforcement of the new law will be phased in over a period of
3 years.
Phase 1: Effective Dec. 1, 2025 includes a verbal warning for
failure to report harvest.
Phase 2: Beginning Dec. 1, 2026, warning tickets will be issued.
Phase 3: Starting Dec. 1, 2027, an infraction, which will count
towards suspension of fishing licenses and permits, along with a
NC ANGLERS A YEAR
AWAY FROM MANDATORY
HARVEST REPORTING
$35 fine, will be in effect.
See more information about the mandatory harvest reporting
requirements at www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisher-
ies/licenses-permits-and-leases/mandatory-harvest-reporting. ■
Numerous species will
require harvest reporting
in NC waters.
Carolina Sportsman| November 2024
UPDATE
OUTDOOR
he South Carolina Outdoor Press Association held its
annual conference in early October, where they issued 28
awards to outdoor journalists.
• Best Electronic Publishing Story:
First Place: Jim Mize, The Importance of Wildlife Corridors.
Second Place: Philip Hunt, Raising Weird Kids.
Third Place: Terry Madewell: Catfish for the Table
• Best Outdoor Blog:
First Place: Rivers and Feathers (riversandfeathers.com).
Second Place: Jim Casada’s E-Newsletter (jimcasadaoutdoors.
com).
Third Place: Carolina Fish and Hunt (carolinafishandhunt.com).
• Best Outdoor Book:
First Place: Mike Watts, Riverbank Memories.
Second Place: Jon Wongrey, A Waterfowler’s Trek.
Third Place: Parker Gibbons, Aquatic and Terrestrial Vertebrates
of Black River Cypress Preserve.
• Best Newspaper Article:
First Place: Jim Casada, In Praise of Pocket Knives.
Second Place: Philip Hunt, Raising Weird Kids.
Third Place: Whit Gibbons, Can a Turtle Bite off a Person’s Finger?
• Best Published Photograph:
First Place: Whit Gibbons, Beaver Dam Adventure.
Second Place: Joey Frazier, The Tackle Box.
Third Place: Corey Hunt, Canoeing with Kids.
• Best Magazine Story Over 1000 Words:
First Place: Jim Casada, The Grandfather Factor.
Second Place: Jim Mize, Fishing Fables.
Third Place: Brian Cope, Floundering Around.
• Best Magazine Story Under 1000 Words:
First Place: Jim Mize, Fishing With a Moose.
Second Place: Cindy Thompson, The Dance.
Third Place: Terry Madewell, Fish Like a Girl.
• Best Conference Site Story:
First Place: Philip Hunt, Thanks, Harry.
Second Place: Corey Hunt, Essential Tips for Canoeing with Kids.
Third Place: Terry Madewell,
Lake Murray: Overlooked
Destination for South Carolina
Catfish.
• Best Fishing Story Bob
Glendy Award:
First Place: Terry Madewell,
Fish Like a Girl.
• Best Hunting Story Terry
Madewell Award:
First Place: Joey Frazier, Mr.
Jim.
• Best Audio Award:
First Place: Christian Out-
doors Podcast, Messages from
the Mountain.
Second Place: Christian Out-
doors Podcast, The G-Man is in
the House. ■
SC OUTDOOR PRESS
ISSUES 28 AWARDS
The SC Outdoor Press Association is
made up of outdoor writers, podcast-
ers, and photographers.
HUNT THE BLACKWATER SWAMPS & PINES
IN THE SANDHILLS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
704-301-7950
EATSLEEPHUNT.COM
CHESTERFIELD, SC
Tom Naumann, Owner/Operator • tnaumann@eastsleephunt.com • facebook.com/Cherokee-Run-Hunting-Lodge-LLC-334159500615
HUNT THE BLACKWATER SWAMPS & PINES
IN THE SANDHILLS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
704-301-7950
EATSLEEPHUNT.COM
CHESTERFIELD, SC
Tom Naumann, Owner/Operator • tnaumann@eastsleephunt.com • facebook.com/Cherokee-Run-Hunting-Lodge-LLC-334159500615
CarolinaSportsman.com
November 2024 |Carolina Sportsman
he NCWRC announced a new public game land in
late September, after Duke Energy donated about
1250 acres to the Commission.
The new property will be called the North Bend
Game Land, and will consist of three tracts of land
located below Lake James, along the Catawba River in
Burke County.
“Duke Energy has long been a valued partner of NCWRC
for helping to provide public recreation opportunities
across our state,” said Ryan Jacobs, the Mountain Eco-Region
supervisor in the NCWRC’s Land and Water Access Division. “The
donation of properties mak-
ing up the North Bend Game
Land will be a valuable asset
to our game land program,
and we are excited for the
public to experience all that
these lands have to offer.”
The transfer was made pos-
sible through the Catawba-
Wateree Hydropower
Relicensing Project where a
provision was provided in the
Comprehensive Relicensing
Agreement, allowing Duke
Energy to donate these tracts
to the NCWRC.
“Duke Energy is committed
to land, water and habitat con-
servation. Wildlife Resources
Commission’s management
of these properties will allow
thousands of people to hunt
and fish on the majority of the
property,” said Tami Styer, Duke
Energy’s licensing project
manager for the Catawba-
Wateree Hydro Project.
Opportunities on the game
land will include hunting for
deer and turkey, fishing access
to the Catawba River, boating
access on part of the newly
constructed North Bend Boat-
ing Access Area, and future
developed hiking trails.
“Not only will this new game
land create a unique and qual-
ity experience for sportsmen,
but it will also provide sub-
stantial resource protection
along the Catawba River Basin,”
said Paul Thompson, Northern Mountain land management
biologist with the NCWRC. ■
NCWRC ANNOUNCES
NEW PUBLIC GAME LAND
The North Bend Game Land
is among NCWRC’s newest
additions.
4410 Old Pineville Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Call today (704) 527-1110 • www.barefootarchery.com
We have all the
Archery and
Hunting accessories
to make your
season a success.
C H A R L O T T E , N C
www.barefootarchery.com
$62999
BEAR
ADAPT +
ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR
ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR
BOW HUNTING & ARCHERY NEEDS!
BOW HUNTING & ARCHERY NEEDS!
WE SHIP
IN STATE
WITH
UPS
Pro Shop
& Indoor
Archery
Range
MAKE YOUR
BULLSEYE
TODAY!
Full Service Proshop,
Authorized Dealer
for Hoyt, Mathews,
PSE, and Bear Archery
TIME FOR A
TIME FOR A
BOW TUNE UP!
BOW TUNE UP!
Authorized Dealer:
Carolina Sportsman| November 2024
10
UPDATE
OUTDOOR
On
Oct. 3, Maverick Skipper of
Fayetteville, NC killed a huge
10-point Cumberland County
buck. The trophy buck was green-scored at
165 2/8 inches.
Skipper’s buck won our October Bag-A-Buck
Contest, and was awarded a 1-year subscrip-
tion to Carolina Sportsman Magazine, a
Sportsman hat, and a package of Lowcountry
Seasonings. It also puts him, along with
everyone else who enters the contest, in the
running for our Grand Prize, which includes
a 2-day, two-person hunt at Cherokee Run
Hunting Lodge in Chesterfield, SC.
Hunting from an Ol’ Man elevated tree stand
on public land, Skipper shot the buck with his
Traditions muzzleloader.
Oct. 3, 2024 wasn’t the first meeting for
Skipper and this buck. He’d encountered the
deer exactly one year earlier, and took a shot
at it, but missed. And that encounter took place in the exact
same spot as it did when the hunter got his redemption.
Because big, mature bucks like this one are known for being
nocturnal, Skipper felt that a little bit of luck was in his favor
when the buck stepped out during his hunt.
“The buck daylighted in the same exact spot, on the same
exact day, a year later. That ultimately was how the buck met his
demise. All the stars aligned. It was meant to be,” he said.
To see all the bucks that have been entered in this season’s Bag-
A-Buck Contest, and to enter your own, visit carolinasportsman.
com/bag-a-buck. ■
Maverick Skipper shot this 10-point
buck on public land in Cumberland
County, NC in early October.
Bag-A-Buck
Contest
underway
To enter or see deer that have been entered, log onto
www.carolinasportsman.com/bag-a-buck
REDEMPTION BUCK WINS
OCTOBER BAG-A-BUCK
CONTEST WINNER
Maverick Skipper missed
same buck a year earlier