Wildlife Action
How it all began ...
Seven men gathered shotguns and shells, boats and motors, trusty hunting dogs,
cooking utensils and food supplies to brave the bitter cold of an early winter's
morn. Their destination: the swamps of the Great Pee Dec River in Marion County,
South Carolina. Their purpose: a memorable duck-hunting trip.
They arrived at Dunham's Bluff at 4:30 AM and unloaded their gear. Anticipation
ran high as a brisk breeze swept across the riverbank causing the shivering of
man and creature, physical discomfort but a part of the adventure that lay
ahead. Plans were made to rendezvous back at camp later that morning so ducks
could be cleaned, cooked, and eaten.
“Each man for himself.” was the cry that rose among the hunters as they took to
their boats in the blackness of churning waters, whistling winds, and the
groaning of branches laden with Spanish moss. Seven men in boats moved silently
from shore. Then in an almost simultaneous surge of power, engines ignited and
they were off to their individual “honey holes.” Decoys lulled peacefully in
their chosen spots while the darkness of morning turned a lighter shade of pink
and hunters waited patiently for the exhilarating sound of wings in flight.
That was 1977, a frustrating duck hunting season for those seven men. When they
returned to camp later that morning to stir up a mess of duck bog, not one of
those hunters had so much as one feathered creature between them. Disappointed,
they sat around the campfire hungry for wild game and pondered the question: “What
can we do to bring ducks back to the Pee Dee?”
“We’ll start a club. We’ll build duck boxes. We’ll demand stronger conservation laws. We'll make a difference in Marion County,” they echoed and thus on that dismal and chilly morn, the idea for Wildlife Action was born.
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