How it all began...
Ed White and Jack
Privett enjoy chicken bog at Duck Hunting Trip on Big Pee Dee River
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
purpose: a memorable duck-hunting trip. Great Pee Dec River in
Marion County, South Carolina. Their
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?”