SOUTH CAROLINA OUTDOOR PRESS ASSOCIATION

Aiken, SC — The South Carolina outdoor Press Association formally known as SCOPe held its business conference this past week in Aiken, SC. During the Saturday evenings award banquet, the Board of Directors announced the creation of a new award recognizing the Best Overall Hunting Story.

Incoming President Pete Rogers announced the creation of; The “Terry Madewell Award” This award beginning in 2022, will recognize the best overall hunting story in the Excellence in Craft competition among its members.

About Terry Madewell:

Terry Madewell earned his degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Management from Tennessee Tech University in 1972 and began a professional career in that field that totaled 30 years in Federal Service. Titles included Park Ranger, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Fish & Wildlife Specialist and Natural & Cultural Resources Supervisor.

In 2002 he was awarded Best Natural Resources Manager in the Air Force (Worldwide/Civilian) in a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington DC.

His writing career encompasses the past 48 years and he’s still active in the field. He’s worked part-time and full-time as an outdoor communicator since he was 23 and wrote weekly newspaper columns, often two a week, for over 30 years. He was Editor of the Manning Times newspaper in Manning SC and he’s been published in dozens of state, regional and national magazines through the years. He has also self-published four books relating to the outdoor world.

One of his passions is outdoor photography and he’s had dozens of photos that appeared as magazine covers and his photography and writing has earned many awards in photography and literary competitions.

He enjoys woodworking and woodturning where he produces handmade turkey calls and many other wood products.

His great passion in the outdoors is sharing fishing and hunting experiences with youngster and introducing them to the outdoor world. He’s blessed to have six children, nine granddaughters and two great-grandsons.

Madewell has been President of the South Carolina Outdoor Press (SCOPe) on multiple occasions and is a past recipient of the Pat Robertson Award for service to the organization and was also presented the Lifetime Member of SCOPe Award.

Madewell lives in Ridgeway, SC and spends much of his time away from the keyboard chasing giant catfish.

About South Carolina Outdoor Press

The South Carolina Outdoor Press Association (SCOPe) has served the content creators of South Carolina for 34 years. Beginning in 1987 SCOPe has worked to help its members to grow in the craft of writing and photography and in recent years, in other fields of outdoor communication. Founded by some of the most well-known names in the industry, SCOPe is one of the few outdoor organizations that is growing. If you would like to find out more, please go to; www.scoutdoorpress.com for more information. Contact us at; sc.outdoorpress@gmail.com

Pat Robertson, left, presents the 2021 SCOPE Outstanding Taxidermy Award to Martin Bess, center, with SCAT President Chuck Mulkey, right.

A multimedia piece featuring a mounted cottontail rabbit in a running pose was selected as the winner of the 2021 SCOPE Award for Outstanding Taxidermy at the annual Show and Competition of the South Carolina Association of Taxidermy in Columbia.

Behind the mount created by Martin Bess of near Cherryville, N.C., was a painting of a beagle chasing the rabbit across a field.

“I selected the piece based on my own life experiences of rabbit hunting and participating in beagle field trials,” said SCOPE member Pat Robertson, who has represented SCOPE at the annual SCAT Show and Competition for more than 25 years.

Robertson told the group that he grew up with beagles and began rabbit hunting at an early age with his Dad and uncles. As an adult he began participating in beagle field trials and currently competes in field trials in the Carolinas and Georgia with his wife Jan.

He related a personal outdoor story that helps describe why he chose the taxidermy piece for the SCOPE Award that year. At this year’s awards luncheon he opened by saying”

“I’d like to tell you a story about my Uncle Earl. There were two things you could count on with Uncle Earl. If it was spring, summer and early fall he would be fishing on Clarks Hill Lake every Saturday. But from Thanksgiving tuntil after Valentine’s Day he would be in the woods with his beagles, rabbit hunting.”

Robertson said his Dad and Uncle Earl fostered that love of fishing and especially of rabbit hunting in him from an early age. As Uncle Earl neared the end of life he gave his old hunting gun to him – a Stevens 12 gauge his wife, Martha, had given him as a wedding present in the late 1940s.

“The next rabbit season after we laid Uncle Earl to rest, I went along with a group of friends on a rabbit hunt in the Lowcountry. As soon as the beagles bailed out of the back of the trucks they jumped a rabbit and carried it almost out of hearing. Most of the hunters went with them, but I sat on the tailgate and waited.”

He did not have to wait long.

“Sure enough, soon I could hear the clamor of the beagles in chase as the rabbit made a circle and came back towards where he was jumped. I loaded the old Stevens and waited. The cottontail bolted across the dirt road ahead of the hounds and I swing the old Stevens and squeezed the trigger.

“I picked up the rabbit to take home for dinner in honor of Uncle Earl, unloaded the old Stevens and put it back in the case. It has not been fired since.,” he said.

“By now, you all know I have selected the mount of the running rabbit with the painting of the beagle in chase behind it. It is interesting and certainly innovative to combine the two art forms – taxidermy and painting – to tell a story.”

Storytelling, he said, is a trait shared by taxidermy and the outdoors media.

“We both tell the stories of great outdoor experiences. We in the media tell it through the written word, pictures, videos and other means. Taxidermists actually recreate the experience through the beauty of their taxidermy.”

The story of his winning piece, Bess said, is a tribute to the best beagle he ever had, a dog named Frank.

“I’ve had beagles for as long as I can remember, at least 65 years. And Frank was the finest beagle I ever had,” he said.

“Frank lived to be 15 years old and there was no dog like him. He could jump a rabbit, circle it, work a check. He did not outrun his nose. If there was a loss, eight times out of ten he would pick up that check,” he said.

“I just wanted to pay respect to Frank for what he was.”\

When he was a youngster Bess saw a painting of a beagle chasing a rabbit on the cover of North Carolina Wildlife Magazine and he used that as inspiration for his multimedia display. A retired mechanic/engine builder, now a farmer by trade, he downplayed his artistic abilities.

“I just do one or two pieces a year for the taxidermy shows and I do it just to hang out with the taxidermists,” he said. “They are some of the finest people I have ever met.

Admittedly not a painter, he had a difficult time recreating Frank with acrylic paints, he said. While he does not consider his taxidermy talent to be on par with the taxidermists he enjoys talking the trade with and learning from, his pieces have received solid recognition at the shows.

The beagle and rabbit piece that won the SCOPE Award had been a winner at a previous show and Bess actually had won the SCOPE Award once before for an otter mount about 10 years ago.

Until this year SCAT had provided a plaque for the outdoor media award which had been termed the “Outdoor Writers Award” and even the “Pat Robertson Award” in the past. This year the SCOPE Board voted to provide a plaque for the annual award and to officially call it the “SCOPE Award.”

~ Pat Robertson

Those interested in learning more about primitive and survival skills might be interested in a two-day seminar in March that will cover fire starting with bow drill and ferrocerium rod, flint knapping, water purification, cordage making from natural fibers, archery, atlatl and more.

Other skills such as cast iron cooking, trapping, campsite selection and many other valuable outdoor skills will be covered. For more details such as cost and registration information, location, etc.,  contact L. Woodrow Ross at lross3871@charter.net or call 864-238-1944

“That Wild Country” by Mark Kenyon is excellent reading for SCOPe members and it contains a lot of historical information about the preservation of wilderness areas and some of the struggles of those who worked to preserve them. 

The sub-title says, “An epic journey through the past, present and future of America’s Public Lands”.
Mark Kenyon is an outdoor writer, has been published in Outdoor Life, Field and Stream and is a contributor to MeatEater, Inc. This is his first book. 
Kenyon traveled the U.S. to many of our most famous and beloved Parks and wilderness areas and detailed his personal adventures, but he went on to explain how these areas were set aside and protected. The text is a positive assessment of the needs for wild places, but it is also a warning of the need to continue to support the need for such places.

References are made to such groundbreaking and historical writings as Aldo Leopold’s Sand County Almanac and Theodore Roosevelt’s “Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and the Wilderness Hunter.

You may not agree with all his statements, but it is a book that is well worth taking the time to read it. 

Best regards, Larry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

RE: Pete Rogers Outdoors Launches New Podcast

Taylors, SCPete Rogers Outdoors announces the airing of Christian Outdoors Podcast

Christian Outdoors Podcast will be hosted by longtime award-winning outdoor writer photographer and speaker, Pete Rogers of Taylors, SC. Christian Outdoors is a Podcast that will merge two passions of host Pete Rogers. An ordained minister and longtime outdoor communicator, Pete Rogers saw a need in the industry to bring these two passions together into one place. For over twenty years Pete Rogers has dedicated his life to promoting the hunting, fishing and outdoor lifestyle. While simultaneously working to spread the gospel through a variety of avenues.

“The podcast gives me another avenue to reach an audience I may not have reached before.” Rogers says. “And it allows me to expand beyond the normal avenue for communication commonly found in the outdoor arena.” For decades the majority of the communication has been through written word. More and more people are turning to Podcasts to get their information. “As someone who loves God and loves the outdoors, I think I bring a unique perspective to the microphone. As a trained minister and longtime contributor to the hunting and fishing and outdoor arena, I believe I can offer a podcast that can merge these two passions together.”  

Christian Outdoors Podcast will cover a wide array of topics near and dear to the heart of host Pete Rogers. Rogers is dedicated to covering all areas of outdoor lifestyle. “I have long been entrenched in the hunting, fishing and trapping arena, and love it there. But there are dozens of other outdoor activities that we can reach with this podcast. I hope to include episodes on camping, backpacking, hiking, skiing, off-road riding, mountain biking, and anything else I can think of.” In addition, there will be interviews with well-known outdoor folk who are passionate about Christ and what he has done for them. When the opportunity presents itself, Rogers will also cover topics many Christians struggle with and seek to address those in a positive manner.

Christian Outdoors Podcast hopes to be a podcast that will enlighten, broaden and transform people in a variety of areas. “I want Christian Outdoors Podcast to be a place where we discuss all things outdoors and how we can enjoy God everyday” Rogers says.

Christian Outdoors Podcast will be available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play, Android and other podcast platforms beginning October 1, 2019. To find out more, go to, www.christianoutdoors.org and learn more about the podcast and host Pete Rogers. To contact Pete Rogers or to schedule him to speak at your next event, you can email him at; pete@christianoutdoors.org

About Pete Rogers Outdoors

Pete Rogers Outdoors is the brand behind outdoor writer and author, photographer, and seminar speaker and Podcaster Pete Rogers of Taylors, SC. Pete Rogers annually produces over 100 articles and more than 400 photographs for various outdoor outlets. An award-winning writer and photographer, he is the author of two books; Times Well Spent: Ramblings from a Sportsman’s Life, winner of 2012 Best Book from the South Carolina Outdoor Press Association and his latest book, released in spring of 2018, So, You Want to Hunt Turkeys. He is also the Host of “Ralph and Vicki’s OffGrid Podcast” with Outdoor Television legends, Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo. For more information or to request him to speak at your next event contact him at; peterogersoutdoors@gmail.com. Or Pete@christianoutdoors.org

 www.petergoersoutdoors.com         www.christianoutdoors.org        

Contact: 864-275-6034

Check out the latest book by Larry Ross ~

You can get your copy on Amazon Kindle :

Skill with primitive weapons is something that is earned by repetition and hard work. It requires good hand/eye coordination and being physically fit for some skills. It would not be advisable for a person that is not dedicated to learning these skills to set out on that path. If one desires to hunt extremely successfully, it would be a good plan to use firearms. On the other hand, if one is seeking a challenge and a doorway to the most exciting way to hunt, primitive weapons are the way to go.

The key to using primitive weapons and tools is to practice diligently to hone your skill. When using atlatl or bow, developing good form and having good concentration is important. Use of primitive weapons is like shooting foul shots in basketball. There are no sights, it is a balance of hand-eye coordination and concentration on a tiny spot on the target or animal that you desire to strike. Repetition is the key. Practice, practice, practice!

When hunting with any weapon, especially primitive weapons such as atlatl or bow and arrow, it is vital that you not fall into the trap of looking at the entire animal when the moment of truth arrives. You must pick out that tiny spot on the animal that will result in a humane kill. We owe it to our quarry to be the best that we can be.

Not all who make and use primitive weapons choose to hunt. Many enjoy the opportunity to master skills that our forefathers practiced on a daily basis. Flint knapping, making bows and arrows, making atlatls, cordage making, fire starting and many other primitive skills are a way for us to experience how our forbears lived. We can establish a connection with the past in a very real sense. The satisfaction of developing skills that seem foreign to our modern world is very attractive to those of us who walk to the beat of a different drum.

It is our wish that this text will start you on a pathway that will be very rewarding. It will not always be easy, but it will open your eyes to the past in a very genuine way. Godspeed on your journey to knowledge that is as old as humanity.

Posted by Jim Mize on May 1, 2019

Outdoorsman Jim Mize shares his experience of buying rural land in three months, from narrowing down the ideal location in his search to visiting properties to choosing the perfect fit for his needs.

Month 1: Narrowing down the Search

When I first graduated from college, I lived in a rural area. I could turn my bird dog loose in my backyard and take off walking. During my working years, all that changed with a couple moves to mid-sized towns and a larger city. Now, I’m entering a new career and thinking rural living sounds like the way to go. The next question to answer is, “Where do I start?” You might be in the same mindset so my journey could be useful.

Realtors often use the quote, “Three things matter when you choose where to live: location, location, and location.” But for rural living, what does that mean?

After some thought, I decided to think about where I would go and how often, and then balance my location to give consideration to my travel. For instance, I will be writing full-time about the outdoors, so being in the outdoors matters. I fish several streams regularly, so access to public land is a plus.

Find the rest of the story and more from Jim at :

https://rethinkrural.raydientplaces.com/blog/shopping-for-a-rural-property?fbclid=IwAR3CYxXAmYXZpjG362-7VlrEuigDw4L2MPtUuUSKwgV7IMzInqzz0IsiNZs

Check out this over the slot Redfish caught in the upper Wando river. Angler ( Steve Healey ) The weather is heating up and the fish are on the bite both inshore & offshore. Mahi are hitting the docks hard and will soon be on the grill of every avid saltwater fisherman. Get outside, listen for a gobble, chunk a cricket, throw a fly or just enjoy our great outdoors. Looking forward to seeing you in, on or around the water soon.

Photo by : Brian Carroll / The Outdoor Image

TAG Boats offering plush, high performance fishing craft

As anglers head to the offshore fishing grounds this year, they’ll see a new player in the boating market. TAG Boats, based in Charleston, S.C. is set to shake up the offshore world with their world-class high-performance fishing catamarans.

TAG is currently producing 36-foot catamarans that have all the comforts and features important to today’s anglers. Their 43-footer is in the design concept phase.

David Johnson, Jr., a 43-year-old entrepreneur who grew up in South Carolina’s lowcountry, has spent over 25 years fishing offshore in a variety of boats ranging from 21-footers to 60+ footers, and everything in between.

See more of the story from SCOPE Member Brian Cope at :

New Charleston boat company producing offshore catamarans

The second novel in a series about a Native American fly fishing guide, Adam Running Wolf, tells of his move from West Yellowstone, Montana, to Talkeetna, Alaska. He makes the move to escape the bad memories of the death of a young man that he mentored.
The move has many positive aspects that include making new friends, starting a successful business venture and meeting an attractive woman who would become important in his life.
As usual, Running Wolf becomes involved in a series of dangerous events with the local criminal element, but navigates the perils in his normal stoic and efficient manner.

This novel and 22 other books by
L. Woodrow Ross are available on Amazon Kindle.