The Cypress Creek Skinning Shed

Mike and his great lowcountry boar

That’s right. It’s the summer and many people are headed to the beach to spend the hot days lying on the sand. However for those true hunters that are going crazy during the dog days and really need an outdoor fix, there is nothing like hitting the woods for a well-deserved hog hunt. And like I have said before, while it might be warm here in the lowcountry with a few bugs, there is very little pressure during the summer, so the hunting can still be very good.

And sure enough, this past weekend proved it again. We had just 4 hunters at the lodge, but managed to kill two nice pigs with everyone seeing hogs and having great hunts. Mike started us off on Friday evening when he shot a monster 225 pound boar with good 2.5 inch cutters over on Boggy Creek while his hunting partner, Adam, also had opportunities for his first hog ever that same night, but chose to watch the meat hogs to see if a bigger one showed. Andruis, down from NY, rounded out the kills when he took a nice 80 pound meat hog down at Boggy that same night while on just a one day hunt.

Andruis with his 80 pound meat hog

We also had Dan and his son down, and they saw some small hogs while here but just didn’t ever get a big one to come out. But that is real hunting, and since they are already planning to come back, we will just plan to work even harder to get them on some good hogs next time. Now we have small gap in hunters, so we all are taking a break for the next 10 days or so when a big group of 11 hunters come in for the weekend of June 12th. We should really do well then since we  just had a BIG full moon this past weekend, and that usually hurts the hog hunting, so we were pleasantly surprised that we had as much movement as we did. So if we had good hunting on a full moon, we should really do well on a dark moon for the 12th. And we look forward to sharing the details of that hunt with you!

Rick from WV with his massive boar

What a monster!

That is all that needs to be said for the giant boar hog that Rick L. from West Virginia killed last week right behind our Luray lodge. The 400 pounder strolled out for some corn just after daylight and into Rick’s crosshairs, which helped him accurately deliver a good shot to the massive pig. And while he did run back into the woods a ways, Justin and Quentin where able to recover Rick’s first wild hog ever so that he could not only take home tons of great tasting pork, but put his huge head on the wall to remember his hunt forever. So congratulations to Rick on his first hog and Cypress Creek’s biggest porker in some time.

As for things around the lodge, we have mainly been working on getting things ready for August 15th by moving stands, cutting shooting lanes and putting up more feeders in our best spots. We have also been doing quite a bit of work around the lodge and out back on our 1000 yard shooting range in preparation for our long-range shooting class that will be held next weekend. And while we don’t have many hunters during the summer, we will have a fairly steady stream of small groups looking to put some pork on the ground despite the heat and bugs, so make sure and keep checking back for more stories and pictures!

Kendyl and her dad Gary with their two longbeards

At sunset on Saturday, the 2010 South Carolina turkey season officially ended for us after 6 weeks of hard hunting, but not before producing two more big, mature gobblers for our last two turkey hunters Kendyl and her dad Gary.

Justin with his limbhanger

Down from NC for their second attempt in just two weeks, the father and daughter team  joined us again for the last two days of the season in hopes that they could harvest a big bird together. And after two full mornings of hunting with Justin, they had come close but still not sealed the deal. So their chances at getting a turkey were pretty much over as everyone drove out of the woods and back towards the lodge - when 7 big gobblers walked across the dirt road in front of them and towards a small watering hole full of tall grass. That small brake gave them a chance to get out of the van and circle around in front of them for a couple of calls and a shot as they came up and out of the small depression… two shots to be exact, which produced two nice longbeards! So congratulations to Kendyl and Gary on two nice birds, and to Justin for helping us and our guests to finish up the season on such a high note.

Jeff with his boys Bo and Will Hunt and his big gobbler

And since we were winding up the season this week and only had two hunters left, Justin and I also had a chance to hit the woods to see if we couldn’t get a gobbler too. And after some hard hunting and a few close calls, we each were able to harvest a nice bird a piece. So after calling and hunting without a gun in hand most of the season, it was a nice change for us to hit the woods ready to do business ourselves.

A 400 LB boar from behind the lodge

Our only other hunters this past week were two down from Greenville, SC to bow hunt some hogs. And while they didn’t take any pork home, one was able to get a good opportunity at a big hog right behind the lodge. Unfortunately he couldn’t capitalize on his chance after his arrow fell off of his rest and spooked the pig. But as we always say, that is real hunting; and if it was always easy, it really wouldn’t be as much fun

And I don’t know if it was the same hog or not that was missed, but I just got a text message from Justin that one of the hog hunters here today just shot a HUGE 400 pound boar on the power line right behind the lodge this morning! Just check that massive sucker out in the camera-phone pic! I promise to have the full story and better pictures of the monster for next week’s posting, so make sure and check back to see more.

What a MONSTER HOG!

Now after 6 weeks of almost non-stop hunting, we have a few days to do some work around the lodge to get caught up on all of the to-do list items that have been put off. Then it is time to start moving stands and trimming shooting lanes in preparation for the deer season that starts in just over 3 months. However while we will not have near as many hog hunters joining us during these hot, buggy summer months, we will also be working hard to keep the pigs fat, healthy and undisturbed so that on the days (mostly weekends) when we do have hog hunters, we can make their time in the woods as productive as possible. And when our hunters are dropping 400 pounders and the trailcams are catching big packs of meat hogs running around in the middle of the afternoon as well as other giant pigs hiding in the night, we will be eagerly awaiting  you for some great hunting!

Meat hogs at 3:30pm...

Justin's mom Jamie with her Boggy Creek hog

With all of the hot weather lately, the hogs have been keeping the majority of their movement confined to right around dark when it finally cools off. However early in the week several hogs at the River didn’t wait quite late enough and found themselves in the crosshairs of Tim who hammered two nice ones while WV’s Smiley (Nathanial) killed one. Then a nice downpour Saturday afternoon dropped the temperature considerably, and the hogs rolled out even earlier and right in front of all of our hunters. Joe and Gene, two of our NC crew that come down once a month, dropped good pigs while Jamie, our guide Justin’s mom, shot two and his dad Dave missed one.

Justin's dad Dave with his River gobbler

But hogs weren’t the only thing moving in the woods this past week; our turkeys were working pretty good as well. So Danny took the Hunting the World Southern Style TV camera crew

Hunting The World Southern Style with their big gobbler

and their shooter down to the River where they got some incredible footage while harvesting one big gobbler and missing another. Our other turkey hunters this week were Justin’s parents who were doing the hog/turkey combo, and Dave missed one before connecting on a giant bird while Jamie missed one of the three that her son called in for her right behind the lodge. She then tried to make up for it by hunting super hard in the driving rain and wind with me down on the River on Sunday, but to no avail.  But just let me say that many hunters could learn a thing or two from her about hunting hard and not letting bad conditions keep you out of the woods!

Now we have less than a week to finish off the 2010 South Carolina turkey hunting season.  So in addition to our two hunters this weekend, the guides get to hunt a few mornings too. And we can’t wait to see how the Cypress Creek crew finish the season out and then let you know how everyone did.

NC's Joe and Gene with River hogs

Also please note that if you haven’t contacted Becky about attending our long-range shooting class in May, you had better call ASAP to reserve your spot. Because once we reach a reasonable number of students, we will be cutting off registration to ensure that everyone gets lots of personal attention. Hope to see you there!

Smiley with his big hog

Tim with one of his two River hogs

Wayne Jr. with a nice Boggy boar

Like I said last week, we are entering into our slower summer hunting period now that the warm weather has arrived. However that can be great news for those that are still seeking some hog hunting fun despite the high temperatures. Because while we have a lot less hunters during the mosquito days, that also means the hogs have a lot less pressure on them. Then throw in a $50 a day discount for hog hunts from April 1st through September 31st, and you have the makings of a great summer hunting trip. Just give Becky a call so that she can help you set things up.

Mark with his meat hog

As for our last week’s hunting, we just had a few hog hunting groups including two men that were also turkey hunting in the AM. Out of those, Wayne Jr. from PA shot a nice 130 pound boar over on Boggy Creek along with Shane who harvested a nice, small meat hog. Also killing one after missing one was Mark from IN who also killed a nice meat hog. And even though they didn’t all get a pig, some of the other members of their hunting parties saw over 20+ hogs that were either too small, too fast or too late to shoot. But as we always say, that is real hunting.

Robert and his son Chris with a young gobbler

Robert, down from VA with his son Chris, also killed a young gobbler during his time with us. Now we just have a few more hunters to join us before turkey season ends, and I already have word that two of them have harvested big birds including the Hunting the World Southern Style TV crew who came back for just one day. We look forward to sharing those successful hunts with everyone next week.

Kendyl with her 160 pound Boggy Creek hog

The hot weather and the bugs have finally arrived here in the lowcountry, and as usual that has caused a slow down in the number of guests hunting here in SC. I don’t understand it, but many people seem to enjoy hunting in the cooler temperatures of late winter and early Spring then they do once it warms up and the mosquitoes come out Also, turkey hunting season is now open in most states, so not as many hunters have to travel to SC to get a hunt in.

So with this late Spring slow down, we only had a few hunters this past week after having some time off for Easter. One of those hunters was Jim from Charlotte, NC, who was down for just one day on a hog/turkey hunt combo. And while we couldn’t get a gobbler close enough for him to put down, he did harvest a good boar right out behind the lodge on the power line.

Also turkey and hog hunting with us this past weekend was Dr. Gary Jones of NC, down with his 15 year old daughter Kendyl. The two of them had some great hunts and had several opportunities to shoot a big longbeard inside of 30 yards, but just couldn’t get a clear shot any of the times due to brush in the way or having the turkey on the wrong side of them to shoot. But that is turkey hunting! However Kendell and Dr. Jones didn’t go home empty handed after she put a great 160 pound hog down over on Boggy Creek.

Jim with a boar from right behind the lodge

So congratulations to both of our successful hunters this past week! Now we have a few more quiet days off before a couple of hunters come in this weekend, so stay tuned for more hunting updates. And if you are still hoping to get in the woods for a turkey, call us ASAP. We still have two weeks left in the season, and while it will be a little warm, the late season can offer some of the best turkey hunting since those big gobblers will be out looking hard for those last few hens open to breeding. This means that our lonely hen calls sound better than ever to them.

Also, please note that if you are interested in attending our long range shooting class, you had better call and reserve your spot now. We have had so much interest that we are already almost booked up!

Rosie and Foxy with her first bird

Rosie with her pig

Spring in South Carolina means one thing: Turkey Season! And it officially opened last Monday morning at sunrise here in the lowcountry at Cypress Creek, and we have been hunting hard for the giant red-headed birds ever since.

Rosie, after missing two on opening day, knocked down the first bird for us (and her first ever) when she tagged a giant gobbler that her guide Tater called in on day two. She then further redeemed herself by completing the lowcountry Spring slam by hammering a nice hog that same night. So a huge congratulations to her. Then Jim, down from NJ with his fellow NYPD buddy Rob for their 6th year of hunting with Cypress Creek, followed Rosie’s lead and leveled a great longbeard after Danny sweet talked the bird into range on Sunday morning. And even with the windy conditions, Mike, down from NY, managed to shoot a beautiful bird with one inch spurs and a 10 inch beard over on the Blount Place with me that same afternoon to round out an ugly, rainy day that just happened to produce two nice birds. We also had lots of close calls that didn’t work out for one reason or another, but that is hunting. And we still enjoyed every minute of the hunt, and we hope that our guests did too.

Mike and his Blount Place longbeard

Jim and his great gobbler swinging a 10.5 inch beard

Cypress Creek also had a very special guest to start the season with, Larry Proffitt. He is widely known as the best turkey hunter in the country and has 30 Grand Slams to his credit as well as 20 Royal Slams. He spent a couple of days working our lowcountry birds, and left our flock missing three members when the smoke cleared. Danny was fortunate enough to join him for a morning and captured some great video footage of Larry hunting along with an interview, and we look forward to sharing that with you next week. You don’t want to miss it.

Jamie with his river hog

Gary and a Boggy Creek sow

And while we have been spending a lot of time on the turkeys, we have still been after the hogs too. And George, down from NJ, was able to shoot his first hog ever during his first boar hunt ever. And George wasn’t alone in this feat, since Derick from MD also shot his first hog during his first hunt too. Unfortunately Derick’s friend Dan didn’t get one since he missed, but considering it was his first time not getting a hog in 8 years of coming down, that isn’t too bad. We also had lots of sightings of young hogs too small to shoot as well as some bigger hogs that hunters just couldn’t get a shot at. However a couple of other guests that did see good hogs and didn’t miss were Richard from PA, Gary, also visiting from PA, Jamie from Canada and Johnny from North Carolina, all of whom hunt with us annually.

So you can see, we have been busy reaping the bounty of the lowcountry with many of our great friends lately. We truly appreciate everyone that has hunted with us, and we look forward to doing it again. We would also love to have you join us and experience hunting with Cypress Creek, so give Becky a call. We still have a date or two available during late April if you want to get in on some great turkey hunting and the weather should be nice for some hog hunting too.

Richard with a good Boggy hog

Derrick with his first hog

Gary with Aaron and his 120lb boar

Our lowcountry weather is finally starting to warm up during the day, so you know that Spring is just around the corner. However the mornings and evenings are still pretty cold, and that is keeping the hogs hungry and  hitting the corn fairly well.

And good hog movement is what any pig hunter wants. But young, new sportsmen on their first hog hunt really need lots of action to stoke the hunting fire in their belly. Fortunately, that is what Aaron, down from WV with his dad Gary, got during last week’s hunt when he shot a nice 120 pound boar. So congratulations to him on his first pig! But as real, fair chase hunting can go, fellow West Virginia huntress Jessica, who was hunting with her dad Robert, didn’t get one. However, kill or no kill, those new hunters all had a fantastic time in South Carolina, and we look forward to having them back again soon.

PA's Paul with one of his big sows

Our other weekend group, down from PA, also had a great time. And head hunter of the group, Paul, knocked 3 good sows down including two over 115 pounds. Readers may remember Paul since he has hunted with us for several years and was last on the Skinning Shed during deer season when he shot a nice buck over on our trophy land.

Pete with his 118lb boar

Pete, another PA group member, also shot a nice 118 lb boar. And he almost harvested multiple hogs too, but ended up going home with just his one after the pigs hung up under his stand at dark where he couldn’t get a shot on them. However Pete has vowed to get them when he and his dad return in April for a combo hunt. He said that since  he saw so many big gobblers and hogs during his hunt, he had to come right back for another shot at the pigs that escaped his gun as well as add some turkey breast to his freezer.

And speaking of our turkey/hog combo hunts, the spring season is now just 11 days away. And with all of the big gobblers sighted around the woods along with their booming gobbles at daybreak, we are chomping at the bit to get at them. We would love for you to join us, but we only have a few dates in April left, so if you want to add a giant lowcountry redhead to your collection, please give Becky a call ASAP.

And make sure and check back on Monday for more Cypress Creek Hunting Lodge news. Our hunters have been hard at it during the last few days and have already killed several hogs, so we are looking forward to sharing those kills and their stories with you all.

Ken with his 2009 Spring gobbler

We are now just 3 weeks away from the start of our South Carolina lowcountry turkey hunting season, and the big red-headed birds are starting to get fired up. The nice, warm weather has finally arrived after almost 3 months of nonstop rain and cold, and that has got the gobblers gobbling. And while we are still seeing the big winter flocks still holding together, we are already seeing many of the hen groups being joined by strutters, so you know that the breeding is about to begin. That means that it is almost time to pull out the vests, the snake boots and the thermacells and hit the woods in search of giant longbeards.

Hank with his 150lb Boggy Creek boarsearch of giant longbeards.

And whether you are an old hand or just a newcomer to the sport of turkey hunting, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to hit the South Carolina woods with us since turkey season provides our guests one of the most unique hunts South Carolina has to offer - the Spring gobbler/Hog combo. Because while you have the option of hunting turkeys all day, many of our hunters choose to chase the redheads in the morning and then switch gears and guns to pursue hogs from a stand in the afternoons. This really works out great since the mornings usually provide the most vocal time of day for gobblers, making for an exciting hunt that usually includes quite a bit of walking, while the PM hunt offers the best time of day for big hogs and is done from stationary tree stands where you can relax and recover from the AM hunt. So give Becky a call to see what dates we still have open, and come join us for some great South Carolina turkey hunting.

Hogs working to replenish what we kill :)

Lowcountry hogs enjoying our rare snowfall

As for this past weekend’s hog hunt, it set a new record: Most Fun During Most Disappointing Hunt :O  Our West Virginia group came in after our properties had sat mostly undisturbed all week only to find that the hogs were mostly holding tight to the cover during daylight hours. The hogs just weren’t moving well due to the bright  moon, and the VA boys only got three chances at hogs - which they all missed - and one shot at a coyote - which was grazed. Fortunately the VA posse has been to the South Carolina lowcountry many, many times and know exactly how the hog movement can be. They are also not a group that lets ANYTHING stand in the way of them having a fantastic time, and this trip was no exception. They truly had a great time, and we can’t wait to have them back again so that we can give them another shot at our porkers.

Fortunately right before our VA group rolled in, we had two hunters in camp from LA, and Hank managed to knock down a nice 150 pound pig over on Boggy Creek for our only hog kill of the week. We now have another couple of days without hunters, so we are giving the woods some more quiet time and us some more rest while we get things ready for our Spring gobbler season. Hope to see you here for it.

Thomas and his River boar

Here in the lowcountry, we are still dealing with freezing temperatures along with tons of rain. And the combination continues to keep the hogs from moving very well.

We had a group from NC at the lodge this past weekend, and while a few hogs were seen despite the horrible weather, no hogs were taken. So in addition to the always uncontrollable weather, the following reasons kept the cooler bare for our hunters: sows with very young piglets, a big running boar that wouldn’t stop for a clean shot and a HUGE hog that just didn’t get inside the magic 30 yard radius that our bowhunter needed for an ethical shot… These are all just things that happen when you are hunting fair chase, free range animals on their turf ….

However, while we only had a few hunters earlier in the week, the conditions were definitely better and so was the hog movement for them. That allowed Thomas, home locally during leave from the military, to harvest a nice boar over on the River during his one day hunt. The decent winter weather also helped Tony, down from Laurens, SC, to also take a nice 130 pound sow down on the River as well. So congratulations to both of them.

And since the guides had some extra time this week, they not only were able to get up a few new bow stands, they also had a chance to get the trailcams moved around a bit as well as check what was on there from last week. Sure enough, some more great pics of life in the lowcountry woods including quite a few shots of nice pigs hitting the corn during the mid afternoon and big gobblers teasing us with images of their dangling beards.

As for the week ahead, we have 4 hunters at the bow camp for 5 days. And since the hogs have really been hammering the place, we are just hoping that the hunters will get a few breaks in the bad weather that is forecast to plague the South Carolina lowcountry for the next week and allow the big boars to move for them.

As always, we look forward to sharing their adventures with you next week. And please note, we are only weeks away from our South Carolina turkey hunting season that starts on March 15 and runs through the end of April, so make sure and call Becky to check what dates are still available… Spring is not only beautiful in the lowcountry, but it is truly one of the best times to be in the woods pursuing our big longbeards and giant hogs.

PS: Included in this post is a great shot of Matthew, down from GA during the last week of deer season.  Check out the two nice bucks that he was able to take during his visit. So not only a huge congrats on his fine deer, but a big thank you for emailing us the shots for us to share here on the Cypress Creek Skinning Shed

Mathew and his two late December bucks